March 2, 2023 from 6-8pm

Please join us on March 2, 2023 from 6pm to 8 pm for a workshop on “Researching German Genealogy in German Church Records” with Barbara Pieh.

Pieh is a former resident of Württemberg in Germany, is a self-taught reader of the German script, and past president of the Germanic Genealogy Society of Minnesota. During the evening, she will talk about many of the reasons and motivations people from that area emigrated. 

Additionally, she will explain how to find your German family in church books. There is a great deal of genealogy information in the records of German Churches and fortunately, many of them are online on three key website: Archion, Matricula, and Meyers Gazetteer. 

Although not required, all who sign up are invited to bring your laptop, your immigrant names, dates, and locations already known, any documents on a flash drive. The use of the website Meyers Gazetteer to find locations will also be practiced.

This program is free for RCHS Members and $5.00 for non-members. Reservations are strongly encouraged. To reserve a spot, please call the museum at 507-332-2121.

RCHS is looking for a new Curator, if you or anyone you know if interested we encourage you to check out the link below!

Curator of Collections Job Posting

Join us on Thursday, February 16, at 7pm at the RCHS Museum

The US-Dakota War saw the expulsion of the Dakota from Minnesota for generations, and resulted from long growing tensions between settlers and native Dakota peoples. Bishop Whipple had long been an advocate for the Native populations of Minnesota and preached for peace between settlers and Native peoples. When the war broke out Whipple found himself torn and pulled from both sides. Labeled a sympathizer by many, he nevertheless rose to the occasion to aid those in need on both sides. Even after hostilities ended, Whipple continued to rally for the Dakota. This presentation will discuss the actions and advocacy of Bishop Whipple in the time surrounding the war. It will look at Whipple’s religious background, his actions during the conflict, and his later support for the Dakota at the state and national levels.

Dave Nichols is the new Executive Director of the Rice County Historical Society. He has been with RCHS since March of 2020 and prior to that worked with Steele and Goodhue County Historical Societies as a contractor, and Scott County Historical Society as Curator until 2021. He was one of the two leads on the re-visited Bishop Whipple exhibit at RCHS. He has been in the field for 7 years and received his training and degrees from Minnesota State Mankato. 

This program is free for RCHS Members and $5.00 for non-members. Reservations are strongly encouraged. To reserve a spot, please call the museum at 507-332-2121.

January 26, 2023, at 6 pm

Please join us on Thursday, January 26, at 6 pm for a program on ‘German POW Camps in the United States,” presented by Matt Carter.

During World War II, more than 400,000 German prisoners of war were sent to the United States after being captured by Allied forces. These prisoners of war (POW) were sent across the country where they were placed in POW Camps throughout the duration of the war. The U.S. had more than 12-million men and women serve, causing a labor shortage across the country. The POWs were used to offset the labor shortage, working within the nearby communities they were housed in. This presentation will explore the history of the German POW camps that were prevalent throughout Minnesota – including the one in Faribault.

Matt Carter is the Executive Director of the Dakota County Historical Society (DCHS), a position he’s held since January 2016. He works closely with staff and the board of trustees to manage three historic sites within Dakota County: the Lawshe Museum in South St. Paul, the LeDuc Estate in Hastings, and the Sibley Site in Mendota. With more than 10 years in the museum field, he has researched topics ranging from the history of baseball to prisoner-of-war camps in the United States during World War II. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Public History with a minor in Library Science and a master’s degree in History with a Public History certificate from the University of Wisconsin in Eau Claire.

This program is free for RCHS Members and $5.00 for non-members. Reservations are strongly encouraged. To reserve a spot, please call the museum at 507-332-2121.