Cook County Historical Society launches community toolkit, new letter submission option as Letters to Our Future Project gains statewide traction
What began as a local effort by the Cook County Historical Society (CCHS) to document the community's response to "Operation Metro Surge" has transformed into a statewide movement. To help this growing project, CCHS has created a new option for submitting letters electronically, writing prompts, and the Letters to Our Future Community Toolkit, a resource designed to help organizations across Minnesota replicate this archiving project in their own communities. Additionally, in response to inquiries from local organizations wishing to host quiet writing spaces in partnership with CCHS, a specialized partner toolkit has also been developed.
The initiative has gained traction far beyond the North Shore, drawing interest from historical societies, libraries, student groups, and more. CCHS believes this widespread interest is driven in part by a shared mission to act as "stewards of the present," ensuring the diverse emotions and stories of this moment in time are preserved directly from all people living through them (CCHS welcomes letters from all viewpoints, ensuring that the full complexity of this historical moment is captured for posterity). The project has provided a unique opportunity for individuals to not only document history but to begin processing and understanding their own personal responses to these events.
Since its launch, CCHS has received firsthand feedback on the impact on younger generations. Children and teenagers have been particularly drawn to the initiative, with many choosing to write letters specifically for the 20-Year Time Capsule. Parents, guardians, and educators have shared with CCHS that the project offers a "gentle way" to talk to children about current world events, allowing them to process their feelings and decide exactly how their voices will be heard twenty years from now.
How to Participate
Letters are still being accepted. Participants can write in person at the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery or the Cook County History Museum, submit electronically via the form below, or mail contributions to P.O. Box 1293, Grand Marais, MN, 55604 (please specify a preferred privacy tier, see below).
All letters will be entered into the Historical Society archives. To ensure comfort and accessibility, CCHS has developed a three-tier approach to privacy:
Tier 1 - Public Journal: For those who wish to share reflections immediately with the community.
Tier 2 - Archives: For permanent preservation and access by future researchers.
Tier 3 - 20-Year Time Capsule: For those preferring total privacy; letters are sealed by the writer and stored in a secure space, not to be opened until 2046.
Writing prompts are now available at all locations for those who would like help getting started.
The Toolkit & Local Partnerships
The new organizational toolkit acts as a guide for entities wishing to launch their own "Letters to Our Future" project. It includes best practices, hospitality suggestions (such as providing warm cocoa and tea to create a welcoming environment), and ready-to-use templates.
Furthermore, CCHS is partnering with local businesses that wish to host quiet writing spaces to provide more frequent opportunities for the public to participate in person. These partner hosts work directly with the Historical Society to ensure all letters are preserved within the CCHS archives.
To request the community toolkit, or to inquire about hosting a local quiet writing space, please click below.
Letters to Our Future Submission Form
Please use the form below to electronically submit a letter for the Letters to Our Future project. Name and email are optional, and would only be used to contact you if there was a problem opening the submitted document.
