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Minnesota History

"Loyal Mdewakantons" win land dispute

A federal judge has ruled in favor of 1,200 Minnesota Mdewakanton Dakota who say they have the right to three key parcels of land in the state. The contested land is currently occupied by three other tribal communities in Minnesota. The judge's ruling is centered on an 1886 agreement the plaintiffs contend the U.S. government made with their ancestors following the Dakota Conflict.

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'A Glorious Burden'

As the nation looks ahead to choosing its next president on Nov. 2, an exhibit at the Minnesota History Center takes a look at presidents of the past. "The American Presidency: A Glorious Burden," is a traveling exhibition from the Smithsonian Institution. It's in Minnesota through next May.

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Dylan on Dylan

Singing legend Bob Dylan's autobiography "Chronicles" was released this week. Since Dylan rarely gives interviews and has never written about his life before, the book is a unique opportunity to learn more about the life of an American icon. Filmmaker Mary Feidt is putting together a documentary about Dylan's childhood in Minnesota. He was born Robert Zimmerman in Duluth and grew up in Hibbing. Feidt told MPR's Cathy Wurzer she was eager to read "Chronicles" and find out Dylan's impressions of Minnesota. The working title of Mary Feidt's forthcoming documentary is "Tangled up in Bob."
by Cathy Wurzer

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New book on Duluth lynching of a Finnish dockworker

It's safe to say that, until a new book was released this week, not many Minnesotans knew of a lynching in Duluth's history. "Suomalaiset: People of the Marsh" looks at the death of a Finnish dockworker, whose body was found swinging from a tree in Duluth's Lester Park. Was the death a suicide or murder? It is a question that author Mark Munger tries to answer.

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Beer maker stays independent

Life's not easy for small businesses. Either a big corporation is squeezing your future, or you're scratching for money to fix some machine. Survive 10 years and you're an old-timer. Last 144 years and you're a legend. The August Schell Brewing Co. of New Ulm has attained legend status. The family-owned business has survived war, Prohibition, the Great Depression and cut-throat beer competition.

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A history of the Ah-Gwah-Ching treatment center

A history of the Ag-Gwah-Ching treatment center.

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State plans to close Minnesota's only psychiatric nursing home

The Ah-Gwah-Ching Center near Walker is the state's only psychiatric nursing home. If some people have their way, it will soon be shut down. Ah-Gwah-Ching is located on a sprawling, 175-acre campus. It was once the state's premier home for elderly people with behavior problems and severe mental illness. But treatment trends now favor smaller, community based facilities over large institutions. Still, some northern Minnesota lawmakers are fighting to keep Ah-Gwah-Ching open.

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Historic art center in Aitkin receives a makeover

The Jaques Art Center has its grand re-opening this weekend. The building, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, now boasts more gallery space and classrooms. Celia Doty, a frequent student at the center, tells Marianne Combs how the arts have changed her and how excited she is about the new space.

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Fergus Falls tries to save a landmark

The city of Fergus Falls is trying to save a well known local landmark. When it was built in the 1890s, the Fergus Falls state hospital was considered a model of mental health treatment. Most of the residents are gone now, and the state has declared the site surplus property. If no developers are interested in the sprawling complex, the historic site might fall under the wrecking ball.

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A history of the Fergus Falls treatment center

The Fergus Falls Regional Treatment Center, while still an imposing structure, is nothing like it was in the first half of the 20th century. Back then, when it was known as the Fergus Falls State Hospital, the facility covered hundreds of acres and regularly served well more than 1,000 patients living in a self-contained community where they received treatment, worked and recreated.

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