RCHS Movie Night
“Sweet Land” (2005)
Thursday, November 7, 2019, 7pm
“Sweet Land” tells the story of Inge Altenberg (Elizabeth Reaser ), a German mail-order bride sent to Minnesota in the paranoid and nationalistic days following the First World War to meet her future husband, Olaf Torvik (Tim Guinee), a Norwegian bachelor farmer. Along the way, she discovers love, hard work, friendship, and how to make pie just like an American.
(The movie was filmed just north of the twin cities.)
Rated PG. Drama/Historical period drama ‧ 1h 50m.
Free Admission for RCHS Members & guests
Light refreshments of popcorn, coffee, and water
will be available
Space is limited. Please call to reserve your seat. 507-332-2121
RCHS 2019 Annual Meeting
Thursday, October 24, 2019
5:00 pm Social Hour; 6:00 pm Dinner; 7:00 pm Program
Held at the Faribault Elks Club
The Rice County Historical Society’s 2019 Fall Banquet and Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday, October 24, at the Faribault Elks Club (131 Lyndale Avenue North) in Faribault. The banquet will begin with a social hour at 5:00; dinner will be served at 6:00. There will be a brief business meeting as required by our bylaws at 7:00, followed by a presentation by Rodger and Richard Fette who will share the history of Fette Electronics in Faribault, MN. The business meeting will include a vote on proposed changes to our bylaws (See below).
Please join us for an eventful evening. The meal will be catered by Arna Farmer Catering and Cakes and will boast a Pasta Bar, including lasagna with meat (vegetarian lasagna available upon request), ziti pasta with choices of marinara with meat sauce and chicken alfredo sauce, tossed salad, assorted breads, and assorted desserts.
Tickets for this event are $20.00 for RCHS and Chapter/Partner members and $25.00 for non-members. Tickets can be purchased from any RCHS board members or at the Rice County Historical Society, located at 1814 NW 2nd Ave. in Faribault. Please reserve a ticket by Friday, October 18.
The Rice County Historical Society is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to discover, preserve and share the history of Rice County and the State of Minnesota.
For more information, call (507) 332-2121.
RCHS Board Proposes Bylaw Changes
Earlier this year, as part of a routine review of all RCHS documents and policies, the Rice County Historical Society Board of Directors reviewed our bylaws and noted that they had last been updated in 2003. Now, 16 years later, the Board is proposing some updates of the bylaws. These changes are designed to make the bylaws more inclusive of some of our existing policies and make further changes easier to make, such as creating new membership categories and adding new partner organizations. Included in the changes are some small edits, such as replacing “him” with “him/her”, and a few larger edits. Perhaps the most significant change is with the Chapter Relations portion of the bylaws.
Since RCHS’s bylaws were last updated, there have been two significant changes within the county’s museum community. First, a new organization has been established that wishes to become an official chapter of the Rice County Historical Society, the Dundas Historical Society. Second, the Northfield Historical Society and RCHS have developed an expanded agreement that transitioned NHS from a “Chapter” to a “Partner” of RCHS. The proposed bylaws allow these opportunities.
All members attending the Annual Meeting will be asked to vote on these changes. Click HERE to see the proposed Bylaws.
If you have any questions please call the museum at 507-332-2121.
Precious and Adored: The Love Letters of Rose Cleveland and Evangeline Simpson Whipple, 1890-1918
A Discussion with authors Tilly Laskey and Lizzie Ehrenhalt
Wednesday, October 2, 2019, 7pm
Please join Tilly Laskey and Lizzie Ehrenhalt in a discussion about their book “Precious and Adored: The Love Letters of Rose Cleveland and Evangeline Simpson Whipple, 1890-1918”.
In 1890, Rose Cleveland, sister of President Grover Cleveland, began writing to Evangeline Simpson, a wealthy widow who would become the second wife of Henry Whipple, Minnesota’s Episcopal bishop. The women corresponded across states and continents, discussing their advocacy and humanitarian work–and demonstrating their sexual attraction, romance, and partnership. In 1910, after Evangeline Whipple was again widowed, the two women sailed to Italy and began a life together
The letters, most written in Cleveland’s dramatic, quirky style, guide readers through new love, heartbreak, and the rekindling of a committed relationship. Lillian Faderman’s foreword provides the context for same-sex relationships at the time. An introduction and annotations by editors Lizzie Ehrenhalt and Tilly Laskey discuss the women’s social and political circles and explain references to friends, family, and historical events.
After Rose Cleveland’s death, Evangeline Whipple described her as “my precious and adored life-long friend.” This collection, rare in its portrayal of nineteenth-century LGBTQ history, brings their poignant story back to life.
Books will be available for sale at the event.
Admission: $3.00/Non-member
Free for RCHS Members and Students of all ages with school ID
The Rice County Historical Society is at at 1814 NW 2nd Ave., Faribault, MN. For questions call the RCHS Museum at 507-332-2121 or email us at rchs@rchistory.org. Reservations for the program are not required but are encouraged.
Upcoming Events
Please Join Us!
We have three events/programs coming up in the next week:
Monday, September 23, 7pm: We’re hosting “WOW – Women of War”, with artist Al Smith. This event is co-sponsored by the Faribault Branch of the American Association of University Women. Click here for more information
Saturday, September 28, 4-7pm: We will hold our 7th Annual “Night at the Museum” event. This living history event is fun for all ages. Click here for more information.
Wednesday, October 2, 7pm: We are thrilled to host, “Precious and Adored: The Love Letters of Rose Cleveland and Evangeline Simpson Whipple, 1890-1918”. Join us for this conversation with authors Tilly Laskey and Lizzie Ehrenhalt. Book signing to follow the program Click here for more information.