If you are driving anywhere near the intersection of Highway 100 and Highway 7, you’ve seen the tall tower emblazoned with the Nordic Ware name and Viking logo. I always assumed that the concrete structure was a smokestack, water tower or chimney of some sort. I was surprised to learn that it’s not only a grain elevator, but a historical landmark AND a marvel of engineering!
Growing up in Iowa, I’ve had my fair share of Bundt cakes. My mom also used her Bundt pan to bake pull-apart “monkey bread”. In high school, when we performed the annual Madrigal Dinner, the not-so-historically accurate Figgy Pudding was suspiciously Bundt-shaped (even with a flaming cup full of sterno filling the center hole). The fruitcake was also suspiciously sterno-flavored after being carried by distracted teenagers trying to walk, sing, and carry an open flame at the same time. I didn’t know that the Bundt was born in Minnesota! Or was it?
In my previous post, “Frank Smith & Grace Ledbeter”, I explained how the criminal trials of Frank Smith and Grace Ledbeter are connected to the movie “You’ve Got Mail”. Would you be surprised to know that that isn’t the only famous trial from Minnesota with a link to the movie?
Today there are more than 10,000 guide dogs working in the United States. It’s really moving to think how far we’ve come in assisting people with disabilities to live normal, active lives (although we certainly can do more). Did you know that the first guide dog in the United States lived on the shores of Lake Harriet? Let me tell you more!
Can a rock be racist? A neighborhood group brought my attention to a memorial on the shores of Bde Maka Ska. Is it just inaccurate, outdated, or flat out racist?
Nina Clifford was a notorious Saint Paul madame. Today, there’s a coffee shop named after her. Is it her old brothel? Did the brothel have a secret tunnel? Lets find out!
Lilacs only bloom for a few weeks in the spring, make sure you don’t miss your chance to enjoy them at one of these Minnesota locales.
The saintly-named capital of Minnesota was the work of marketing gurus ahead of their time. Without their religious rebranding, the state would have had a much more scandalous capital city: Pig’s Eye.
Trying to face the present pandemic by learning from the past? The best book about the 1918 Pandemic in Minnesota. Also discusses the impact of WWI and the tragic fires of that same year.
Where is Pike Island and who is it named after? Why is it an important part of Minnesota history? Was it the site of a concentration camp? Let’s explore and find out.
