Author: Alesha Ouren

Two beige folders in a white container. Closer folder has the printed title "LAFOND" in all caps. Behind it is a folder with the title "Lost Cities" in more stylized handwriting. There is some white paper in the lower right hand corner peeking out of LAFOND folder
archives history research

Locating the Lost Village of LaFond

Alesha Ouren August 18, 2026 4 Comments

Have you ever lost something and searched absolutely everywhere for it, only to find it in the most obvious place? Well, that happened to me,…

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Beige page with thin, stylized black font reading "HAINES, STONE & CO.'S / LITTLE FALLS / CITY DIRECTORY / FOR 1892
archives artifacts Collections Carousel history people research

Collections Carousel: 1892 Little Falls City Directory

Alesha Ouren March 28, 2026 3 Comments

In 1892, Haines, Stone & Co., a Little Falls publishing company, took on the momentous task of putting together the first city directory, just thirteen…

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Proposed Vawter layout and plats from 1923. Beige paper with black writing and orange colored squares signifying village blocks. Shaped in 4-sided trapezoid. East and West sides parallel, west about half the length as east. South side is perpendicular to E and W, North side follows diagonal railroad track and connects short W side to long E side. Inside the trapezoid are 8 full square blocks, 2 about 80% the size and 2 more 25% the size, broken by the N diagonal. N-S road names are (LtoR) Thomas St, Ramona St, Main St, Paloma St, Lamb St. E-W road names are (TtoB) First Ave, Second Ave, Third Ave, Fourth Ave.
archives history

Vawter, The Barely There Village

Alesha Ouren March 26, 2026 3 Comments

Of the many responsibilities we take on at MCHS, my favorite may be assisting patrons with research, as it can be a goldmine of new…

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Black and white, oval portrait of older white woman (50s) in a dark (presumably) dress with a high collar. On the front of the collar at the base of her neck has a round, jewel-encrusted broach. The woman is not smiling but her gaze is kind yet proud. Beneath the portrait is a caption in all caps and bold text: "Mrs. E. A. Flood, Swanville. First Woman Mayor of Morrison County"
history people research

Isabel Flood: Morrison County’s First Girlboss

Alesha Ouren March 8, 2026 No Comments

Take a moment and think about your community or any group or club you’re a part of: is there a person who takes the initiative…

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archives genealogy history people research

Insanity, Inebriety, Epilepsy, Oh My! Exploring Early 20th Century County Mental Health Probates

Alesha Ouren January 19, 2026 No Comments

The study of history is akin to the work of a detective, collecting and analyzing historical “clues” to infer on and answer a question about…

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