October 18, 2007
The American Depression: Portrait of Neil Bain
Nick Bain directed this short documentary on his grandfather, Neil Bain, in 2006. It focuses on his experiences during the Great Depression. This film was exhibited at the Minnesota Historical Society and is now part of their permanent collection.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 02:45 AM | Comments (0)
July 26, 2007
Rondo Days
Before Interstate 94, there was Rondo. Rondo Avenue was the heart of the vibrant Rondo neighborhood, St. Paul's largest Black neighborhood. It was obliterated in the 1960's by the construction of 94, but every year some of those severed connections are renewed during Rondo Days Festival.
In this video - a MN Stories favorite - a couple of lifelong Rondo residents reconnect with their old schoolmate they hadn't seen in 40 years.
RELATED LINK:
TC Daily Planet: 2007 Rondo Days in St. Paul
Got any summer videos? Rants, reunions, or revelations? Send 'em to story@mnstories.com.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:17 AM | Comments (0)
July 25, 2007
Gluek's 150 Year Anniversary
Duane Kuss of DigElogROCORI produced this 10 minute mini documentary about the story of two breweries in Minnesota that became one. It covers the establishment and history of both the Gluek Brewery and the Cold Spring Brewery. Gluek is celebrating their 150th Anniversary this year and this coming weekend will be holding a Country Rock Star Concert at their Distribution Center in Cold Spring. Click for more info about that concert and the long history of Gluek's.
One interesting factoid - lots of energy drinks come out of Gluek's.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 12:23 PM | Comments (0)
July 03, 2007
Minnesota Says Thank You
From Mike Mcintee at Inside Minnesota Politics:
It's taken more than 60 years, but Minnesota finally has a memorial to those who fought in World War II. Some of the most touching moments were not part of the grand ceremony, but off to the side where each veteran who attended was personally thanked and given a medal. Congressman Keith Ellison narrates.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 12:39 AM | Comments (2)
May 29, 2007
Memorial Day @ Fort Snelling
The historic Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis commemorates veterans of the American Civil War on Memorial Day. The First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry brings history to life.
This video was filmed on Memorial Day of 2006. Americans have opened nearly 1,000 new graves to bury U.S. troops killed in Iraq in the year since.
RELATED VIDEO:: Vlogmatic.com visited Fort Snelling on Memorial Day
MORE ABOUT THE FIRST MINNESOTA: Power Line "Every Man Did His Whole Duty"
MUSIC: Frank C. Stanley, Tenting on the Old Camp Ground (1902)
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 01:53 AM | Comments (1)
May 25, 2007
Mall of America
As seen recently on Rocketboom, a quick look inside our beloved Mall of America with a little Southdale history thrown in for good measure.
This is slightly different from the Rocketboom version. It features a bonus photo of Hooters, but is missing the lightly anti-consumerism message at the end (no purchase necessary).
Have a great weekend, and send in your BBQ funtime summer videos!
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:22 AM | Comments (5)
May 03, 2007
"Shinders to Borders"
Here's a cool Minneapolis story for you: "A short film about a dirty old block, currently wearing new cheap makeup." That would be Block E, once home to rowdy punks and drunks. Now home to... shoppers and drunks?
A film by artist Stewart Van Cleve. YouTube version here.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 05:22 AM | Comments (4)
May 02, 2007
Town Ball
TOWN BALL: The Glory Days of Minnesota Amateur Baseball is a new book from the University of Minnesota Press about Minnesota’s town team baseball from 1945 to 1960.
This is a video trailer for the book - a novel idea, wouldn't you say?
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:40 AM | Comments (1)
March 22, 2007
1894 Tornado Hit Cold Spring
Herbie Theis, the oral historian of Cold Sring, MN, passed away on February 19, 2007. His stories will live on thanks to the videos of Duane Kuss from DigElog ROCORI - you can find many of them here.
In this story, Herb talks about the tornado that hit Cold Spring on June 27, 1894. His great grandmother was standing, holding the front door shut as the tornado wiped out the barn not more than 200 feet just to the south of the house.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 04:08 AM | Comments (1)
January 18, 2007
Cold Spring Baseball History
Here's another great story from Duane Kuss of DigElogROCORI:
Baseball has been a part of the "Land of ROCORI" as far back as anyone can remember. This is a special story where to local historians Herb Hesse and Sel Theis sit down to talk about the earliest days they can remember watching the Cold Spring Springers on Sunday afternoons.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 04:09 PM | Comments (0)
January 15, 2007
MLK
Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
Dr. King spoke against war in Vietnam at the St. Paul Campus, University of Minnesota, on 4/27/1967. [ More info ] This is not that speech, but I hope you find these clips thoughtful and inspiring.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 04:59 AM | Comments (1)
September 12, 2006
Jesse James Days
Every year, the residents of Northfield Minnesota get together and celebrate the defeat of Jesse James. There is a bike race, parade, carnival, and robbery re-enactment. This years festivies took place on September 6-10, 2006. This video shows the re-enactment and carnival. The re-enactment scene was put together for the Northfield Historical Society as part of a video to highlight events that took place last year to celebrate Northfield's sesquicentennial. The carnival shots are from Friday evening.
CONTRIBUTOR: Aleshia, digImashaghen
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 01:18 AM | Comments (1)
June 29, 2006
Life in Rural MN, 1850's-style
NOTE: This piece originally ran on July 8, 2005. Hey it's summer - of course we have repeats!
Take a walk back in time with Herbie Theis of Cold Spring, Minnesota. Herb recalls the difficulties his great-grandparents faced living on the banks of the Sauk River in a sod shanty, including many encounters with Native Americans demanding flour. I wonder what they were baking that they needed flour so bad?
CONTRIBUTOR: Duane Kuss, My Stories of Life
If you're interested in personal history, be sure to check out the Minnesota's Greatest Generation project from the Minnesota Historical Society. More on that soon.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:42 AM | Comments (5)
June 19, 2006
Duluth Lynching Memorial
On June 15, 1920, three black men were lynched by an angry mob in Duluth, Minnesota. 80 years later, the Clayton Jackson McGhie Memorial Committee was formed to create memorial to the three men at the intersection where their lives were taken. Here, CJM Board members Maureen Booth and Carl Crawford speak about how the memorial came about and why they are committed to continuing work against racism after the Memorial has been built.
CONTRIBUTOR: The class of David Beard, Assistant Professor of Composition at University of Minnesota -- Duluth
RELATED LINK: Duluth Lynchings Online Resource
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 12:51 AM | Comments (4)
June 02, 2006
Memorial Day 2006
The historic Lakewood Cemetery in Minneapolis commemorated veterans of the American Civil War on Memorial Day. The First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry was on hand to bring history to life.
RELATED VIDEO:: Vlogmatic.com visited Fort Snelling on Memorial Day
MORE ABOUT THE FIRST MINNESOTA: Power Line "Every Man Did His Whole Duty"
MUSIC: Frank C. Stanley, Tenting on the Old Camp Ground (1902)
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 01:55 AM | Comments (6)
May 05, 2006
Powderhorn Park History
Do not adjust your monitor. Do not reset your iPod. You are really seeing Cathy Wurzer from Twin Cities Public Television's Almanac right here on Minnesota Stories. More importantly, you're hearing some great oral history about Powderdorn Park. Just in time for the beloved spring ritual that is the MayDay Parade and Festival.
Do you have any stories about Powderhorn Park or the MayDay Festival? Leave a comment or find us in the park. We'll be there on Sunday with our cameras and our freak flag flying.
RELATED LINKS:
Almanac Hands-On History
In the Heart of the Beast: Mayday Parade
RELATED VIDEO:
Powderhorn Art Fair
Special thanks to TPT Producer Dan Bergin for lending us this timely video.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:18 AM | Comments (5)
March 02, 2006
Oh, Itasca!
This is an edited version of the 10-minute video, The Cradle of the Father of Waters from 1938. Apparently, there used to be pagaents featuring Indians and fur traders prancing about together, symbolicallly marrying and killing each other. Ahh, the good ol' days. The video also features strapping young men building log cabins - always a favorite.
This video originates from The National Archives.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 02:34 AM | Comments (4)
February 24, 2006
Post Office V2
Michael McIntee, personal historian and filmmaker behind the amazing "Family" video, brings us more first-hand Minnesota history:
It's a story about how my Grandfather, Nat B. Fish, came up with the crazy idea of dragging the post office down the main street to save it from demolition in the middle of the depression. The relocated building was then used as City Hall until it was sadly torn down in the 80's. This is a short segment from a half hour documentary I did on my mother's family.
CONTRIBUTOR: Michael McIntee, Inside Minnesota Politics podcast
RELATED: Do you have stories or memorabilia from relatives that grew up during the Depression? Check out the Minnesota Historical Society's Minnesota's Greatest Generation web site to learn about preserving your family's history. Have a personal history video? Drop a note to story@mnstories.com... whether you grew up in the 1930's or the 1980's.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 01:19 AM | Comments (3)
December 14, 2005
Searching for Coal
We've all heard about the ol' lump of coal in your stocking. That's what you got when you were bad in the old days, right? Not in this case. Here's an oral history from vlogger Duane Kuss, our Cold Spring contributor, who writes:
This story is about a local Santa Claus who gives the gift of coal to a freckled faced little boy that wanted his family to stay warm on a cold winters night. This is a story that will touch your heart and soul during this special time of year.
CONTRIBUTOR Duane Kuss, DigElogROCORI
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 02:02 AM | Comments (3)
November 10, 2005
The Edmund Fitzgerald
Let's just pause a moment while the Gordon Lightfoot song cycles through our mind's ear. Okay, that's enough. I've always loved that song, but never knew much about the sinking of the real ship. She sunk 30 years ago to the day, November 10, 1975. There were no survivors. Here's the true story from Thom Holden of the Lake Superior Maritime Visitors Center.
Boat nerds may want to check out Gales of November in Duluth this weekend. Two full days of Stormy Lakes and Shipwrecks talk.
CONTRIBUTOR: Starfire
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 02:46 AM | Comments (4)
November 03, 2005
Minneapolis Skyline, 1912
Let's jump in the magical vlog time machine and throw it in reverse, 1912 to be exact, in the heart of the mill city.
If you want to know how these magical vlog machines work, you should signup for the IFP Vlog Workshop I'm teaching on November 10. And hey, look! That's the same day a Minnesota Stories feature-length compilation screens at the City Pages Get Reel documentary film festival. Come enjoy these little gems on the big screen in a dark room with other human beings - free.
Related Links:
Music by the Victor Orchestra in 1909.
Panoramic photograph by C.J. Hibbard from the Library of Congress American Memory collection
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 11:30 PM | Comments (1)
October 25, 2005
Minneapolis Star-Journal, 1944
Another gem from the Prelinger Archives. This one is called Good Neighbors, and probably taught many-a-schoolkid the wonders of creating the Minneapolis Star-Journal newspaper. Some of those kids would grow up to be MSM-hating bloggers, but let's bask in this PR-fantasy from days gone by, shall we?
The original film is over 20 minutes long, edited down to 6 minutes here. Photo buffs should watch the original for a great piece about photos transmitted internationally in a mere 8 minutes. They actually show a cameraman jumping up a pole, grabbing a phone wire to transmit his photograph of a plane taking off from atop a moving car.
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 03:21 AM | Comments (6)
October 10, 2005
St. Paul Police, 1941
Something from the archives today: "Saint Paul Police Detectives and Their Work: A Color Chartoon." A strange little stop-motion animation touting the various vices tackled by St. Paul Police. My hats off to the brave artistic minds behind this gem, who chose to represent sex crimes as a pair of greasy hands ripping apart a rose bud (!).
Watch for Part 2 sometime soon...
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 09:55 AM | Comments (9)
July 20, 2005
Walnut Grove
I used to watch Little House on the Prairie every day after school. Little did I realize I was sitting a few short hours away from where Laura Ingalls Wilder grew up, on the banks of Plum Creek in Walnut Grove. Join the Kuss family as they travel back in time at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum.
CONTRIBUTOR: Duane Kuss, My Stories of Life
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 05:24 AM | Comments (6)
July 08, 2005
Life in Rural MN, 1850's-style
Take a walk back in time with Herbie Theis of Cold Spring, Minnesota. Herb recalls the difficulties his great-grandparents faced living on the banks of the Sauk River in a sod shanty, including many encounters with Native Americans demanding flour. I wonder what they were baking that they needed flour so bad?
CONTRIBUTOR: Duane Kuss, My Stories of Life
Posted by Minnesota Stories at 10:12 PM | Comments (2)