Otter Tail County museum explores local ties to Juneteenth

The Otter Tail County Historical Society Museum will bring Juneteenth into local focus on June 19 with exhibits and presentations exploring how Otter Tail County connects to June 19, 1865, the date tied to the end of slavery in the United States.

The museum is at 1110 Lincoln Ave. W. in Fergus Falls, in Van Dyk Park on the west side of town. The historical society says it is the official county historical society for Otter Tail County and that it preserves and interprets the history of the entire county, which gives Thursday’s programming a broader reach than a single commemoration.

Juneteenth is now recognized as both a state and federal holiday. The Minnesota Historical Society says the observance marks the day in 1865 when news of emancipation finally reached African Americans in Galveston, Texas, months after the Civil War ended. At the Otter Tail County Historical Society Museum, that history will be paired with material showing how the holiday’s meaning connects to the county’s own past.

The society was organized on July 31, 1927, at Amor Park, and it has long used rotating and traveling exhibits, along with educational programs, to interpret local history. That work will be on display again as visitors move through the Juneteenth exhibits and presentations and see how a county museum can connect a national turning point to place-based history in west central Minnesota.

Kathy Evavold is listed as curator of collections and Missy Hermes as education coordinator on the society’s website. The museum’s regular hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturdays from June through August from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The June 19 programs add a timely layer to the museum’s schedule, inviting residents to look at Juneteenth not only as a national observance, but also as part of the history preserved in Otter Tail County.