The Itasca County Historical Society (ICHS) is in the process of developing a new exhibit highlighting the areaâs connections to the Mississippi River.Â
According to ICHS Executive Director Lilah Crowe, Megan Christianson representing the Mississippi River Commission approached ICHS with the proposal that the museum become an interpretive site for the Itasca County portion of the Mississippi River. After the ICHS Board of Directors approved the application, fundraising and construction began during the Covid-19 crisis.Â
While workers came in behind the scenes by themselves to put in the temporary walls, volunteers began right away to gather information on the Serpentine portion of the river south of Blackberry. Minnesota Timber & Millwork from Rajala Forestry donated birch boards for the East Wall. Artist Peggy Hagan began the River Wall, a muriel that is 16 feet long on the North Wall.Â