What shaped Minnesota?

*grumbling* Yeah, Julie, that calls for a mention. That was a disappointment.

First: The lumber industry
Second: The flour milling industry

It's not only that we elected Jesse Ventura, which I still can't quite believe, it was that a Democrat named Humphrey finished last!

That was a HUGE turning point in Minnesota politics. Both parties didn't take him seriously and got their lunch eaten. The Dem's have never quite recovered. For a state that once was named "the Peoples Republic of Minnesota" because of it's leftist history, the state has become more purple, which is a good thing.

Julie, GaryI'll admit I was startled (and even embarassed, although you know what I shouldn't have been) by the Ventura win, but dang if I shouldn't have seen it coming. The guy talked like a human being, appealed to people who wanted a change, and shook things up but good. *shaking my head* He was sumthin'. But did it really shape Minnesota? It was so recent...

auntie I'm a little cautious in mentioning the fur trade... but... *wince* what do you think?

The lumber trade is a good point. Rails, rails, rails for lumber!

Yeah, I kinda glossed over the fur trade 'cuz I didn't know what to say about it. On the other hand the lumber barons leveled the incredible old growth forests here, which, in retrospect, is only slightly less obscene.

Well, we can leave it to others to campaign for the fur trade, auntie.

Oh, yeah, juni. Hello! Mining - from the development to the ports to... everything. Union organizing... Mesabi Red!

Yes, for you PC folks the "fur trade" did happen and it was a large part of Minnesota becoming a state. French people, OMG, yes the French, sent there people over to North America to send beaver pelts back to Europe!

It the forests were not "leveled" they would have burnt or died of disease. Liberal guilt has really got to you folks, huh?

The flour milling industry came from acres of acres of prairie who's sod was busted and trees were felled from Mother Earth just so we could grow wheat and corn thus needing the milling industry so we could live and prosper.

And all this hand wringing over campaign finance reform. Jesse did it.

Oh, and the mining industry! Scraping the iron out of the soil and sending it thru the Great Lakes to be made into automobiles and tanks and airplanes and buildings to make a great economic power!

"Um....when I think of Minnesota, I can't help but think of Prairie Home Companion. "

And the bitterly angry old man that created it.

I love the wild rice. I'll agree with you there. And corn on the cob, shore lunch style walleye, big thick pork chops, deep fried turkey, WOW, I gotta have lunch again.

The Replacements, The Wallets, Husker Du, The Suburbs, Magnolias, The Jayhawks, Soul Asylum, Trip Shakespere, Semisonic, Babes in Toyland......................................

lupins!

Oh, forgot the Purple Pervert

Sigh. Guess it's time to abandon this thread since it's become a platform for partisan political proselytizing. What a shame, it was such a nice thread.

We just mentioned Jesse once.

Oh jeez, Gary, see, you can come up with reasons to nominate the fur trade. Perhaps in building outposts? Spell it out, man. Then enjoy some lunch, listen to some Prince (I won't intrude on your own private nickname for him...) or some of the other awesome bands you listed. Wonder if we could come up with 150 music ones?

juni, think Lake Wobegon, Keillor, or APHC will make the list? People certainly think that's Minnesota... oh man, I just realized the accent represented in Fargo is also something people think of when they think Minnesota. *forehead on desk*

Hey there, Travis B. lupins it is?

Don't fly, auntie, there's more of Minnesota.

I can't believe no one has mentioned that we are the headwaters of the Mississippi, but maybe that's just a trick of nature, eh?

Headwaters of the Mississippi. Years ago in my over the road selling days I was working with my sales manager from Birmingham Alabama. Being on the road for a whole week brings up the damnest of conversations. He has been all over the US of A on the road. He has had more windshield time that anyone I know. He was naming all the cites where he has crossed the Mississippi, New Orleans, Memphis, St. Louis, Dubuque, and so on. He wanted our sales calls to bring him as north as possible to cross the Mississippi, we got to Saint Cloud. But while driving I told him that I walked across the Mississippi river when I was 10. He looked at me and said "huh"? Well, I changed the subject and time went on and the next day he said, "OK come clean, you didn't walk across the Mississippi River", I said, "yes, when I was ten". You could tell it was bugging him. He asked how low the river gets during a drought, and you could hear the gears grinding in his head. I finally told him that the river starts as a creek coming out of a lake. The stream was maybe a foot deep, I took off my socks and just walked. He was kinda mad at me. He really wanted to go. I told him it was our of my territory and we couldn't go.

Julia yes the lupins! They are one fo the things that stick out in my mind when remembering my journeys there. That and the iron in the streams near Holyoke. Looked like I was swimming in iodine!

Or the peat in the lakes near Lake of the Woods. It's like swimming in tea or coffee.

Or driving between Houston and Caledonia on Highway 76. I think it's 76. The prettiest drive in Minnesota. The bluffs, the creeks, the hairpin turns, the little farms in the valleys, very, very scenic. It could be it's own thread.

How about Scotch Tape, Post-it Notes, Sandpaper?

Spam, not the e-mail version. It helped win the war.

Actually, it was the glaciers that shaped Minnesota.

What about some of MN's famous authors?

I think of the Swedish and Norwegian immigrants who cleared the land; built the farms; raised the grain that made the flour mills great; raised the hogs that Hormel turns into Spam; developed our famous sense of humor and sharp wit; and on-and on-and on; who saved the relics of the past so we could know our history!

Okay, that was a funny story, Gary. Do you know if he ever made it up there to cross the river? And I don't think I've made that drive... got any pics? *adding "3M inventions" to the list to cover all of 'em* MMmm spammmm....

Travis I know exactly the iron water color you're talking about... signs always ask "Why does the water look like Root Beer?" but you called it with Iodine.

Of course, pottery (and footwear) from Red Wing - good call, juni!

Frick, well played.

Share who, DQ! I can think of a couple obvious ones, but I'd rather hear surpise candidates...

Peter Bergerson, you just wrote a rousing speech. I'm serious. *applause*

I don't think he ever made it up there. I haven't spoke to him in years. He became in charge of training the Canadian salesforce and communted from Birmingham. I still wished I could hear the stories of him working with French Canadians. He also wanted to go to Walnut Grove to the Laura Ingells Wilder home. His daughters were big fans of the books and TV show and we wanted to go there too. I told him, we have to sell, not be tourists, we got work to be done in the metro area.

How about Pipestone National Monument?

How about all those good Germans who settled most of Central and Southern Minnesota? I think there are more German immigrants than Swedes and Norwegians combined. Its just that the Swedes and Norwegians find time to make a big deal of it, while the Germans keep working. Also, the Germans had to be careful not to be proud of their heritage because of a certain politcal movement in the 30's and 40's.

Hey, let's not start fighting over who contributed more or worked harder. The fact is that all of the ethnic groups who settled here played their part in making Minnesota what it is today. The big deal is that the frugality and inventiveness of the Scandinavian immigrants made such an impact that our "horn" sort of blows itself and we're also not afraid to help it once in a while as the need arises. Keep in mind too, that we Scandiwhovians are often dead serious about our humor and everything's fine and dandy as long as the odd joke or witticism slips into the conversation now and then. And if you don't like it, you can go live with the Iowegians. ... ;-)