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by David Kess for the
Ely-Winton Historical Society
Our new executive director at the Ely-Winton Historical Society, Kelsey Cooke, joins us from West Virginia. With a BA degree in historic preservation and public history Kelsey has committed her professional career to interpretation of heritage and history and to connecting people to places and stories in meaningful way.
Professional experience as a park ranger at New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Park, and as a board member at a historic landmarks commission all help to inform Kelsey’s approach. She has a strong foundation in historical research, archival management, and public engagement.
When asked why the EWHS she responded, “I am particularly drawn to this role because of the opportunities to engage with the community and to grow my skills as a historian. I’m excited about expanding the scope of the museum’s operation.”
She spent the last summer as tour guide at the Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine broadening her knowledge of the area. Her responsibilities for the historical society include: managing the accession of museum artifacts and research materials, fulfilling research requests for visitors, leading fundraising efforts as well as maintaining and strengthening relationships with residents and visitors alike. She aims to create and expand research opportunities that not only celebrate our history but also invite community participation.
The historical society invites everyone to engage with the society’s mission: helping to enrich our collective narrative.
Volunteering at the historical society offers a unique opportunity to connect with local history and contribute to meaningful projects. Whether you’re passionate about research, education, or preservation, there’s a place for you in expanding our program.
New opportunities: We are looking for a variety of volunteer roles, including: research assistants to help us uncover and document local history, docents to guide visitors through the exhibits and share your knowledge about the area, and outreach volunteers to assist in building relationships with it local schools and organizations.
If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please reach out to Kelsey at 218-365-3226 or [email protected]. Join us in preserving our local heritage and making a lasting impact on this community.
In the museum itself are nine “permanent” displays such as indigenous peoples, the voyageur era, mining, logging, a Finnish sauna, a mining location kitchen, boarding house bedroom, and an exhibit of health care in Ely. Other displays get regularly changed. A self-guiding handout is also available at the door.
Ours is a relatively small museum compared to many others, but this forces us to change exhibits regularly, giving a reason to keep coming back.
We also have DVDs available for viewing and many books for purchase. Most are local authors. In the office itself we have extensive picture files, information files and a 23,000 digital file of pictures. We often help families with genealogical research and locating obituaries. We have many old telephone books and high school and junior college yearbooks.
In the lobby outside the office is a display case featuring pictures, artifacts, and a copy of a recent Windows into Yesterday article. This changes every two months. Another display case contains the many books we sell - local authors and others who have stories from this area.
A series of murals further down the hall depict local historical scenes, sauna, and health care in Ely over the years. The other displays change from time to time, such as Footprints Across the Wilderness. A self-guided handout is available.
During the summer the historical society sponsors five programs that are free and open to the public.
Hours for the museum and office have been Tuesday through Friday, noon until four p.m. Longer hours in the summer. New hours are being negotiated with the hiring of the new executive director.
Come and explore our museum, our extensive digital picture collection, our many historical files and our books.
The historical society is located at Minnesota North Colleges, Vermilion campus. Use the middle door marked with “museum” and follow the signs.
