‘Golden Valley’s Historian’ cultivates local historical society BY SUE WEBBER • CONTRIBUTING WRITER Don Anderson has well earned the title of “Golden Valley’s Historian,” given to him several years ago by a Rotary colleague. For the last 22 years, he has voluntarily worked to expand the Golden Valley Historical Society from 29 to 190 members, and its treasury from $200 to a net worth of $500,000, plus ownership of the oldest church in Golden Valley. The society began in 1973 with Dorothy and Fred Wandersee at the helm. Dorothy had a degree in history, and her husband was the son of a contractor who built Golden Valley’s first village hall. Archives at that time were stored in boxes at the Wandersee’s house. By 1992, the Wandersees were both in ill health and it was clear that the Historical Society was floundering, so several members met with then-Mayor Mary Anderson (Don’s wife) to work on some options. Don, who had just retired from Edina Realty, attended the meeting also, at Mary’s request. “I was impressed with what the society had done,” Don Anderson said. “I told them I was willing to become a member.” He was appointed secretary and began booking monthly programs, compiling board agendas and working to rebuild the organization with a monthly newsletter and promoting member tours. In 1997, the Historical Society bought the Little White Church in the Valley, at 6731 Golden Valley Road, with the intention of transforming it into a museum. The church, built in 1882, housed an interdenominational congregation until 1907; a Methodist church from 1907-1960; and the Christian Science Society from 1960-1997. “Before we got around to doing that [working on the museum], people kept coming to us and telling us that the church was so cute,
Don Anderson
SOCIETY - TO PAGE 5 Photos by Gina Purcell