In 1978 seven Norman Rockwell paintings and a supposed Renoir, later discovered to be a forgery, were stolen from Elayne Galleries in St. Louis Park. It is still the biggest theft in Minnesota history
One sunny day on his postal route, Vincent Wyckoff crosses the path of an elderly gentleman whistling for his lost parakeet. The old man is upset, and Wyckoff moves down the block slowly, looking high
In the early twentieth century, before the National Hockey League had established a presence in the United States, a team from St. Paul played at the highest levels of hockey in the country. Sports hi
For Jewish and non-Jewish customers alike, the Lincoln Del was a Minneapolis version of Cheers—at the Del everybody knew your name. Folks hardly minded waiting in line for the fresh caraway rye, the c
On a spring day in 1961, over-the-road trucker Jim Harper was en route from Mauston, Wisconsin, to his home in Minneapolis. At 70 miles per hour, with a combined 60,000 pounds of man, machine, and mat
Hildebrand writes of landscapes in dispute: Native Alaskan groups are pitted against each other over oil development, Hmong emigrants jostle locals in a public hunting ground, farmers battle a formida
It was on the vast American prairie that people from around the world seized the opportunity for personal and economic freedom promised by free land. Traveling across oceans and continents, these hard
Recognized as one of the twin cities' best drink makers, Johnny Michaels is the cocktail connoisseur's answer to a gourmet chef. His home base is the James Beard award-winning La Belle Vie, but he's d
"Writing in a style that reads like fiction, Griffith takes readers into heart-stopping action alongside caver John Ackerman, who found unexplored Goliath Cave in southeastern Minnesota."—St. Paul Pio
The Minnesota State Capitol is both an architectural masterpiece and a revered public building. This beautiful Renaissance Revival structure is the heart of the state's civic life, a place for celebra
Beginning in the 1850s, thousands of immigrants from Nordic countries settled in Minnesota and quickly established themselves in the political life of their new home. These Norwegians, Swedes, Danes,
Bandolier bags, or gashkibidaaganag—the large, heavily beaded shoulder bags made and worn by several North American Indian tribes around the Great Lakes—are prized cultural icons here and around the w
The Midwest is home to streams and lakes and even inland seas, and these assorted freshwater sources offer up much bounty, from classic panfish and trout to world-famous walleye to Lake Superior cisco
July 19, 1918: The wounded were pouring into the four Hospitals of the town. . . . We have decided to double up for a few days—half of us work at the Canteen and half at the Hospitals, taking turns. I
In the early 1970s, the Minneapolis music scene was no scene at all. Radio stations played Top 40 music; bars and clubs booked only rock cover bands and blues bands. Meanwhile, cities like New York, D
"If we cannot name and recognize plants, how can we value them and realize how essential they are to our environment and our well-being as humans?" —from the IntroductionIn 2012 a committee of experts
When Mai Neng Moua decides to get married, her mother, a widow, wants the groom to follow Hmong custom and pay a bride price, which both honors the work the bride's family has done in raising a daught
James A. Wright was an orderly sergeant in Company F of the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment in the Civil War. His memoir, based on his diaries and letters, is the fullest personal account
For two hundred years, a rogues' gallery of chefs, line cooks, and dishwashers have slaved away, largely unseen, to serve the dining public. Their pedigrees reach back to the first restaurants during
The author examines how rural Minnesotans used the principles of cooperation to gain control of local economies and to exercise that control according to democratic principles. It is also a biography
For thrity-six years, Don Boxmeyer wrote about St. Paul and Minnesota, first as a reporter for the St. Paul Dispatch and St. Paul Pioneer Press, and for two decades as a columnist for the Pioneer Pres
Between 1941 and 1945 more than 110,000 American marines, soldiers, airmen, and sailors were taken prisoner by German, Italian, and Japanese forces. Most who fought overseas during World War II weren'
On a frigid afternoon in February 2003, Deanna Germain, a nurse practitioner and new grandmother living in Blaine, Minnesota, received the registered letter she had hoped would never arrive. In six da
During the era of Swedish mass emigration to the United States—about 1.3 million Swedes arrived between 1850 and 1930—more members of this group made their homes in Minnesota than in any other state.
Distinguished by his hawk-like gaze and shock of silver hair, his forceful oratory and fierce advocacy, Fredrick L. McGhee was Minnesota's first African American attorney and an intelligent, tireless
In the 1950s, '60s, and '70s, Minneapolis resident Walter R. Scott produced a series of books profiling the African American community of the Twin Cities. The people and stories presented in the three
In 1849, when settlers arrived in the newly formed Minnesota Territory, they disembarked at the rough shantytown known as St. Paul, home to fur traders and a handful of merchants. Nearby was Fort Snel
Minnesotans are a highly skilled bunch, whether pursuing traditional activities like wild ricing and pickling, or tastefully displaying taxidermy, or selecting the right fishing bait. Skills particula
Did you know that flowers, insects, and birds can help predict the weather? Near her lighthouse home, Sophie reads the signs and sounds a warning: “Storm’s coming!”
John Gagliardi, who served as the head football coach at Saint John’s University from 1953 to 2012, won more football games than any coach at any level of collegiate ball. His innovative and unconvent
First-rate illustrations, vintage advertising, bygone recipes, and the storied history of Minnesota’s food industries—the pages ofTempt Me offer a true feast for the senses.
A tall tale set on a midwestern farm, where, sure, there might be worries upon worries, but the best lesson is to share what you have and enjoy the folks you’re with.
On the evening of June 15, 1920, in Duluth, Minnesota, three young black men, accused of the rape of a white woman, were pulled from their jail cells and lynched by a mob numbering in the thousands.Up
A tale of unsung heroes and forgotten stars who battled discrimination and other hardships to play the game they loved, told by the son of one such legend of Minnesota black baseball.
Democracy has never been a quick or easy process by which to get things done. But many citizens are fed up with the current, extreme partisan gridlock at the national, state, and even local levels of
On March 7, 1986, the seven men and one woman of the Steger International Polar Expedition set out by dogsled to reach the North Pole. Their spectacular feat of daring, courage, and commitment was dee
