Benton County Historical Society & Museum

08/27/2026

We are debuting a new Facebook segment today. Its called Ask the audience. It translates... to we need help finding information and are going to the experts...our Benton County community.

Who remembers a Waldorf Cafe that may have existed at one time in Sauk Rapids?

08/26/2026

One of our Facebook community members reached out with a request for photos.

Tyler researched and found this information. Enjoy!

08/20/2026

08/18/2026

Community participation has always been at the heart of our organization. In the early 1900s, local historians came together to share and preserve the stories of our past. Since then, each generation has added an important piece to our community’s story. Executive Directors, Board Members, and volunteers have given thousands of hours to help us become the organization we are today.

Irene Wilson was a woman ahead of her time. When most women did not work outside the home, Irene entered the banking business. She worked in banking for 50 years and rose to the position of Vice President. She also enjoyed investing in the stock market.

After Irene’s death in 1998, the Benton County Historical Society received a generous donation of one million dollars from her estate.

We have been careful stewards of this gift. We have used it to preserve our history and bring value and opportunities to the Benton County community.

Phase II of the historic Robinson-Stanton remodel is almost complete. Later this fall, we plan to open that part of the building to visitors.

However, there is one problem: the stairs are not accessible to everyone in our community.

We need your support to help make this historic building accessible to all. Please consider joining us for our fundraiser on September 27th.

Tickets can be ordered on our website at
https://mnbentonhistory.org/events.html

or by calling the museum at 320-253- 9614

or by stopping by the museum during our regular business hours Tuesday to Friday from 10-4. We are located across from the Sauk Rapids Coborns store.

Our event is being held at:
Northern Hollow Winery
6120 105th Ave. NE
Foley, Minnesota
Event time: 4:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Thank you for helping us preserve our history and make it available to everyone in our community.

Photo of Irene Wilson from the St. Cloud Times

08/13/2026

Message from our Executive Director:

As this year’s Benton County Fair comes to a close, the Benton County Historical Society would like to clarify several matters regarding our involvement at the fair that came to our attention.

The decision to move the Master Gardeners and Beekeepers from the Heritage Building to the Discovery Building was made by the Benton County Fair Board. BCHS does not own or manage the Heritage Building and was not involved in that decision.

We would also like to clarify that the America 250 display was a Benton County Fair Board display and was not created or presented by the Benton County Historical Society. We are addressing this because questions regarding the display were directed to BCHS staff, including conversations that became unnecessarily political and inappropriate. Our staff should not be expected to speak for or defend decisions that were not made by BCHS.

The absence of Doug Ohman was, however, the responsibility of the Benton County Historical Society. A misunderstanding occurred regarding the funding of his speaking fee. In previous years, his presentation had been funded through a grant secured through BCHS, and I was not aware of that arrangement. As a result, there was a misunderstanding about who was responsible for his payment. We sincerely apologize to everyone who attended the fair expecting to hear Mr. Ohman’s presentations.

We believe strongly in being transparent and accountable. When an issue is our responsibility, we will acknowledge it, take responsibility, and work to correct it. We also believe it is important to clearly outline decisions made by BCHS and those made by other organizations.

We appreciate everyone who visited our booth and supported the Benton County Historical Society during this year’s fair. Our focus remains on preserving and sharing the history of
Benton County and serving our community

08/12/2026

OK Kids of Yesteryear...

I'm sick of the heat, the end of summer...and being an adult.

So lets run away....

To Bambi-Land in Nisswa, Minnesota.

In 1961 the August 31 edition of the Brainerd Dispatch had this to say: "Frank Hochmayr, owner of Bambi-Land, estimates that 50,000 people have visited Bambi-Land to date. At the present time he has 69 deer, 19 fawns, otters, a bear, a fox, a wolf, badgers, a porcupine, several varieties of ducks, Canadian honkers, wood ducks, and peacocks.

One of the improvements to be done this winter is the adding of nursery rhymes that will appeal to the children who visit the park."

I loved looking at all the dolls in the nursery rhyme addition and was very angry I could not take one home. I was four years old at the time.

These slides, taken in 1964, are from my personal collection. My sister Jackie is standing and I am seated on the fish holding an ice cream cone full of corn to feed the tame deer.

What are some of your summer vacation memories?

08/07/2026

The fair is celebrating America’s 250th birthday in the Heritage building.

A family is taking a quiet moment to relax during all the fair fun.

Photo posted with permission.

08/05/2026

Don’t know what to buy at the fair?
Buy tickets for our fundraiser September 27 to help raise money to make our second floor handicapped accessible.

08/05/2026

We are grateful that Anita, a historical society volunteer at the fair since 2007, is here today to demonstrate and educate people about spinning.

Thank you for showing up every year no matter the weather!

08/04/2026

The 2026 Benton County Fair started today.

Tomorrow’s leaders are going “old school.”