Ulysses H. Swanson, he/him

Photo of a man with pink-white skin, red short hair and a beard, and a black and maroon floral button up in front of a brick wall.

Howdy! I'm a community historian from Minnesota.

I enjoy looking into: food histories of the Americas; queer, trans, and intersex histories of the US; and cultural histories of the Upper Midwest.

I often create/contribute to digital public history projects, from writing blog posts and research guides to constructing wikis and maps.

I graduated with a BA in History, minor in Research and Information Studies, from Metro State University (St. Paul) in 2025.

Food History

Both of my capstone projects during college were in food history. In March 2025, I presented a modified version of my major capstone at Posters at St. Paul (the Minnesota state university system student research conference), held at the state capital building: A Comparative History of Casseroles and Hot Dishes in American Foodways, 1912–1952.

Queer, Trans, and Intersex Histories

I've created and been part of three projects that focus on queer, trans, and intersex histories: Transgender Ancestors, the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project, and the Greater Minnesota Two-Spirit & LGBTQIA+ History Map.

Outside of these projects, I've also created and occasionally update two reference maps (hosted on Google My Maps): Map of Queer History Map Projects and City Ordinances Criminalizing People in "a Dress" or "Disguise" "Not Belonging to" or "Becoming of" "His or Her Sex," 1848–1986.

I've also presented on queer history. In September 2025, I gave a brief summary of Minnesota's queer history along with Leila Stallone at the event "Queer Northfield, Then and Now," hosted at Northfield Public Library (Minnesota).

Photo of a white man in a black button up shirt standing and holding a microphone. He is staring at a screen that shows two historic photographs of gender nonconforming people.

Transgender Ancestors

Transgender Ancestors is a research and writing guide for genealogists hosted on Wikitree I started in 2022. It also serves as a list of life narratives accessible to the public.

Over the years, I've received many thanks for what I research and share. Many people have emailed me about my project Transgender Ancestors, and I find it meaningful that people get joy from the life stories of trans and gender nonconforming people of the past. Many people have shared their own stories with me, and I treasure that.

I've also been officially recognized for my work; in August 2024, the Dane County Board of Supervisors awarded me a Certificate of Recognition for my work preserving the queer history of Wisconsin, especially the trans history of the state.

I'm honored that I've been part of reviving and keeping trans histories around for the next generations.

A photo of a certificate awarded to the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project and Ulysses Swanson from the Dane County Board of Supervisors, August 2024.

Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project

Greater Minnesota Two-Spirit & LGBTQIA+ History Map (Minnesota Historical Society)

I was an intern on the map project from September 2024 to August 2025.

Midwestern Histories

Photo of a white man in a brown plaid shirt standing at a podium and holding a microphone. He is staring at a screen that shows an image of an old-timey newspaper and text.

At the Goodhue County Historical Society center (Red Wing), June 2025

My work research often focuses on this area of the United States—Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Outside of food and queer history projects based in this region, in March 2024, I launched the digital archive North Star Speedway for race tracks and drag strips under the same name that existed in Mounds View and Blaine, Minnesota, from 1950 to 1979.