Curious Minnesota

The small Minnesota town of Motley, despite being so far from the ocean, is home to seafood plants that process millions of pounds of imitation crab. More than 500 people work in the seafood business there. It all began with a business called Morey's Seafood. Reporter Brooks Johnson joined host Erica Pearson to share Morey's fascinating origin story and the current state of the industry in Motley today. LINKS: Why are there two seafood plants in the small Minnesota town of Motley?

We're excited to introduce Worth It, a new show from The Minnesota Star Tribune and Lemonada Media. Each week, editor Nicole Norfleet and columnist Aaron Brown are joined by people who know Minnesota inside and out – reaching into the spaces you might not know to share the stories worth your attention, the places worth a look, and the events worth your time – and money. In this episode, whether you kayak, canoe or paddleboard - or you want to - we'll hear the best paddling routes to try in the Twin Cities metro. There's a new show about a real-life Minnesota woman-cowboy-detective from the 1800s. Plus, why you should think “salvage” for home remodeling and the cost to raise a kid here. After you listen, be sure to follow Worth It wherever you get your podcasts, or head to: https://lemonada.lnk.to/WorthItStarTribunefd

Como Zoo in St. Paul is more than 120 years old, and was the metro area's primary zoo for many decades. Erica Pearson joins host Eric Roper to discuss the origins of the zoo, and how it has changed over the years. LINKS: How an unexpected gift launched Minnesota's oldest zoo

Just under 6,000 people in Minnesota live in a town with a population under 100, according to the state demographer. The dynamics of Minnesota's smallest cities are an interesting facet of rural life in the state. Reporters Kim Hyatt and JP Lawrence joined host Eric Roper to discuss their visits to Funkley and Kinbrae. LINKS: What's the smallest town in Minnesota with a mayor? Frisbee license plate photo

Vanity license plates let Minnesotans go beyond the standard "Land of 10,000 Lakes" motto to share their professions and passions. But who is in charge of approving applications for these plates and what criteria do they use? Tim Harlow joins host Erica Pearson to give a glimpse into the Driver and Vehicle Service's Special Plates Unit. LINKS: Who decides what's allowed on a vanity plate in Minnesota?

Minnesota's love of loons is everywhere these days, from license plates to our pro soccer team's nickname. But it took decades for lawmakers to make the loon our state bird. The goldfinch and scarlet tanager are among the others that nearly took the title instead. Kevin Duchschere joins host Erica Pearson to discuss the surprising history of how the loon landed its role. LINKS: Why is the loon Minnesota's state bird? It almost didn't happen. Loon call recording from Mark Robbins / Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Many Minnesotans have memories of visiting Excelsior Amusement Park on the shores of Lake Minnetonka. The popular theme park operated from the 1920s to the 1970s. Today, it is the site of condominiums and Maynard's restaurant. Erica Pearson joins host Eric Roper to discuss this once-prominent local attraction. LINKS: Why did the Excelsior Amusement Park on Lake Minnetonka close?

Ski jumping originated in Norway, but its American story begins in Minnesota in the late 1800s. It has since become an enduring part of the winter Olympics. Erica Pearson joins host Eric Roper to discuss the long history of ski jumping in Minnesota. LINKS: How did Minnesota become the birthplace of ski jumping in America?

On the coldest day recorded in Minnesota history, two towns hoped that their official thermometer would give the lowest reading. It was Feb 2, 1996, and news reporters from around the state gathered in Tower and Embarrass. When one town prevailed, a man hammered nails with a frozen banana to celebrate. Casey Darnell joins host Erica Pearson to talk about that record-breaking day. LINKS: What's the coldest Minnesota has ever been?

We are excited to give Curious Minnesota listeners a preview of the Minnesota Star Tribune's first narrative podcast, "Ghost of a Chance." The six-episode series is reported by Eric Roper and produced by Melissa Townsend, with new episodes appearing every Monday. At its core, the show is about following your curiosity into Minnesota history. You can find "Ghost of a Chance" wherever you access podcasts (here are links to Apple Podcasts and Spotify) or here on our website. This is the show description: When reporter Eric Roper buys a lovely 113-year-old house in Minneapolis, he wants to find out everything he can about its history. But he quickly becomes obsessed with one couple who owned the house 100 years ago. Harry and Clementine Robinson send him down a surprising rabbit hole into an incredible history he never heard before. As he artfully and meticulously pieces together the remarkable story of their lives, we find out what the Robinsons reveal about a history of race in Minneapolis -- the city that became ground zero for an unprecedented global racial reckoning.

Many Minnesotans are still nostalgic for the Mall of America's original theme park: Camp Snoopy. They remember details like the giant red dog bowl where groups met up, the Snoopy bounce house and the whimsical fountain. Greta Kaul joins host Erica Pearson to explain why Peanuts left the mall in 2006 and how the park eventually became Nickelodeon Universe. LINKS: What happened to Camp Snoopy at the Mall of America?

Minnesota is home to a number of abandoned towns that flourished earlier in their history. These ghost towns began with grand visions and enjoyed growing prosperity – until something changed. Anna Boone joins host Erica Pearson to explore the stories behind some of the state's most intriguing ghost towns. LINKS: Minnesota's ghost towns are a relic of grand visions gone awry

Rest areas are a common site on roadways across Minnesota. While they are easy to overlook, rest areas also serve an important purpose for driver safety. And it turns out that Minnesota has some of the nation's most exceptional rest areas. Reporter Erica Pearson joined host Eric Roper to discuss the history, function and design of these facilities. LINKS: Why are Minnesota's roadside rest areas so nice?

After Gov. Tim Walz joked about the state's low spice tolerance in a campaign video, a reader asked Curious Minnesota about the origins of the idea that Minnesotans don't like spicy food. The cultural stereotype is so pervasive in the state that many restaurants include menu warnings or simply offer versions of dishes with extremely minimal seasoning. Reporter Susan Du joins host Erica Pearson to unpack the geography, cultural history and science behind it. LINKS: What's behind the stereotype that Minnesotans don't like spicy food?

The Old Dutch potato chip company is a regional icon in the Midwest, known for its twin pack box. They have been frying potatoes for 90 years. And it all began in a kitchen in St. Paul. Reporter Brooks Johnson joins host Erica Pearson to talk about the company's history and what it was like when he toured their Roseville plant. LINKS: How did Old Dutch potato chips get started in St. Paul?

A surplus of military Quonset huts after World War II provided a unique solution to a housing shortage in Minnesota and across the country. Steph Quinn joins host Eric Roper to discuss these temporary neighborhoods. LINKS: How Quonset huts helped solve the post-WWII housing crisis in the Twin Cities

This special episode of Curious Minnesota was recorded at the State Fair on August 28th. Erica Pearson and Eric Roper discussed the origins of the Minnesota Star Tribune, which dates back to Minneapolis' incorporation as a city in 1867. The Strib is a descendant of three very different papers. The conversation also delved into what life was like on Minneapolis' Newspaper Row. LINKS: How did the Minnesota Star Tribune get its start?

We had a blast chatting with fairgoers on Curious Minnesota Day at the Minnesota Star Tribune's State Fair building. Today's episode is a roundup of the questions we recorded. LINKS: Why Wisconsin claims — incorrectly — to have more lakes than the Land of 10,000 Lakes Why is Minnesota's Democratic Party called the DFL? How Mayo Clinic became one of the world's most famous medical centers

Minnesota takes great pride in its lakes. "10,000 Lakes" is even emblazoned on the state's license plates. But at least some people in Wisconsin think their state has more lakes than Minnesota. It's because there's not one standard for what defines a lake.  A reader wanted to know more about why the states are measuring their lakes differently. Erica Pearson, who wrote a story on this topic for Curious Minnesota, digs into the details with host Eric Roper. LINKS: Why Wisconsin claims — incorrectly — to have more lakes than the Land of 10,000 Lakes Why does Minnesota have so many lakes?

Curious Minnesota will be hosting events at the Minnesota Star Tribune's State Fair building on Saturday, August 24th and Wednesday, August 28th.

Anyone who has spent time in south Minneapolis over the last 50 years has likely run across the unusual intersection at Lake Street and Nicollet Avenue. These are two of the city's most important thoroughfares. But the city decided in the 1970s to close Nicollet at Lake Street so a Kmart store could extend over a portion of two blocks. Adelie Bergström joins host Eric Roper to discuss what led to this controversial decision. LINKS: Why did Minneapolis close Nicollet Avenue for a Kmart?

Minnesota is known for its Scandinavian roots, which are apparent in everything from the Vikings football team to the Norwegian bachelor farmers of Lake Wobegon. But more residents report having German ancestry than Scandinavian. So why isn't that German heritage more reflected more in the state's culture? Reporter Greta Kaul joins host Eric Roper to discuss the effort to erase German culture in the state around World War I. LINKS: Why did Minnesota erase much of its German culture? Is Minnesota actually more German than Scandinavian?

We've talked about some old things on the podcast, including the state's oldest building and one of the world's oldest rocks. Today's episode is about a journey to visit another Minnesota artifact: the state's oldest known tree. Star Tribune cartographer Jake Steinberg and photographer Anthony Soufflé join host Eric Roper to discuss their winter trip to the Boundary Waters to report on this topic. LINKS: This ancient tree is one of the oldest in Minnesota. The warming climate might kill it.

Like many states, Minnesota shuttered the controversial institutions that once housed mentally ill people. But the plan to replace these facilities with new types of treatment options remains incomplete. Reporter Chris Snowbeck joins host Eric Roper to discuss the important and complex history of mental health care in Minnesota. LINKS: Emptying state institutions was supposed to help fix mental health care. What happened? Chris Snowbeck's 2023 series on mental health care: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.

Minnesotans wanting to gamble have many options these days. They can visit a Native American casino, buy scratch-off games at a gas station, yank open pull-tabs at a bar or even play bingo at a church fish fry. But this is a fairly recent phenomenon. Reporter Alex Chhith joins host Eric Roper to discuss the history of gambling in Minnesota. LINKS: How did gambling develop into a major industry in Minnesota?

It was difficult to walk around downtown St. Paul in the early 2000s without running into Snoopy, Linus, Lucy and Charlie Brown. Over five summers, the "Peanuts on Parade" public art campaign peppered the beloved comic strip characters throughout creator Charles Schulz's hometown. Reporter Katie Galioto joins host Eric Roper to discuss the background of this project, and where some of these statues can be found today. LINKS: Searching for Snoopy: What happened to all the 'Peanuts' statues in St. Paul?

Pacemakers, Post-it notes and Spam rank among the state's best-known inventions. But creative Minnesotans devised hundreds of other products we take for granted. Reporter Brooks Johnson dug into this issue for Curious Minnesota and found so many interesting Minnesota inventions that he wrote two stories. LINKS: What Minnesota inventions have shaped modern life? Skid-steers, Softsoap and Nerf: 8 more Minnesota inventions that changed the world

The familiar image of a stoic Native American chief wearing a headdress is in many ways a core American cultural stereotype. It has been memorialized in films and statutes, as well as exploited to sell cigarettes and motorcycles. But who are these celebrated figures of the past? Mark Boswell joins host Eric Roper to discuss the roles that Native American chiefs played and introduce some of the state's most prominent chiefs. LINKS: Garbage graphic / River wall graphic What roles did Minnesota's Native American chiefs play? And who were some notable ones? (February 2024 Curious Minnesota story) In the Footsteps of Little Crow (eBook)

Maplewood arguably has the strangest border of any city in the Twin Cities metro area. Its L shape wraps around the northern and eastern edges of St. Paul. The origins of that border reveals an interesting history of development patterns in the east metro. Reporter Greta Kaul joins host Eric Roper to discuss how Maplewood was born out of leftover land -- and became home to a signature Minnesota company. LINKS: Why does Maplewood have such an odd shape? Why didn't Minneapolis gobble up its suburbs? (Podcast, May 2023) Why didn't Minneapolis gobble up its suburbs? (Story, March 2023)

St. Olaf and Carleton colleges have left a big mark on the world. Their alumni have reached the highest levels of entertainment, the arts, politics and the legal system. A reader wanted to know how these two prominent private colleges ended up in Northfield, a small city just south of the Twin Cities metro area. Reporter Trey Mewes, who wrote a story on this topic for Curious Minnesota, discusses the interesting tale behind these institutions with host Eric Roper.  LINKS: How did Northfield become home to St. Olaf and Carleton colleges? (February 2024 Curious Minnesota article)

Sometimes rejection is the beginning of an exciting new path in life. That's one takeaway from today's episode about Leonard Bernstein, who once planned to work at the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra (now the Minnesota Orchestra). Reporter Jenna Ross joins host Eric Roper to discuss how Bernstein's complex relationship with his mentor nearly landed him in Minnesota. LINKS: Did union rules prevent Leonard Bernstein from joining the Minnesota Orchestra? (January 2024 Curious Minnesota story) The Curious Minnesota Collection

It's not uncommon in Minnesota to see a news story about someone being sentenced to "the workhouse." But what is a workhouse? It turns out Minnesota is one of the only states still using this term, which describes unique facilities that are neither jails nor prisons. Reporter Kim Hyatt joins host Eric Roper to talk about what happens in a workhouse, who is sentenced there and the long history behind these correctional facilities. LINKS: What does it mean when Minnesota courts sentence offenders to 'the workhouse'? (February 2023 Curious Minnesota article)

Sometimes, what seems like a simple question unravels into something much more complex and surprising than we expected. That was the case with the question behind today's episode, regarding the deepest lake in Minnesota. Reporter Chloe Johnson and graphics artist Jake Steinberg join host Eric Roper to discuss their reporting journey to find which lake dips the lowest. LINKS: What is Minnesota's deepest lake? (November 2023 Curious Minnesota story)

Minnesota has been a national leader in turkey production since the 1950s, and No. 1 for the last two decades. That wouldn't have been possible without collaboration between farmers and researchers at the University of Minnesota. Christopher Vondracek joins host Eric Roper to discuss how Minnesota became such a turkey powerhouse. LINKS: How did Minnesota become the nation's top turkey state? (November 2023 Curious Minnesota article)

Our winning question from the State Fair required some serious mathematics to answer. But the bakers at Duluth's Best Bread were up to the challenge. Reporter Christa Lawler joined host Eric Roper to discuss the logistics behind the Lake Superior Loaf. LINKS: How much flour would it take to turn Lake Superior into bread? (October 2023 Curious Minnesota article) MetaFilter thread about the article

The Beatles' 1965 concert in Bloomington was a memorable evening for many young fans. But that event was just the beginning of a long night for some ardent followers of the Fab Four. Reporter Zoë Jackson joins host Eric Roper to discuss what happened in downtown Minneapolis after the show. LINKS: Did teenagers 'riot' when the Beatles stayed in downtown Minneapolis in 1965? (June 2023 Curious Minnesota article) Minneapolis police press conference about the Beatles

Ernest Lundeen spent three decades trying to succeed in Minnesota politics. But it was his final years as a U.S. Senator representing the state that have defined his legacy, since Lundeen was spreading Nazi propaganda in the runup to America's intervention in World War II. Kevin Duchschere discusses his Curious Minnesota article on Lundeen with host Eric Roper. LINKS: Did a Nazi sympathizer once represent Minnesota in the U.S. Senate? (February 2023 Curious Minnesota story)

Isadore Blumenfeld, a.k.a. Kid Cann, is the arguably biggest name in the criminal history of Minneapolis. He earned millions as a bootlegger during Prohibition and soon became a powerbroker in the city's corrupt political system. He was accused of many crimes -- which garnered big headlines in local papers -- but almost always beat the charges. Reporter Andy Mannix joins host Eric Roper to discuss his Curious Minnesota profile of Blumenfeld. How did Kid Cann become Minneapolis' most infamous gangster? (September 2023 Curious Minnesota article) Was organized crime behind the demise of streetcars in the Twin Cities? (December 2021 Curious Minnesota podcast)

Different laws -- and cultures -- sometimes collide at the borders between states. An example of this occurred in the late 1800s in the twin cities of Fargo and Moorhead, at the North Dakota-Minnesota border. North Dakota's prohibition on alcohol sent many people across the river seeking booze in Moorhead. Reporter Reid Forgrave joins host Eric Roper to discuss this interesting slice of Moorhead's history. LINKS: Forgrave's Curious Minnesota article (September 2023)

Nearly 90 years since its invention in Minnesota, Spam's legacy extends far beyond the state. The pork product's importance during World War II gave it a large fanbase and spawned new international cuisine. Reporter Brooks Johnson joins host Eric Roper to discuss Spam's unique history. LINKS: Why did Spam become an international sensation? (August 2023 Curious Minnesota story)

Prince was raised in Minneapolis, but settled in Chanhassen as his career blossomed. Why Chanhassen? Star Tribune music critic Jon Bream, who has been covering Prince since the 1970s, explains the backstory behind the musician's decision to live in the western Twin Cities suburbs. LINKS: Why did Prince decide to live in Chanhassen? (June 2023 Curious Minnesota story) Tell us your favorite State Fair question

No event is more quintessentially Minnesotan than the State Fair. So it was important that Curious Minnesota be there to hear what was on fairgoers' minds. We set up shop at the Star Tribune's State Fair building on September 2. In the morning, we solicited questions from fairgoers. We put many of these questions on a large board. In the afternoon, we asked people to vote on their favorite question. Let us know which question is your favorite in this poll.

Minnesota features prominently in the history of professional wrestling. Minneapolis was a prominent "hub" for the sport before promotions like the WWE made it a worldwide sensation. Reporter Stephen Montemayor joins host Eric Roper to discuss pro wrestling's background in the state. LINKS: Why is Minnesota such a hotbed of professional wrestling? (June 2023 Curious Minnesota story)

Saturday, September 2 is Curious Minnesota Day at the Star Tribune's State Fair building! Stop by anytime between 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. We will be soliciting questions from fairgoers in the morning and asking people to vote on their favorite questions in the afternoon.

The introduction of margarine in the United States in the late 1800s was very controversial in butter-producing states like Minnesota. Prompted by fears that margarine would undercut butter in the marketplace, lawmakers in Minnesota and elsewhere imposed taxes and regulations to tamp down margarine's success -- including a requirement that it be dyed pink. Reporter Brooks Johnson joins host Eric Roper to discuss this surprising tale from Minnesota history. LINKS: Why did Minnesota once require margarine to be dyed pink? (June 2023 Curious Minnesota story)