Curious Minnesota

Minnesota has more residents of Norwegian and Swedish ancestry than any other state, due to a wave of immigration from those countries in the 19th Century. But why did those immigrants choose Minnesota? Eric Roper and Ash Miller discuss the factors that caused people to leave Scandinavian countries in the 1800s, and how Minnesota became a major destination.

LINKS:

Why did Scandinavian immigrants choose Minnesota? (May 2022 Curious Minnesota story)

Is Minnesota actually more German than Scandinavian? (January 2020 Curious Minnesota story)

Any list of the most famous Minnesotans who ever lived should include Charles Lindbergh, who became a worldwide celebrity when he completed the first nonstop flight from New York to Paris in 1927. But Lindbergh's controversial statements and actions in the years preceding Pearl Harbor have become an enduring aspect of his legacy.

The Star Tribune's Kevin Duchschere joins the show to discuss Lindbergh's life and whether the famous aviator was a Nazi sympathizer.

LINKS:

Was Charles Lindbergh a Nazi sympathizer? (June 2022 Curious Minnesota story)

Some people believe that the battle of Gettysburg would have ended differently had it not been for the heroism of the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry regiment. Their sacrifice in 1863 is a landmark event from Minnesota's early history as a state. Readers wanted to know why it isn't better remembered today. The Star Tribune's Kevin Duchschere joins the show to discuss the battle and the First Minnesota's legacy.

LINKS:

Why isn't Minnesota's sacrifice at Gettysburg better remembered? (February 2022 Curious Minnesota story)

While "Fargo" is undoubtedly the most famous movie filmed in Minnesota, it was far from the first. Star Tribune movie critic Chris Hewitt talks with host Ash Miller about the film "Free Air," which shot in Minnesota during the early 1920s. It is a film that -- quite possibly -- no living person has ever actually seen.

What was the first movie filmed in Minnesota?  (December 2021 Curious Minnesota story)

Most of America's Silent Films are Lost Forever (2013 article from The Atlantic)

Nicollet Island is arguably the most unusual park in a city known for its parks. Located beside downtown Minneapolis, it is an oasis of green space in the heart of the urban core. It was once home to some of the city's most prominent industrialists, as well as factories powered by the Mississippi River. But it has undergone a major transformation in roughly the last half century.

Chris and Rushika Hage, authors of a book about Nicollet Island, join host Eric Roper to discuss the island's history and how it came to look the way it does today.

LINKS:

How did Nicollet Island become parkland with private housing on it? (May 2019 Curious Minnesota story)

A before and after aerial view of the island showing how it has changed

What do a medieval French prince and an 1800s Minnesota sawmill owner have in common? They're both key figures in the wild story of how the city of St. Cloud got its name. The Star Tribune's St. Cloud reporter Jenny Berg joins host Ash Miller to share the tale and talk about the series of equally strange events that followed.

LINKS:

How did St. Cloud get its name? (July 2021 Curious Minnesota article)

St. Cloud Today newsletter sign up

Generating electricity and getting it to houses and businesses across Minnesota is a round-the-clock effort that is easy to take for granted. Star Tribune energy reporter Mike Hughlett joins host Eric Roper to discuss where Minnesota's power comes from, how it's distributed and who oversees our regional power grid.

LINKS:

Where does Twin Cities electricity come from and how is it delivered to homes? (August 2021 Curious Minnesota story)

The Minnesota accent is ubiquitous in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. But where does it come from?

Keely Wolter, a Richfield-based accent and dialogue coach, joins the Star Tribune's Hannah Sayle and Rachel Hutton to discuss the accent's origins and what defines this uniquely Minnesotan way of speaking.

LINKS:

Why do Minnesotans have accents? (Nov. 2021 Curious Minnesota article)

Considered one of the most corrupt cities in America during Prohibition, St. Paul's historical relationship with gangsters was rooted in an agreement between the police department and the criminals of the city: As long as you commit your crimes somewhere else, you're welcome to hide out in St. Paul. Ash Miller and James Walsh talk about how this agreement affected the city, from its crime rates to its national reputation.

LINKS:

Did St. Paul really protect gangsters during the Prohibition era? (June 2021 Curious Minnesota story)

St. Paul's gangster tours

John Dillinger Slept Here book

Minneapolis' "Mill City" nickname traces its roots to a 50-year period when the city's flour milling dominated the world market. But that came to an end in 1930, when the city lost its crown to Buffalo, N.Y. Eric Roper and Hannah Sayle discuss how Minneapolis rose to prominence as a flour milling capital, and the many factors that led to the decline of flour milling on the riverfront.

LINKS:

Why did Minneapolis' famous flour boom go bust?