Iron Range Historical Society
Encyclopedia
The Iron Range Historical Society is an historical society, museum and research library located in Gilbert, Minnesota
. A non-profit organization, the Iron Range Historical Society exists on the donations and efforts of volunteers.
The Iron Range Historical Society was incorporated in 1973. Prior to coming to Gilbert, the Iron Range Historical Society was located in Biwabik and Aurora, Minnesota
.
The Iron Range Historical Society has a collection of more than 20,000 photographs in 80 albums, in addition to old newspapers and directories of people who lived in the larger Iron Range
cities dating from 1899 until recent times. Other artifacts onsite and in storage include books, photo displays and office machinery, vintage clothing
, logging
and mining
artifacts, and other material of archeological, geological or historical significance. The mission of the Society is to "collect, preserve and share" these materials.
The Iron Range Historical Society publishes four newsletters annually entitled Range Reminiscing, in addition to other publications. An Orchid Award was received from the Mesabi Daily News
for the publication of their 2009 book Iron Range Beauty. The Iron Range Historical Society is also responsible for the oversight of several off-premise attractions. One of these, the Longyear Drill Site, is currently undergoing renovation. The Iron Range Historical Society also made efforts in 1976 to save the last remaining smokestack
at the Corsica Mine near McKinley, Minnesota. Architecturally significant, it was built by Cornish
men of the mining industry in 1901 and was the last of its kind on the Iron Range. Recently, the Iron Range Historical Society was awarded a Legacy Grant
from the Minnesota Historical Society
to broaden accessibility to their newspaper records.
The Iron Range Historical Society is located in the old Gilbert City Hall at 19 South Broadway Street in Gilbert, Minnesota. The future of the Iron Range Historical Society was in question for a time due to the sale of the old Gilbert City Hall. The museum houses information from all three of Minnesota's Iron Ranges.
Gilbert, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,847 people, 842 households, and 495 families residing in the city. The population density was 156.7 people per square mile . There were 900 housing units at an average density of 76.3 per square mile...
. A non-profit organization, the Iron Range Historical Society exists on the donations and efforts of volunteers.
The Iron Range Historical Society was incorporated in 1973. Prior to coming to Gilbert, the Iron Range Historical Society was located in Biwabik and Aurora, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
.
The Iron Range Historical Society has a collection of more than 20,000 photographs in 80 albums, in addition to old newspapers and directories of people who lived in the larger Iron Range
Iron Range
The Iron Range is a region that makes up the northeastern section of Minnesota in the United States. "The Range", as it is known by locals, is a region with multiple distinct bands of iron ore...
cities dating from 1899 until recent times. Other artifacts onsite and in storage include books, photo displays and office machinery, vintage clothing
Vintage clothing
Vintage clothing is a generic term for new or second hand garments originating from a previous era. The phrase is also used in connection with a retail outlet, e.g...
, logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
and mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
artifacts, and other material of archeological, geological or historical significance. The mission of the Society is to "collect, preserve and share" these materials.
The Iron Range Historical Society publishes four newsletters annually entitled Range Reminiscing, in addition to other publications. An Orchid Award was received from the Mesabi Daily News
Mesabi Daily News
The Mesabi Daily News is a newspaper published in Virginia, Minnesota. It has a Sunday circulation of 10,000.The newspaper was founded in 1893 as the Virginia Enterprise and switched to its current name in 1945....
for the publication of their 2009 book Iron Range Beauty. The Iron Range Historical Society is also responsible for the oversight of several off-premise attractions. One of these, the Longyear Drill Site, is currently undergoing renovation. The Iron Range Historical Society also made efforts in 1976 to save the last remaining smokestack
Chimney
A chimney is a structure for venting hot flue gases or smoke from a boiler, stove, furnace or fireplace to the outside atmosphere. Chimneys are typically vertical, or as near as possible to vertical, to ensure that the gases flow smoothly, drawing air into the combustion in what is known as the...
at the Corsica Mine near McKinley, Minnesota. Architecturally significant, it was built by Cornish
Cornish people
The Cornish are a people associated with Cornwall, a county and Duchy in the south-west of the United Kingdom that is seen in some respects as distinct from England, having more in common with the other Celtic parts of the United Kingdom such as Wales, as well as with other Celtic nations in Europe...
men of the mining industry in 1901 and was the last of its kind on the Iron Range. Recently, the Iron Range Historical Society was awarded a Legacy Grant
Minnesota Historical and Cultural Grants
The Minnesota Historical and Cultural Grant is a grant program created with funds appropriated from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, and administered by the Minnesota Historical Society. This program provides grants to projects in the state of Minnesota focused on preserving Minnesota’s history...
from the Minnesota Historical Society
Minnesota Historical Society
The Minnesota Historical Society is a private, non-profit educational and cultural institution dedicated to preserving the history of the U.S. state of Minnesota. It was founded by the territorial legislature in 1849, almost a decade before statehood. The Society is named in the Minnesota...
to broaden accessibility to their newspaper records.
The Iron Range Historical Society is located in the old Gilbert City Hall at 19 South Broadway Street in Gilbert, Minnesota. The future of the Iron Range Historical Society was in question for a time due to the sale of the old Gilbert City Hall. The museum houses information from all three of Minnesota's Iron Ranges.