Introduction
Ulysses H. Swanson (he/him) presenting at Northfield Public Library (Northfield, Minnesota), September 2025
Oh, hey!I'm a public/community historian as well as libraries and special collections odd jobber from Minnesota.I often create and contribute to digital public history projects, from writing blog posts and research guides to designing wikis and maps.I enjoy looking into: queer, trans, and intersex histories of the US; cultural histories of the Upper Midwest; and the histories and practices of community archives.
Current projects
I'm always working on something. For those interested in what I've done in the past, I'm developing a living CV on Google Docs (link forthcoming).
Collections contractor, St. Paul Public Libraries: For those in the St. Paul, you may see me handling books and other materials at your local branch library this spring!
Presenter, Midwestern History Association Conference: I presented a historiography of Midwestern queer history at the annual MHA conference, held on May 1, 2026, at Miami University. The corresponding website, which lists all 100+ sources I used, is still in development.
Contributor, Greater Minnesota Two-Spirit & LGBTQIA+ History Map: From 2024–2025, I interned at the Minnesota Historical Society and helped research, write, edit, design, and promote this project. This spring, I'm researching and writing more entries!
Portfolio
The body of my work is in queer history, although I focused on other histories during my undergraduate studies (see: the last heading on this page). To every project, I bring my interests in family history, regionalism (especially the development of the Upper Midwest), and digital tools.
I've done public history work as an intern and a consultant at nonprofits. I've also done this work as a community member rather than facilitated through an institution.
This page contains a list of projects, starting with most recent I've worked on and working down to my earliest!
⏭️Greater Minnesota Two-Spirit & LGBTQIA+ History Map (2024–present)
While I was an intern at the Minnesota Historical Society from September 2024 to August 2025, I helped research, copywrite, design, promote, and launch the Greater Minnesota Two-Spirit & LGBTQIA+ History Map. In 2026, I was contracted to add eight more entries to it!
I've presented on the research methods and/or fascinating findings of this project five times with the team. The first presentation was at Winona State University in March 2025, co-hosted by the Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies Department there. The second was at the Minnesota Alliance of Local History Museums (MALHM) Annual Meeting in White Bear Lake on April 24, 2025. The third, titled "Historical InQUEERies," was at the Goodhue County History Center in Red Wing on June 13, 2025. The fourth was at the event "Queer Northfield, Then and Now," co-hosted by Northfield Public Library, in September 2025. In June 2026, I will join the team for a fifth presentation at the LGBTQ+ History Association's biannual Queer/Trans History Conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
From our work on the map project, co-creators Leila Stallone, Luis Valderrama, and I wrote the article "Rising Moon: Lesbians Living off the Land in Central Minnesota" for the fall 2025 issue of Minnesota History.
▶️Regional queer historic preservation (2025–present)
While working on the Greater Minnesota Two-Spirit & LGBTQIA+ History Map project, I compiled a list of other queer history mapping projects. That list is now publicly accessible and was first mapped in late 2025.
In May 2026, I will present an annotated bibliography of Midwestern queer history publishing and other forms of preservation at the Midwestern History Association conference in Oxford, Ohio.
▶️Anti-crossdressing laws in the US (2023–present)
In May 2023, I published a map of city ordinances that criminalized crossdressing in the United States, relying on newspaper archives. Updates coming, but I can't say what yet!
⏸️Transgender Ancestors (2022–present)
The wiki "Transgender Ancestors" is a research and writing guide for genealogists hosted on Wikitree that I created in 2022, updated in 2024, and sorely need to update again. It also serves as a list of life narratives of historic trans people accessible to the public.
Over the years, I've received many thanks for what I research and share. I find it meaningful that people gain joy from the life stories of trans and gender nonconforming people of the past. Some people have even shared their own stories with me in their thanks, and I truly treasure that.
In August 2024, the Dane County Board of Supervisors co-awarded the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project (see: the next heading) and myself a Certificate of Recognition. I was recognized for my work preserving the trans history of Wisconsin through the history project as well as through "Transgender Ancestors."
Certificate of Recognition from the Dane County Board of Supervisors (Madison, Wisconsin), awarded in 2024
⏹️Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project
(2023–2026)
From November 2023 to January 2026, I was a Community Advisor for the Milwaukee-based nonprofit Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project. During my time, I represented the project at pride festivals in Duluth, Minnesota, and Eau Claire, Wisconsin. I also wrote two blog posts on 19th century trans men.
As discussed in the "Transgender Ancestors" section of this page, in August 2024, while I was Community Advisor, the Dane County Board of Supervisors awarded the Wisconsin LGBTQ History Project a Certificate of Recognition as well as me, mentioning myself and my project on trans family history by name. The board soon after passed another resolution naming August Trans History Month in the county.
⏹️Undergraduate studies (2023–2025)
In 2025, I graduated with a BA in History, minor in Research and Information Studies, from Metro State University (St. Paul, Minnesota). During college, I focused on cultural and land use histories of Minnesota and North Dakota as well as community archiving practices.
Contact
Reach out! Whether you're looking for something more formal (like research assistance or a guest speaker) or want to share a story of yours, my channels are open. My email address is [email protected], and I have accounts on Bluesky and Wikitree.
