Exhibit about life during WW I in southwestern MN wins national award of excellence

A historical exhibit that features real life stories from around the Redwood area of life during World War I has won a national award for state and local history. On Friday, the West Central Minnesota Historical Association received the 75th annual Award of Excellence from the American Association for State and Local History (AASLH), based in Nashville, Tennesee.

The traveling exhibit, called “How the Great War Hit Home in West Central Minnesota”, tells about how the first World War impacted Redwood, Renville, Kandiyohi, Yellow Medicine, Lac qui Parle, and other counties in southwest Minnesota. The exhibit was created by a variety of local historians in southwestern Minnesota, and appeared in local museums and libraries.

The primary sources used in this exhibit showcased each county, and at the same time show the connection of the World War I story throughout the west-central Minnesota region. The WCMHA wanted the exhibit to help communities to understand how west-central Minnesota had an important role in such a large event in the nation and the world’s history.