White Bear Lake Area
Celebrating 40 Years 1970-2010
Historical Society
Learning From Our Past, Preserving For Our Future
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Help us to preserve your community stories!
About Us The White Bear Lake Area Historical Society was incorporated September 25, 1970. |
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Arthur Filllebrown |
Fillebrown House |
Helen Fillebrown |
The White Bear Lake Area Historical Society Celebrates 40 Years of Local History!
On September 25, 2010, the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society turns forty. As we begin our fifth decade of collecting, preserving and sharing the stories of the communities that touch the shore of White Bear Lake we find ourselves looking back at our own history.
The WBLAHS developed out of the Heritage Committee formed in 1968 as a subcommittee of the then White Bear Lake Area Chamber of Commerce (today the White Bear Area Chamber) to celebrate and promote the heritage of our area. The most notable of that committee’s accomplishments included the creation of what has become today’s Manitou Days festival and the publishing of Nancy Woolworth’s The White Bear Lake Story.
By 1970 it was determined that the community would benefit from a full-fledged charitable organization dedicated to preserving its history. The White Bear Lake Area Historical Society (WBLAHS) was incorporated with the State of Minnesota in September and immediately began to pursue artifacts and photos to tell the stories of our heritage.
Throughout the 1970s the WBLAHS worked with the Fillebrown family to showcase their 1879 lakeside cottage as a vehicle to bring history to life for school groups and other visitors. Siblings Helen and Arthur Fillebrown donated their home and its contents to the WBLAHS upon Arthur’s death in 1978.
During the 1980s members of the WBLAHS Board of Directors worked diligently to support the project they had undertaken. Fundraisers such as a Victorian Tea, an ice cream social and a variety of Christmas gatherings were developed to cover the costs of maintaining the Victorian cottage and share our history with its visitors.
In 1993 when the City of White Bear Lake completed the renovations of the former Northern Pacific Depot at the intersection of Highway 61 and Fourth Street the WBLAHS created a permanent exhibit space in the north portion of the building they would then share with the White Bear Area Chamber of Commerce until 2001.
With the new millennium came a new era for the Historical Society. That year the organization hired Sara Markoe Hanson, its first paid staff person and expanded to occupy the entire depot building after the Chamber moved to new offices in town. The increased space provided the opportunity to develop a Resource Library, gift shop and office with regular hours in addition to the exhibit space.
In the last decade the WBLAHS has expanded its programs to include a series of guided walking tours, self-guided and guided boat tours on White Bear Lake, an annual Spring Event and recreated the popular Historic House Tours of the 1970s and ‘80s. We also have a weekly presence in the Matoska Memories column in the White Bear Press and our very popular Historic Photo Calendar.
Give the gift of history any time of year with these and other fabulous local history books available at the Depot Gift Shop, Festival Foods (White Bear Lake, Vadnais Heights and Hugo), Kowalski’s Market (White Bear Lake), and Lake Country Bookseller.
We have books, reproductions of historic photos and maps, watercolor prints of local landmarks by Marge Lyons and Frank Zeller, White Bear Lake Area Historical Society calendars, note cards and t-shirts, too! www.whitebearhistory.org/Giftshop.html
A membership to the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society is always in stock and makes a memorable gift. Or buy one for yourself or extend your current membership. And now for a very limited time, you will get a FREE copy of either Tales of the Road—Highway 61 or White Bear Lake—A Boating Tour to keep for yourself or give as a gift either separately or with the membership. Please visit our website for all the details and many benefits of becoming a member. Thank you for considering or renewing your membership in the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society.
www.whitebearhistory.org/Membership.html
Throughout the year, events such as our Spring Fling Gala, the Pops on the Porch summer concert at the Fillebrown House, the Annual Historic House Tour in the fall and Holiday Programs in December bring members together to celebrate the history and heritage of the lakeside community many of them call home.
The Fillebrown House and Depot Museum offer opportunities to explore the history of Minnesota's first resort town through two different perspectives. The 1879 Victorian Cottage at 4735 Lake Avenue depicts life on the lake throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries through tours from costumed guides and other programs. The Depot Museum at 4751 Highway 61 is still at the heart of a bustling business district for the community and tells its story through exhibits and displays.
The White Bear Lake Depot also serves as office space for our historical society and as a resource for the community. Artifact collections, documents and photographs are available for genealogists, house historians, journalists and other researchers to use in accordance with the Historical Society's policies.
Our quarterly newsletter, The Lake Area Preserver, keeps members informed of the exciting happenings within the society and the community. Special articles highlight different aspects of the lake area's past, and look toward new opportunities to preserve the present for our future. There is a little something for everyone!
Our Mission
The White Bear Lake Area Historical Society connects our community to its past, fostering an understanding and appreciation for our history.
We fulfill our mission by:
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Gathering and maintaining historical information and artifacts.We are safe keepers of our heritage
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Educating the community about our history.We are the community storytellers
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Encouraging personal and community responsibility for preserving our physical links to the past.We are advocates for historical preservation
President - Jo Emerson Jo was a new board member in 2008 and moved right into the position of Treasurer. In 2009 she jumped up to Vice President in preparation for the presidency in 2010 and 2011! Jo's many talents and contributions to the Historical Society include her research skills and interest in the local government. She serves on nearly every subcommittee of the board and contributes countless hours of her time and talent. |
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Past President - Peter Reis Peter has been on the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society board since 2001 serving as our "out house" coordinator at the Fillebrown House where he is responsible for the exterior maintenance and infrastructure of the house. In 2007 Peter stepped into the position of vice president in preparation for his role as president in 2008 & 2009. Peter is active in other community service roles in WBL and the greater metro. |
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Secretary - Jenni Corbett Jenni joined the board in 2007 and ascended to the position of Secretary in 2008. She is a relative newcomer to Mahtomedi with her husband Ben and brings great enthusiasm and talent to her many roles on the WBLAHS board. In addition to her duties as Secretary, Jenni jumps in to help with events and projects throughout the year. Her fabulous talents as an artist have enhanced many of our recent projects. |
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Treasurer - Tracey Montgomery Tracey joins the board as our Treasurer in 2009 after an extremely successful run as chair of the 2008 Historic House Tour. Tracey’s excitement about the more recent history (the past fifty years or so!) of the White Bear area brings a spotlight to that segment of our program and collecting efforts. In addition to her role as treasurer, Tracey is also chairing the 2009 Spring Event Committee. |
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Education Liaison - Christy Gutt Christy brings her experience as a teacher to the WBLAHS board in the role of Education Liaison. In this position she has been instrumental in guiding the roll out of our new elementary school curriculum and working with other key WBLAHS volunteers and staff to continue to enhance our ever-growing outreach offerings. Christy has significant experience with the Historical Society’s special events and will bring that knowledge to her role on the Spring Event committee as well. |
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Community Liaison- Keith Hisdahl Keith joined the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society board as an At-Large member in 2006 and found his niche staffing the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society booth at Marketfest. Keith is a long time business owner in WBL and member of the WBL Rotary Club. |
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Planned Giving & Development-Kathy Hoelscher Kathy joined the White Bear Lake Area Historical Society board in 2005 as an At-Large member and soon commited herself to the task of enhancing the society's Planned Giving Program. With Kathy's finance background it's a perfect fit! |
At-Large - Shana Karle Shana joins the board as a new member in 2009 representing the community of Mahtomedi. Her experience as a corporate event planner will come in handy with all of the programs and events coordinated by the WBLAHS. |
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At-Large - Jan Holtz Kraemer Jan returns to the WBLAHS Board after serving several previous terms including a presidency. During her “down time” Jan has coordinated the annual Pops on the Porch concert at the Fillebrown House and along with her husband, Doug Kraemer has continued a long-time family tradition of providing, installing and removing the fabulous Christmas tree at the Fillebrown House each year. It is with great pleasure that we welcome Jan back “officially”. |
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Out-House- Lin Lindbeck Lin is a lifelong area resident who brings his great passion for this community to the WBLAHS board. Having grown up in White Bear Lake and currently being a resident of Dellwood, Lin has double the insight into the constituents we serve around the lake. His enthusiasm and willingness to roll up his sleeves and get down to work are a huge asset for the Historical Society and the community as a whole. |
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Asst. Out-House - Bill Matschke Bill Matschke is a
new member of the WBLAHS board in 2009, but has been
a long-time area volunteer. Bill has
jumped in quickly and provided assistance on many projects
at both the Depot Museum and the Fillebrown House. |
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At-Large - Tom Rice Tom’s interest and expertise in matters of a historical nature stem from the research aspect of our mission. He is a certified genealogist who volunteers regularly at the Minnesota Historical Society Genealogical Help Desk. These skills and experience are an important addition to the WBLAHS board as we move forward in creating our online database of resources. |
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Membership & Promotion - Meg Todd Meg joined the WBLAHS board after getting to know the organization through her position as a depot volunteer. In addition to scanning and entering countless photos to enhance our photo database, Meg has been a diligent volunteer at our Marketfest booth and contributes greatly in promoting our organization and developing new members. During 2008 those talents were put to good use as we celebrated White Bear Township’s 150th anniversary and introduced ourselves to many new people. |
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Executive Director - Sara Markoe Hanson Sara Markoe Hanson was raised in White Bear Lake and left for a short period to attend college at St. Cloud State University where she received a BA in American Studies and a MA in Public History. After college she married and moved out of state for a few years, but has returned to the area and is excited about her position with the WBLAHS. Her love of history and the opportunity to return home could not have blended more smoothly with the needs of the Society. |
Contact Us:
E-mail: WBLAHS at