All photography provided by the Polk County Historical Society
Our Mission
Preserving the past for future generations; establishing a unique and enduring collection of artifacts and archival documentation, exhibited in the Polk County Museum, representing the rich history of the Polk County people.
Our History
The Polk County Historical Society was established in 1937 by a group of five Polk County residents. Under an agreement with the County Administrators the Society was established to manage the preservation of the rich history of Polk County and the housing of artifacts. The Society is a nonprofit organization with a Board of Directors and Membership.
The Old Courthouse, centrally located in Balsam Lake, was built in 1899 after the county seat was moved by popular vote from Osceola to Balsam Lake in 1898. The 1899 Old Courthouse is a beautiful, Romanesque, three story building.
In 1975 the Polk County Courthouse was relocated to a new building, at this time the County invited the Historical Society to relocate their one room museum to the Old Courthouse. Willis Erickson, who became Curator of the Museum in 1960, saw enormous potential in the Old Courthouse as a new and much larger location for the Museum. His vision was to promote the growth of the museum and preserve a unique and historically significant structure. To Erickson, and the rest of the Historical Society Board, the building was an enormous but, achievable, piece of art and local history.
The Old Courthouse reopened as the Polk County Museum on July 4, 1976. The Society collects artifacts and archival materials that represent the history and traditions of Polk County. The preservation of this historical site has long-lasting significance for the area. The 1899 Courthouse was listed on The National Register of Historic Places in 1982. In 2009 a three-story addition was built onto the Museum. The new addition is equipped with an elevator, allowing all visitors easy access to the Museum.
The Polk County Historical Society is the caretakers of the Balsam Lake Museum and the Lanesdale rural schoolhouse. The Lanesdale, built in the 1880’s in nearby Cushing, where it served as many as 82 students in a single year, relocated in 1965 and to Balsam Lake.
“History lays the groundwork for strong, resilient communities. No place really becomes a community until it is wrapped in human memory: family stories, tribal traditions, civic commemorations. No place is a community until it has awareness of its history, strengthened when we share stories and experiences.”
Our Goals and Objectives
Provide Polk County residents and visitors the opportunity to immerse themselves in the culture and history of the Polk County Area.
Present programs and develop exhibits which will both educate and spark curiosity.
Preserve and procure historic artifacts and archival documents pertinent to the Polk County people.
Preserving the past for the future is a most effective method of educating the community and chronicling for generations to come.
our board members
Jan Carlson, President
John Adams, Treasurer
Allan Foxwell
Larry Smetak
John Parks
Fran Duncanson, County Representative
