Iron Range Historical Society, Mining history museum in McKinley, United States.
The Iron Range Historical Society is a museum in McKinley dedicated to Minnesota's mining history. It holds a large collection of photographs, city directories, yearbooks, and oral recordings that document how the region's mining communities grew and changed over time.
Founded in 1973, the organization began in Gilbert before moving to Biwabik and Aurora, finally settling at McKinley City Hall. These relocations reflect the institution's growing effort to preserve the mining region's heritage.
Visitors can explore records documenting the life stories of Iron Range residents since the late 1800s, offering windows into how mining families lived and worked. These materials reveal the daily routines and challenges that shaped generations of people in this region.
The museum is located at McKinley City Hall and has limited operating days. Visitors planning to access specific research materials should check ahead before arriving.
In the 1970s, the institution worked to protect a smokestack from a nearby mine that had been built by Cornish miners decades earlier. This effort shows how the museum values even small, threatened remnants of the region's mining past.
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