Minnesota History

An exhibit opening Jan. 14 at the Minnesota History Center in St. Paul will allow visitors to explore history through the stories of people who lived in one house on the east side of St. Paul over the last 120 years.
This winter marks the 200th anniversary of explorer Zebulon Pike's expedition to Minnesota. Some historians say Pike deserves more respect for that effort. But Pike is also a controversial figure in the eyes of Native Americans.
Former Democratic Sen. Eugene McCarthy, one of Minnesota's and the country's most influential political figures of the last century, has died. He was 89. McCarthy's opposition to the Vietnam War became his platform for an unsuccessful 1968 bid to win his party's presidential nomination. He lost to fellow Democrat and Minnesotan Hubert Humphrey, but the effort influenced American politics for years.
The Grand Meadow high school girls' basketball team opens its season Tuesday night. The players take the court in the shadow of Grand Meadow girls' teams of an earlier era -- teams that compiled a 94-0 record between 1929 and 1939. That record has not been touched by any boys or girls high school basketball team -- before or since.
The text of a letter written by Minnesota state education official in 1938, calling on the state's schools to drop interscholastic sports for girls in favor of the non-competitive Girls Athletic Association.
One of the city's landmarks, the First National Bank Building, reflects both the uncertainty and the promise of Saint Paul's business future.
One of college football's most famous trophies has its roots in a courageous decision by a football player, who decided to cross the color line of 1930s America. He set in motion a series of events which lead to the establishment of the Floyd of Rosedale trophy, contested each fall by the Minnesota and Iowa football teams.
Minnesota's longest serving governor is still remembered by many in the state for his out-of-the-box ideas and his emphasis on education and jobs. A new book tells the story of Rudy Perpich, from his childhood on the Iron Range through his years in Minnesota politics. Betty Wilson is the author of "Rudy! The People's Governor." She spoke with Morning Edition host Cathy Wurzer.
A group of Ojibwe Indians who have lived in and around Warroad for centuries is not recognized by the U.S. government. Now, the Warroad Ojibwe community is beginning the long and daunting task of seeking that federal acknowledgment.