Curious Minnesota

The arrival of vaccines earlier this year offered a glimmer of hope that the COVID-19 pandemic was nearing an end. But the emergence of the delta variant has dampened some of that optimism.

The Star Tribune solicited reader questions about this new phase of the pandemic. Pulitzer Prize-winning health reporters Glenn Howatt and Jeremy Olson discussed the answers in their third appearance on the podcast.

It has been roughly a century since planes began flying at what is now Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, which has evolved from a bankrupt racetrack to an acclaimed travel hub. Transportation reporter Janet Moore joins the podcast to discuss the airport's long history.

LINKS:

From bankrupt racetrack to aviation hub — what remains from MSP Airport's early days? (May 2021 Curious Minnesota story)

Panoramic photo of the 1923 Wold-Chamberlain dedication ceremony.

A history of the Twin City Motor Speedway (from Winter 2007-2008 issue of Minnesota History magazine)

The monthly Wednesday tornado siren test, a Minnesota tradition, traces its origins back to 1950s fears of a Soviet atomic bomb attack. Writer Dave Kenney, who has researched Civil Defense in Minnesota, discusses how Minnesotans responded to an evolving international threat during the Cold War.

LINKS:

Why does Minnesota test tornado sirens on the first Wednesday of the month? (April 2021 Curious Minnesota Article)

Civil Defense in Minnesota, 1950–1974 (written by Dave Kenney)

Fears of a Soviet attack during the 1950s spurred the federal government to install four missile sites around the Twin Cities. The "Nike-Hercules" nuclear warheads stored in those bunkers stood ready to take down Soviet bombers headed for the Twin Cities. Curious Minnesota host Eric Roper discusses the topic with reporter Michelle Griffith, a former Star Tribune intern who now works at the Fargo Forum newspaper.

LINKS:

Was Minnesota home to nuclear missiles during the Cold War? (April 2020 Curious Minnesota story)

When nukes in a cornfield protected the Twin Cities from the Soviet Union

Former Nike Hercules missile in St. Bonifacius stands as a reminder of the Cold War

The source of the Mississippi was a consequential mystery after the Revolutionary War. It remains hotly debated in some circles today. Connie Cox, the lead interpretive naturalist at Itasca State Park, discusses the history and science behind this issue with host Eric Roper.

LINKS:

Is Minnesota’s tiny Lake Itasca the true source of the Mississippi River?

Could the Mississippi River actually begin in South Dakota?

Minnesota History: Controversy at the Mississippi's headwaters

The Great Northern Depot on Hennepin Avenue was a de facto welcome mat for Minneapolis for many years. Along with the Milwaukee Road Depot, it was the primary place people arrived in the city. So why was Great Northern torn down in 1978, while the Milwaukee Road Depot survived? Rail historian Aaron Isaacs joins host Eric Roper to discuss the history of the Depot and the decline of passenger rail travel in the 20th Century.

Story and photo gallery

For part of the 20th Century, Ford Motor Company relied heavily on sand beneath its plant in St. Paul to make windows for its cars. Host Eric Roper discusses that operation with reporter John Reinan.

LINKS:

John's Curious Minnesota story about the Ford Plant sand mining

A timeline of St. Paul's Ford Plant operations

Made in St. Paul: Stories from the Ford Plant (Twin Cities PBS / Producer: Peter Myers)

Both Minneapolis and St. Paul draw their drinking water from the Mississippi River. Curious Minnesota host Eric Roper paid a visit to Minneapolis’ water treatment campus in Fridley to understand the complex process that makes river water safe to drink.

LINKS:

Photo gallery

Article (published in October 2020)

A number of states have joined an effort that would effectively bypass the Electoral College in determining America's president. Those states have signed on to the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, which would commit their electoral votes to whoever wins the national popular vote. Will Minnesota participate? Reporter Torey Van Oot joins host Eric Roper to discuss the proposal. Read her story here. The reader question was inspired by a discussion on the New York Times' "The Daily" podcast, which you can listen to here.

Malls ending in the suffix "Dale" are peppered across the Twin Cities. But why "Dale"? Reporter John Ewoldt joins us to discuss the history of the Dales, starting with the landmark mall that started it all — Southdale. Host Eric Roper and Ewoldt discuss how the vision of the Dayton Corporation reshaped retail in the region. Read John's story here.