The Story of the Bald Eagle Water Club

Jul 25, 2022 | Water Ski Exhibit

The Story of the Bald Eagle Water Club

The story and history of the Bald Eagle Water Club begins locally in 1953 and shows how the organization gained both regional and national recognition in the water skiing community over the past seven decades. The video was produced by the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society as part of the Bears on Boards exhibit celebrating the 100 year anniversary of water skiing in June of 2022.

Running time: 24:44 minutes

Ralph Samuelson: The Father of Water Skiing

Jul 25, 2022 | Water Ski Exhibit

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Ralph Samuelson: The Father of Water Skiing

This video tells the story of how Ralph Samuelson invented water skiing in Lake City, MN in 1922. The video was produced by the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society as part of the Bears on Boards exhibit celebrating the 100 year anniversary of water skiing in June of 2022.

Running time: 7:15 minutes

White Bear Water Ski Company Project (2020)

Jul 25, 2022 | 50th Anniversary, Water Ski Exhibit

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White Bear Water Ski Company Project (2020)

This video was originally aired as part of the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society 50 year anniversary celebration in September of 2020. Dennis Zerwas, Jr., the grandson of White Bear Water Ski Company founder Tom Weinhagen hosts the history and story of this local company that became one of the earliest national manufacturers of water skis. The video was edited by the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society as part of the Bears on Boards exhibit celebrating the 100 year anniversary of water skiing in June of 2022.

Running time: 29:25 minutes

About The Midwest Ski Otters Water Ski Team

Jun 24, 2022 | Water Ski Exhibit

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About The Midwest Ski Otters Water Ski Team

A video about White Bear Lake’s own, nationally recognized, Midwest Ski Otters Water Ski Team that perform Sundays during the summer on Little Goose Lake on Hoffman Road. Courtesy of The Midwest Ski Otters Water Ski Team.

Running time: 4:22 minutes

What Happens To Your Donations

Mar 2, 2022 | Support

Ever wonder what happens after you donate an item or photo the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society? We recently had an inquiry about why photographs someone had donated some time ago have not made it to our online database. Unfortunately, that is something we have been trying to improve, but we currently have a collections backlog that includes several thousand individual items that we continue to work through and add to the database. Scanning and entering the items into our database is just one part of the process.

Over the past few years, we have been able to make improvements to our collections care including:

adding climate controls (air conditioning & humidity) to our space at the Armory,
physically expanding our offsite collections storage area by adding over 200 square feet and transferring the artifact boxes to rolling shelving units to make them more manageable,
transferring ten rolling units from our collections area at the armory to the new space to create a better work station for measuring, photographing and documenting artifacts as they are accessioned, and
transferring our collections database to a new, more user-friendly system that is being supported (the old system had become obsolete) which included file migration and data clean-up for the approximately 9,000 items currently in the system.

Throughout all of this we have received several large archival donations consisting of more than twenty boxes of files, photographs and other materials and eight large cabinets of artifacts along with the increased volume of donations that have come in throughout Covid as people have been sorting and downsizing. With only two full-time staff members to cover all of our programming and activities, and the limited opportunity for volunteers to do the data entry and scanning required, especially over the last couple of years, it is a slow process.

Collections care is a priority for the WBLAHS and we are currently working on several initiatives including:

a grant request that would enable us to hire two collections assistants in 2023. This would help with at least an inventory of the items that have not been fully catalogued to date. That would mean a title, object id number, photo/scan and donor information entered into the system, at a minimum, which would allow us to upload those items to the database for public access.
A long-term plan to add collections and program staff to focus on collections processing and ongoing care as well as utilizing those photos, artifacts and other materials to help tell the stories of our community.

One of our recent success stories is the addition of 26 oral histories to our website. Little by little it all will get there. But please be assured that even if it is not yet on our online database we can help you in-person with a research appointment at the Armory. We love being able to connect people to the history of our area and are happy to help!

History in the Spotlight

Dec 11, 2021 | Admin Update

Now, more than ever history is in the spotlight. People are questioning what they have been taught and seeking a better understanding of what they have experienced. Does that change our history? No, but it does push us to look at things from many different perspectives. Throughout 2021 we have worked to do just that. We have highlighted lesser told stories in a variety of ways including:

sharing stories of women in our community such as Dr. Mary Parker Hopkins who was the first female Health Officer for the Village of White Bear in 1910-11;
presenting the era of the suffrage amendment and its impact on our community;
exploring newly available resources on the Sophie Wirth Camp, the first Jewish Camp in Minnesota, which was located at White Bear Beach;
increasing our understanding of our local Native American history;
analyzing data from the Mapping Prejudice project and the role racial covenants played in shaping our area, and
celebrating the centennial of the incorporation of Birchwood Village.

We have said it many times throughout the past year or so – we are living through a very historic time – and we need to capture this moment! While this is certainly more apparent during recent times, it is something the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society has worked to accomplish on a regular basis over the past 51 years. What does this mean and how do we do that? Click here to see our many ongoing activities and initiatives.

Photo of Downtown White Bear Lake from mid 20th Century

Black and White Photo of White Bear Lake from mid-20th Century

Whether we are digitizing and transcribing an oral history from Dorothy Magnuson Haas sharing how she watched the Church of Christ, Scientist on Clark Avenue be remodeled in the 1940s, or compiling the origination of street and park names from resources such as blue prints from streetcar archives to share in our virtual programs, or investigating the lawsuit that caused the removal of the great burial mound along Lake Avenue in 1889, we are gathering, preserving and sharing our collective story in order to connect our community to its past.

All of this happens with a small team of dedicated staff and volunteers. At this time, I ask for your continued support of these efforts with a year-end contribution. The White Bear Lake Area Historical Society is a 501c3 non-profit. All donations are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law. Please consult your tax advisor for details.

In gratitude,

Sara Markoe Hanson
Executive Director

How to Support White Bear Lake Historical Society

Village of Birchwood Celebrates 100 Years

Oct 1, 2021 | Community, Monuments and Landmarks

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the incorporation of the Village of Birchwood. In preparation for a centennial celebration in September, the WBLAHS has been gathering stories and images of Birchwood and its people. Several projects are in the works, including a series of interpretive signage for parks within the city that share the history of the property and the namesake for each.

Currently underway is a study of the Birchwood Village Hall. The 1970s cedar siding was recently removed to reveal the original 1930s vertical pine siding that was designed in the Moderne style by architect Magnus Jemne. A task force appointed has been working to recommend next steps to the city council.

Jemne worked locally in the office of then Minnesota architect Cass Gilbert and eventually partnered with co-worker Thomas Holyoke for five years. He is best known for the design of the Women’s City Club completed in 1931 in St Paul, Minnesota. There are few other known examples of his work that remain.

Watch for future updates on the future of the Birchwood Hall and upcoming programs and events to celebrate the centennial of Birchwood Village.

COVID-19 Update

Dec 3, 2020 | Admin Update

The White Bear Lake Area Historical Society offices and Resource Library at the White Bear Lake Armory are open to the public by appointment. Please call 651-407-5327 or email office@whitebearhistory.org to arrange a time.

The Fillebrown House and White Bear Town Hall remain closed to the public at this time.

We made it to $50,000!

Oct 19, 2020 | 50th Anniversary, Admin Update

We made it to $50,000!

We are so excited to announce that with a donation from WBLAHS Past President and supporter Mary Jane LaVigne we have reached our goal of raising $50,000 through the 50^th anniversary!

It was a tremendous undertaking that took the efforts of a great many dedicated volunteers, sponsors and donors to pull off. We could not have done it without each and every one who played a part in this milestone.

Please continue to the enjoy the online offerings at Whitebearhistory.org through October 31^st and if you have not yet made a contribution to the important work of the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society to gather, preserve and share the stories of our community there is still time to do so.

We thank you all and can’t wait to see what the future brings for the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society!