Barn Bluff has stood over thousands of years of history in the Red Wing area
A public park since 1910, the ancient bluff serves as an impressive landmark.
MNopedia
Minnesota’s America First Association was formed to support a foreign war, not oppose it
The leaders of the AFA sought to counter what they perceived to be apathy or hostility toward the American war effort against Germany and Austria during World War I.
Mille Lacs Indian Trading Post became a lot more than just a trading post
Mille Lacs Indian Trading Post opened in 1918 when new businessman Harry D. Ayer acquired a trader’s license from the White Earth Indian Agency allowing him to trade with the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe.
How St. Paul punk pioneers Hüsker Dü paved the way for grunge music
In the 1990s, Hüsker Dü’s fast playing and musicality continued to influence the most popular rock bands of the era, including the Pixies, Nirvana, the Foo Fighters, Metallica and Green Day.
Better than a gangster movie: The real-life exploits of St. Paul’s Barker-Karpis gang
The gang shuttled in and out of St. Paul in the 1930s, committing robberies and kidnappings under the protection of a corrupt police force.
A brief history of Minnesota’s first statewide Spanish-language newspaper
“La Prensa” was born out of Mario Duarte’s experiences taking the 1990 Census.
How mountainless Minneapolis produced a pioneering woman mountaineer
Cora Johnstone Best may have been the first woman to be granted a full guiding license for all U.S. and Canadian national parks.
The Twin Cities Army Ammunition Plant created innovations in manufacturing technology and management — and an EPA Superfund site
The Army Ordnance Department authorized construction of the Twin Cities Ordnance Plant (TCOP) in the spring of 1941.
How Minnesotans handled leprosy around the turn of the 20th Century
In 1888, Dr. Gerhard Armauer Hansen, a Norwegian physician, arrived in St. Paul to study leprosy because of the high number of Norwegian immigrants in the state.
Anoka’s first Halloween Celebration was an anti-prank measure
In the early 1900s, Americans braced themselves every October for pranks committed by not-so-innocent children.
Showing off Minneapolis on the world stage: the origins of the Aquatennial
The name “Aquatennial” was chosen by contest to highlight the abundance of lakes, rivers, and parks around Minneapolis.
Maple sugaring’s roots with the Ojibwe people run deep
While the technology used in the process has changed over the years, Ojibwe people continue to harvest maple sugar in the present day.
The controversial career of Minnesota’s first territorial governor, Alexander Ramsey
Deeply respected for many years as a founder of the state, Ramsey has become controversial for his role in removing the area’s Indigenous residents from their homelands.
Hennepin County officials, bribes and 74 barrels of hidden whiskey: the Winnipeg Liquor Conspiracy
The Hennepin County sheriff provided guards to the smugglers, while the Hennepin County attorney was on hand to head off any prosecution.
Minnesota’s first female member of Congress’ political career was off to a great start — till her husband stepped in
Coya Knutson was first elected in 1952 and won re-election once before a campaign by her political opponents — and backed by her husband — sunk her career.
When Macalester College started up in 1885, it had just five professors and six students
Though founded as a nonsectarian college, Macalester has always held ties to the Presbyterian Church.
Minnesota’s first black sheriff enforced the law in Cook County for twenty years
In spite of limited resources, John quickly made his mark on the county through his reputation for being firm yet fair in his work and genuinely concerned for the well-being of his constituents.
August 20, 1904: The day a cyclone slammed Waconia
The storm damaged much of the town, and five people were killed.
Clara Ueland: Minnesota suffragist, lifelong women’s rights activist
She was president of the Minnesota Woman Suffrage Association when the nineteenth amendment was passed in 1919.
The Romansh weren’t Minnesota’s largest immigrant group, but they made a big impact
Graubünden, Switzerland-based immigration boards and societies, such as the Wolf Company, helped Romansh families choose Minnesota as a destination.