Minnesota Unraveled: Pulling on the Threads of Minnesota History

Silence was once a form of survival for many in the LGBTQIA+ community. But in Minnesota, a group called Telling Queer History set out to change that, by creating spaces where people across generations could share their stories openly, often for the first time. So how did Telling Queer History transform silence into language and action? What made those spaces feel safe, welcoming, and worth the ri...

Between 1880 and 1930, St. Anthony Falls helped establish Minneapolis as the flour milling capital of the world. But the story of the falls is about more than the economy and hydropower. People from many backgrounds have also been drawn to the falls for its cultural and spiritual power. To the Dakota people, it is known as Owámniyomni, a place of spirit, story, and connection. To Reiko Weston, fou...

In the summer of 1860, Eliza Winston fought for her freedom in a Minneapolis courthouse. Eliza made history as the first enslaved person to do so in the state of Minnesota. But Eliza herself is noticeably absent from the story. She left behind almost no paper trail. In this episode of Minnesota Unraveled, host Dr. Chantel Rodríguez and her guests search for answers–who was Eliza Winston? Why was s...

Stargazing is a timeless, shared activity that connects us across cultures and generations. But have you ever considered that when you look up at the night sky, you’re actually looking at history? Because light takes time to travel across the vastness of space, the starlight reaching your eyes is coming from the past. Host Dr. Chantel Rodríguez speaks with three keepers of star knowledge to explor...

At the southeast corner of Lexington Parkway and Interstate 94 in St. Paul sits the Oxford Community Center, bustling with a water park, playground, and gyms. But behind its walls and athletic fields lies a deep history of community resilience that has remained untold – until now. A group of Rondo community members and elders has teamed up with an oral historian to preserve the story of Oxford thr...

The 3 P’s–pasties, porketta, and potica–are beloved dishes on Minnesota’s iron range. How did they become quintessential iron range cuisine and why are they so important to ranger identity?  To find out, Dr. Chantel Rodríguez speaks with guests deeply connected to the Range’s culinary history. Cookbook author BJ Carpenter explains how families prepared signature range dishes. Documentarian Mary Lo...

At the Bell Museum of Natural History in Saint Paul, the lives of beavers across 2 million years are captured in two scenes. One is set in the Ice Age and showcases a giant beaver, an animal the size of a small black bear. The other is set in the early 1900s at Lake Itasca and captures the more familiar modern beaver chomping on wood and building a dam. Together, these scenes spark big questions:...

According to the history books, boxing faded from the spotlight decades ago. But in Minnesota, the gloves never came off.  Host Dr. Chantel Rodríguez talks with longtime friends Sankara Frazier and Harry Davis Jr., who carry forward the legacy of their fathers – legendary coach Harry Davis Sr. and boxer Stanley Frazier – through their work at Circle of Discipline. And she speaks with Lisa Bauch, a...

Walk into almost any bookstore in October and you’ll see displays stacked with books on witchcraft, ghostly encounters and the paranormal. Look a little closer, and you’ll notice a familiar name on many of their spines: Llewellyn Worldwide. But did you know the world’s largest New Age publisher calls Minnesota home? In this episode, host Dr. Chantel Rodríguez and her guests Sandra Weschcke and Dr....

Chicago and New York usually get the spotlight when it comes to Puerto Rican communities. But Minnesota? That might surprise you. Puerto Ricans are actually the state’s second-largest Latinx community, with more than 20,000 people calling it home. And for these Puerto Rican Minnesotans, music is a powerful way to stay connected to their heritage.  In our opening episode of season two, historian an...

We are continuing our journey across the North Star state to follow the threads that pull us into the past and reveal our interconnected stories. This season, we’ll shine a light on the histories of boxing and the foodways of the Iron Range.  We’ll take you along to a Minneapolis jazz club and discover how members of the Puerto Rican community use music to tell their stories. And we’ll explore the...

We'd love to hear your thoughts about Minnesota Unraveled! Please fill out our survey ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠. Think of your favorite meal. It’s so much more than just what you see on the plate. It’s the history of the ingredients, the recipes passed down from family members, the memories you have with the tastes and smells of it all. For the Hmong community in Minnesota, food sits at the intersection of commu...

We'd love to hear your thoughts about Minnesota Unraveled! Please fill out our survey ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. Many histories of the LGBTQIA+ community are focused on metropolitan areas, but a recent mapping project has elevated the stories of a group of Lesbian feminist cooperative farms in rural Minnesota in the 1970s.  In this episode, historian and host Dr. Chantel Rodriguez explores how living off of the la...

We'd love to hear your thoughts about Minnesota Unraveled! Please fill out our survey ⁠here⁠. The Minnesota State Capitol is a gleaming marble building sitting on a hill — an ode to the Italian Renaissance, topped with an impeccably crafted dome. You’ve probably heard of the mind behind the design, Cass Gilbert, plenty of times. But how did Gilbert’s design influence how the building was made, and...

We'd love to hear your thoughts about Minnesota Unraveled! Please fill out our survey ⁠here⁠. Rivers loom large in our past and present – as places for community connection, routes for trading and spaces for recreation.  They carry an untold number of stories about the people, the water, and animals that call Minnesota home.  But how do we go about learning these stories?  In this episode, histori...

We'd love to hear your thoughts about Minnesota Unraveled! Please fill out our survey ⁠here⁠. Many places around the world are famous for their love of cycling—think Amsterdam in the Netherlands, or Portland, Oregon. But head to Como Lake in St. Paul, or the Mill Towns Trail in Northfield on a sunny spring day, and you’ll find flocks of cyclists taking advantage of the weather and the well-loved b...

We'd love to hear your thoughts about Minnesota Unraveled! Please fill out our survey ⁠here⁠. America in the 1960s was a landmark decade for civil rights. But the passage of the Civil Rights Act (1964) and the Voting Rights Act (1965) neither completely, nor immediately, addressed the issues facing diverse communities throughout the country. The Black Power Movement—as well as empowerment movement...

We'd love to hear your thoughts about Minnesota Unraveled! Please fill out our survey ⁠here⁠. Driving through the rural expanse of southwestern Minnesota, there are a lot of things you might expect to see, such as corn fields, cattle, and the quaint main streets of small town America. But, if you find yourself in Worthington, Minnesota, you might be surprised to find the warehouse-sized footprint...

We'd love to hear your thoughts about Minnesota Unraveled! Please fill out our survey ⁠here⁠. In 1880, a court case rocked Minneapolis society, and ruled the newspaper headlines. It was the case of Leon Belmont, a man accused of fraud. Authorities claimed that he was a woman wearing men’s clothing, passing herself off as a man. Why so much uproar over this particular case? And was it for the reaso...

We'd love to hear your thoughts about Minnesota Unraveled! Please fill out our survey ⁠here⁠. The Midwest—and Minnesota in particular—is known for its roadside attractions, from the world’s biggest ball of twine (made by one person) to the world’s largest boot. But drive through the Northwoods town of Bemidji, Minnesota, and you’ll find towering statues of a legendary lumberjack Paul Bunyan and hi...

We'd love to hear your thoughts about Minnesota Unraveled! Please fill out our survey ⁠here⁠. Women’s basketball is having a moment in the United States—in fact, Minnesota’s own WNBA team, the Lynx, have won four championships and even made it to the finals in 2024. But while sports have empowered women in modern society, the history of basketball—not unlike the history of women in this country—is...

We'd love to hear your thoughts about Minnesota Unraveled! Please fill out our survey ⁠here⁠. Buffalo once roamed across Minnesota in the thousands. Now, the Minnesota Bison Collaborative is working to bring them back. It’s a trickier proposition than you might think. It requires community involvement, prairie restoration, and careful monitoring of it all. This episode, host Dr. Chantel Rodriguez...

We'd love to hear your thoughts about Minnesota Unraveled! Please fill out our survey ⁠here⁠. Think “buffalo” and you probably think “Wild West,” “Yellowstone”, or “Great Plains.” In this two-part episode, historian and host Dr. Chantel Rodriguez uncovers why you should also think “Minnesota”. The history of bison in the North Star State is a long one, but not one that’s well-known.  Through conve...

We'd love to hear your thoughts about Minnesota Unraveled! Please fill out our survey ⁠here⁠. Hot dogs, deep fried oreos, and thrill rides – all things you can find at Minnesota’s State Fair. But dig a little deeper, and you’ll find stories more interesting than the latest food on a stick. Tucked in the History and Heritage Center are two placards highlighting “baby competitions” that once took pl...

We'd love to hear your thoughts about Minnesota Unraveled! Please fill out our survey ⁠here⁠. Dotted throughout the Twin Cities are fallout shelter signs. Chances are you’ve seen one of these black and yellow signs attached to a very sturdy building. Have you wondered: What purpose did they serve? Why were fallout shelters needed to begin with? What was it like to live in the atomic age? For this...