Who are we?
We are a society of people dedicated to the
preservation of the history of Pipestone County, Minnesota. We
operate a historical museum that has many historical artifacts
as well as genealogical resources.
Open: 10am - 5pm Daily, Memorial
Day through Labor
Day.
Winter Hours: 10am - 5pm Monday through Saturday, closed
Sunday. Saturdays, January through Memorial Day: Free Admission.
The Pipestone County Historical Society was
founded in 1880, less than one year after the organization of
Pipestone County, and only six years after the first permanent
euro-American settlers came to this area. Although one of the
younger counties in Minnesota, ours is the second oldest County
Historical Society. The society immediately began to collect and
preserve the material heritage of the regions, as is the purpose
stated in the By-Laws. Collections were housed at the Pipestone
County Courthouse until 1967, when the City of Pipestone deeded
the Old City Hall Building to the society. Since that time the
building has served as the Pipestone County Historical Museum.
The museum was at that time open only by appointment, and
operated with a volunteer and part-time seasonal staff until the
first full-time executive director was hired in 1979. Since that
time operations and funding sources have stabilized and steadily
increased. The museum staff serves every school in the county
with tours, in-house programs, and outreach programs.
By-Laws
Article II of the Pipestone County Historical
Society By-Laws state:
The object of the society shall be the
discovery, preservation, and dissemination of knowledge about
the natural history, pre-history of Pipestone County and the
State of Minnesota. More particularly, its objects shall be:
1. To discover and collect any material which may help to
establish or illustrate the history of the above entitles, their
progress in population, ethnic groups, wealth, education, arts,
science, agriculture, manufacturers, trade, transportation,
religion, and finance-printed materials such as newspapers,
pamphlets, catalogues, circulars, handbills, programs, and
posters; manuscript materials such as letters, diaries,
journals, memoranda, reminiscences, rosters, services records,
account books, charts, surveys, field books, tapes, cassettes,
film, and other multi-media materials; and museum materials such
as pictures, photographs, paintings, portraits, scenes,
aboriginal relics, and material objects illustrative of life,
conditions, events and activities in the past or the present.
2. To disseminate historical information to interested persons,
groups and institutions, and arouse interest in the past by
publishing historical materials in the newspapers or otherwise,
by holding meetings, addresses, lectures, papers, discussion and
tours: and by marking historic buildings, site and trails.
