Eden Prairie's people-populated past is chock full of storied intrigue and mystery. From the vast evidence of Native American habitation spread among our suburban landscapes in structures and artifacts, Eden Prairie is a veritable museum of historical knowledge. The Eden Prairie Historical Society is the official sanctioned body soley reponsible for gathering, protecting, and celebrating our historic past through its physical records and artifacts. These are stored safely in our History Museum at city hall. We are open to our members and the public on Mondays from 11am to 1pm. The Society Board attracts a robust and energetic group of people who have a passion for history, a love of Eden Prairie and a desire to help preserve our past for future generations to experience.
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The Historical Society has a lease agreement with the city of Eden Prairie to care for and operate the historic Cummins-Phipps-Grill homestead. Several events are planned throughout the year and we give a percentage of the proceeds from fundraising back to the City for continued restoration projects to the house. Furnished with period antiques and restored to its original condition, we are proud to be the current caretakers of this Eden Prairie landmark.
Other properties around town that the Historical Society furnishes and help to maintain are the Geisler-Dorenkemper log cabin homestead, the farm implements display at the Riley barn, and the Museum at City Hall. We are often called upon to help with historic kiosks, City displays, and for information on many sites such as Camp Edenwood, the Holasek home, Smith-Douglas-More home, Birch Island Woods, Flying Red Horse, Veterans Memorial, the Consolidated 1924 School, Pleasant Hill and Eden Prairie Cemeteries, to name a few. Our beautiful photographs are on display at the EP Mall, Prairie Village Mall, City Hall and Star Bank.
There is always more to discover! As I look through our files at past documents, photographs, and personal stories of Eden Prairie long ago, I am reminded why the Eden Prairie Historical Society has always been so relevant to our community, and maybe is even more so in these times of overwhelming change. The stories of Eden Prairie's past are OUR stories. They have become the foundation of who we are as people of today. Everyone of us is part of the process of writing a new chapter. Today is truly tomorrow's yesterday. The Eden Prairie Historical Society exists to archive the past but also to capture the present.
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Knowledge of our past can provide stability in our lives today. Just realizing that others came before us experiencing the joys, heartaches, and challenges that we too face can comfort us as we journey through the phases of our lives. We just need to slow down and listen for the wisdom in the whispers of log cabins, Indian trails, ancient burial mounds and early farmsteads!
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We welcome everyone to join us on this exciting journey from the past into the future!
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Kathie Case, President Eden Prairie Historical Society