The Wisconsin Historical Society and the Wisconsin Council for Local History are pleased to announce that 18 affiliated local historical societies received a total of $10,125.00 through the 2019 mini-grant program.
The Manitowoc County Historical Society has received a mini-grant to support the museum’s archival storage. The Manitowoc County Historical Society has recently acquired over 50 years of archives from the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter newspaper. The MCHS will catalog a collection of more than half a million negatives and bound newspaper editions from the Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter.
In order to begin the important task of organizing and digitizing the Manitowoc Herald-Times Reporter Collection, there is an increased need for negative storage boxes and an additional high-quality scanner. In the coming months, the Manitowoc County Historical Society will apply for grants to assist with the large scale project in regards to supplies and interns to scan and enter data. At the end of the multi-year project, the entire collection will be searchable through the computer catalog, providing more efficient and comprehensive searches.
This year’s affiliate mini-grant program focused on projects and activities that strengthen a local organization’s ability to preserve historical collections and manage those collections and other resources. The projects supported in part by the mini-grant program are an important part of the work done by local organizations to help collect and preserve our state’s history at the community level.
The Wisconsin Historical Society’s Field Services Program provides support and educational opportunities to local history groups throughout the state. The Wisconsin Historical Society also partners with the Wisconsin Council for Local History, a non-profit organization consisting of all historical organizations affiliated with the State Society that promotes communication and cooperation among local history groups. The Wisconsin Historical Foundation and the Wisconsin Council for Local History provide funding for the mini-grant program.
