A thrilling hour with bestselling mystery mavens Shannon Baker, Erica Ruth Neubauer, Jess Laurey, and Kristi Belcamino!

From heart-pounding thrillers to whodunits, these award-winning authors will talk about how they build twists, tension, and characters. You'll leave inspired, with fresh writing ideas and insider tips on storytelling and publishing. For mystery lovers, aspiring authors, and lovers of a good cliffhanger! For teens and adults.

Resources for German Research in Congress Poland and Western Ukraine

Learn about resources for searching your German ancestors in Congress Poland (Russia-Poland or the Kingdom of Poland in Russia), and Western Ukraine, particularly Eastern Galicia and Volhynia, including online records, research tools, reference aids, and genealogical society resources. We welcome Joe Everett, Family History, Local History, and Microforms Librarian at Brigham Young University.

This is for all the wonderful WCHS members out there. We are hosting our annual Membership Social & Annual Meeting on THURSDAY, MARCH 12th starting at 6:30pm. Held at the Heritage Center (2001 Hwy 25 N), we will offer refreshments, coffee, tea & water and then cap off the evening by highlighting all the accomplishments from 2025.

Please RSVP to info@wrighthistory.org, or call (763) 682-7323 by end of day on March 11th. This will help us know how many goodies to bring.

The Society for German Genealogy for Eastern Europe is hosting an open forum webinar on Saturday, Feb. 7. You can join online, or here at the Wright County Historical Society!

The theme is "Treasures from Our Past" and is an invitation to share your favorite family memento AND the story behind it. Do you have a document or artifact that has been handed down and tells us something about the journey of your relatives? If so, mark your calendar to participate in this open forum.

How it works:

If you want to share, take a photo of your memento and email it to: convention-sggee@googlegroups.com

We will collect all the photos and turn them into PowerPoint slides so they can be displayed in Zoom for everyone to see.

Join the webinar, and we will call on you to take a couple minutes (2-3) to tell the story behind the memento.

Sharing is important to preserving our stories, so please consider participating.

Register here:

https://link.edgepilot.com/s/625a120a/Bn965gynfUaAwqGwf9SWWQ?u=https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/DrlBgegvRYqmtbdRzgwQxw

Colleen is back to share her lovely harp music LIVE during our Festival of Trees. Please join us and listen in during the festivities.

Don’t let the name fool you. Come and listen to some classic holiday tunes with the Minneapolis based jazz trio. Light refreshments will be offered. This is a FREE Festival of Trees performance for all at the Wright County Historical Society.

Stop on in during our Festival of Trees Make & Take Activity and create your own ornament, door hanger, or holiday house! No sign up, or supplies necessary, and free for all.

Come in and visit the Festival to hear the Buffalo High School Singers sing classic holiday carols.

Come on in and color your very own Barn Quilt Square. Multiple Designs and colors to choose from. Such a fun, yet low stress activity.

Come in and visit the Festival to hear the Buffalo High School Singers sing classic holiday carols.

Join us and learn how to make a creative ornament for your holiday tree!

• No supplies necessary

• free event for all ages

• no registration necessary

In an increasingly digital world, personal digital archiving has become an essential practice for individuals seeking to preserve their digital memories, documents, and creations. As more of our lives are stored in the form of photos, emails, and digital documents, managing and safeguarding these assets has never been more important.

This presentation, with WCHS Archivist Marisa, explores the significance of personal digital archiving, the tools, and strategies for organizing, preserving, and protecting personal digital collections, and the challenges associated with the longevity and accessibility of digital materials.

Please join us for this free program. No registration necessary.

The Supernatural Investigators of Minnesota are coming back to the Wright County Heritage Center!

They will bring new evidence of paranormal sights and sounds collected since last year. Including from investigations done in Wright County. It's an experience you won’t forget.

This is a free event with no registration necessary. Light refreshments will be offered.

Due to potential content, please be aware of bringing children under 13.

Join us for a quick, delicious Annual Meeting on Thursday, October 23 from 6:30-7:30pm.

Along with approving board members and voting on bylaw changes, WCHS will provide light refreshments. This annual meeting will be a combination of WCHS’s usual Membership Social & Annual Meeting due to bylaws changes which will potentially move the annual meeting to March. A complete event will be held in March 2026. Please visit HERE to read about proposed bylaw changes and voting eligibility.

We’d love to see you here! Please note that your RSVP to info@wrighthistory.org or 763-682-7324 would be very much appreciated.

A DISCUSSION OF MYTHS, MYSTERIES, AND LEGENDS

Sometimes there are stories we hear from history, but then the actual truth is much more different. Come to the Wright County Heritage Center and listen to archeologist, Emily Bischoff-Bruintjes as she talks about what’s fiction and what is real. Subjects will range from the Egyptian pyramids, Stonehenge, to the city of Troy, and more.

This is a FREE program open to all ages.

No registration necessary.

Light refreshments will be offered.

This project will begin with a display of current nature-inspired work created by Susan Davies and an informal gallery talk. Following the gallery talk, participants will be encouraged to join along in an optional workshop.

Workshop participants will bring a sketchbook and a writing/drawing utensil and embark on a short walk through a wild area near the exhibiting venue and listen contemplatively to the wilderness. Along the walk, they will be encouraged to be silent making stops to listen, meditate, and respond in their sketchbooks. The session will end with time to contemplate and share responses. Walking paths will be handicapped accessible and lawn chairs will be available for anyone who wants to use one.

Susan Davies is a fiscal year 2025 recipient of a Creative Individuals grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board. This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

Barn quilts have been a mainstay in the local communities for years and throughout the nearby states for even longer. Now is your chance to paint one of your very own. Join the Wright County Historical Society and Sue Edwards, aka The Barn Quilt Lady, in the creation of your very own Barn Quilt. These colorful and pre-patterned works are a fantastic addition to your home or barn.

Limited space available! Contact us to register and no supplies are necessary. Call, or email for more questions/concerns.

763.682.7323

info@wrighthistory.org

The Wright County Historical Society invites you to join us on Saturday, August 23rd at 10am for more, ‘Fun & Games’! The program will include a very brief presentation (3-5 minutes!) on relationship-building through gameplay, followed by the presenter going through the rules of Dominoes and playing a few rounds. Attendees will not need to bring anything, just your willingness to learn and play.

RSVP’s to 763-682-7323 are not required, but greatly appreciated so we can be assured of having enough materials on hand for everyone.

The Creative Coffee Chats series, is aimed at combating adult social isolation & loneliness in our communities. WCHS’s Creative Coffee Chats will offer monthly brief presentations--designed to be fun & informative—immediately followed by an engaging hands-on component and light refreshments.

This project was funded in part by the Initiative Foundation, a regional foundation. For more details about WCHS’s Creative Coffee Chats and how to participate or contribute, please visit www.wrighthistory.org.

WCHS is heading back to the Wright County Fair in just a short amount of time. One of the many FREE activities we offer is a chance for kids to see and experience what it's like to learn at a One Room Schoolhouse. Our fantastic volunteer teacher will offer short educational activities, games, and more! Join us at our Welker School site on the fairgrounds.

If interested, please call, or email to sign your kid(s) up today. This is for kids that are going into 2nd-6th grade for the 2025 school year. Spaces are limited for this Friday morning event. Contact our Outreach Coordinator if you have any questions, or concerns.

And now for something different in the WCHS Community Art Space! Katie Teesdale will be our first 3D artist, showcasing her colorful and tactile pottery. She uses porcelain to create a thinner and more vibrant look to her functional work to bring out a playful feel of light.

Katie's work is all about feel and so many of her pieces will be available to touch and hold. This is to give a stronger connection for visitors to her work. Her belief is that by this feeling, you will have a more uniquely flavorful experience. Her pottery is also microwave and dishwasher safe. Come check out Katie's artistic functional work and join us for a question and answer reception on July 19th.

Nesting Instincts will run in the WCHS Community Art Space from July 19th thru August 23rd. The opening reception will have the artist on hand to answer questions and talk about her work.

This comprehensive beginners guide will show you how to find and learn about your ancestors in Sweden. From navigating websites, to language, handwriting, history, and culture this class will give you all the information you need (and more) to get started with your own research. Real examples will be shown to help guide you through the research process.

The presentation will also be put on our website afterwards, so you can have all the information, guides, and links at your fingertips.

This event is free to all ages with no registration necessary. Light refreshments will be offered. Please contact us with any questions, or concerns: info@wrighthistory.org, or call 763.682.7323

WCHS is hosting the Society for German Genealogy in Eastern Europe's online presentation. Speaker Kate Penney Howard will join in a zoom call talking about navigating complex DNA scenarios can create difficulties in genealogical research. While complex, there are tools and techniques available to differentiate and interpret DNA data in situations where the Leeds Method and WATO do not work. Kate will give examples from our members' matches. We will compassionately and clearly review the various challenges, ways to identify particular problems, and discuss tools and techniques to develop a hypothesis.

This is an online group meeting that WCHS will have seating for visitors to listen in on the big screen.

No registration is necessary.

Light snacks offered.

Please contact us with any questions or concerns.
Call 763.682.7323, or email outreach@wrighthistory.org

The Wright County Historical Society invites you to join us on Saturday, May 24th at 10am for more, ‘Fun & Games’! The program will include a very brief presentation (3-5 minutes!) on relationship-building through gameplay, followed by the presenter going through the rules of Cribbage. Each attendee will receive playing cards from WCHS for their own use! This is for adults (18+) only.

RSVP’s to 763-682-7323 are not required, but greatly appreciated so we can be assured of having enough materials on hand for everyone.

The Creative Coffee Chats series, is aimed at combating adult social isolation & loneliness in our communities. WCHS’s Creative Coffee Chats will offer monthly brief presentations--designed to be fun & informative—immediately followed by an engaging hands-on component and light refreshments.

This project was funded in part by the Initiative Foundation, a regional foundation. For more details about WCHS’s Creative Coffee Chats and how to participate or contribute, please visit www.wrighthistory.org.

This class will be teaching you everything you need to get started on Ancestry.com. Some topics that will be covered are searching records, building a family tree, and additional optional features. Tips, tricks, and advice both with the website and genealogy research in general will be discussed. If you have any specific topics or questions that are not covered you will have time to inquire after.

This is a free event with no registration necessary. Personal electronics will not be necessary, but not discouraged. Light snacks and refreshments will be offered.

Ember is one of WCHS’s Research & Reference Librarians and has extensive knowledge related to genealogy and multiple research tools.

Chris Putlz is a vibrant painter of abstract acrylic artwork. Focusing on the deep texture and energetic color, Chris applies all of his energy his artwork.

Serving Paint, will run in the WCHS Community Art Space from May 10th thru June 7th. The opening reception will have the artist on hand to answer questions and talk about his work.

Mental Health First Aid is an accredited program modeled after CPR and has been adopted in over 25 countries. Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) is designed for parents of or adults who work with youth ages 12 - 18.

*While the class is free, REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Please use the QR code from event photo.

*Lunch will be offered during the event.

*Very limited seating and the event fills up fast. Once full, there will potentially be other classes offered in the future.

This certification course includes a self-paced online module and an instructor-led, in-person session. Participants will learn to recognize and respond to signs of mental health challenges using the ALGEE method: Assess risk of suicide, Listen non-judgmentally, Give Reassurance, Encourage Professional Help, and Encourage Self-Help.

The self-paced module takes about two hours to complete and will be provided approximately 10 days before the in-person session. Certification is achieved by completing both the online module and the in-person training. This accredited certification meets continuing education requirements for teachers.

Kirk Wulf became a Mental Health First Aid Instructor in 2021 to promote community well-being after a career in workplace health and safety.

Contact us for any questions, or concerns!

Come join us at WCHS as we host guest speaker Katharine Chute as she presents "Crops of the Future: How the Forever Green Initiative is bringing new, sustainable food, feed, and fuel crops to Minnesota farmers."

Katharine is the Product and Market Development Specialist at the University of Minnesota’s Forever Green Initiative. Forever Green develops, improves, and commercializes winter-hardy annual and perennial crops that protect soil and water resources while creating new economic opportunities for growers, industry, and communities across Minnesota and beyond. Crops include Midwest hazelnuts, elderberries, Kernza perennial grain, winter barley, winter camelina, perennial flax, and more! Prior to working at Forever Green, Katharine was employed at 3M doing strategic marketing research. She completed an MS/MBA degree from the University of Michigan in 2022. Katharine is originally from Wayzata, MN.

No registration necessary for this free event. Light refreshments will be served.