The Mille Lacs County Historical Society is located in the historic Princeton Minnesota Great Northern Railway depot.
The Mille Lacs County Historical Society is located in the historic Princeton Minnesota Great Northern Railway depot.
Welcome
Thank you for visiting our website.
There's much to see here.
We are currently open only on
Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
For research assistance during this time,
call the Depot office at (763) 389-1296,
Judy at 612.309.4622 or the
leave a message on the MLCHS Facebook page.
We are an all volunteer,
IRS-approved 501(c)(3) non profit organization.
We are currently open on Wednesdays and Fridays from 10 am to 2 pm.
or by appointment Contact Barry Schreiber (763) 607-3195
Special Exhibit is now open, March 2025 !
"Potatoes, Peat and Prisoners of War"
This guided show features photos, artifacts and a new video about the rise and fall of the potato business in the Princeton area. The visit of 150 Italian Prisoners of War in 1943 to help with the potato harvest is highlighted.
The Potatoes show will be given on Saturdays at 10 am at the depot for the rest of this year, by appointment.
Call Barry at 763.607.3195 to reserve a spot. A $10 donation is requested.
visit our new HO scale train layout exhibit
visit our new HO scale train layout exhibit
visit our new HO scale train layout exhibit
visit our new HO scale train layout exhibit
visit our new HO scale train layout exhibit
visit our new HO scale train layout exhibit
Great Northern Railway Historical Society visits the Depot.
New HO scale train layout exhibit, featuring the railroad from Elk River to Milaca in the 1900s
PIONEER SCHOOL SUMMER 2025
Pioneer School sessions for Summer 2025 are posted to the Princeton Community Education Summer Classes.
Three sessions are planned.
June 23-26, July 14-17, and July 28-Aug 1
Register online: www.isd477.org/community-education
or Register by Phone: (763) 389-6198
or Register in Person at the Family Center,
706 1st St, during Office hours
Thrill your child by traveling back in time to experience real learning in a one-room schoolhouse as it would have been taught (without electronics) in the 1880s. Kids ages 6 - 12 learn together at the same time in the one room school house at the Princeton Great Northern Railway Depot.
Spelling bees, square dancing, outdoor games, and simple crafts will also be featured in hours of fun in and around the Pioneer School building. Kids love the small classroom of 15 students. Bring a packed lunch and water bottle. Kids may dress in pioneer style clothing. For questions, call Barry Schreiber at 763-607-3195.
Brickton
The Brickton Monument Expansion is now completed! Stop by 3 miles north of Princeton on Highway 169 (east side) and see the latest news about our favorite "ghost town"!
Check out this video, the history of Brickton, which aired on "So Minnesota".
The 1951 Films of the Princeton Boys Leaving for Korea Are Now Available On The Internet
We are pleased to report that the project to digitize the 2600 feet of 1951 16 mm films of the Princeton "boys" taken by Charlie Henschel has been completed. The films are now available world wide 24 / 7 at the Minnesota Digital Library: https://collection.mndigital.org/catalog?utf8=%E2%9C%93&facet.sort=index&search_field=all_fields&q=henschel
Thanks to the visionaries who took these films, showed them in the Strand Theater week by week in 1951, the family that preserved the films for 70 years and to the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund for supporting the work of the Minnesota Digital Library to make unique records of Minnesota life available to all.
Check out this video that aired on "So Minnesota" about the 1951 films.
Mille Lacs County Historical Society
Mille Lacs County Historical Society 101 10th Ave., So., Princeton MN 55371, Office message phone (763) 389-1296
or call Barry Schreiber at (763) 607-3195