Do you love discovering stories of the past? Can you spend countless hours scouring the local history archives at the Ramsey County Library? If you answered yes to either of those questions, you might enjoy a visit to the Little Canada History Center operated by the Little Canada Historical Society. You’ll get to swap stories you’ve discovered in your research, and learn more about local historical figures like Benjamin Gervais, the first settler in Little Canada.
The Little Canada Historical Society
About the Historical Society
The Little Canada Historical Society is a nonprofit that aims to preserve and honor local history. The organization was founded in 1977 by local citizens who had a passion for the history of Little Canada and its people. If you’re interested in learning about French-Canadian genealogy, you’re in luck. The historical society specializes in this type of research.
The History Center
The History Center houses the Little Canada Historical Society. Here, you can find a genealogy database with information about more than 752,000 local individuals and families, books about the history of Little Canada, and a museum that honors the area’s past.
Members of the Historical Society have even mapped and recorded the information from all grave markers in the St. John’s Cemetery. Thanks to their efforts, you can learn the names of those who enjoyed life in Little Canada before you.
In 1998, the Little Canada Historical Society built the History Center, a 2,000 square-foot addition to City Hall. This new building was made possible thanks to donations and funds raised from a charitable bingo gambling operation at the Little Canada Bingo Hall.
The center is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. and Thursdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Access to the research library is free for self-search without photocopies. For a basic search, it costs $3, which includes one photocopy or print out. A more in-depth search costs $5 per hour.
Directions to the History Center
The Little Canada History Center connects to the Little Canada City Center at 515 Little Canada Road East. If you are driving to the center from the south, you can take 35E north to Little Canada Road and turn right at the exit. From the north, take 35E south to Little Canada Road and turn left at the exit. Keep traveling for a mile, and the center will be on the left-hand side near the water tower.
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Visiting the Little Canada Historical Society can help you rake in the benefits of lifelong learning and provide you with the company of other like-minded historians. You can unearth stories about your ancestors’ pasts or even discover stories about the history of local buildings.
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