Old Home Town Museum

Stephen has a long newspaper history that includes the Marshall County Leader, Stephen Messenger, Stephen Messenger and Marshall County Leader Consolidated, and the Messenger. The Minnesota Historical Society documents the Messenger as a Stephen weekly that began publication in January 1971, continuing a local newspaper tradition represented by earlier Stephen titles dating to the nineteenth century.

Historical newspapers complement the museum's physical collections by recording local government, agriculture, businesses, schools, organizations, sports, military service, family milestones, and everyday community life. These primary sources allow researchers to follow changes in Stephen and Marshall County while connecting individual people and families with the broader history preserved by the museum.

The Old Home Town Museum has operated in Stephen since July 1991. Over time, the museum has developed into a multi-building community history complex supported by donations, volunteers, civic partnerships, and locally contributed artifacts. Its collections are centered on objects and stories with connections to Stephen and the surrounding area.

An important part of the museum is the Swanson House, built in 1916 and formerly the residence of Cutsy and Francis Swanson. The Swansons served as editors and publishers of the Messenger from 1925 through 1965, giving the property a direct connection to Stephen's newspaper history. Today, the house interprets domestic and community life through furniture, kitchenware, clothing, school furnishings, and other period objects.

The museum has continued to develop new ways to interpret the community's past. Its Welcome Center incorporates restored artifacts from former Stephen businesses, including Carl's soda fountain, the C&H Café, and the Flat Top Inn. The museum has also preserved the area's history through educational exhibits, a historical mural, agricultural displays, and participation in regional heritage initiatives.

Preservation efforts extend beyond artifacts. A Minnesota Historical and Cultural Heritage Grant awarded to the City of Stephen supported the updating and republication of Lawrence Sunsdahl's Backward Glances , a collection of writings about Stephen-area history. The project drew upon newspapers, microfilm, photographs, and personal contacts, and copies of the resulting publication were made available through the Old Home Town Museum.

Stephen is connected to one of Minnesota's unusual UFO cases. In August 1979, Marshall County Sheriff's Deputy Val Johnson reported encountering an unexplained object while driving on a rural road near Stephen. His patrol car was damaged and Johnson was injured during the incident, which became known as the Val Johnson Incident. The Old Home Town Museum preserves this unusual chapter of local history with its Mile Marker 68 UFO Event display.