Fillmore County Historical Society-MN

05/22/2026

The museum will open on Saturday, May 23, 2026 at 11:30 a.m.

05/07/2026

🇺🇸 Save the Date 🇺🇸

Step back in time and celebrate an old-fashioned Fourth of July at the Fillmore County History Center!

Join us on Sunday, July 5, 2026 for a day filled with patriotic spirit, community, history, and summertime fun. 🎆

More details to come — but for now, mark your calendars and get ready for a nostalgic celebration the whole family can enjoy.

📍 Fillmore County History Center
📅 July 5, 2026

04/25/2026

Join us for tea & buttons tomorrow! 🫖🌷

04/08/2026

The Minnesota Digital Library is such a great resource to view our digitalized items on demand.
🔎Check out the newest additions to our collection now!

Explore some of the new additions to the Fillmore County Historical Society collection in the Minnesota Digital Library.

04/07/2026

We love seeing local history in the spotlight!

Check out this feature from the Root River Current on Laney Smith of Legacy Lane Genealogy and her podcast Roots & Riddles.

📍 Catch her this weekend with the Spring Valley Laura Ingalls Wilder Site
📍And again this fall at the Fillmore County Historical Society

Laney Smith of Spring Valley uses genealogy, storytelling and her podcast “Roots & Riddles” to uncover forgotten families, ghost towns and local history in Fillmore County. Read our full story at the link in the comments 👇

03/23/2026

🩺 It’s Medical Monday 🩺

Each Monday, we’ll be sharing a fun historical quiz question to test your knowledge of old-time medical terms, remedies, and health practices from days gone by.

👉 Share your best guess in the comments below!

We’ll reveal the answer in the comments—no peeking at Google 😉

Stay tuned each week for more fascinating (and sometimes surprising!) medical trivia from our archives.

03/06/2026

🎉 Happy 173rd Birthday, Fillmore County! 🎉

On March 5, 1853, Fillmore County was officially established — opening a new chapter in the story of southeastern Minnesota. Today we celebrate the people, places, and stories that have shaped our county for more than a century and a half.

In the 1912 History of Fillmore County, pioneer P. McCracken shared a vivid memory of what this land looked like when settlers first arrived in the mid-1850s. His words still paint a powerful picture of the world our earliest residents knew:

"I saw the patient, slow-plodding ox team, hitched to what was commonly known as a prairie schooner… a farm wagon covered with canvas to protect a wife and children from the scorching sun, the drenching rain, and the chilly dews of a Minnesota night. I saw the prairie schooner pitched near our beautiful groves, along our laughing little brooks, on the banks of the clear, cool Root River streams, and beside the springs that dotted the prairie like silver specks in a sea of green.

I saw the breaking plow turning up the rich black prairie soil while the owner looked forward with fond anticipation of a rich return for his toil. I saw the hardy pioneer fashioning prairie sods into a frontier cabin. I saw deer bounding over the prairie and speckled trout flashing like silver in the shaded waters of our streams.

I saw hospitality, pure and simple. I saw contentment buoyed by hope. I saw friendship sincere and strong… and families eagerly awaiting the arrival of a letter or newspaper that had been expected for weeks."

Those early pioneers built the communities we know today — towns, farms, schools, and churches that still shape the character of Fillmore County.

Today we honor 173 years of history and the generations who have called this beautiful corner of Minnesota home.

Do you have a favorite Fillmore County memory, family story, or historic place? Share it in the comments — we’d love to hear it. 🏡📜

02/26/2026

Two days and counting...until The Victrola Man returns with our History Talks series! Join us as we toe tap along with the music that became the origins of the country genre. We begin at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28 in the museum. We look forward to seeing you there!