As ghosts and goblins get ready to amass their Trick or Treat hauls on Halloween, make sure to keep an eye out for Milky Ways, Snickers, and 3 Musketeers. Why? Because they all got their start right here in Minneapolis.

Despite our apple obsession, not a single variety of apple is native to Minnesota. That’s right, only crabapples grew in Minnesota until one man (Peter Gideon) changed all that. 

How did Minnesota become the “Land of 10,000 Lakes”?

Over a dozen rocks in southern Minnesota are considered sacred. Some of these sacred rocks move on their own. Whether by some spiritual/gravitational force or by the effects of the weather on the land - but two of these sacred rocks have moved farther and more often than the others. 

You may have heard that in 2023 “Floyd of Rosedale” returned to Minnesota’s trophy case after the Gophers beat Iowa 12 - 10. But did you know that the origin of the rivalry is actually a reminder of racisms dark influence on collegiate sports?  

Crowds cheering from the stands has been a huge part of collegiate sports from the very get go. But did you know that cheer-LEADING actually started at the University of Minnesota?

Minnesotans like to pride themselves on being from a northern, free or antislavery state. In reality, many Minnesotans were willing to turn a blind eye if it benefited their bottom line. One early business in Saint Anthony was caught in the middle.

The early years of the University of Minnesota were fraught with financial struggles. Unfortunately, desperate to find ways to make ends meet, the Board of Regents made some questionable decisions about who to take money from.

The most recent appraisal of the U of M’s endowment is $2.5 billion. Which leaves a lot of people wondering if it was less of a land grant and more of a land grab. 

The University of Minnesota prides itself on being “established in 1851” - before Minnesota was even a state. But the school didn’t graduate a college class until 1873. Why?

I always get turned around at the Minnesota State Fair. I try to use the street signs to find my way and one of the main roads is called Dan Patch Avenue. Who was Dan Patch? Financial tycoon? Early leader of Minnesota? A professional athlete? Well, sort of. He was a race horse. 

Fraternities and Sororities are stereotypically known for their raging parties, but sometimes real life in the Greek houses at the University of Minnesota was a lot more serious.

Charlotte Ouisconsin Clark Van Cleve was the first white child born in the Wisconsin Territory. This was just one of the many firsts she witnessed in her remarkable life as one of Minnesota's earliest settlers.

When Louis Seppman started building his wind-powered grist mill near Mankato in 1862, he didn’t really know what he was doing. He must have done something right, because the Sepmann Mill still stands as part of Minneopa State Park.

In 2022, a petition was started to remove Marcy’s name from Marcy park in the Marcy-Holmes neighborhood. If it is removed from the park, it is likely that the neighborhood will be renamed. Who were Marcy and Holmes anyway?

Betsey St. Clair, or Azayamankawin, became a famous figure in Saint Paul, known as “Old Bets”. As early as 1848 she was being mentioned in the newspapers. She also became one of the most photographed Native Americans in the United States.

If you only stick to Interstate 35, you would be under the impression that the town of Albert Lea is just a couple of truck stops, but venture into town and Albert Lea is full of wonderful surprises. Not least of which is that it was once home to one of the world’s premier opera singers. 

After almost 100 years, the village and ruins of Marine Mills were named a National Historic Landmark District. Today, as part of Marine on St. Croix, the General Store, Town Hall, fire station and dozens of historic houses provide a throwback to the first commercial sawmill in the Minnesota Territory.

When the group of female artists and embroiderers set about creating the first Minnesota state flag in 1893, they made the decision to add the pink and white Showy Ladyslipper as a border around the state seal. This addition, by default, created a state flower. You would think that the selection of a state flower would be a simple and sedate affair, but alas, nothing involving gathering a group consensus is ever easy.

Why do we have such a fascination with caves and tunnels? Just like our love of scary stories, we seem to love the idea of what might have lived - or might still be lurking - in the dark caverns beneath our feet. One particular cave in Minneapolis captured the imagination of the nation.