Minnesota History

Minnesota landmark: The Frank Schott stone barn near Chokio
Out on the fields of western Minnesota, the Frank Schott stone barn cuts an imposing and lonely silhouette. It’s been just over 100 years since a German immigrant started building it.
After four-year hiatus, underground mine tours resume at Soudan State Park
For the first time in four years — after the COVID-19 pandemic and then a $9.3 million reconstruction project — public tours of the Soudan Underground Mine in northeast Minnesota are poised to start up again on Memorial Day weekend.
‘I’m glad it’s home’: A family heirloom links back to Bemidji’s founding and Indigenous history
Firearm safety begins with personal responsibility, and over a century ago it wasn’t much different. But a historic moment in time integral to Bemidji’s founding is shedding new light on that importance — connecting the past with the present — while, with old age, bringing one man a better understanding of himself.  
Grand Portage Band and MnDOT to unveil Ojibwe-English road signs
This week the Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa and MnDOT are unveiling six dual-language English-Ojibwe signs along Highway 61, the first time the agency will post signs in an indigenous language outside reservation boundaries.
PWHL Minnesota attracts 6,880 fans per game (so far) in inaugural season
Crowds larger than expected in inaugural season of women’s hockey league. “I was hoping we’d get 3,000 each game,” said Natalie Darwitz, PWHL Minnesota general manager. “I was thinking I’d be really, really happy if that happened.”
Study finds Minnesota state bee in tough shape
The first DNA analysis of the rusty patched bumble bee reinforces the precarious state of the endangered species. The data will help bee conservationists determine the best options for protecting and rebuilding the population.