Curious Minnesota

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)

Many people alive today have memories of Tonka trucks, which have been an enduring element of the children's toy market for more than 70 years. Now owned by Hasbro, these realistic metal toys were invented and once manufactured in the western Twin Cities suburb of Mound. Reporter Nick Williams joins host Eric Roper to discuss how Tonka got its start in Minnesota. LINKS: How did Tonka trucks get their start in Minnesota? (April 2023 Curious Minnesota story)