SOUTH ST. PAUL – The Dakota County Historical has opened a new seasonal exhibit called “Crafting History: The Marian B Winter Collection” at the Sibley Historic Site. The exhibit is in the Dupuis House on-site and is open to the public free of charge. The tour onsite does not include the exhibit and is an additional cost. The exhibit will remain open until Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 1, 2025.
The Sibley Site is located at 1357 Sibley Memorial Highway in Mendota, Minn. The exhibit is free of charge and does not include a tour of the site. Tour admission is an added cost. The exhibit can be viewed during normal operating hours for the site. For more information call 651-552-7548 or visit www.dakotahistory.org.
Fans of miniatures will enjoy the work of Marian B. Winter, who by 1940 had created 45 replica mini structures. Marian’s father was born in St. Anthony Village, Minn. in 1857 and her grandfather was a territorial pioneer. This pioneering legacy inspired Marian to create this collection. She often went on walks with her father throughout Minneapolis and it was there that he shared his childhood memoirs while looking at areas that were nostalgic locations to him as a youth.
Marian used scraps of pine boards, her father’s old jack-knife and her husband’s razor blades to create a village that measure 20 x 27 inches. It included a school, church, store, gas, station and many other structures to create the town. Her collection on display features names and mini structures that are recognizable to us today, including Minneapolis Old Central High School, and model homes of Bishop Henry Benjamin Whipple and Charles Lindbergh.
Founded in 1939, The Dakota County Historical Society, preserves, interprets and promotes the history of Dakota County, Minn. DCHS operates three historic sites -- Lawshe Memorial Museum at 130 Third Ave. N. in South St. Paul, Minn.; the LeDuc Historic Estate at 1629 Vermillion St. in Hastings, Minn.; and the Sibley Historic Site at 1357 Sibley Memorial Highway in Mendota, Minn. -- as well as a research library and research Web site. DCHS memberships range from $25 to $60 for individuals and households. Corporate memberships also are available, starting at $100. Call 651-552-7548 or visit www.dakotahistory.org for more information.