Here, you will find Our Mission;
an introduction to KHC and Who We Are;
​ and "The Gift", a message about KHC. 

Our Mission

It is the mission of the Kanabec County Historical Society / Kanabec History Center to collect, preserve, and maintain the history of Kanabec County and the history of the people who helped make Kanabec County what it is today.  It is our mission to readily make our collection and archives available to all parties. 

Who We Are - An Introduction to KHC

 (The Kanabec History Center opened to the public on June 24, 1978.  Operated by the Kanabec County Historical Society, the Center is located on 37 acres bordering the Snake River on the west side of Mora, MN.  The main facility contains an exhibition hall, climate controlled storage areas, reference library, gift shop, and office space.  The recently remodeled banquet room serves as a rental facility. It is also available for meeting use and other community classes. The one-room Whittier Schoolhouse is used for Old Tyme Country School classes each summer. Webster School is our smallest one-room schoolhouse and available with Whitter to tour as part of our outdoor exhibits from May - October. Coin School, constructed in 1898, and is currently closed to the public.

The facility hosts artistic, historic, educational and cultural events.  The collection includes an excellent cross-section of items relevant to the county's history. You can find our upcoming events Here and an event archive Here, and information on our current exhibits Here. 

The History Center is funded through memberships, donations and fundraising activities. We are a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization and as such all donations and memberships are tax deductible.

The Kanabec County Historical Society and History Center are NOT a part of any city, county or state government department. This organization is a member of, but is not funded by, the Minnesota Historical Society.

The Center is completely accessible to the handicapped.
We are open year round, Wednesday - Saturday, Weekdays 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. and Saturdays 9:00am - 4:00pm.
We are open prior to 9/10:00am, after 4:00pm, and Sunday - Tuesday by appointment only. We are closed some holidays.

Museum admission price for non-members is $2 for students K-12, $5 for adults, and $10 for families (5+). Member admission is free.
Access to Research Materials is $20/hour if Staff provides for non-members, and is free for members. (Staff assistance.)

Finally, included below are timeless excerpts from a letter
that the Kanabec County Historical Society/Kanabec History Center's (KCHS/KHC's) former
​Executive Director, Wendy Quinn, wrote to the Kanabec County Commissioners on November 20, 2018.
This letter to the commissioners is titled "The Gift" and is a moving message ​about
​what KCHS/KHC means to the community, and what the community means to KCHS/KHC. 
​

The Gift



​What do we provide to your constituents?
 
At Kanabec History Center, we believe that history is made every day, by everyday people. We are not just about old stuff. We are memories, stories, and people. 
 
People experience a wide variety of emotions after finding the pieces of history they have come searching for. Some have been searching for years. We get a huge 'thank you' for the work we do protecting history and keeping it accessible, whether they find their answer or not.
 
Please let me give you a couple of examples of why I am extremely proud of the work we do and why it is important to your constituents.
 
One day an elderly gentleman came in. He looked frail and sad. He wanted help finding old “magazines”. He was sure I knew the ones he was talking about. He has lost so many old friends, and he just wanted to connect with them. I took him to spot after spot where we had old magazines. "No, not those. You know, those 'magazines'!” he said time and time again. I was getting frustrated. Finally, we reached the old, thin yearbooks from the 1920’s to the 1950’s. “Yes, yes those!” he exclaimed with excitement. I left him alone in our 'library' area with the yearbooks. After about an hour and a half, he came to the front counter to thank me. "I was feeling so sad and lonely, missing so many people,” he said, “as I sat and looked it brought so many happy and fun memories.”

“Those people were alive again," he said, with tears welling up. I am proud we were here for him.
 
We [had] a young lady in our office placed through the Youth Program of the Workforce Center. She was getting office experience and learning skills she would be able to add to her resume. This young lady’s great-great grandparents owned and operated Cougarville. Yes, they had live cougars. And not only that, but delicious meals and music as well. It was a social hot spot in its time. One of the things she had been doing is scanning our paper file histories. She was making this information accessible by computer for the first time. She just happened to run across something about Cougarville and told me the owners were her ancestors. I asked her to research and create a business file about Cougarville, as we did not have one. Her father came in to look at the file she had made. He experienced so many emotions and relived many experiences while looking at memories of his grandfather, the man who had been a father figure to him. His blood father had dealt with a drinking problem and had been unavailable as a parent. I could plainly see the emotions in his face as he thanked his daughter for the work she had done. Once again, we provided the gift of memories of beloved people.

40 years ago, Kanabec County received a gift. This gift came from Pete McVay in honor of his deceased wife, Rosemary McVay. The Kanabec County Historical Society and the people of Kanabec County were given a place to store and preserve these gifts of memory. We do not have to ask the county for space, heat and/or electricity.
 
The McVay family still owns “The Farm” located in Kanabec County. They continue supporting the preservation of your county’s history with a gift of $10,000.00 annually to the historical society. In 2017 the McVay Family Farm contributed $6,318.00 in Kanabec County Property taxes.
 
The following three paragraphs are a quote from Pete McVay’s groundbreaking speech for the Kanabec History Center Building, spoken July 12, 1977.
 
“We have an interest in history because we know that we are whatever we are largely because of those who preceded us. We know that we have what we have, we live as we live in no small measure because of their work and sacrifices
 
From our fathers and our fathers’ fathers we have received a faith, a set of moral standards, a code of ethics, a culture. We have received some appreciation of beauty and kindness and love. We have been taught to seek knowledge. We have been inspired to search for a better life – a life better not only in a material way but a life that reflects a better understanding and more consideration of our neighbors and all men.
 
We are indeed a fortunate people. For as our forefathers’ courage, and determination, and sacrifices and vision, and love were great – so great is our heritage, so great are our benefits.”

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Wouldn’t it be great, if in the future, one of your great-great grandchildren searched for you at the History Center, and found how you kept Kanabec County History accessible for them?