Minnesota History

Old time Scandinavian music is making a comeback with new audiences. Five musicians from the Brainerd area called Skalmusik preserve and play Swedish and Norwegian folk tunes. The group's members carry on long family traditions of playing music that reflects their heritage.
You might not remember the band QuickBreath -- unless you were growing up in Duluth 30 years ago. They were a big deal back then. They played bars and dances. And they got on the radio -- in Duluth. That was before a few monster companies owned most radio stations. Back then, bands could get their records played on the local rock station. A new CD features some of the local music that got onto the radio during the '70s.
An estimated 150,000 people turned out Saturday to welcome the Grand Excursion flotilla of paddle wheelers and steamboats to St. Paul. A steady rain fell for most of the event, but it didn't dampen the spirit of the Grand Excursion.
Just as the celebration of the Grand Excursion drew huge commercial and journalistic interest 150 years ago, it also helped spawn an artistic interest in life along the Mississippi. Some of the results are now on display at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. The exhibit shows how the artistic exploration of the Mississippi River Valley influenced American culture.
On Monday June 7, 2004, MPR's Morning Edition originated from Levee Park in Winona, Minnesota as part of the coverage of this year's Grand Excursion. The celebration commemorates the flotilla of steamboats that chugged up the river 150 years ago. During the broadcast, Morning Edition shared the flavor of Winona, with the help of several local guests.
The first Minnesota woman elected to Congress won the support of voters 50 years ago, but her independence roused the anger of political leaders. Her own political party turned against her. Coya Knutson is still a divisive figure in DFL party history.
Host Gary Eichten talks with retiring University of Minnesota historian Hy Berman about his life and Minnesota history. The 79-year-old professor will be honored at an invitation-only ceremony at the University this Saturday.
Minneapolis-based Target Corporation says it is only investigating its options, but many analysts believe it is just a matter of time before it sells off its Mervyn's and Marshall Field's department store chains. For Minnesotans, Marshall Field's -- or Dayton's, as many shoppers still refer to it -- is more than just another place to shop.
Highway 1 is a favorite for motorcycles and sports cars but it's a terror for school buses and motor homes. The winding forest road to Ely is due for a rebuild. Should it be made wider, smoother, and straighter? Or should it be left alone?
Sixty years ago, U.S. authorities imprisoned nearly 4,000 German and Japanese men at a camp in Bismarck, North Dakota. When World War II began the government rounded up thousands of "enemy aliens." A new exhibit at the North Dakota Museum of Art in Grand Forks remembers those men and their stories.