Historical Society looks for student aid

Local history awaits to be explored

Josh Mesick

Despite living in St. Louis Park his entire life, sophomore Benji Wyberg says he still has a lot to learn about Park’s history.

“To be honest I don’t know a lot,” Wyberg said. “I know we had a really good high school in the 60’s, athletic-wise at least.”

The St. Louis Park Historical Society is an organization founded in 1971, with the aim of helping citizens like Wyberg learn about Park. According to Jeanne Anderson, a trustee of the Historical Society, the goal of the Society is to keep track of various establishments and publications for following generations to remember.

“We preserve the past for the present and the future,” Anderson said. “It’s very interesting to have a history of a place that’s still here like miracle mile, but also ones that no longer exist.”

Wyberg said places like the Historical Society are important because of how they aid in the understanding of your upbringing and how it brings the community together.

“Keeping our history allows us to grow as a city,” Wyberg said. “It’s important to know where you came from.”

President of the society, Ted Ekkers, said students can help the society by doing research on various topics relevant to Park. One of the topics Ekkers is hoping students look into is the history of various local neighborhoods.

“We would love for people to write about various neighborhoods, to tell the story of the neighborhood,” Ekkers said. “The first step is to reach out to the society, volunteer in projects and if you are interested in something we can structure a project around that.”

If you are interested in becoming involved with the St. Louis Park Historical Society, they meet every Saturday to 1-4 p.m. at 3546 Dakota Ave.,Suite C.