This press release describes NDSU history students who participated in an immersive experience in Emmons County, North Dakota.

1. Area student participates in
NDSU history field school
Fargo, N.D., June 14— North Dakota State University history students recently
completed a successful field experience at the Emmons County Museum to help people in the
Linton, North Dakota, area connect with their past.
The three-credit course, History 491/690, ran from May 22-June 10. It was led by
Angela Smith, assistant professor of history and NDSU’s public historian.
It was a win-win situation for all involved. NDSU undergraduate and graduate students
gained hands-on experience in their field, while the community received more than 1,200
hours of volunteer service from NDSU-educated public historians.
The students focused on best-practices in digitization, museum work and public
engagement. They cataloged artifacts, wrote exhibit text, digitized photos and conducted oral
histories with residents.
“We also got to know the community by singing with the seniors, working a booth at
Dairy Days and attending various town functions,” said Smith, noting the students also took
field trips to Whitestone Hill, the Logan County Museum, the Welk Homestead site and St.
Mary’s Church in Hague, North Dakota. “The students made a difference and practiced their
craft in a museum that needed their help. I am very proud of the students, our work in the
museum and thankful to the town of Linton for agreeing to host us.”
History graduate student John Hest, who is from Perley, Minnesota, said he gained a
new appreciation for the passionate dedication of the volunteers who are the driving force
behind rural museums.
“As historians, our first duty is as storytellers. When we scratch the surface of these
small towns, they have fantastic stories to tell and these stories are often not written down,”
Hest said. “If we are able to record their stories and interpret their past in the museum, we are

2. able to preserve their history and make sure that those stories persevere beyond the lifespans
of the wonderful people who run the museum.”
Alex Lien, a senior majoring in history, said a favorite moment was unveiling the newly
updated historical displays to the museum’s board of directors.
“Our work is important because the Emmons County Museum has a lot of amazing
items that need to be preserved. But, the money and experience needed to do that is not
always available in small museums,” explained Lien, who is from Chatfield, Minnesota. “This
class's purpose was to help preserve the items while also teaching the current caretakers
proper techniques and tricks to taking care of their museum.”
Graduate student Lauren Wiese, from Grafton, Wisconsin, said, “Not only was this
experience beneficial to us and to the museum board, but it benefitted the entire community of
Emmons County and all of North Dakota. By preserving the history of Emmons County, we
preserved a part of North Dakota's history. We preserved family and individual histories, and in
the process, we became part of Emmons County history as well. Seeing the tangible change
and knowing that I played a key part in making it happen was an amazing feeling.”
Other participating NDSU students included:
• Kaci Johnson, history graduate student from Zim, Minnesota
• Kirbie Sondreal, senior public history major from Reynolds, North Dakota
• Emily Kulzer, senior majoring in public history from Mahnomen, Minnesota
• Dean Brooks, senior English major from Philadelphia
• Brett Mills, senior majoring in public history from Buffalo, Minnesota
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As a student-focused, land-grant, research university, we serve our citizens.

3. 6-14-17
Paige Johnson/701-231-8531
Attached Photo:
Linton resident and museum tour guide Sue Sandwich gives the NDSU history students a tour
of the Emmons County Museum. Left to right: Sue Sandwick, Kirbie Sondreal, Emily Kulzer, Kaci
Johnson, Lauren Wiese and John Hest.