The 1949 journey of a grain elevator across fields, a river and up a hill looms large in local memory.
More from Curious Minnesota
75 years ago a plane crashed into a Minneapolis family’s house. What happened?
The crash of Flight 307 took place during a March 1950 snowstorm.
February 28, 2025
What’s the smallest town in Minnesota with a mayor?
In tiny locales, populations are dynamic. One resident leaving can alter rankings.
February 21, 2025
Who decides what’s allowed on a vanity plate in Minnesota?
The state’s Driver and Vehicle Service’s Special Plates Unit carefully considers combinations of letters and numbers.
February 14, 2025
Why is the loon Minnesota’s state bird? It almost didn’t happen.
Lawmakers considered the goldfinch. Kids liked the scarlet tanager best. The whole thing took more than three decades.
February 7, 2025
What happened to Barbara and Melissa? Revisiting the unsolved 1963 murder of two Minneapolis girls.
In 1963, two Minneapolis girls were murdered. Despite national news coverage and a law enforcement manhunt, no one was ever convicted. Six decades later, the Minnesota Star Tribune revisits the case.
January 31, 2025
Why did the Excelsior Amusement Park on Lake Minnetonka close?
With a wooden roller coaster and lakeside setting, the popular park once offered free rides for good grades.
January 24, 2025
What’s the story behind Hermantown’s little brick houses?
The 1930s Jackson Project built dozens, aiming to ease urban crowding and give families a way to grow food and keep animals.
January 17, 2025
This was the first bridge over the Mississippi River — but how did people cross before that?
Minneapolis’ first bridge opened in 1855 with a parade of horse-drawn sleighs and a giant dinner party.
January 10, 2025
How did Minnesota become the birthplace of ski jumping in America?
Red Wing’s ‘Sky Crasher’ found glory flying through the air in the 1880s. Now, just four big jumps are left.
January 3, 2025
Who was James Ballentine and why is the Uptown VFW named for him?
Post 246 in Minneapolis got its name more than a century ago.
December 27, 2024
The stranger-than-fiction tale of how a real Minnesota island became ‘Moosylvania’
Rocky and Bullwinkle creator Jay Ward leased a tiny isle on Lake of the Woods as a publicity stunt and took a silly bid for statehood all the way to the White House.
December 20, 2024
What’s the coldest Minnesota has ever been?
On the coldest day in state history, a man in Tower hammered nails with a banana.
December 13, 2024
