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HomeMy WebLinkAboutHeritage Preservation - 08/18/2025APPROVED MINUTES EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION THURSDAY, AUGUST 18, 2025 7:00 P.M. Meeting City Center, 8080 Mitchell Road HPC COMMISSION MEMBERS: Steve Schumacher (Chair); Paul Thorp (Vice -Chair); Rod Fisher; George Maxwell; Robert Bowes; Andy Ludowese; Catherine Lau, Prima Sisinni, Lisa Rude COMMISSION STAFF: Beth Novak-Krebs, Staff Liaison Kristin Harley, Recording Secretary I. CALL TO ORDER/ROLL CALL Chair Thorp called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Commission member Sisinni and Schumacher were absent. Zach Mohlis, partner with Paul Maravelas, joined the meeting. II. READING OF LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT STATEMENT Lau read the land acknowledgement statement. III. APPROVAL OF AGENDA MOTION: Fisher moved, seconded by Rude to approve the agenda. Motion carried 6- 0. IV. APPROVAL OF MINUTES MOTION: Fisher moved, seconded by Lau to approve the minutes of the July 21, 2025 meeting. Motion carried 6-0. V. NEW BUSINESS A. UPDATE BY ZACK MOHLIS ON THE BOOK PROJECT Mohlis gave an update on the project. He stated he and Maravelas were enjoying the project. They had completed their literature review of primary sources and were now researching secondary sources and archives. He and Maravelas were keeping track of the sources consulted. EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION August 18, 2025 Page 2 The RFP had listed topics to explore, yet the focus was on pre-settlement history and shared history. Mohlis wished to start a conversation about the cut-off point between this history and settlement history. He added the more research he and Maravelas did, the later the cutoff-point was pushed. [Maxwell arrived at 7:05 p.m.] Mohlis stated his concern about setting the cut-off point too early, resulting in possibly omitting some interesting history in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. The sources could be scarce for pre-settlement history, and he suggested a creative approach: for example, an article in a newspaper from 1927 regarding Jim Otherday’s work from 1858 during the Battle of Shakopee. Whereas the information in the article about the battle was not first-hand, the article gave a larger context about James Otherday and his family. Maxwell suggested the information in this article be included. Fisher stated the point was to get indigenous views and history of Eden Prairie as well; accounts into the 1920s, 1930s, and later were important. Novak-Krebs noted the pre-application for the grant talked about how indigenous history continues to this day; there did not necessarily have to be a cut-off point. Fisher reiterated the importance of telling the story of native peoples, rather than just white people telling the story of native peoples; that had been done. Mohlis added there were accounts of Otherday via his daughter. Maxwell asked how much information was available on the Battle of Shakopee, and Mohlis replied there were many primary sources, including newspapers and first-hand Ojibwe accounts/songs via Frances Denmore, on this. Some might still be on waxed cylinders at the Smithsonian. Rude suggested the Smithsonian might work with the consultants to transcribe these cylinders. Rude asked what the primary research question was. Mohlis replied the primary work was information gathering and filling gaps; a question would form from this. Smaller questions about what life was like for specific families were being pursued. There was a question about the status of the Dakota after the Dakota War, some who helped settlers, are which not much was written, as well as life on the “reservation” in Eden Prairie. There were companion bills to the Dakota Expulsion Act, facts about familial social standing, accounts of Otherday rescuing people during the War, et cetera, which posed the question why some Dakota stayed whereas many had left the area. A white settler had actually named his son after Otherday, whereas another settle joined the indigenous struggle against the settlers. The story was more complex and less regimented than it appeared to be. Categories and definitions posed a particular challenge. What a “native person” is changed over time. The Oliver Faribault family was not referred to as a Dakota/native person by contemporary accounts, but as a fur trader, despite his mother being Dakota. Some “racial” or ethnic categories used today were regarded as cultural categories in the past, et cetera. Context was important in how people were regarded, and territorial Minnesota, as well as pre-territorial EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION August 18, 2025 Page 3 Minnesota, was very different from Minnesota today. Maxwell stated explaining how such categories blurred was valuable; perhaps that allowed some Dakota to remain even after the Expulsion Act. Mohlis agreed. He added Faribault was not successful; this might have been purposeful, being connected to the Dakota. There were complexities (and biases) being revealed by the research phase. Sibley, a notorious figure regarding Dakota history, announced they could stay! Research was uncovering surprises and challenging assumption. Discussion followed on Oliver Faribault. Maxwell asked for and received confirmation that conflicts between indigenous tribes would be included. Fisher stated and Mohlis agreed the full history was beyond the scope of the project. Rude commended the unearthing of these complexities, contributing to a richer, deeper understanding than mere settler/indigenous silos. Fisher recommended the book North Country and the Making of Minnesota by Mary Wingert. Mohlis mentioned the four-volume history of Minnesota by Folwell. Discussion followed on the contrast of the French-indigenous relationship compared to the British, et cetera. Mohlis stated the book could include photographs, but those choices would be made later. He reiterated the goal of writing a book for the average reader. Discussion followed on various Eden Prairie indigenous families. Mohlis assured the commission members these family histories would be included, including the Charles Vig family, who had a continuous history in Eden Prairie from pre- settlement to today. There was a two-volume survey of all the known indigenous mounds in Minnesota done by Winchell. To his knowledge, there was no tourism and amateur archeologists disturbing mounds in Eden Prairie, as there had been around Lake Minnetonka. Mohlis noted many mounds were not burial sites, but effigies and ceremonial sites. The earliest Minnesotans, being nomadic, had little connection to the land other than day camps, and the earliest mounds were actually pits. Mound-building was not done by the Dakota at all. These were more of the complexities revealed by research. Leonard Wabasha, the cultural heritage subject matter expert for the Mdewakanton Sioux, was another resource, along with Javier Avalos. Mohlis expected to have something for Novak-Krebs to show these experts by September 5, 2025. He asked the commission members to think of books that would contribute to the context of this work. Thorp asked how Sheldon Wolfc hild’s work could be integrated. Mohlis suggested that could come after the September 5 deadline. He had ideas for critical reviewers for the draft. The bibliography was growing and the work involved a robust understanding of context. Fisher suggested a larger digital work could be made available online. Mohlis agreed and stated this work was the beginning, not the ending, of the story. He asked for GIS City Data and Novak- Krebs replied she would get this to him, along with the cultural resources map. Maxwell asked for and received confirmation there could be maps in the book. EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION August 18, 2025 Page 4 Rude reiterated her request for a thesis question when the historians explored the archives. The commission members thanked Mohlis for his and Maravelas’s work. VI. OLD BUSINESS CULTURAL RESOURCE INVENTORY Novak-Krebs stated Schumacher was trying to compile the various lists. The City Council conducted a Workshop the previous week at which the Historical Society gave a presentation, and Novak-Krebs stated the Society could be a partner in this. Kathie Case was more than willing to help with site visits to see if the structures still existed. Maxwell suggested dividing the list among the commission members. Thorp stated this had been done in the past. Novak-Krebs stated Schumacher would discuss this in more detail at the September meeting. NATIONAL NOMINATION FOR SMITH DOUGLAS MORE HOUSE Novak-Krebs stated she had talked with Ginny Way at SHPO, who worked with nominations for the National Register. She explained the background for Mohlis: the commission was reprising an effort to nominate the Smith Douglas More House for the National Register of Historic Places. Part of the reason the original nomination went nowhere was its focus on the house and its hollow, or cavity, walls, about which the HPC did not have much information. Way did not recommend the HPC submit under district, because so many of the other houses were gone. Way recommended the HPC hire an architectural historian to look at the nomination. She also recommended more documentation and telling the story about the cavity walls, but Novak-Krebs had been able to find only one anecdote (that of the grandson fearing the walls would fall down before they were finished). Way had also recommended measuring the walls. If the HPC could not submit under Criterion C, it could try something else. Way was willing to read a revised draft of the nomination. Discussion followed on a revised nomination approach. Novak-Krebs offered to phone some architectural historians for quotes to take a look at the draft. VII. REPORTS OF SUBCOMMITTEES A. NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY OUTREACH EDEN PRAIRIE HERITAGE PRESERVATION COMMISSION August 18, 2025 Page 5 B. NEW HERITAGE PRESERVATION SITE DESIGNATIONS C. RENOVATION/MAINTENANCE DEVELOPMENT D. DOCUMENTATION/HISTORICAL RECORDINGS/OUTREACH IX. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF X. REPORTS OF HISTORICAL SOCIETY Bowes announced the Camp Eden Wood 100th Anniversary celebration would be held September 9, 5:30-9:00 p.m., and there would be a band. The Historical Society would also be there, and the Eden Prairie Lions would be serving wine and beer. Thorp stated the Picnic in the Park at Riley Lake was canceled and rescheduled for August 20 5:00-9:00 p.m. The Dorenkemper House would be open for tours. The Dorenkemper addition would begin construction this fall, and the bookstore was slated to open in the spring. XI. FYI ITEMS IV. NEXT MEETING The next HPC meeting will be held on Monday, September 15, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. at the Heritage Rooms, City Hall. V. ADJOURNMENT MOTION: Bowes moved, seconded by Fisher to adjourn. Motion carried 7-0. The meeting was adjourned at 8:12 p.m.