Mary Sandmann

WHAGS Historian

    I have always loved history and exploring my roots as well as the roots of the General Mills, the company I worked for in Minnesota. This led me to the Hennepin History Museum where I volunteered, first as a Director, then Vice President, and then President. It was truly a wonderful experience.  Located in the Whittier neighborhood of Minneapolis in the historic Christian Mansion, an historic home built in 1919 and part of the Washburn Fair Oaks Mansion District.  It was wonderful to look out the windows of the museum onto Washburn Fair Oaks Park, which was the original site of the Washburn Fair Oaks Mansion once owned by Cadwallader C. Washburn the founder of General Mills and owner of the largest US mill and Governor of Wisconsin.  

    My history excitement continued as I moved to Texas two years ago. Having completed an extensive search through history to locate ancestors to join DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution). The excitement of reaching back to 1686 landing in America as an indentured servant and then finding my Revolutionary hero Nicholas Spohn through my Grandmother Flossie White Hamann.