2500 28th Street - PO Box 57 - Slayton, MN 56172

Our Museum & County Historians

Sod House PhotoMURRAY COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM
2480 29th Street
P.O. Box 61
Slayton, MN 56172
Phone: 507-836-6533
Email:  museum@co.murray.mn.us

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Museum Director – Nicholas Demuth
Email: ndemuth@co.murray.mn.us
Collections Supervisor – Ann Muecke
Email: amuecke@co.murray.mn.us
End-O-Line Supervisor
Email: 

Click HERE for the Historical Society website
HISTORICAL MUSEUM

We are the biggest little museum in Southwestern Minnesota. The museum has a collection of over 10,000 artifacts. Our research library contains topical scrapbooks, photos, family histories, school annuals, newspapers, census records and tax assessor records. There are over 30,000 digitized obituaries on file. 

Our museum began in 1952, when Paul Scherlie donated an old farm wagon. Later, Wm. Leebens, Fair Secretary, and Audrey James, County School Superintendent, let the Historical Society use a display area in the school exhibit building.

The museum staff provides group tours, research assistance and historical presentations. The museum hosts special exhibits and open houses several times a year, with a Christmas Festival in December.

DINEHART-HOLT HOUSE
Charm and history become as much a part of an old house as the stone, brick or wood from which it was built. One such house is the C.E. Dinehart and Flora Dinehart residence at Slayton, built in 1891. It was designed by Frank Thayer, the same architect who designed the Murray County Courthouse.

The Dinehart family came to Slayton in 1884. C.E. Dinehart was one of the founders of the State Bank of Slayton and came to own over 4,000 acres of land in the county. He also served as mayor. He and his wife had two children, a daughter, Florence, and a son, Clarence. Clarence became treasurer for the State of Minnesota, a position he held at the time of his premature death in 1910. Florence married Harvy Holt and they had three sons including Judge John Holt who was the last member of the Dinehart-Holt family to reside in the house.

The house was purchased by Murray County in 2007 to be used as a Historic House Museum. The essential character of the house remains and provides visitors with a glimpse into early days of Slayton and Murray County.

The Dinehart-Holt House is available to rent for receptions and special occasions. For more information, please call 507-836-6533.

Dinehart Holt House Photo  Christmas Tree Photo

Porch Photo

Admissions: There is no charge for the museum. Dinehart House tours are $3.00 
Free will donations are joyfully accepted. 

Displays of Special Interest to Visitors Include

  • County Schools
  • Sports including Golden Glove Boxing and Town Baseball
  • Sierk Agriculture Building displays thousands of farm related artifacts.
  • A Country Store
  • A Railroad Display
  • Military from Civil War through Vietnam
  • 1940 America’s Worst Car Accident
  • Medical Exhibit

Hours

  • Tuesday through Friday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
  • Saturdays 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
  • Closed Holidays

Winter hours are subject to weather conditions

For special arrangements or tours, call 507-836-6533.
Email: museum@co.murray.mn.us

Tree Photo

GENEOLOGY
The ethnic heritage of Murray County is predominately German, Irish, Belgian, and Scandinavian. The Murray County Historical Society participates in a state and national genealogy web network and you can get information from these sites. For state-wide genealogical information, visit the Minnesota Historical Society website. If you have information regarding genealogy that would be helpful to residents or former residents, please contact the Murray County Historical Museum.

INFORMATIONAL WEBLINKS

Minnesota Historical Society

Murray County Geneology

Find a Grave – Murray County