Bøger udgivet af Minnesota Historical Society Press

In1880s Minnesota a remarkable lawsuit posed questions about cultural practicesin an immigrant community and the rights of its members as Americans--inspiring a wide-reaching debate about faith and family.Copublished with the Norwegian-American Historical Association on the occasion of St. Olaf College's sesquicentennial, Muus v. Muus is the American edition of a volume originally published in Norway. Newly translated, this gripping narrative details a prominent nineteenth-century Lutheran couple's separation, which signaled a cultural shift. Oline Muus was many things: a Norwegian immigrant, a pastor's wife, a mother, and a valued member of her rural Minnesota congregation. But when she sued her husband to recoup her inheritance, she gained notoriety throughout Norwegian America and beyond. In the eyes of the Norwegian Synod she had erred by not bringing her complaint to the congregation first, and by refusing to defer completely to her husband. In her new home of America, the law regarding inheritance was on her side and the campaign of rights for women was gaining ground. Yet in her own congregation Oline Muus was literally not allowed to speak. The other half of the story, Pastor Bernt Muus, was acclaimed for his fiery sermons and his tireless recruitment efforts among the faithful, yet also known for his abrasiveness and overweening confidence. This riveting story looks beyond the case of Muus v. Muus to contextualize the arrival of Norwegians in Minnesota, conflicts among various Lutheran conferences, and questions of Americanization--introducing readers to compelling characters and the challenges that come from intertwined lives and conflicting worldviews.

An 1855 treaty set aside thousands of acres to be the permanent home of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, but in order for members to hold this land it required resolute actions and unwavering commitment. This important volume details how an Indigenous community repeatedly stood up for itself and won against overbearing pressures across decades. The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe, known as "the non-removeable band," remained steadfast in the face of challenges to the Treaty of 1855, which granted them 61,000 acres of land along the south shore of Lake Mille Lacs for their use indefinitely. Soon Euro-American entrepreneurs encroached on these rights and encouraged Ojibwe families to move elsewhere, but Mille Lacs Band members held firm. They Would Not Be Moved traces the history of a people defending their rights through decades of opposition to their sovereignty and their stewardship. Loggers and settlers claimed parcels, taking advantage of lax governmental oversight. Neighbors may have wished away the Mille Lacs Reservation, but historical maps, contemporary newspaper accounts, and congressional declarations make clear the reservation was never dissolved. Bruce White opens this essential history with oral traditions of the people at home on the land. He interprets treaty negotiations to outline how each side understood the signed agreements. Local newspapers show that some nearby communities supported the Mille Lacs people, and family narratives relate the challenges and successes of those who stayed to defend their rights. Ultimately, the story of the Mille Lacs Reservation is one of triumph--of courage and survival and successful resistance.

When Lucy and her mom move from the city to a new home in the country, life is very different. In the city, Lucy had lots of friends; in the country, she is alone--until one day, when a song leads her to an unexpected friendship. Lucy understands that the expression "once in a blue moon" means something rare and precious. And for Lucy, a friend is rare and precious. But she is in luck, because one of the Moons is Blue Moon--and Blue is also looking for a friend.

Embrace the cold with this engaging children's book about a father and son who practice science experiments using household objects outside on a snowy day! When the temperature drops far below freezing, many people plan to stay warm and cozy inside. But when it's "so cold" that everyday things behave in unusual ways, it is worth the effort to get outside and play! In this vibrantly illustrated children's story, a boy and his father dress in layer after layer before braving the cold, and the youngster declares: "Call me Freezeman!" Together the two experiment: What happens when boiling water is flung into the air? Or when maple syrup is poured on clean snow? The night before they left a banana outside: now it's frozen solid. Can they can use it like a hammer? A helium balloon that floats inside the house changes dramatically in the freezing air. These and other discoveries await explorers bold enough to venture out on a bright and chilly day. Back inside at the end of the day, no wonder Freezeman declares: "so cold is so fun!" This playful narrative by John Coy celebrates curiosity and exploration, while Chris Park's brilliant artwork illuminates a winter landscape that is anything but bleak. An author's note explains the science behind the various experiments, leaving just one question: with all these amazing activities to undertake with your favorite adult when it's "so cold," why would anyone prefer to stay inside?

Black North Dakotans were something of a rarity in 1914 when young Era Bell and her family moved to a farm near the small community of Driscoll. In this lively autobiography, Thompson describes the experiences of her girlhood.

The Great Spirit challenges all the birds to a contest, and the gift of birdsong is born! This traditional story, told in both English and Ojibwe, explains bird behavior and where humans should go to hear the prettiest of birdsongs. When Mother Earth was very young and the Great Spirit had created all the beings, he noticed how quiet everything was. As he walked about the earth, listening to the sounds of the animals and the wind and the waters, some birds flying by caught his eye. He knew immediately what he needed to do. The Great Spirit held a contest so that each bird could earn the song that was just right for its species. He called together all the birds, from the smallest sparrow to the largest hawk, and told them the plan. Each would fly as high in the sky as it could, and when it returned to Mother Earth it would receive its song. Eagle was certain his strong wings would help him fly highest of all and earn the prettiest song. But he did not know that, while the Great Spirit was talking, the tiny hermit thrush had snuggled into eagle's feathers to take a nap. All the birds flew and flew, higher and higher, each descending when it was time to return--and each receiving its own special song. But which bird flew the highest? Which one received the prettiest song?

"At 7:00 a.m. on December 9, 1937, St. Paul firefighters battling an arsonist's fire in the abandoned Aberdeen Hotel discovered the badly burned body of a woman. The victim was soon identified as 31-year-old Ruth Munson, a waitress at the Union Depot--a 'small-town girl' who had moved to the big city in search of a new life. Using original police records, Ruth's own diary and letters, newspaper accounts, public documents, and other primary sources, author Roger Barr meticulously retraces the investigation, as detectives examined Ruth's background, work history, relationships, and social life in search of clues to her killer"--

Black actress and activist Hilda Simms was a rising star on the stage and screen in post-WWII America until accusations of un-Americanism and communist sympathies derailed her career. Hilda Simms emerged as an actress at a time when segregation was deeply entrenched in Hollywood and on Broadway. Black performers were mostly relegated to bit parts, stereotyped characters, or comic-relief roles--if they were hired at all. After joining Harlem's American Negro Theatre in 1943, Simms became immersed in a vibrant community of African American performers, writers, and other artists. Over the next two decades, she helped to chart a path for Black actors who wanted to be considered serious dramatists and tell stories that spoke to the true experience of African Americans. Born and raised in Minneapolis, Simms attended Hampton Institute (now University) in Virginia before moving to New York City in her mid-twenties. She learned the ins and outs of the theater and dramatic acting from the all-Black theater group that produced such stars as Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte. The ethos of the American Negro Theatre was to stage plays that foregrounded the everyday lives of Black people and portrayed with honesty the complexities of being Black in America.>Simms's big break came in 1943 when she landed the title role in the American Negro Theatre's adaptation of Philip Yordan's Anna Lucasta. The theater group took Yordan's story of a young woman from a middle-class Polish-American family and centered it around an African American family. It was a groundbreaking example of an all-Black cast performing a drama that did not center on issues of race. The play's popularity led to a move to Broadway, where it ran for two years to great acclaim, and performances in Chicago and London.>Simms went on to work in television and film, but despite the success, she struggled to land roles in which she could be taken seriously as a dramatic actress. She spoke increasingly openly about civil rights, and when she made sympathetic comments about the anti-racist policies of the Soviet Union, she gained the attention of the US Department of Justice. Her passport was revoked, forcing her to cancel plans to perform for American troops stationed in Europe. Effectively blacklisted from Hollywood, it marked the beginning of the end for her promising acting career.>Simms was an outspoken Black dramatic actress at a time when Black women--like Dorothy Dandridge, Fredi Washington, and Lena Horne--were beginning to break down barriers in Hollywood. Her rise to stardom was also concurrent with the emergence of Black actor-activists--as well as athletes and authors--who used their platforms to bring awareness to the injustice, violence, and denial of basic human rights that plagued Black Americans. She was at the forefront of the movement with the likes of Paul Robeson, Sidney Poitier, Ossie Davis, Alice Childress, and Ruby Dee, to name just a few.>Red Stained: The Life of Hilda Simms, the first full biography of her life and career, weaves primary research with a narrative style to tell the true story of Hilda Simms in the context of a nation gripped in the Cold War and a burgeoning civil rights movement. It is an examination of Simms's rise to fame, her drive to be a respected dramatic actress, and her efforts to create equal opportunities for people of color on stage, on the screen, and behind the camera.

"Paddlers and hikers planning an excursion into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Quetico Provincial Park--that storied region along the Minnesota-Ontario border made up of rock, water, and pine--usually conjure visions of sunny days, pleasant breezes, and starry nights. Though every guidebook advises being prepared, most adventurers escaping to these remote areas assume that all will be well. But even those who are thoroughly prepared--who wear their life jacket and scrupulously map their route and scan the skies for impending weather--may still encounter the unexpected. And in those cases, being ready for anything can mean the difference between a memorable trip and a life-changing, or life-ending, event. In Last Entry Point, experienced paddler and longtime regional journalist Joe Friedrichs gathers tales that involve tragedy or near-misses, interviewing people who confronted danger and walked away, as well as those whose loved ones died in the wilderness. He talks with search and rescue teams to learn what goes into finding those who go missing or who experience a medical emergency miles from help. In his explorations he considers what it means to step into the wilderness, to calmly troubleshoot problems as they present themselves, to survive a rapids or extreme weather when others in your party do not, and to be left behind when an adventurer in your life does not return home. These narratives of tragedies and hazards may seem calculated to warn BWCA enthusiasts away from their dreams, but in fact they are meant to encourage all paddlers and hikers to think through what could happen, and to be prepared for all contingencies so that, ideally, they return with their own tales that are memorable for only the best of reasons." --

"In Oskar's Voyage, the boat loads iron ore (and Oskar!) in Duluth, Minnesota. It crosses Lake Superior and Lake Huron. From Lake Erie, the boat unloads in Ohio, its ore bound for a steel mill. Then the boat sails back to Duluth to pick up more cargo."--Flyleaf.

A richly detailed, clearly written history that reveals both the changes the Ojibwa chose to make and the continuity within the culture they retained. It is a turbulent story of the tensions that shaped their integration of tradition and adaptation.

An intimate view of frontier women, Anglo and Indian, and the communities they forged.

"Few questions in American history," writes Theodore C. Blegen, "have stirred so much curiosity or provoked such extended discussions as that of the authenticity of the runic inscription on a stone found near Kensington, Minnesota, in 1898."Swedish-American farmer Olof Ohman discovered the stone clasped in the roots of an aspen tree on a knoll above the surrounding swamp. His young son was the first to notice the strange letters chiseled into the rock face. Since then historians, geologists and runic scholars have entered the debate over the age and meaning of these carvings. Are they genuine 14th-century runes, evidence of a pre-Columbian Viking expedition to North America, or are they a clever 19th-century hoax? In this classic volume, Blegen untangles the circumstances surrounding the unearthing of the Kensington Rune Stone. Marshalling letters, affidavits, newspaper accounts and investigative reports, he lays out in authoritative detail the early history of this controversial artifact and investigates the background and character of Olof Ohman and other men involved in its discovery. He also describes the first cycles of investigation and dispute and devotes a chapter to the role of Hjalmar R. Holand, who acquired the stone in 1907 and was its chief defender until his death in 1963. Fourteen appendixes offer useful primary source materials and supply English translations where needed.This lucid text, together with its footnotes and appendixes, remains a cornerstone for further investigation and discussion.

In this riveting study, historian Merrill Jarchow explores the lives and practices of early farmers in Minnesota, offering a colorful illustration of Minnesota's evolution as an agricultural state. Issues with public lands and their sometimes curious disposal, experiments by ingenious farmers, harvests and markets, transportation, elevators and milling, political struggles, malpractices and legal reforms, buildings and agricultural fairs, advancing mechanization, and the growing understanding of farming emerge from details of farmers' home and living conditions and their social interactions. The tremendous human effort involved in adapting to the distinctive Minnesota farming environment is revealed in this comprehensive account of farmers' struggles, ordeals, and achievements. Separate chapters investigate dairying, mechanization, and bizarre agricultural experiments, and photographs, notes, and an index complete the important volume.

Minnesota's First Poorhouses County Poor Farms The Home for the Friendless Women of the Churches The State Expands Its Role Improving County Poor Farms Ethnic Groups Provide for Their Aged The Poorhouse under Scrutiny Red Ink and Midnight Oil The Questing Twenties From Great Depression to Social Security Standards and Shortages during World War 11 Regulations and Ration Books Progress in the Fifties Changes and Challenges Illustrations Reference Notes Index

Considered the most authoritative history of the state, the four volume set was first published in the 1920s.Volume 1: Carries the story to 1858.Volume 2: Includes detailed accounts of Minnesota's role in the Civil War and the Dakota War of 1862.Volume 3: 1865 through World War I to the mid-1920s.Volume 4: Special topics on iron mining, public education, Ojibway election procedures, a dozen outstanding Minnesotans and a consolidated index for volumes 1 through 4.

A definitive survey of Minnesota's vibrant printmaking scene in the first half of the twentieth century that features almost two hundred artists.

Throughout most of the twentieth century, thousands of Mexicans traveled north to work the sugar beet fields of the Red River Valley. "North for the Harvest" examines the evolving relationships between Amercian Crystal Sugar Company, the sugar beet growers, and the migrant workers. Though popular convention holds that migrant workers were invariably exploited, Norris reveals that these relationships were more complex. The company often clashed with growers, sometimes while advocating for workers. And many growers developed personal ties with their workers, while workers themselves often found ways to leverage better pay and working conditions from the company. Ultimately, the lot of workers improved as the years went by. As one worker explained, something historic occurred for his family while working in the Red River Valley: "We broke the chain there."

From frozen wastelands to visionary explorers, from frosty desserts to shimmering castles--cultural historian Karal Ann Marling weaves together fantastic and fascinating topics related to "hard, cold water."

Charles Eastman straddled two worlds in his life and writing. The author of "Indian Boyhood "was raised in the traditional way after the 1862 U.S.-Dakota War. His father later persuaded him to study Christianity and attend medical school. But when Eastman served as a government doctor during the Wounded Knee massacre, he became disillusioned about Americans' capacity to live up to their own ideals. While Eastman's contemporaries viewed him as "a great American and a true philosopher," Indian scholars have long dismissed Eastman's work as assimilationist. Now, for the first time, his philosophy as manifested in his writing is examined in detail. David Martinez explores Eastman's views on the U.S.-Dakota War, Dakota and Ojibwe relations, Dakota sacred history, and citizenship in the Progressive Era, claiming for him a long overdue place in America's intellectual pantheon.

MPR and TPT personality Cathy Wurzer provides a new introduction to this classic guide to the Arrowhead country.

A definitive exploration of Minnesota's changing environmental and human landscapes and how they have grown and developed over time.

A stunning collection of conservationist and explorer Oberholtzer's photographs and journal entries from his famous paddle to Hudson Bay.

Vital and colorful, witty and entertaining, full of the youth and vigor and optimism of the frontier, the weekly issues of St. Paul's Minnesota Pioneer from the spring of 1849 to the summer of 1852 reflect the robust personality of James M. Goodhue (1810-1852) and through him the world of the American frontier.Like most nineteenth-century newspapermen, Goodhue was part of an outspoken political and business community, and he cared little about hiding his opinions. He was the booster, praising his beloved Minnesota in extravagant metaphor; the politician, scourging his enemies with fury; the reformer, storming against evils of the day; the moralist, lecturing his readers on their ethics and manners; the city and state planner, offering practical ideas for the improvement of his city and territory; the prophet, envisioning the Minnesota of the next century; and the reporter, recording the life of the new territory. Goodhue's "piquant" personality was suited to the stormy early days of Minnesota.Woven throughout his life story are entertaining selections from Goodhue's writings in the Pioneer, the progenitor of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Twenty drawings by druggist Robert O. Sweeny, who sketched Minnesota scenes in pen and ink on the backs of prescription blanks, show the Minnesota that Goodhue knew and helped shape in its first years.

History professor William Green unearths the untold stories of African Americans and contrasts their experiences with those of Indians, mixed bloods, and Irish Catholics.

In 1930 Fargo was a winner in a region where winning came hard. As the commercial center for the vast, sparsely settled Northern Plains, it grew even during the Depression, attracting hopeful entrepreneurs off the farm. In "Going It Alone," historian David B. Danbom shows how the city struggled to survive problems it could not solve by itself. A critical complement to Depression histories focused on federal policies and programs, this study demonstrates how Washington's initiatives for relief played out in a community of people born into a steadfast culture of self-sufficiency and independence.

A handsome and critical addition to the library of every historian, genealogist, and Civil War buff, this rare two-volume set is the official record of Minnesota's participation in the Civil and Dakota Wars. Published in two parts in the 1890s and written by the men who fought in battle, "Minnesota in the Civil and Indian Wars contains regimental rosters (names lists with ages, muster dates, transfers, and remarks) as well as detailed narratives describing the wartime service of each regiment, battery, battalion, and brigade--their marches, campaigns, battles, surrenders, wounded lists, furloughs, reenlistments, and return to Minnesota. Letters, telegrams, and descriptions related to the development of the Dakota War, including dispatches written from the field, offer a personal face to this wartime history. Included for the first time is a 144-page index to all the regimental rosters, making this an invaluable research tool. Together, these volumes are the essential reference for Minnesota's troops and their campaigns.

Through hundreds of photographs and entertaining commentary, veteran author Dave Kenney offers a virtual tour through 150 years of events and movements that shaped the culture and landscape of the Twin Cities. The first complete history of Minneapolis and St. Paul published in two decades, "Twin Cities Album: A Visual History spans their ramshackle beginnings as cross-river rivals to their thriving metropolitan partnership today. Early photographs show ghosts of nineteenth-century city life--shopkeepers loading oxcarts on downtown streets, St. Paulites riding the first streetcars. Fascinating images of automobiles and airplanes reflect the technological boom of the first decades of the 1900s. Photos of former GIs with their young families reveal a changed Minnesota after World War II. Images of the early local television programs give way to those of dramatic protests at the University of Minnesota during the 1960s. Photographs of a new Guthrie Theater and the christening of the first skyway in Minneapolis reveal the evolving face of the cities in the 1980s and 1990s. Labor strikes and block parties, Kent Hrbek and Garrison Keillor, Native American sit-ins, lost architectural gems, new immigrants, the demolition of Rondo, riverfront flour mills, shows at First Avenue: these soaring images together comprise a collective portrait of the neighborhoods we call home.