"Letters to Our Future" Project Grows Statewide: CCHS Launches Community Toolkit, Digital Submission Option
Mar 11, 2026 08:40AM ● By Editor
From Cook County Historical Society - March 11, 2026
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. Today, CCHS is officially providing a new electronic letter submission option to make participating more accessible, and releasing 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 are preserved. CCHS welcomes letters from all viewpoints to ensure the full complexity of this historical moment is captured. 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 that the initiative has resonated particularly well with local youth; educators and parents report the project serves as a constructive way for students to process current events while contributing to a 20-year time capsule.
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,
Mail contributions to P.O. Box 1293, Grand Marais, MN, 55604 (please specify a preferred privacy tier, see below).
- 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.
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 inquire about the toolkit, become a local host partner, or submit a letter electronically, visit https://www.cookcountyhistory.org/letters-to-our-future-toolkit .
To learn more and see current hours of operation for the Museum or JHP, visit: https://www.cookcountyhistory.org and click “Our Sites” from the menu in the upper right hand corner.
About the Cook County Historical Society
The Cook County Historical Society (CCHS), which just celebrated its 100th anniversary in 2025, is committed to the collection, preservation, and dissemination of Cook County history, connecting it to the state of Minnesota's narrative. CCHS manages five historical sites: the Cook County History Museum (1896 Lightkeeper's House), the Johnson Heritage Post Art Gallery, St. Francis Xavier “Chippewa City” Church, the Bally Blacksmith Shop, and a 1930s fish house replica featuring the fishing tug Nee-Gee.
Learn more at cookcountyhistory.org.
