County history museums have some of the most varied artifact collections of any type of museum because their goal is to capture the complete way of life in a county. This encompasses how and where people live, the businesses they run (logging, general merchandise, millineries, granite quarrying, etc.), the types of things people use (clothing, accessories, tools, furnishings, etc.), transportation (railroad, automobiles and highways, on foot or horseback, etc.), the institutions that form a society (churches, schools, hospitals, orphanages, governments, etc.), how people feed themselves (agriculture, canneries, grocery stores, etc.) and many other aspects of daily life.
The Morrison County Historical Society is no different from other county history museums. The majority of our collections span from the mid-1800s to the 1950s. Our collections include items from all of the above-mentioned subjects and more. A sampling of MCHS artifact collections include dishes, clothing, wooden water pipes, arrow points, hats, a cigar factory, log stamps, flour sacks, quilts, sheet music, business ledgers, Bibles, clocks, agricultural implements, baskets, a butter maker’s uniform, mattresses made during the Works Progress Administration, kitchen utensils, a concertina, dolls, and travelling bags.
This list barely touches the surface of MCHS’ collections. A small percentage of our artifacts are on display at any given time. Most of them are stored in the museum’s collections management areas using current preservation practices so that they may be kept without damage or deterioration. Artifacts in storage are used periodically as pieces in MCHS Showcase Exhibits. They may also be used by researchers interested in studying them.
Researchers who would like to study MCHS artifacts should be aware that it takes time for staff to retrieve artifacts and should contact MCHS to make the appropriate arrangements. If there is an item in collections storage that you’d like to see, call at least 24 hours in advance of your visit.
If you’d like professional assistance with caring for an item in your personal collection, or with finding archivally safe storage options, contact us.