We really enjoy visiting our member libraries and archives, and had such a great visit to the Benton County Historical Society. The outside of the building is deceptively small, and we had so much fun discovering all the treasures housed inside. The mission of the Benton County Historical Society is to “preserve the past and present history for future generations.” They have tons of resources available at their location for anyone wishing to research family or area history. Thanks to donations, original books and documents, microfilm, plat maps, audio history tapes and lots more, you can explore your family’s or your community’s history!
We were lucky enough to get a tour from museum volunteer Fred, who was full of interesting and surprising information about the Benton County area.
We were able to see the main area where research is done. There’s a computer that has a database where most of the resources are cataloged for easy access. They have microfilm, old newspaper clippings, binders of family history, as well as filing cabinets full of history of the community.
We continued on into the museum portion of the building.
We were especially intrigued by this old school bus! Notice how it is equipped to handle the snowy MN winters. The description explains how children had to walk 1-2 miles just to catch the bus!
Finally, we discovered this exciting article about a discovery of a giant skeleton in the Mississippi River near Sauk Rapids in 1868!
Thank you to Fred for a fantastic tour! We were so impressed with all the resources and materials the Benton County Historical Society has to offer. Definitely pay them a visit, and consider making a donation so they can keep up their great work! Find more information on their website.