Nobles County Minnesota Historical Society

Nobles County Minnesota Historical Society Nonprofit organization devoted to preserving and interpreting the artifacts and history of Nobles Co

The Nobles County Historical Society is now located in the historic 100-year-old Worthington Armory building. Its mission is to collect, preserve, exhibit and interpret the history of Nobles County MNand its people. In fulfilling its mission, the society collects documents, manuscripts, photographs and three-dimensional objects, including those from contiguous areas that interact with the county.

The Society also operates a Pioneer Village typical of small communities in the Midwest at the beginning of the 20th Century.

ISN'T THAT SOMETHING?This column by Ray Crippen was originally published in the Daily Globe June 19, 2004.
06/19/2026

ISN'T THAT SOMETHING?
This column by Ray Crippen was originally published in the Daily Globe June 19, 2004.

THROWBACK THURSDAY ANSWERS!Here's the original story from the dedication of the District 46 schoolhouse after it moved t...
06/18/2026

THROWBACK THURSDAY ANSWERS!

Here's the original story from the dedication of the District 46 schoolhouse after it moved to the Nobles County Fairgrounds -- dated Aug. 13, 1958. So the answer to the first part of today's trivia question is August 1958.

The bonus question was: What year was the District 46 schoolhouse built?

The answer: 1899.

How good was your guess?

HERITAGE CENTER CLOSED FRIDAY!The Nobles County Heritage Center will be closed Friday, June 19, in recognition of a fede...
06/18/2026

HERITAGE CENTER CLOSED FRIDAY!

The Nobles County Heritage Center will be closed Friday, June 19, in recognition of a federal holiday, JUNETEENTH.

For those who are unsure what this observance is all about:

Juneteenth (a blend of "June" and "Nineteenth") is an annual holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the United States. It marks the day in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, to announce that the Civil War had ended and all enslaved people were free.

The Delayed News: Though President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, it was not enforced in Texas until over two years later due to the low presence of Union troops.

General Order No. 3: On June 19, 1865, Major General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and read General Order No. 3, which finally freed the roughly 250,000 enslaved people in the state.

A Federal Holiday: First celebrated in Texas in 1866, the date evolved into a national day of observance and was signed into a federal holiday on June 17, 2021

THROWBACK THURSDAY!Let's play a game!Today's photo is from the dedication of the District 46 schoolhouse when it was fir...
06/18/2026

THROWBACK THURSDAY!

Let's play a game!

Today's photo is from the dedication of the District 46 schoolhouse when it was first moved onto the Nobles County Fairgrounds. I found this photo while applying for a grant to fix the roof on this building, which was the origin of Pioneer Village.

In the comments, guess the year and the month of this event. For a bonus, guess what year the school was originally built. District 46 was located north and slightly east of Brewster.

At 1:01 p.m. today (Thursday, June 18, 2026), I will share the answer(s) in a separate post titled THROWBACK THURSDAY ANSWERS, originating on the Nobles County Historical Society page.

NEXT UP!Be sure and put this next program on your calendar!
06/17/2026

NEXT UP!

Be sure and put this next program on your calendar!

TUESDAY TREASURES!Here's another item from the NCHS Educational Collection. It is also one of those "Found in Collectio...
06/16/2026

TUESDAY TREASURES!

Here's another item from the NCHS Educational Collection. It is also one of those "Found in Collection" items, so we don't know where it came from/ who donated it.

What is it? Do you have any guesses? I'll give you a second ....

It is a butter mold. When the churning was done, the soft butter was packed into this mold and left to set (chilled if possible). The butter could be released from the mold by releasing the sides which were held together with pins and hooks. A star design was embossed in the top of the butter.

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT!Today's advertisement is from June 1976 -- 50 years ago. I couldn't resist sharing it because I bough...
06/15/2026

BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT!

Today's advertisement is from June 1976 -- 50 years ago. I couldn't resist sharing it because I bought a Vista bicycle at The Pedal Pushers (although I had long ago forgotteh the name of the establishment) with my hard-earned paper route money. I loved that bicycle, although I'm not sure exactly what happened to it. I wish I still had it.

Did anyone else purchase a bicycle there?

Per the advertisement, the shop also operated a screen-printing T-shirt business.

If you had a paper route, was there a special item for which you saved up your earnings?

ANNALS OF LOCAL HISTORY!I had intended to clip out only the article about the Minnesota Square Dance Federation conventi...
06/14/2026

ANNALS OF LOCAL HISTORY!

I had intended to clip out only the article about the Minnesota Square Dance Federation convention happening in Worthington 50 years ago this weekend, but then the additional story about visitors from Crailsheim in 1976 caught my eye, so you're getting almost the whole front page of the June 14, 1976, Daily Globe.

One of the events the German visitors would attend was the Bicentennial Pageant, with a cast of 150 people!, that was happening at the Nobles County Fairgrounds. I have a vague memory of both the square dance convention and the pageant. Was anyone involved in either event?

SEASONAL SATURDAY!It's Regatta week in Worthington, so time to set sail on Lake Okabena.The photo on this postcard was t...
06/13/2026

SEASONAL SATURDAY!

It's Regatta week in Worthington, so time to set sail on Lake Okabena.

The photo on this postcard was taken by local photographer Henry Blume, probably sometime in the early 1910s, as the postmark on the back in 1913. The name on the boat is the "Thelma."

I think this photo would be a great prompt for a story. Who do you think these people are, and what are their relationships to each other? Do they live on the lake, or are they just visiting? Feel free to stretch your imagination and come up with a colorful tale from this black and white photograph!

ISN'T THAT SOMETHING?This column by Ray Crippen was originally published in the Daily Globe June 7, 2003.
06/12/2026

ISN'T THAT SOMETHING?
This column by Ray Crippen was originally published in the Daily Globe June 7, 2003.

Address

225 Ninth Street
Worthington, MN
56187

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4am
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

+15072955397

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Nobles County Minnesota Historical Society posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Nobles County Minnesota Historical Society:

Shortcuts

Share

Category