Ashby

Each year, a local sporting group which calls itself "Coots Unlimited " -- a parody of Ducks Unlimited -- holds a fundraising event with proceeds to rebuild local wildlife habitat. A metal statue of a coot (a duck-like creature) was erected on the south border of the city,

Ashby was the boyhood home of author/illustrator Chuck Dewey, aka Uncle Hyggly, who penned a regional favorite about a dairy farmer who filled in one Christmas for an ailing Santa Claus -- "Mr. Gonopolis And His 12 Holsteins -- A Christmas Story."

Askov

The City of Askov is also home of the Askov Fair and Rutabaga Festival. A festival that is held each year during the third weekend of August. The Festival consits of crowning of Miss Askov, formerly known as the Rutabaga Queen. Also many food stands are set up, one of which consists of the Danish favorite, ableskivers: ball shaped pancakes. Other events include a parade, folk dancing, contests for things grown in the garden, great homemade food and all kinds of other great small town things!

Askov is the hometown of former NBA and Minneapolis Lakers star Vern Mikkelsen

The birthplace and residence of former Minnesota governor Hjalmar Petersen.

Austin

The meat packer Hormel Foods Corporation is the largest employer in Austin, where its factory makes most of North America's Spam tinned meat. The Austin Area Chamber of Commerce sponsors an annual Independence Day Freedom Fest. "Spam Town USA," as Austin is sometimes called, is also home to the Spam Museum.

Notable People

American football coach and commentator John Madden was born in Austin.

Babbitt

Babbitt enjoys being the hometown to a few celebrities both local (Dale Kasten) and national (Buzz Schneider). Schneider's claim to fame was being on the 1976 Olympic hockey team and the 1980 Olympic gold medal hockey team. He scored the first goal against the Russians in possibly the most renowned game of hockey ever played; the semi-finals of the 1980 Olympics (Miracle on Ice).

Barrett

Barrett is the home of Prairie Wind Players community theatre. Founded in 1979, PWP has produced over 80 plays, drawing in artists and patrons from miles around. The Prairie Wind Player's 1993 production of Jesus Christ Superstar made national headline's for its innovative casting (nearly all characters were portrayed by women, including Jesus).

Battle Lake

Katie Scott Johnson, Princess Kay of the Milky Way 1989

Baudette

2005 Class AA Girls Volleyball State Champions

Home of Willie the Walleye

Keith Ballard, Ice hockey defenceman for the Phoenix Coyotes.

Theodore H. Rowell, pharmaceutical industrialist and politician

Bayport

It is the headquarters of the Andersen Corporation, a major manufacturer of windows.

Bemidji

Self-proclaimed "curling capital" of the U.S.

The alleged birthplace of legendary Paul Bunyan. The statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox are well-known landmarks.

Both men's and women's rinks from the Bemidji Curling Club won the right to represent the United States in the 2005 World Curling Championship and the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy. Pete Fenson, the skip of the U.S. curling team that took the bronze medal at the 2006 Olympics, is a native of Bemidji.

Notable People

Actress Jane Russell

NFL Pro Football Hall of Famer Dave Casper was born in Bemidji,

Blue Earth

The Jolly Green Giant statue attracts over 10,000 visitors a year.

In July of 2007, the Blue Earth City Council approved space for a Green Giant memorabilia museum. Lowell Steen, of Blue Earth, has collected thousands of Green Giant items and will permanently loan them to the museum.

Bovey

Adam Hauser - NHL goaltender born and raised in Bovey.

Richard Hongisto - San Francisco politician born in Bovey.

Eric Enstrom - photographer of the famous 1918 photograph Grace

Braham

Braham is the homemade pie capital of Minnesota. Every year on the first Friday in August the people of Braham celebrate Pie Day. This celebration includes craft sales, music, food stands, games, and entertainment, not to mention pie. This celebration is usually concluded with both natives and visitors alike stripping down butt naked and throwing pies at each other.

Braham's local basketball team, the "Bombers", was noted for its domination of the basketball court, winning three straight class "AA" state championships. Their coach, Robert Vaughan, led the Bombers to all three of their State Championships, and is a teacher at Braham Area High School. Their star players included brothers Noah Dahlman, the career rebound leader in the state of Minnesota, who currently plays for the Wofford Terriers; Isaiah Dahlman, the career scoring leader in the state of Minnesota, who currently plays for the Michigan State Spartans; and Josh Vaughan who currently plays for the North Dakota State University Bison. Their 65 game winning streak ended on December 28, 2005 with a 68-59 loss to Eden Prarie.

Marlene Johnson - First woman Lieutenant Governor in Minnesota.

Brainerd

In these early years the relationship between the settlers and the Indians was complicated. The most famous example of this tenuous relationship was the so-called "Blueberry War" of 1872. Two Ojibwe were hanged for allegedly murdering a missing girl, and when a group of Indians approached the town, troops from nearby Fort Ripley were called in to prevent a potential reprisal. As it turns out, however, the Ojibwe only wanted to sell blueberries and the settlers narrowly avoided a bloody misunderstanding.

On October 27, 1933, the First National Bank of Brainerd became briefly famous when it was held up by Baby Face Nelson and his gang.

Brainerd claims Paul Bunyan as its native; the world's largest animated statue of him, once located at Paul Bunyan Amusement Center in nearby Baxter, was moved a few miles east of the town to This Old Farm after the amusement center closed in 2003.

Much of the Coen brothers' movie Fargo takes place in a fictional version of Brainerd. The landmarks pictured (the Blue Ox Bar, the Paul Bunyan statue) are not the same ones actually in the town.

Barbara Bossus Bohrer - Princess Kay of the Milky Way 1956

Babe Winkelman – Fisherman

Brainerd International Raceway

Browerville

Two notable past-residents include author LaVyrle Spencer and sculptor Joseph Kiselewski.

Buffalo Lake

Christina Rettmann, the Princess Kay of the Milky Way 2004, is from Buffalo Lake.

Caledonia

Caledonia is known as the "Wild Turkey Capital of Minnesota".

Calumet

Former NHL player Michael Antonovich is from Calumet.

Cannon Falls

Cannon Falls may be best known as the home of Pachyderm Studio, where many famous musicians have recorded their music. Nirvana is probably the best known band to use the site. The group recorded In Utero at the studio.

serves as the western trailhead for the Cannon Valley Trail

Lisa Schaffer Coyne, Princess Kay of the Milky Way 1983

Ceylon

Ceylon is the birthplace of the former Minnesota Democratic Senator, vice president, and unsuccessful Democratic presidential nominee, Walter Mondale

Chanhassen

Chanhassen is the international headquarters of Eckankar, a teaching founded by Paul Twitchell in 1965. It exists in most countries throughout the world, and is run largely on a volunteer basis through "ECK Centers". The teaching was first known as the "Ancient Science of Soul Travel" and is now called "The Religion of the Light and Sound of God". The teaching emphasizes the value of personal spiritual and physical experiences as the most natural way back to God and does not advocate reliance on external authority, books or dogmatic beliefs. The term "Soul Travel" is copyrighted by Eckankar. It describes one of the basic tenets of the teaching; soul (awareness or consciousness) can leave the body in full consciousness and travel in other worlds.

Prince, the famous musician, lived in Chanhassen.

Chaska

In a national poll in 2007, Chaska was named the eighth best city in the United States.

Chisholm

Former major-league baseball player Dr. Archibald "Moonlight" Graham, featured in the motion picture Field of Dreams

Original family home and ostensible primary residence of U.S. Congressman Jim Oberstar

Birth home of former U.S. Congressman John Blatnik

Former chief executive officer of Pepsico, Roger Enrico

Billionaire Philip Falcone[3].

2nd Wind Exercise Equipment founder and CEO Dick Enrico

World class heart surgeon Charles Gornick[4]

2006 Winter Olympics men's curling bronze medalists Shawn Rojeski

John Shuster University of Minnesota athletic director (since 2002)

Joel Maturi Original family home of Minnesota state representative and house majority leader Tony Sertich

Clearbrook

Clearbrook is the birthplace, home, and place of final rest of Wes Westrum, a major league baseball catcher and manager who began his sports career in Clearwater County, Minnesota.

Climax

The town briefly made national news in 2004 when school superintendent Shirley Moger refused to allow students to wear shirts bearing the town motto, "Climax - More than just a feeling.", which may be to the reference to an orgasm. The motto was picked following a contest. Some runner-ups in that contest were "No End to Climax," "Cling to the Culmination: Climax Forever" and "Bring a Friend to Climax."

Cloquet

The area was the site of the 1918 Cloquet Fire, which destroyed much of the town and killed approximately 500 people.

Cloquet is famed in American economic history because before and after the Second World War it was home of the strongest consumers cooperative of the country. The Cloquet Coöperative Society (founded 1910) operated two cooperative stores which handled food, hardware, shoes, drygoods, and furniture.

Cloquet is home to the R.W. Lindholm Service Station, the only gas station designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright and a structure now on the National Register of Historic Places.

Cold Spring

The city was thrust in the national spotlight on September 24, 2003 when then 15-year-old Jason McLaughlin shot and killed two classmates in the Rocori High School shooting.

Columbia Heights

Columbia Heights, the Heights Jamboree, Hylander, and many other references to the city and Minnesota appear in Pat Proft's 1998 film Wrongfully Accused.

Comfrey

Glen Taylor, owner of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Minnesota Lynx basketball teams and business billionaire, grew up on a farm outside Comfrey.

Crookson

Wes Westrum played minor league baseball in Crookston. A boyhood resident of Clearbrook, he later went on to starr for the New York Giants.

Tim Madigan grew up in Crookston and graduated from Central High School. Since, he has written several popular books including one about his friendship with Fred Rogers. He now lives in the Dallas area.

Trivia

Crookston is home to The Grand Theater. This facility is the oldest continuously operating movie theater in the United States. It was originally an opera house and played host to legendary entertainers like author Mark Twain and early film actress Mary Pickford.

Crosby

In the 1932 local elections, the voters of Crosby elected Karl Emil Nygard as President of the Village Council and thus became the first city in the United States to have a Communist mayor.

Crosby was the location of the worst mining disaster in Minnesota, the Milford Mine disaster.[3] On February 5, 1924, a new tunnel was blasted too close to nearby Foley Lake, and water rushed in, killing 41 miners.

Crystal

Former University of Minnesota All-American Defensemen Todd Richards and Travis Richards both played pro hockey and attended Armstrong High School.

Wrestling announcer Mick Karch is from Crystal.

Darwin

It is known primarily for purportedly having the world's biggest ball of twine, which is located across from the public park on Main Street in the center of town.

Dawson

Carrie Tollefson - Runner in the 2004 Summer Olympics

Theodore Christianson - Governor of Minnesota from 1925 to 1931.

James D. Hodgson - Secretary of Labor from 1970 to 1973.

Jeff Nordgaard - Professional Basketball player overseas.

Brandon Moore - Social Studies teacher.

Movies filmed wholly or partially in Dawson

Sweet Land (2005)

Deer River

Deer River is home to the world's largest Wild Rice Festival

Delano

The city was both the setting and the primary filming location of the 1998 film A Simple Plan.

Detroit Lakes

The city was referred to in the author John Steinbeck's book, Travels with Charley, as he and his dog Charley drove through the upper Midwest.

Phil Hansen, former Buffalo Bills (National Football League) defensive end

Collin Peterson, current United States Congressman, current House Agriculture Committee chairman, Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party, 7th Congressional District of Minnesota

Mary Ann Glawe Hardy; a.k.a "Princess Kay of the Milky Way"

Dodge Center

Dodge Center, Minnesota, is the reported hometown of multi-personality "Sybil". The locals can tell you where her childhood home is located. The real "Sybil," Shirley Ardell Mason, was born here in 1923 and graduated from Dodge Center High School in 1941.

Dodge Center is home to a man with one of the largest license plate collections in the world. He has been featured on TV and in news articles. This man can quote license plate numbers at will and the dates tabs expire on just about any townperson's car. He also has been a McNeilus employee since 1977.

East Grand Forks

Ripley's Believe It or Not once labeled a portion of the downtown area as the highest concentration of neon signage in the world.

Elizabeth

Famous people from here are the Kowalski Family. They are from the family who started the Kowalski Markets in the Twin Cities.

Elk River

Dan Hinote - Professional hockey player for the St. Louis Blues (NHL)

Paul Martin - Professional hockey player for the New Jersey Devils (NHL)

Joel Otto - Former Professional hockey player for the Calgary Flames And Philadelphia Flyers (NHL)

Tristan King - Professional hockey player for the Portland Winterhawks (WHL)

Elmore

Elmore was the boyhood home of former vice president and presidential candidate Walter F. Mondale.

Ely

Historically home to several Iron ore mines.

Today the city is best known as a popular entry point for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness

Home to the International Wolf Center

Notable People

Jessica Biel - Actress

Jim Brandenburg - Most published photographer at National Geographic

Dorothy Louise Molter - the Root Beer Lady

Sigurd F. Olson - Naturalist and author

Will Steger - Explorer

Eveleth

Eveleth lays claim to the country's largest hockey stick, which, at 110 feet, is shorter than the 205-foot hockey stick sculpture in Duncan, British Columbia, Canada.

The city briefly entered the news in 2002 when U.S. Senator Paul Wellstone along with seven others died in a plane crash 2 miles away from the airport of Eveleth.

It was also the site of the conflict that resulted in the court case Jenson v. Eveleth Taconite Co., and the film North Country, which was based on it.

It is home of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame.

Mark Pavelich, who played on the 1980 U.S. Olympic team that memorably defeated the Soviet Union (depicted in the movie Miracle on Ice) and Finland en route to a gold medal.

Excelsior

Legend has it that the city of Excelsior resident Jimmy Hutmaker, was the inspiration behind the Rolling Stones song "You Can't Always Get What you Want" after an encounter during a 1964 Stones concert at the drug store.[2] "Mr. Jimmy", as people called him, Died on October 3rd, 2007. [1]

President Gerald Ford's golden retriever Liberty was purchased in 1974 from Avis Friberg who lived in the town.[3]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_stick_ideology

Falcon Heights

On September 2, 1901 then-Vice President Theodore Roosevelt first used the African proverb "Speak softly and carry a big stick" in a speech at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds, in Falcon Heights.

The 2001 film Sugar & Spice was partially filmed in Falcon Heights.[5]

A small portion of the 1996 film Jingle All the Way starring Arnold Schwarzenegger was filmed at Falcon Heights Elementary.[6]

The Peanuts comic strip and TV specials are also set in the school.[citation needed]

On the bluffs overlooking the Straight River east of downtown of Faribault is Shattuck-Saint Mary's School The most notable Shattuck attendee was Marlon Brando. In his autobiography, Songs My Mother Taught Me, he spoke glowingly of his classmates but was critical of the school administration. After being expelled prior to graduation for removing the clapper from the main bell (never proven), he received a letter from all his classmates in which they sent him their collective regards. The letter was one of only a few possessions which he appeared to appreciate throughout his life and it was framed and prominently displayed at one of his homes.

Faribault

Stephen Chatman, a noted Canadian composer, was born in Faribault in 1950.

Donald "Tic" Clark, was the foremost hockey historian in the United States and founder of MAHA, Minnesota Amateur Hockey Association.

William Gould Dow was a pioneering researcher in electrical engineering, space research, and nuclear fusion, as well as a professor and administrator at the University of Michigan.

Patrick Eaves, a National Hockey League player for the Ottawa Senators. Born in Calgary, Alberta but grew up in Faribault.

Andy Murray, head coach for the St. Louis Blues of NHL National Hockey League, previously head coach of boys 18U hockey program at Shattuck-Saint Mary's.

Herbert Sellner was the inventor of the Tilt-A-Whirl carnival ride. As of 2008, the rides are still manufactured in Faribault.

Bruce Smith was the 1941 Heisman trophy winner. He played for the University of Minnesota and starred in the movie, "Smith of Minnesota."

Henry Benjamin Whipple was the first Episcopal bishop in Minnesota. He was an advocate for clemency for Dakota prisoners in the wake of the Dakota War of 1862 (also known as the Sioux Uprising) in 1862. He is buried beneath the altar of the Cathedral of Our Merciful Saviour in Faribault, the oldest cathedral in Minnesota.

Zach Parise, left wing for the New Jersey Devils who had attended and played hockey at Shattuck-Saint Mary's.

Sidney Crosby, attended and played hockey at Shattuck-Saint Mary's, center with the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL.

Alfonso Pichardo, attended Shattuck-Saint Mary's, lead singer/songwriter of famous mexican synthpop band Moenia

Chris Kern- born and raised in Faribault and now plays for the Detroit Lions.

Farmington

The late pornographic actress Colleen Applegate, also known as Shawna Grant, was from Farmington. She was a graduate of Farmington High School, and was a cheerleader there.

Fergus Falls

The 1919 Fergus Falls tornado was a large and destructive tornado that struck Fergus Falls, Minnesota on June 22, 1919. It killed 57 people and is the second deadliest tornado in Minnesota's history. This tornado occurred just 10 months after a tornado in Tyler, Minnesota killed 36 people. That twister was Minnesota's fourth deadliest on record.[1]

Forest Lake

Arne Carlson, former Governor of Minnesota.

Gangsters Ma Barker, John Dillinger, & Baby Face Nelson occupied Forest Lake for a short time.

Pro wrestler Nora Greenwald (aka Molly Holly) was born in Forest Lake and grew up in Linwood Township.

Frazee

Big Tom

Since Frazee has long been a part of the turkey industry, a group of turkey growers and committee members got together in 1984 and decided to put up a giant turkey statue. They commissioned the artist Shell Scott to construct it. The original statue was built on a metal frame and covered in cement, fiberglass, cardboard, and insulation. When it was finished in 1986, it stood 22 feet tall and cost $20,000 to build, earning Frazee the title of "Home of the world's largest turkey." Because of Big Tom's physical makeup, it needed frequent repairs. There were also complaints that Big Tom was not proportioned like a real turkey. The area committee decided that they needed a new Big Tom and commissioned artist Dave Oswald. When removing the old statue in July 1998, a cutting torch was used to remove the wings. As soon as the torch touched the bird, Big Tom caught fire, completely destroying the statue. The new statue arrived in Frazee in August 1998. Coming in three separate pieces on a flatbed trailer, it took eight hours to assemble. This Big Tom stands over 20 feet tall and is 17 feet wide. It weighs over 5,000 pounds, having 1,000 pounds of steel reinforcement. It is estimated to have 3,000 to 4,000 separate fiberglass feathers, which took the D.W.O. Fiberglass Company over 2,000 hours to make.

Freeport

Garrison Keillor, creator of Lake Wobegon and host of A Prairie Home Companion, has written that Stearns County in general and Freeport specifically were the inspirations for his fictional city, Lake Woebegon. In 1998 the county honored Keillor and his show by naming a section of abandoned rail line the Lake Woebegon Trail. [3]

Fulda

Fulda was the birthplace of Harold Hotelling, a mathematical statistician and very influential economic theorist.

Baseball Hall of Famer and Negro League pitcher Hilton Smith played for Fulda's semi-pro baseball team in 1949 and 1950.

Sports columnist Patrick Reusse of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune spent his early years in the community.

Garrison

Garrison is the world's smallest city to have a McDonald's restaurant

Gary

Gary was the site of a late-night F4 tornado that struck on July 5, 1978. The tornado struck at around 2 in the morning, with much of the town having little warning before it hit. One reason was because one of the police officers flipped their car over as it was on its way to sound the sirens to awaken the mostly asleep town. Four deaths and around 40 injuries resulted from the tornado. The town has since then been repaired.

Ghent

The Rolle Bolle capital of the world.

Gilbert

The town was once known as the red light district of the Iron Range, and planned a 'Whorehouse Days' festival for two days in July, 2005.[1] However, this festival was cancelled due to objections by the city council.

Gilbert is the birthplace of Bernie Kukar, a National Football League referee from 1984 to 2005. [2]

Glencoe

In 1985 the town was the subject of a documentry called God's Country. It was made by French film director Louis Malle.

Glennville

In the November 4, 1985 issue of Sports Illustrated, Glenville High School was featured in the issue for the football team's losing streak. The team broke the 70-game streak a year later, on Sept. 6, 1986. At the time, it was the second-longest streak ever, surpassed only by Iberia, Missouri's 72-game skid in the 1960s and 70s.

Golden Valley

Aaron Sele - Major League Baseball pitcher

Jordan Leopold- National Hockey League Member of U.S. Olympic hockey team and the NHL's Colorado Avalanche.

Tom Barnard - KQRS Morning Show Host, Voice-over artist

Gerald McCullagh - Golf Magazine's Top 100 Instructors

Graceville

Graceville was originally granted to Archbishop John Ireland of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Wishing to settle the Minnesota prairie with Catholic Irish-Americans, he actively promoted settlement in Graceville and the surrounding region.

The town was named for Bishop Thomas Grace and a special line was built across the prairie from Morris, Minnesota. In the summer of 1880, Archbishop Ireland paid for the passage of a ship filled with Famine refugees from the Connemara in County Galway. Arriving in Graceville too late to adequately prepare and having little grasp of English, the Irish language speakers were ill prepared for the massive blizzard which descended in the winter. As both the Protestant Freemasons of Morris and the English speaking Irish-Americans of Graceville both schemed to manipulate the situation for their own ends, the sufferings of the Connemara refugees became an international scandal. With the future of his entire Catholic Colonization Bureau in jeopardy, Archbishop Ireland offered up the "Conamaras" as a sacrifice, condemning them as shiftless, lazy and drunken. In the early months of 1881, all but three families were evicted from their claims and resettled in a shantytown in Saint Paul which was instantly dubbed The Connemara Patch. Meanwhile back in Graceville, the name "Conamara" became an insult, a pejorative term for a lazy, drunken failure. Archbishop Ireland would later describe the scandal as the greatest grief of his life.

Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo

Birthplace of former Twins Manager Tom Kelly

Legendary Irish language storyteller Éamon a Búrc (1866-1942) was a resident in the early years of settlement.

Birthplace of Hollywood film-maker Jack Conway (1887-1952)

Grand Marais

Grand Marais is located on the northwestern shore of Lake Superior in northeastern Minnesota, and is well known as an entry point for the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

The Superior Hiking Trail passes near Grand Marais and Judge C. R. Magney State Park is nearby with the peculiar Devil's Kettle waterfalls.

Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids is the birthplace and early (until she was four) childhood home of legendary singer and actress Judy Garland. There is a local museum dedicated to her life and career, and Judy's fully restored birthplace is open to the public as well. An annual Judy Garland Festival is held the fourth weekend in June.

Grand Rapids Pizza Hut is where store manager Mark Bondhus came up with the idea of garlic cheese bread in 1979.

Bill Baker - a member of the Miracle On Ice 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team that won the Gold Medal in Lake Placid, NY. Baker was also a member of the first Grand Rapids High School State Championship winning hockey team

Jon Casey - professional hockey player for the Minnesota North Stars with a record of most wins 31 in 1989-1990 Jeff Nielsen - professional hockey player for the Minnesota Wild and other NHL teams

Alex Goligoski - professional hockey player for the Pittsburgh Penguins

Janelle Pierzina - Big Brother television series cast member.

Grygla

Controversy over area elk - A herd of elk managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources lives near Grygla. The herd has generated much controversy over the years as herd numbers grew and the animals damaged farmers’ crops. In 1985 farmers successfully lobbied to have the elk removed, an effort that was eventually halted. In 1987 the Legislature voted to compensate farmers for crop damage and limit the elk herd to between 20 and 30 animals, through public hunting seasons if necessary. The last hunt was in 1998.

I-35W Bridge Collapse

Rural Gatzke, Minnesota resident Jeremy Hernandez was honored on Wednesday, August 15, 2007 for his role in rescuing dozens of children on a school bus trapped in the rubble of the I-35W bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Thief River Falls Radio reported that the 20-year-old and three others were with the bus the day the bridge collapsed on Wednesday, August 1, 2007.

Hallock

Born in Hallock, Donald Pederson was a noted professor of electrical engineering and the father of "SPICE", a canonical circuit simulation program used for integrated circuit application.

Harmony

Nearby Niagara Cave is one of the largest caves in the Midwest and features ancient fossils older than some dinosaurs, a 60 foot waterfall in the largest room in the cave, and a wedding chapel. There have been over 400 weddings in the cave since it opened. Outside the cave there are ten acres of camping grounds, a sluice box where tourists can mine for gems and fossils, and a gift shop with a selection of toys for children. There are also precious stones and large polished fossils. features the largest Amish community in the state.

Hastings

A spiral bridge over the Mississippi River was built in 1895 that was designed to slow down horse-drawn traffic from the opposite side of the river as it entered downtown. The novel design became a tourist attraction for the town, but was demolished in 1951 because it could not accommodate the size and weight of modern vehicles. As a new bridge was being constructed it was determined the city could not afford to maintain the bridge at a proposed cost of around $50.00 a year.[citation needed] Nevertheless, the spiral bridge is still remembered as a nostalgic landmark.

Jackie Biskupski - Utah state legislator.

Gil Dobie - College football coach

Mark Steven Johnson - Film director and writer Grumpy Old Men Daredevil, and Simon Birch

Craig Kilborn - Comedian and television personality

Bob McNamara - Former Denver Bronco, Minnesota Gopher football All American Richard "Pinky" McNamara - Prominent Minnesota Businessman, Philanthropist

Dan Peltier- baseball player for the Texas Rangers

Sam Shane - Former MSNBC news anchor now CBS13 Sacramento

Jeff Taffe - Professional hockey player for the Pittsburgh Penguins

Ben Utecht - Professional football player for the Cincinnati Bengals

James G. Sieben - U.S. Army Major General Minnesota National Guard

Hawley

The Hjemkomst

The small town of Hawley might be best known for its Hjemkomst Viking Ship. The building of this ship began in November 1973 by Robert Asp. It was modeled after a Norwegian ship found south of Oslo that dated back from about 950 A.D. called the “Gokstad." The Hjemkomst ship sailed from Duluth, Minnesota to Bergen, Norway in 1982. The event is considered one of Hawley’s finest. The ship is now located at the Hjemkomst Center museum in nearby Moorhead, Minnesota.

Henderson

Henderson, Minnesota is home to Sauerkraut Days. A three day event that takes place during the last full weekend of June. Events include a Kraut Car Cruise, 5K Kraut Run, Tractor Ride, Kiddie Parade, Grand Parade, Car Show, Miss Henderson Coronation, Sauerkraut Idol, and the World Champion Sauerkraut eating contest. In 2006, Sam Delzer of Henderson devoured 2 pounds of kraut in 1 minute 37 seconds in front of over 400 spectators during Henderson's Sauerkraut Days.

Notable People

Terrence Dempsey - Minnesota State Legislator (1978-1992); State Circuit Court Judge (1992-2003)

Jerome Dempsey - Minnesota State Legislator (1992-2006)

Hendrum

It is the birthplace of national historical humor author John Wayne Kolness.

Herman

Herman is widely known for its high number of eligible bachelors. The story drew world-wide recognition and later was made into a fictional movie "Herman USA".

Herman is the home of the annual Herman Iron Pour, where individuals can learn how to mold and cast iron art.

Heron Lake

Roman Catholic Bishop Frederick William Freking of the Diocese of La Crosse was born in rural Heron Lake.

Walter Mondale, Vice-President of the United States under Jimmy Carter (1977-1981) and the Democratic party nominee for President in 1980, attended Heron Lake Public High School and lived in the Methodist Episcopal Church parsonage (still present in the town) for three years prior to 1946. His father was minister at the church during that time. Many residents of the town from that time have tales of the young Mondale's shenanigans. Not surprisingly given the xenophobic nature of the town's dominant community, the local electorate voted overwhelmingly against Mondale in the 1980 election.

Inkpaduta, a Mdewakanton Sioux indian leader in the area from the 1850's until his departure to join Sitting Bull's band in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, camped at Heron Lake both before and after his participation in the Spirit Lake massacre and Dakota War of 1862, also known as the Sioux uprising.[3]

Several residents at the time claimed to have seen Al Capone in the town at one point during Prohibition. The town was on the route from the Twin Cities to Sioux City at the time, so the reports are intriguingly plausible if not substantiated.

Mike Calhoun claimed to have seen the Monkeemobile pass through town in 1967 or 1968, but it seems more like the imaginative fantasy of a smalltown boy where nothing important ever happens than a credible report.

Hibbing

At the edge of town is the largest open-pit iron mine in the world According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 186.5 square miles (483.1 km²) and is the largest city in Minnesota by area

Vincent Bugliosi, prosecutor of Charles Manson

Bruce Carlson, United States Air Force Commander

Dick Garmaker, professional basketball player

Chi Chi LaRue, adult film director

Marie Myung-Ok Lee, novelist and essayist

Roger Maris, professional baseball player

Kevin McHale, professional basketball player, Minnesota Timberwolves Vice President

Bob Dylan, singer-songwriter, musician and Pulitzer Prize winner

Bethany McLean, co-author of Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room

Robert Mondavi, American wine entrepreneur.

Mike David Peluso, professional ice hockey player

Rudy Perpich, Minnesota governor

Gary Puckett, musician

Jeno Paulucci, founder of Jeno's Pizza and Chun King Foods brands. Hibbing's Paulucci Planetarium, on the Hibbing Community College campus, is named for his family.

Jeff Halper, professor of anthropology, author, lecturer, political activist and co-founder of Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions

Hinckley

On September 1, 1894 the Great Hinckley Fire killed more than 400 people. On September 1, 1894, everything changed with a firestorm wiping out Hinckley and many northeastern Minnesota towns. Today the Hinckley Fire Museum tells the devastating story of what came to be called the Great Hinckley Fire and the town’s recovery from it. The museum is located in a restored railroad depot downtown, an exact replica of the pre-fire depot, built just after the fire. The legacy of the fire is seen today throughout the world. It began the modern day conservation movement as an object lesson in how reckless management of our natural resources can bring dire circumstances.

Hoffman

Harley Refsal - Norwegian-American woodcarver honored by a king of Norway.

Holingford

Kenny Benkowski better known as "Sodbuster" Kenny Jay born March 27, 1937 in Holdingford, Minnesota. He was a professional wrestler who competed primarily in the American Wrestling Association.

Joseph Brinkman (born April 9, 1944 in Little Falls, Minnesota) was raised in Holdingford, Minnesota and graduated from Holdingford High School. He is a former umpire in Major League Baseball Umpire who worked in the American League from 1973 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000 until his retirement during the 2006 season.

Hopkins

Notable People

Aaron Brown- Former television anchor for CNN[4]

Michael Lehan - American football player (cornerback) for the Miami Dolphins[5]

Samantha Harris - E! Entertainment correspondent and Dancing with the Stars co-host

Jeffrey Lee Parson - Prosecuted Creator of a Blaster Worm Variant

BeBe Shopp - Miss America 1948

Trivia

The town is the official home of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 Information Club (as their post office box is located there) and as such the town was prominently mentioned at the end of most episodes[6].

Hopkins has twice been in the Guinness Book of World Records, once for worlds tallest water tower, once for most Bars per person.

Hutchinson

The Hutchinson Family Singers (John, Asa, and Judson Hutchinson) are credited with founding the town in November 1855.

The town was besieged during the Sioux Uprising in 1862. Chief Little Crow was shot by a farmer a few miles north and west of Hutchinson a year later. A statue of Little Crow overlooks the Crow River at the east end of downtown Hutchinson.

John W. Foss - U.S. Army General and former United States Army Training and Doctrine Command commander

Les Kouba [1] - Wildlife Artist

Sarah Olson - Princess Kay of the Milky Way 2002

Cory Sauter - Retired NFL Quarterback

Lindsay Whalen - Professional basketball player in the WNBA

International Falls

International Falls long promoted itself as the "Icebox of the Nation", however the trademark for the slogan has been challenged on several occasions by the small town of Fraser, Colorado. Officials from Fraser claimed usage since 1956, International Falls since 1948. The two towns came to an agreement in 1986, when International Falls paid Fraser $2,000 to relinquish its "official" claim. However, in 1996, International Falls inadvertently failed to renew its federal trademark, although it had kept its state trademark up to date. Fraser then filed to gain the federal trademark.[4] International Falls submitted photographic proof that its 1955 Pee Wee hockey team traveled to Boston, Massachusetts with the slogan.[5] After several years of legal battles, the United States Patent and Trademark Office officially registered the slogan with International Falls on January 29, 2008, Registration Number 3375139.[6] Only a few days after announcing its success in the trademark battle, International Falls had a record low temperature of −40°F (−40°C), beating a previous record of −37°F (−38.3°C) in 1967

Reference in Pop Culture

A Sears Diehard car battery commercial was filmed here in the 1970s, playing on the city's extremely cold winter climate to promote the longevity and effectiveness of the product. Also, the fictional Minnesota small town of Frostbite Falls, which was the hometown of cartoon characters Rocket "Rocky" J. Squirrel and Bullwinkle J. Moose of The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, was a spoof of the real-life International Falls. The fictional town was located in Koochiching County as well.

Notable People

David Ellefson - Bass guitar, Megadeth musician who was born here.

Walter Halloran - Jesuit, exorcist born here.

Jasper

On July 8, 1927 a tornado near the town was photographed by Lucille Handberg.[3] Her photograph has become a classic image,[4] even appearing on an album cover nearly 60 years later

Jordan

Local celebrities include playmates Nicole, Erica and Jaclyn Dahm, one of whom married the son of Doctor Phil

Sex abuse scandal Beginning in 1983, Jordan was swept up in an instance of what has been called satanic ritual abuse. Twenty-four adults were arrested and charged with acts of sexual abuse, child pornography and other crimes.[3] According to Jordan native Tom Dubbe, the scandal began with the arrest of 26-year-old James Rud on sex abuse charges. Rud undoubtedly had a history of child molestation, but "once Rud was arrested he was given a difficult choice by Minnesota's first woman county attorney, Kathleen Morris. Morris suggested: Name names and we'll go easier on you."[4] Before long, many people were implicated in the scandal, and the case earned national press coverage. Ultimately, the accused were exonerated of any wrongdoing, because the county attorney was afraid the children would collapse under cross examination.[5] The incident is mentioned by Justice Antonin Scalia in his dissenting opinion in the case of Maryland v. Craig. He argues that the right to confront one's accusers is essential to protecting innocent defendants against "a child's distorted or coerced recollections" in the face of "misguided investigative techniques."[6] The song Jordan, Minnesota by the band Big Black was written about the incident.

Jim’s Apple Farm – Minnesota’s Largest Candy Store

Kasota

Kasota stone was recently selected as the primary stone in the building of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC.

Keewatin Gino Cappelletti, New England Patriots player

Kensington

The city is notable in Minnesota history for being the place where the famous, if questionable, Kensington Runestone was discovered. The stone tablet may indicate that Scandinavians had come to Minnesota in the 14th century. It is now at a museum in nearby Alexandria, Minnesota. The Kensington Runestone is a slab of greywacke covered in runes on its face and side which, if it were genuine, would suggest that Scandinavian explorers reached the middle of North America in the 14th century. It was found in 1898 in the largely rural township of Solem, Douglas County, Minnesota, and named after the nearest settlement, Kensington. Most runologists and linguists consider the runestone to be a hoax.[1] On the other hand, two geologists who have made close studies of the stone have argued that the inscription is hundreds of years old. The community of Kensington is solidly behind the runestone, which has transcended its original cultural purposes and has "taken on a life of its own".

Kettle River

On October 12, 1918, the 1918 Cloquet Fire caused by sparks on the local railroads left much of western Carlton County area devastated. Several hundred persons killed by the fire and thousands more left homeless. The only building left standing in Kettle River following the fire was the bank that was made of brick. This building still stands in Kettle River, near the center of the town on the west side of Minnesota Highway 73. Following the fire, with most people homeless and destitute, the Spanish Influenza outbreak of 1918 wreaked even more havoc on the local peoples, taking more lives.

Kimball

Nick Starcevic, a contestant on the CBS Reality Show, Big Brother 8

Kinney

Republic of Kinney

By 1977, the City of Kinney, with a population of 325 according to the 1970 census, suffered from a failing water system, and was faced with a staggering replacement cost of $186,000. After numerous unsuccessful attempts to secure funding from state and federal agencies due to bureaucratic red tape, agencies such as: Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Federal Housing Authority (FHA), and the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Commission (IRRRC), the city council was led to believe that it would be easier to receive foreign aid if Kinney seceded from the union, declared war, and lost immediately. Mayor Mary Anderson and a supportive Kinney City Council sent the following July 13, 1977, 'tongue-in-cheek' secession letter to U.S. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance: City of Kinney Clerk’s Office KINNEY, MINNESOTA 55758 13-Jul-77 Honorable Cyrus Vance Secretary of State Washington, D.C. BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Kinney, in Kinney, Minnesota, has decided to secede from the United States of America, and become a foreign country. Our area is large enough for it. We are twelve square blocks, three blocks wide and four blocks long. We will be similar to Monaco. It is much easier to get assistance as a foreign country, which we need badly, and there is no paper work to worry about. If necessary, we will be glad to declare war and lose. However, if this is a requirement, we would appreciate being able to surrender real quick, as our Mayor works as a nurse in a hospital, and most of our council members work in a nearby mine and cannot get much time off from work. CITY COUNCIL OF VILLAGE OF KINNEY Mary Anderson, Mayor Margaret Medure, Clerk Al Helmin, Councilman Lloyd Linnell, Councilman Myron Holcomb, Councilman Jim Randall, Village Attorney The secession was never officially acknowledged by Vance or the U.S. The news story broke locally in the Mesabi Daily News on February 5, 1978, in an article by Ginny Wennen entitled "Move over Monaco, here comes Kinney." The story garnered national and international attention beginning on February 7, 1978, when the story was featured on the NBC Nightly News with David Brinkley. Jeno Paulucci, a businessman based in Duluth, Minnesota, was the first to acknowledge the new republic and offer ‘foreign aid’ in the form of a dark brown 1974 Ford LTD police squad car and 10 cases of Jenos Sausage Pizza Mix on February 13, 1978. The squad car was painted with a Republic of Kinney shield on the driver’s side that read “Commander in Chief, Republic of Kinney," and “Chief of Police, Kinney, Mn." on the passenger side. In November 1978, the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) approved $198,000 grant, allocated in three payments of $66,000 per year from the Taconite Area Environmental Protection Fund, to repair the existing water system, construct cement runoff basins, and install additional fire hydrants. The Republic of Kinney would go on to create and sell over 1,600 passports alone between March and April 1978 at $1.00 apiece. Later the republic created buttons, t-shirts, and even a summer festival called ‘Secession Days’, which was first held during the weekend of August 1 & 2, 1987. The City of Kinney celebrated the 30th anniversary of its "independence" as the Republic of Kinney during the weekend of July 13-15, 2007. In conjunction with the 30th anniversary of the Kinney secession, the City of Kinney published the book Republic of Kinney

La Crescent

La Crescent is known as the "Apple Capital of Minnesota" because of its many apple orchards.

Lafayette

Its biggest claim to fame is that it was the childhood home of Tippi Hedren, the star of Alfred Hitchcock's The Birds. In her book Cats of Shambala, she wrote that she was born in New Ulm, as Lafayette didn't have a hospital.

Lake City

The city advertises itself as the birthplace of water skiing, which Ralph Samuelson invented there.

Little Laura Ingalls Wilder ("Little House on the Prairie") and her family spent some time here in 1874, on their way to Walnut Grove.

Lakeville

Paul Krause, Pro Football Hall of Fame

Kevin Kaesviharn, pro football player

Andy Belmont and Joey Miller, NASCAR drivers

Judy Merritt, 1957 Princess Kay of the Milky Way

Landfall

In 2008, the city was named one of the 100 best communities for young people by America's Promise

Lanesboro

Lanesboro received the Great American Main Street Award in 1998. Author John Villani named the community one of the 100 Best Small Art Towns in America. It has also been rated one of the 50 Best Outdoor Sports Towns by Sports Afield magazine.[3] –

Jewelry artists Liz Bucheit and Kary Kilmer of Crown Trout Jewelers were finalist in the 2002 International Gold Virtuosi Jewelry Design Competition. One of four American jewelry studios that were given the distinction from 5200 total world entries.

Most recently, Outside Magazine featured the community "as one of the 20 Best Dream Towns in America."

Le Sueur

The community is known locally as the "Valley of the Jolly Green Giant ". A large billboard, with the caption "Welcome to the Valley" and Green Giant logo, remains even after the company and Green Giant label were bought by Pillsbury in 1979. Now the Green Giant label is owned by General Mills and is canned in Montgomery, Minnesota. The old canning processing plant in Le Sueur was used until 1995. The warehouse is still used for storage.

William Worrall Mayo was an early resident who began his practice in Le Sueur. He eventually founded the world-famous Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota with his sons William and Charles.

Lindstrom

Daniel Lindstrom left Sweden in 1853 in search of a place to find a nice piece of land to settle in America. Lindstrom was incorporated 41 years later, in 1894. There were many other Swedish Emigrants who traveled with Daniel including Erik Norelius, whose personal journals documented in part, formed the basis of Vilhelm Moberg’s novels of the Swedish emigration to the United States, The Emigrants. Moberg had two main characters in his novels, Karl Oskar and Kristina Nilsson. His novels depict the hardships that Swedish Emigrants had when traveling to America. Karl Oskar and Kristina remain the City of Lindstrom’s logo still today. The City of Lindstrom also celebrates Karl Oskar and Kristina annually by having "Karl-Oskar Days". This event takes place mid-July and there are many activities including the Coronation for "Karl-Oskar Princess", parades, a street dance and fireworks. There is still a statue of Karl-Oskar and Kristina in Lindstrom as a tribute to these early Swedish descendents who continue to populate the area. These statues dedicated to famous Swedish settlers, such as Vilhelm Moberg and Karl-Oskar and Kristina are the main hot spots to tourists from all over the world who come to Lindstrom because of its Swedish heritage.

Lindstrom is made up of predominantly Swedish immigrants and their families.

Litchfield

Gale Sondergaard - (1899-1985) Academy Award winning actress 1936 (first woman to win a best supporting actress award)

William Nolen - Surgeon and Author

John Carlson, Jr. - Seattle Seahawks Tight End

Little Falls

Little Falls is the location of the boyhood home of Charles Lindbergh. Just across from the home is Charles A. Lindbergh State Park, named after Lindbergh's father, prominent Minnesota lawyer and U.S. Congressman Charles August Lindbergh.

Notable People

Paul Larson, founder, Larson Boats; Crestliner Boats; Larson Industries

Fred Zollner, founder of Detroit/Fort Wayne Pistons

Jim Langer, Pro Football Hall of Fame

Gale Gillingham, Five time NFL All Pro Guard, Green Bay Packers

Duane Bobick, World Champion amateur heavyweight boxer; contender for Pro World heavyweight Championship

Louise Erdrich, National Book Award novelist

Charles A. Lindbergh, First person to non-stop solo fly Atlantic Ocean

Joe Brinkman, American League baseball umpire

Luverne

The Palace Theater on Main Street just underwent a $1 million renovation. On Sept. 6, 2007, the historic movie theater hosted the world premiere of Ken Burns' epic 15-hour PBS documentary, The War--which first aired on PBS Sept. 23, 2007.

Luverne is one of four U.S. cities that serve as anchor points for The War. The series tells the story of WWII from the perspective of "so-called ordinary Americans" who fought and lived through the global cataclysm. The six-year project is acclaimed as the best work yet from legendary filmmaker Ken Burns--who attended the Luverne premiere and a special showing for veterans, both held at the Palace Theater.

Cedric Adams - 1930s-1950s-era WCCO AM radio personailty, TV broadcaster and daily newspaper columnist in the Twin Cities. Upper Midwest pilots saw lights flicker out at the end of his 10 p.m. radio news broadcasts.

Jim Brandenburg - Award-winning wildlife photographer for National Geographic and other leading publications. Twice named Magazine Photographer of the Year and in 1988 Wildlife Photographer of the Year by the British Museum. Co-founder of Brandenburg Prairie Foundation. The Brandenburg Gallery on Main Street in Luverne displays some of his striking photographs and books.

Jerilyn Britz - U.S. Women's Open Golf Champion in 1979. Winner of the 1980 LPGA Mary Kay Classic. Finished second-place at two other major championships. Played on LPGA tour 1974-1999.

Al McIntosh - Editor and publisher of The Rock County Star Herald, president of (forerunner to) the National Newspaper Association and the Minnesota Newspaper Association. The Al McIntosh Distinguished Service to Journalism Award is presented by the Minnesota Newspaper Association. Stirring excerpts from his "More or Less Personal Chaff" weekly columns during WWII are voiced by actor Tom Hanks in The War---a 15-hour PBS documentary by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick which held its world premiere Sept. 6, 2007, at Luverne's Palace Theatre. McIntosh's wartime columns were published September, 2007, in Zenith Press' SELECTED CHAFF. Celebrated filmmaker Ken Burns said the columns were his greatest archival discovery in over 30 years of filmmaking.

Frederick Manfred - Novelist and writer on universal themes mostly set in the Great Plains and West, including the regional area he named as Siouxland. His 1957 novel, RIDERS OF JUDGMENT, was adapted by Larry McMurtry and Diana Ossana into a 2002 Hallmark Channel movie, "Johnson County War". Father of poet and author Freya Manfred.

John Rodman - Internationally recognized leader in the science of individualizing dosages of life-saving drugs for children with cancer and HIV. Founding member and past president of the American College of Clinical Pharmacy. He led the national Pediatric Aids Clinical Trials Group core pharmacology lab for many years. Led the establishment of pharmacotherapy as a specialty in pharmacy. Cited by peers as "a pioneer in his profession." Directed one of the largest patient care divisions at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

Lloyd Voss - 1964 Green Bay Packers first-round draft pick, member of a Vince Lombardi-coached Packers Super Bowl winner. Pittsburgh Steelers six-year defensive end starter. Missed only three games in nine NFL seasons. Enshrined in Nebraska Football Hall of Fame 1966.

James Russell Wiggins - Executive editor of The Washington Post. Ambassador to the United Nations, appointed by LBJ. President of the American Society of Newspaper Editors 1959-60. Published The Ellsworth American in Maine until retirement at age 95.

Dick Wildung - Associated Press Football All-American 1941 and 1942, played tackle for 1940 and 1941 national champion University of Minnesota, four-year captain of Green Bay Packers, College Football Hall of Fame inductee in 1957.

Madison

Movies filmed wholly or partially in Madison

Sweet Land (2005)

Mahtomedi

Marilyn Carroll - U of M faculty

Dave Kapell - The inventor of Magnetic Poetry.

Justin Pierre - Lead singer of the band Motion City Soundtrack.

Lindsey Weier - NCAA and Olympic nordic skier.

The Daniels - Founders of Seattles Best Coffee

Mantorville

It is known as the source of Mantorville limestone, which found its way into buildings across the United States The limestone quarried in the area was soft and easily carved when first extracted, but became harder as it endured the elements, making it a long-lasting building material. The Dodge County Courthouse, the oldest working courthouse in Minnesota, was made of the stone in 1871

Marshall

It is the headquarters of the Schwan Food Company

Home of Southwest Minnesota State University.

Medicine Lake

Terry Gilliam, born in 1940.

Medina

Greg LeMond, former road bicycle racer

Brian Burke, general manager of the 2007 Stanley Cup champions Anaheim Ducks [1]

Steve Hutchinson, player for the Minnesota Vikings

Corey Koskie, Milwaukee Brewers third baseman

John Randle, longtime NFL player

Flip Saunders, NBA head coach

Melrose

Mark Olberding - Former professional basketball player.

Blake Elliott - Winner of the 2003 Gagliardi Trophy for academic and football excellence.

Paul Ellering - Retired professional American wrestling manager.

Calista Flockhart - Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award winning actress.

Matt Herkenhoff - Former offensive lineman for the Kansas City Chiefs.

Menahga

The writer-illustrator Wallace Wood, best known as one of the original five Mad cartoonists, was born in Menahga on June 17, 1927. Wood's childhood in Menahga was documented by Bhob Stewart in the illustrated biography, Against the Grain: Mad Artist Wallace Wood (TwoMorrows Publishing, 2003).

Former college basketball coach Don Monson was originally from Menahga.

Milroy

Edwin W. Rawlings-Air Force general.

Montevideo

In 2004, the city was honored with the presentation of the National Civic League's All-America City Award, which is given to only ten cities a year. The award is the oldest and most respected community recognition program in the nation and recognizes communities whose citizens work together to identify and tackle community-wide challenges and achieve uncommon results.

Sweet Land (2005) - "Plot Summary for Sweet Land (2005) - "As Inge buries her husband Olaf on their Minnesota farm in 1968, we relive her life story as she tells her grown grandson about how she arrived from Norway in 1920 as Olaf's postal bride and of the epic obstacles they overcame in order to marry..."

Montgomery

Montgomery is home to Big Honza Giganticzech's Museum of Unnatural History. Personal tours conducted by Dr. Monty Gomery PHD (Promulgator of Honzonian Data), distinguished graduate of ISU (Imaginary State University). Annually, Montgomery celebrates their Czechoslovakian heritage at the end of July with one of Minnesota's oldest festivals, Kolacky Days.

Area resident Andrew Rogers finished in 5th place at the Poker Dome Challenge, a 43-week series of speed poker tournaments that offered a grand prize of $1,000,000.00 USD.

Monticello

Each winter, hundreds of trumpeter swans nest near Mississippi Drive Park in Monticello as the Mississippi River is heated from warm water discharged by the Monticello Nuclear Generation Plant.

The Great American Smokeout day, held annually by the American Cancer Society, was based on an idea of the editor of the Monticello Times, Lynn R. Smith. He promised to publish the names of 300 people who pledged to quit smoking for one day (January 6, 1974) on the front page of the Times. This caused a sensation, and led to Minnesota's first statewide D-day (Don't Smoke Day). In 1976, the California chapter of the American Cancer Society held a similar Don't Smoke Day, encouraging almost one million people to quit that day. After that, starting in 1977, the Great American Smokeout day has been a national event, held on the third Thursday each November (one week before Thanksgiving).

Moose Lake

Moose Lake was one of the communities affected by the massive 1918 Cloquet Fire.

Notable graduates from Moose Lake High School include poet and novelist David Athey, author of Danny Gospel.[1]

In the popular children's video series, VeggieTales, there is an ongoing gag regarding Moose Lake such as in The End of Silliness? when a petition is made to bring back Silly Songs with Larry, Dr. Archibald reveals to Larry that it was signed by the entire population of Duluth, Minnesota and one citizen of Moose Lake, to which Larry responds, "Wow, Moose Lake!"

Mora

The city of Mora plays host each February to the Mora Vasaloppet, the largest ski race in Minnesota, as well as the Snake River Canoe Race, the Mora Half-Marathon, and the Mora Bicycle Tour.

Mora is also the home of a gigantic Dala horse, and a Mora clock commemorating the town's Swedish roots.

Mora's sister city and namesake is Mora, Sweden, known for being the ending point of the Swedish Vasaloppet. They became sister cities in 1972.

Morris

In 1975, the city was the site of the largest earthquake of the last century in the state, rated at between 4.6 and 4.8 in magnitude.[4]

Mound

Mound is the birth place of the Tonka truck, which is named after Lake Minnetonka.

Mound is also the birth place of actor Kevin Sorbo, who portrayed Hercules on the television show Hercules: The Legendary Journeys.

Mound is the birthplace and childhood home of the fictional character S. "Jonesy" Jones from Reno 911! (Actor Cedric Yarbrough is actually from Burnsville, Minnesota)

Also the fictional hometown of Larry Sanders, main character of The Larry Sanders Show.

Mountainiron

Mountain Iron is home to Minntac, the world's largest taconite processing plant

Nashwuak

Robert R. Gilruth-Aviation and space pioneer who was born here.

Nerstrand

Thorstein Veblen (1857-1929), usually characterized as an economist or sociologist, and best known for writing the book The Theory of the Leisure Class (ISBN 0-14-018795-2), lived about a mile northeast of town. His house and farm contained several innovations, including what is believed to be the first bucket elevator to be installed on a farm in Rice County. The house was renovated in 1994 as a historic site and is occasionally open to the public.

New Brigton

In his Academy Award-nominated performance in the 1993 film In The Line Of Fire, actor John Malkovich's character claims to have attended New Brighton High School in his youth, only to be informed by a native that no such high school exists.

New London

This city is known as the starting point for the New London to New Brighton Antique Car Run, a 120 mile endurance tour for vehicles from 1908 and earlier. This event has been held in mid-August each year since 1987.

New Prague

Dožínky (doe-shink'-key), a Czech Harvest Festival patterned after the "Old Country" original. The Dožínky Festival in the Czech Republic is celebrated annually to give thanks for the bountiful harvest. In New Prague the festival is held on the third Saturday of each September. The town shuts down most of the downtown portion of Main Street to make host for people, food, games, a noon parade, and other fun for one day on Saturday. On the eve of the festival, Friday night, a classic and hot rod car show/drive takes place. Car enthusiasts come to show off their vehicles in a parade of cars on Main Street. Afterwards, cars are available to look at. Typically there are food and other drinks stands open during that time, and there is an alumni softball and volleyball tournament.

New Richland

In 1976 and 1978 the then, New Richland-Hartland Cardinal football team won the State Championship

New Ulm

During World War II, German POWs were housed in a camp to the immediate southeast of New Ulm, in what is now Flandrau State Park. In 1944 a New Ulm family was fined $300 for removing a prisoner from the camp, housing him and taking him to church. [6]

The Hermann Monument in New Ulm dominates the Minnesota River valley from a hill overlooking the city. Inspired by a similar monument called Hermannsdenkmal near Detmold, Germany, this figure served as a symbol for members of Sons of Hermann, a fraternal organization of German Americans

A monument to German-Bohemian immigration to America is located in New Ulm. It was erected in 1991 by the German-Bohemian Heritage Society to honor the German-Bohemian immigrants who arrived in this area of the US, most by way of a boat landing on the Minnesota River some 150 yards to the east.

MN Music Hall of Fame

The museum has displays of music memorabilia for musicians and groups from around the state, including Prince, Judy Garland, Bob Dylan, and local artists Whoopee John Wilfahrt and The Six Fat Dutchmen.

Polka Capital of the Nation

Music was always a part of life in New Ulm, especially with the arrival of the musically-inclined German-Bohemians in the 1870s. However, New Ulm took a major leap to national prominence in the 1920s.[citation needed]

Whoopee John Wilfahrt’s successful career opened the door to what became known as “Old-Time" music. After him, other local bands such as those led by Harold Loeffelmacher, Babe Wagner, Elmer Scheid and Fezz Fritsche kept New Ulm well-known around the state and region. They even produced nationally popular recordings.[citation needed] With the opening of George’s Ballroom and the New Ulm Ballroom and the start of KNUJ radio station in the 1940s, New Ulm billed itself as the "Polka Capital of the Nation". [2] For years New Ulm's famous Polka Days were known world-wide by polka lovers.

New Ulm was the setting and filming location of the 1995 independent film, "The Toilers and the Wayfarers," directed by Keith Froelich. The city was also the a filming location of the 2004 documentary, "American Beer."

Notable People

Author and artist Wanda Gag was born in New Ulm on March 11, 1893. [3] Her childhood home is open to tour.

Hitchcock actress Tippi Hedren was born in New Ulm on January 19, 1930. [4] She was the star of Hitchcock's classic The Birds.

Polka band leader Harold Loeffelmacher organized his band The Six Fat Dutchmen in New Ulm during the 1930s. [5] His band played polka music all over the United States.

In 1848 August Schell moved to New Ulm from Germany. Here he started the August Schell Brewing Company. The brewery is still in business today. He died in New Ulm in 1891.

Former Oakland A's catcher Terry Steinbach was born in New Ulm on March 2, 1962. [6] He played on the All Star Team three times and in 1988 was voted the MVP.

Whoopee John Wilfahrt was born in 1893 on a farm near New Ulm, Minnesota. [7] He became the leader of one of the most successful polka bands in the nation.

John Lind, although he was born in Sweden, immigrated to the United States and called New Ulm his hometown. He was a successful lawyer and was elected the 14th governor of Minnesota. [8] He was the state's governor from 1899–1901 and then a United States Congressman.

Northfield

The local cereal producer Malt-O-Meal, is one of the few remnants of Northfield's historic wheat boom,

Carleton College (then Northfield College) was founded in 1866

The nation's oldest student-run pub, The Cave, was founded at Carleton in 1927 in the basement of Evans Hall

The popular early computer game The Oregon Trail was first created, and later developed, by students at Carleton in 1971.

The Reformed Druids of North America was founded at Carleton in 1963, initially as an effort to be excused from attending the then-required weekly chapel service, and later as legitimate spiritual exploration. Peter Tork of The Monkees was a student of English at Carleton for three years until he dropped out to pursue music full-time.

Popular PBS and National Geographic TV zoology host Chris Kratt received his BA in biology from Carleton.

Carleton hosted the first and only NCAA-sponsored metric football game in 1977. The game was dubbed the "Liter Bowl" and was measured in meters instead of yards. Carleton lost the game to St. Olaf by a score of 42-0.

The world premiere production of Bertolt Brecht's play The Caucasian Chalk Circle was performed in 1948 at Carleton's Nourse Little Theater.

The popular indie band Tapes 'N Tapes formed at Carleton in the winter of 2003.

The school's all-male a cappella group, The Carleton Singing Knights, performed a version of Daft Punk's Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.

A scene from the movie D3: The Mighty Ducks was filmed in Carleton's Great Hall.

St. Olafs College

Russell A. Anderson, Chief Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court August H. Andresen (1890-1958), U.S. Congressman Anton Armstrong, conductor of the St. Olaf Choir Craig Arnold, Luther College Nordic Choir conductor Robert Bly, poet Dean Buntrock, founder of Waste Management, Inc. Rene Clausen, Concordia Choir conductor, composer Jason DeRose, journalist, public radio reporter/anchor Arlen Erdahl, U.S. Congressman David Grose, historian and scholar of Ancient Rome Harold Hagen, U.S. Congressman Sam Hanson, Associate Justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court Einar Haugen, renowned linguist Siri Hustvedt, writer Kenneth Jennings, St. Olaf Choir conductor emeritus, composer Bruce Laingen, former U.S. charge d'affaires in Iran who was one of the American diplomats taken hostage at the American embassy in Tehran Traci Lambrecht, co-author (P.J. Tracy) of the popular Monkeewrench mystery novels Ernest Orlando Lawrence (1901–1958), physicist and Nobel laureate David Minge, U.S. Congressman and judge on the Minnesota Court of Appeals Olaf M. Norlie, Bible translator, professor, editor, writer Mark W. Olson, Governor of the U.S. Federal Reserve Al Quie, U.S. Congressman and 35th Governor of Minnesota Chris Raschka, children's author and illustrator (prior winner of Caldecott award) Ole Rolvaag (1876-1931), author (Giants in the Earth) and professor Bradley Kane (Resident Director)(UH and UCB Unit 2 ) and professor George Thompson, Attorney General of Wisconsin Andrew Volstead, U.S. Congressman, sponsor and namesake of the National Prohibition Act of 1919 Dale Warland, founder and conductor of the Dale Warland Singers

St. Olaf College in popular culture

St. Olaf is mentioned in the works of Minnesota author F. Scott Fitzgerald. His character Jay Gatsby of The Great Gatsby attended the college briefly and worked as a janitor. It also is mentioned in Garrison Keillor's radio program A Prairie Home Companion. The fictional Minnesota city of St. Olaf was the hometown of Rose Nylund in the TV show The Golden Girls. In the TV show the fictional city's sister city was St. Gustav, Minnesota, a nod to rival Gustavus Adolphus College, located nearby in St. Peter, Minnesota. Betty White, the actress who played Rose, visited the St. Olaf campus on one occasion and was given an honorary membership in St. Olaf's chapter of the theater honorary society.

Defeat of Jesse James Days

The First National Bank building in Northfield, site of the robbery. On September 7, 1876, Northfield experienced one of its most important historical events. An outlaw gang led by Jesse James tried to rob the First National Bank of Northfield. Local citizens, recognizing what was happening, armed themselves and resisted the robbers, successfully thwarting the theft, but not before the bank's cashier, Joseph Lee Heywood (who also served as Northfield's and Carleton College's treasurer) and a Swedish immigrant, Nicolaus Gustavson, were murdered. A couple of the James-Younger gang were killed in the street, while the rest of the Gang (except for Jesse and Frank James, who reportedly escaped), were cornered near Madelia, Minnesota, and were either killed or taken into custody. The failed raid has sometimes been called the last major event of the American Civil War. The event has become a major tourist draw for the city. One result of the attempted bank robbery by the James-Younger gang is an outdoor festival, The Defeat of Jesse James Days,[4] held the weekend after Labor Day every year to commemorate the event. The festival is among the largest outdoor celebrations in Minnesota. Thousands of visitors witness reenactments of the robbery, watch championship rodeo, enjoy a carnival, watch the parade, explore arts and crafts expositions, and attend musical performances.

A number of films have been made of the attempted robbery. One of the best known is the 1972 film The Great Northfield, Minnesota Raid, which portrayed the bedraggled James brothers riding off into the mountains west of town. In reality the mountains are about 1,200 miles west of town.

Peter Agre, Nobel laureate

Cyril Archibald, member of Canadian Parliament

Ian Barbour, Winifred & Atherton Bean Professor of Science, Technology & Society, Emeritus at Carleton College, winner of 1999 Templeton Prize

Paulette Carlson, country music singer

Joel Heatwole, member of U.S. House of Representatives

Lucius Roy Holbrook, U.S. Army major general

Alexandra Holden, television and film actress

Siri Hustvedt, novelist, poet, and essayist

Karl Rolvaag, governor of Minnesota

Ole Edvart Rølvaag, novelist

Brynhild Rowberg, author and retired foreign service officer

Mark Setterstrom, professional football player

Edward John Thye, governor of Minnesota

Gordon Marino, existentialist philosopher.

Stephen C. Evans, philosopher of religion.

Paul Wellstone, U.S. Senator

Johnny Western, singer-songwriter, actor, radio host

Charles Augustus Wheaton, major figure in the abolitionist movement and Underground Railroad

North Oaks

The town made news in May 2008, when it sent a letter to internet search company Google, stating that its Street View software contained images that violated their trespassing ordinance, and requested that they be removed. A Google spokesperson told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that it was the first time she knew of an entire city asking to be removed from Street View

North St. Paul

At the corner of Highway 36 and Margaret Street resides the North Saint Paul Snowman. It is the official city logo of North Saint Paul.

Norwood Young America

Trivia Norwood Young America is home to Stiftungsfest, Minnesota's oldest festival.

When the city was simply Young America, it was known as being one of the two cities where correspondences for consumer product contests went to, the other being Blair, Nebraska.

Olivia

The Minnesota Senate has designated Olivia the "Corn Capital of the World ". Olivia has been calling itself the "Corn Capital of the World " since 1973, when it erected its well-known 50-foot corn monument in the shape of an ear of corn.

Olivia is the home to nine seed research facilities of its own. It is located in the middle of Renville County, Minnesota's leading producer of corn. Olivia celebrates Corn Capital Days during the last weekend of July. Activities include a parade, corn cob toss, corn-lympics, free corn feed, kiddie parade, Lion's Walk-in, Fly-in, Drive-in breakfast, and live music

Orr

Orr is best known as an entry point for the Boundary Waters and Voyageurs National Park.

Osakis

Leif Enger, author of the best-selling novel Peace Like a River was born and raised in Osakis.

Otsego

Currently, the largest Target in North America is being built in Otsego.

Owatonna

Parts of the 1995 movie Angus were filmed in and around Owatonna, including Owatonna High School and its football team.[6]

Karyn Stordahl-Utecht, Miss Minnesota 2005 and contestant of The Golf Channel's reality series The Big Break VI: Trump National in 2006. Graduate of Owatonna High School.

Ken Christianson, Artist and Musician, graduate of Owatonna Senior High.

Masanori Mark Christianson, Art Director and Musician, graduate of Owatonna Senior High.

Casey Driessen, fiddler.

Camera Can't Lie, Rock band currently managed by Stephen Short.

Theodore Marcus Hansen, Lutheran pastor and educator, pastor in Owatonna from 1948-1952.

Har Mar Superstar, musician and songwriter, was born in Owatonna.

Mike Hegstrand, Professional Wrestler, Hawk, One half of the Road Warriors, 1958-2003. Born in Owatonna, Resided on Xerxes Ave.

Don Laughlin, founder of the resort town of Laughlin, Nevada, born and raised in Owatonna.

E.G. Marshall, known for his role as the nervous Juror #3 in the Henry Fonda classic, 12 Angry Men and as the lead in the TV series The Defenders, was born in Owatonna on June 18th, 1910.

Craig Minowa, rising musician star, lead singer of Cloud Cult, & also founder of Minnesota record label Earthology records.

Ted Nesseth, Musician and Songwriter, graduate of Owatonna Senior High.

Kari Schroht Reuvers, 1978 Princess Kay of the Milky Way

Harry Williams, the author of the World War I and World War II classic song, "It's a Long Way to Tipperary", and sometime director for Mack Sennett graduated from Pillsbury Military Academy.

Travis Wiuff, a.k.a "Diesel", MMA fighter, UFC

Kathy Zeman, 1976 Princess Kay of the Milky Way

Roger H. Tenney, 1967 national Teacher of the Year

Perham

Fritz Hanson, legendary Canadian Football League pioneer

Pine Island

The small town was temporarily thrown into the national spotlight in 2002 for having been the home town of the Midwest pipe bomber Luke Helder.

Pipeston

The city is also the site of the Pipestone National Monument.

Plainview

The author Jon Hassler was raised in Plainview and some of the places in his writing are based on the town.

Preston

It bills itself as "America's Trout Capital,"[4] with a 20-foot trout [5] placed along Minnesota State Highway 16.

Princeton

Bob Backlund, professional wrestler

Prior Lake

Following the 1999 Columbine High School Massacre, journalist Elinor Burkett spent a year following students and teachers in Prior Lake High School. She chose Prior Lake as her subject because it was found to be virtually identical to Columbine demographically. She documented her experience in the book Another Planet: A Year in the Life of a Suburban High School

John Robert Roach, Archbishop of St. Paul-Minneapolis (1975-1995) was born in Prior Lake on July 31, 1921.

Proctor

Notable People

Dan Devine - College and Professional Coach - Missouri, Arizona State, Notre Dame, and Green Bay. Coach of a National Football Championship Team.

Jean Lemmon - Former Editor of Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.

Robert R. Laney - outstanding Proctor basketball - state single game record of 32 rebounds.

Randall

The Great Flood of 1972 In the Great Flash Flood of July 21-22, 1972, the Little Elk poured over its banks, flooding the entire downtown and making the area impassable to vehicle traffic for several weeks. Local citizens reported that Randall received over 13 inches (330 mm) of rain in a single day during the deluge, although official precipitation data for the town do not exist.

Raymond

William A. Mitchell - a food chemist who had the patent on Pop Rocks and was born here.

Red Wing

Red Wing is famous as the home of Red Wing Shoes, the Riedell Ice and Roller Skates, and also for its Red Wing Stoneware.

Notable People

Frances Densmore, ethnographer and ethnomusicologist (1867-1957)

Patrick Flueger, actor, The Princess Diaries, 4400

Martin Maginnis, politician, Union Army veteran

John Pohl, Player in NHL, Toronto Maple Leafs

Reid Cashman, Player in AHL, Toronto Marlies

Redwood Falls

Redwood Falls is home to the Minnesota Inventors' Congress. Started in the 1958 to encourage innovation and entrepreneurship and attract industry to town, MIC holds a juried exhibition each June. It also sponsors a contest for student inventors.

Rice

On April 14, 1886, Rice, along with Sauk Rapids and St Cloud were hit by the Sauk Rapids Tornado. It is the deadliest in the history of Minnesota.

Roseau

Roseau has a strong high school hockey tradition and has competed in and won the Minnesota state hockey tournament more than any other team in the state (most recently in 2007).

The town is also home to a manufacturing and plastic molding injection facility of snowmobile and ATV manufacturer Polaris and the home of retired NHL and Olympic hockey players Neal Broten, Aaron Broten, Paul Broten, Blane Comstock, Rube Bjorkman, Don Ross, and Bryan "Butsy" Erickson.

Roseau is also the hometown John Harris (golfer), who currently competes on the PGA Seniors Tour

Politician Robert Bergland.

Garrett Hedlund, actor in movies such as Troy (film) or Eragon (film) was born in Roseau.

Dustin Byfuglien, plays for the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks. He was born in Roseau

Rosemount

Rosemount is home to the Pine Bend Refinery, which is the largest oil refinery in Minnesota and the 14th-largest in the United States.

Rosemount was also home to a military gunpowder plant in the 1940s called Gopher Ordnance Works.

Despite the relatively small population of Rosemount, they are the only multiple-time hosts of the USA Broomball National Championships, welcoming competing teams in 2001, 2002, 2003, and 2005

Pierce Butler, Associate Justice of the US Supreme Court

Hugh Derham, Founder (along with Andrew Keegan) of the city and benefactor of Cretin High School

Mike Morris, Retired Long-snapper, Minnesota Vikings

Duane Andreas, Former CEO Archer Daniels Midland

Tom Preissing, Los Angeles Kings defenseman

Rothsay

One of Rothsay's major tourist attractions is the large prairie chicken statue near the northwest outskirts of the town.

Rushford

Though bluffs surround the town (Rushford is in the heart of southeastern Minnesota's Bluff Country), the most impressive is Magelssen's Bluff, a 440-foot dominant presence over the town, complete with the town name in large white letters anchored on the side of the hill almost Hollywood-style.

Sabin

Sabin was the home of the first Scheels All Sports

St. Anthony Village

St. Anthony was the home of Apache Plaza, the tenth indoor shopping mall in United States, which opened in October of 1961. The first, Southdale, was built only 20 miles to the south and was completed in October of 1956. Built in the 1950's, The St. Anthony Shopping Center was the first strip mall in the state of Minnesota and was owned by the Batista family of Cuba. [1]

In the spring of 2006 the St. Anthony Village High School Huskies claimed ISD 282's first major state Championship in Baseball. They have also won three Class AA state championships in Knowledge Bowl.

St. Charles

Brad Nessler, ESPN commentator Erik Larson and Joe Roberts, Minnesota State Speech Champions 2008

Duo Mel Brownell, Longtime Mayor

St. Joseph

Home to the College of Saint Benedict.

Notable People

Tom Burnett, hero of United Airlines Flight 93 during the September 11, 2001 attacks. Attended SJU for two years, but did not graduate.

David Durenberger, former U.S. Senator

Jon Hassler, novelist

Peggy Hoffman[1], judge of County Criminal Court 9, Dallas County, Texas

Shaun Johnson and Mark McGowan, founding members of Tonic Sol-fa

Mark Kennedy, former U.S. Congressman

Matt Kirby and Kevin Truckenmiller, members of alternative rock band Quietdrive

Bill Kling, co-founder and president of Minnesota Public Radio

Bernie Kukar, former National Football League referee

Eugene McCarthy, former U.S. Senator, author, and Presidential candidate

Mike McCarthy, businessman

John McCutcheon, Grammy-winning folk musician

John McNally, aka "Johnny Blood", National Football League Hall of Famer

Larry Millett, journalist and author

Matt Schnobrich, 2008 Summer Olympics crew rower

Eugene P. Sheehy Head Academic Librarian at Columbia University, 1967-1986

Stephen Sommers, movie director

St. Marys Point

Phil Housley, National Hockey League player

Stanley Hubbard, broadcasting tycoon

St. Peter

Olive Fremstad, Opera Singer, Metropolitan Opera

Steve Neils, Football Player, St. Louis Cardinals

Maximilian Dick, Violinist, New York Philharmonic

James M. McPherson, Civil War historian and author

George Engesser, Circus entertainer, vaudeville

Gideon Sprague Ives, Lieutenant Governor of Minnesota, 1891-1893, Mayor of St. Peter, 1885

Lillien Cox Gault, Mayor of St. Peter, 1921-1922, Minnesota's first woman mayor. Daughter of E. St. Julien Cox. Eugene Saint Julien Cox, Politician, First Mayor of St. Peter, 1865-1867, State Legislature, Judge for 6th Judicial District. Impeached in 1880, impeachement overturned in 1881.

John Denver, folk singer, whose wife Ann Marie Martell (Annie) was a St. Peter native.

Ann Martell went to school and graduated from St. Peter High School, attended Gustavus Adolphus College where as a Sophomore she met John Denver. They were married on June 9, 1967 in Christ Chapel which is on Gustavus Adolphus College campus. The singing group Peter, Paul, and Mary also sang at their wedding. The song they sang for the wedding was Leaving on a Jet Plane written by John Denver.

Megan Vogel, basketball player, 19th pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft for the Washington Mystics

Andy Schroeder, Nick Miller, John Grabow, Nick Haggenmiller, Great Trekkers, see Great Trek description above.

Rick Rude, professional wrestler E.A. Rogers, founder of the Junior State of America

Sartell

Craig Sauer, NFL linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings [1]

Kurt Sauer, NHL defenseman for the Colorado Avalanche [2]

Michael Sauer, drafted by the New York Rangers in July 2005 [3]

Sauk Centre

It is the birthplace of Sinclair Lewis, a novelist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, and Sauk Centre served as the inspiration for Gopher Prairie, the fictional setting of Lewis's 1920 novel Main Street.

Sauk Rapids

Until 1886 Sauk Rapids was one of the most important cities in Minnesota. It stood a good chance of becoming even more so, but on April 14th at approximately 4:00 p.m. a tornado struck the town. The twister swept through the heart of the city, destroying all of the stores. In Sauk Rapids alone, 44 people were killed and several hundred were wounded. The event was a great setback for the city, and though it has rebuilt since then it never regained its former prominence in state-wide affairs.

Scandia

Gammelgarden Museum, located in the city's Johnson Park, "since 1972 has preserved, presented, and promoted Swedish immigrant heritage and history", with events such as "Midsommar Dag" and "Dalapalooza" --a reference to the Dalecarlian horses the city has erected to welcome visitors, similar to Saint Paul, Minnesota's use of the Peanuts characters

Sebeka

Dick Stigman, a Major League Baseball player attended and graduated from Sebeka High School. He was a pitcher for the Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians, and the Boston Red Sox during the early 1960's and threw a 10-inning shutout against the New York Yankees on July 3, 1964 while with the Twins.

Silver Bay

Tettegouche State Park is located about four miles northeast of the community on Minnesota Highway 61. Palisade Head, a rocky headland with steep cliffs, is between the town and the main entrance to the park.

Split Rock Lighthouse is seven miles to the southwest, also on Highway 61.

Gooseberry Falls State Park is 15 miles south of the town. All three sites have dramatic cliffs overlooking Lake Superior; the cliffs from the first two were used for filming of The Good Son.

Sleepy Eye

Many watchers of the "Little House on the Prairie" TV series will also recognize Sleepy Eye as an important trade post for the citizens of Walnut Grove. In fact, the first telephone line to reach Walnut Grove from Minneapolis was called the "Sleepy Eye Line" in one episode.

Every August the residents of Sleepy Eye host the annual "Corn Days" event, where free buttered corn is provided, as well as live music, a flea market, and various other events.

Ralph John Fritz, a longtime Twin Cities sportscaster, is from Sleepy Eye.

Residents of Sleepy Eye made headlines in the early 1990s by trying to ban MTV in the town.

South St. Paul

Birthplace of James P. Shannon, Former Roman Catholic Bishop from the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, only Bishop to leave the priesthood after Vatican II.

Hometown of Tim Pawlenty, Governor of Minnesota

Birthplace of Harold Stassen, former Governor of Minnesota

Jim Carter, former linebacker for the National Football League's Green Bay Packers

Phil Housley, formerly of the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres

Nick Parker, Famous non-professioal Football and Basketball player in South Saint

Paul Bill Purdy, World-leading free speech protester utilizing domain name cyber squatting and webpage parodies resulting in numerous favorable free-speech precedents in the Federal courts.

Springfield

The town was often mentioned on the "Little House on the Prairie" series, as Charles Ingalls frequent place for "business travels

Spring Valley

Almanzo Wilder, husband of Laura Ingalls Wilder, lived on a farm near Spring Valley.

Stacy Jessica Dereschuk, Miss Minnesota USA 2004

Starbuck

Starbuck is home to the world's largest lefse.

Stewartville

Richard Sears, founder of Sears, Roebuck & Company

Stillwater

Stillwater is often referred to as the birthplace of Minnesota. In 1848, a territorial convention that began the process of establishing Minnesota as a state was held in Stillwater at the corner of Myrtle and Main Streets. Minnesota officially became a territory in 1849 and became a state in 1858.

Grumpy Old Men (1993) The Cure (1995) Grumpier Old Men (1995) Fargo (1996) Beautiful Girls (1996) Overnight Delivery (1998) Agnus (1995)

The Minnesota Territorial Prison was a prison in Stillwater, Minnesota, operated from 1853 - 1914. Construction of the prison began in 1851, shortly after Minnesota became a territory [2]. The historic site, long since unused, was destroyed by arson on September 3, 2002 [3] The prison was well-known because it once housed the Younger Brothers (Cole, Bob, and Jim), members of notorious outlaw Jesse James' gang.[3]

Taylor Falls

In popular culture Taylors Falls was the location where the main characters of the Swedish novel "The Emigrants" settled.

Taylors Falls features a school built in 1852, making it the oldest public school in Minnesota[3].

Tenney

Tenney has been described both as the smallest town in Minnesota and as the smallest statutory city in America.

Thief River Falls

Notable People

Moise Paul Moise Paul, a former Florida Gators football player who attended Northland Community & Technical College.

Wyatt Smith Wyatt Smith is a Colorado Avalanche Hockey Team Player.

Local TRF Resident Wins Contest on National TV - Lorri Skogstad, Thief River Falls, won a contest featured on Live with Regis and Kelly. On May 29, 2007, Skogstad correctly answered the question, "In what 1987 film did we say Kevin Costner appeared as a Navy officer?" She answered, "No Way Out" and won "Live's Sunblast Trivia A-Glo-Go" valued at over $5,300. [1]

A family from Thief River Falls and a family from Saratoga, California switched wives for two weeks on the popular ABC reality show, Wife Swap, directed by Todd Baker. Doug Williams is an overnight Thief River Falls police officer who swapped his wife Jo Williams, a prison guard, with Abra Slater whose husband is Mark Slater. Both families have children. The episode aired on ABC on October 2, 2006.

In the movie "Miracle", the Thief River Falls Airport is shown

Brynn Hartman was born Vicki Omdahl in Thief River Falls to Donald Gene Omdahl and Constance Faye Omdahl on April 11, 1958. Hartman performed minor acting rolls on television and film including North and 3rd Rock from the Sun. Brynn married actor Phil Hartman. In the early 1990s, she can be seen in the opening credit sequence of Saturday Night Live having dinner with Phil (back to the camera). In 1998 Brynn killed Phil in his sleep with three shots using a revolver after an argument. She later killed herself.

Bill Carlson was a longtime noon news anchor for CBS owned WCCO-TV in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Bill Carlson was born in Thief River Falls but was raised in St. Paul, Minnesota. Carlson joined WCCO Radio in 1951. He died Feb. 29, 2008, of prostate and liver cancer.

2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships Thief River Falls, along with Grand Forks, North Dakota, hosted the 2005 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships between December 25, 2004 and January 4, 2005. The Ralph Engelstad Arena hosted the Thief River Falls games, one of which was broadcast on sports network, ESPN.

The town is the home of snowmobile manufacturer Arctic Cat.

Tracy Donald O. Johnston (born 1929) composer, music publisher and educator.

Cal Ludeman (born 1951) former Minnesota State Representative, commissioner of MN Dept. of Human Services.

Dennis Morgan (born 1952) famous songwriter.

Jim Vickerman (born 1931) long-time Minnesota State Senator, first elected in 1986; currently in his seventh term.

Two Harbors

Philip Berrigan - Catonsville Nine member born here. (His brother Daniel was born in a nearby town)

Rhonda Britten - Actress, Best-selling author, Motivational speaker and life coach Starting Over born here

Johnny Western - Singer, songwriter, musician and actor born here.

Ulen

Near this small community, what is believed to be an authentic Viking sword was found in a field. The sword is currently on display in a museum.

Vergas

Vergas claims it is Home of the World's Largest Loon, actually a twenty foot high sculpture of a loon, the state bird.

Verndale

Verndale's most famous citizen, General Lesley James McNair, was born on May 25, 1883, in Verndale, then a farming and mercantile community of 500. McNair, the son of a merchant, gave his life during WWII so that Europe and the rest of the world might be free. McNair was killed July 25, 1944 near St. Lo during Operation Cobra, by a misplaced aerial bombardment. He was the highest-ranking American to be killed in action in World War II.

Virginia

Notable People

All of the following are hockey players (* denotes retired) except Mondavi who was a famous winemaker, and Berrigan who is a nonviolent peace activist. Robert Mondavi Matt Cullen Matt Niskanen Nico Sacchetti John Gruden * John Harrington - member of the 1980 Miracle on Ice hockey team that won the gold medal. Jack Carlson * Jeff Carlson * Steve Carlson* Daniel Berrigan Frank Haege

Points of interest

Olcott Park Greenhouse

Laurentian Divide

Mesabi Trail

Wabasha

Wabasha was the setting of the movies Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old Men.

John Van Dyke (1807-1878), represented New Jersey's 4th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1847 to 1851. He moved to Wabasha in 1868, and served in the Minnesota Senate in 1872 and 1873.[5]

James Raschke a.k.a Baron von Raschke - Professional Wrestler who's signature hold was The Claw.

Walnut Grove

Walnut Grove is the home of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum, dedicated to the author of the Little House on the Prairie books.

Charles Frederic 'Freddy' Ingalls, (November 1, 1876 - August 27, 1877 in South Troy, Minnesota), the little brother of Laura Ingalls Wilder, was born in Walnut Grove

Warren

Notable People

Ophthalmologist Harold Scheie, founder of the Scheie Eye Institute,

Painter Gerome Kamrowski,

Rock critic Paul Nelson.

Serial killer Carl Panzram was born south of the city in rural Polk County but his connection to Warren is unknown.

Warroad

The Warroad Warriors won the Minnesota High School hockey Class A championship in 1994, 1996, 2003, & 2005.

Warroad is the fictional hometown and birthplace of the character Donna Moss on the political television drama series The West Wing.

For over 35 years Warroad was home to the hockey stick manufacturing company Christian Brothers.

Warroad was the original Hockeytown, USA for over 50 years before Detroit began using the title in the late 1990s.[4]

Notable People

Dave Christian a member of the 1980 Miracle on Ice hockey team that won the gold medal was born here. His father Bill Christian (born January 29, 1938) is a retired ice hockey player also from Warroad. He led the United States to a gold medal at the 1960 Winter Olympics.

Henry Boucha played high school ice hockey for Warroad High School, and continued his career by playing for the 1972 US Olympic team, prior to enjoying a 6-year career in the NHL.

Warroad Mayor, Bob Marvin, recently became a minority investor in the Minnesota Wild. Warroad has had a major impact on the sport of ice hockey in the US.

It is the home to three gold medal recipients: Dave Christian, Bill Christian, and Roger Christian. Other Olympians either raised, or residing in Warroad include: Rube Bjorkman, Dan McKinnon, Gordon Christian, Henry Boucha & Blane Comstock.

Waseca

Ray J. Madden, member of the United States House of Representatives.

Tim Penny, former DFL House Representative.

Jeffrey Skilling, former Enron CEO, is imprisoned in the Federal Correction Institution, Waseca.

Leroy Shield, Composer, Conductor, Arranger of such works as Little Rascals, Laurel & Hardy,born in Waseca.

Waterville

Major A. B. Rogers (1829-1889), railway surveyor who discovered Rogers Pass in British Columbia, Canada.

Watkins

Eugene McCarthy, U.S. Senator; candidate for President of the United States

Watkins' sign recognizing this is mentioned in Pontoon: A Novel of Lake Wobegon by Garrison Keillor.

Abigail McCarthy, American writer, columnist and teacher (wife of Eugene McCarthy) Born in Wabasha, Minnesota; but the McCarthys settled here after their marriage.

Waverly

Notable People

Hubert Humphrey, Vice President of the United States

Wayzata

The television show Lost featured a major character named Ben Linus, who had assumed the identity of a Henry Gale from Wayzata, who died sometime after crashing on the mystery island in a hot air balloon.

In the 1996 movie Fargo, William H. Macy's character intends on purchasing a parking lot in Wayzata.

In the 1990s TV show Beverly Hills 90210, Brandon Walsh (Jason Priestly) and Brenda Walsh (Shannen Doherty) moved to California from Wayzata. On the show, they both incorrectly pronounce the city saying "Way-za-da" instead of "Why-zet-a."

Much of the movie Drop Dead Gorgeous (featuring Kirsten Dunst, Kirstie Alley, Denise Richard, and Ellen Barkin) was filmed in Wayzata including scenes at West Middle School, the Wayzata VFW, and 634 Park Street.

West St. Paul

Harold Stassen, former governor, presidential candidate, statesman, and university president

Richard M. Schulze, founder of Best Buy

Joan Kroc, philanthropist and wife of McDonald's founder Ray Kroc

Nick Bockwinkel, professional wrestler

Damian W. Green, author of the book Bloomed and Final Harvest

White Bear Lake

Some say that White Bear Lake was the object of writer F. Scott Fitzgerald's Winter Dreams, as he describes life in Black Bear Lake, Minnesota. What is not in doubt is that White Bear Lake became a sort of de facto gangster haven during the Prohibition era. Those gangsters in Chicago who felt the need to get out of town until "things cooled off" would frequent White Bear Lake, a fact that is not lost on today's Chamber of Commerce who tout this as a reason to visit.

The murder of three-year-old Dennis Jurgens in 1965 at the hands of his adoptive mother, Lois Jurgens, was arguably the biggest scandal to hit the town with her conviction in 1987. The story was recounted in Barry Siegel's true crime novel A Death in White Bear Lake.

Notable People

Tony Benshoof - luger

Jamie Ogden - professional baseball

Gary Rinehart - NAIA All-American-baseball

Jackson Bond - actor

Brian Bonin - 1996 Hobey Baker Award winner.

James Brunzell - wrestler

Moose Goheen - hockey player

Steve Janaszak - hockey goalie - Hill-Murray High School, University of Minnesota, 1980 US Olympic "Miracle on Ice" Team

Bradley Joseph - recording artist

Joe Miller - a Major League Baseball player

Alice Peacock - folk singer

Elwyn "Doc" Romnes - hockey player

Gerry Spiess – sailor

David Tanabe - hockey player

Ryan Carter - 2007 Stanley Cup winner.

Willmar

Willmar was the site of The Great Willmar, Minnesota Raid, a famous bank robbery[4] by the Machine Gun Kelly gang on July 15, 1930.

From 1977 to 1979, Willmar was the site of the Willmar 8, a famous strike of female workers at a local bank.

Willmar native and composer, Bradley Joseph, often references the past when he names his songs and his music is frequently reminiscent of his rural Minnesota roots. "Wind Farmer" was inspired by childhood visits to a relative's farm near Olivia, and his company, Robbins Island Music, is named after a city park in Willmar, says Ann Polta of the West Central Tribune.[5]

In 2005, the city received attention from national media after several Somali high school students gave Willmar High School its first Cross-Country State championship in twenty years. The team won the state tournament and attended the Nike Nationals consecutively in 2005 and 2006. Following the success of the team, the city gained attention from Sports Illustrated. Subsequently, NBC Nightly News conducted a story documenting the changing face of the rural city and its relative acceptance of the new makeup of its citizens.

Willmar was the first U.S. city that used black & white police squad cars.[citation needed] The officers thoughts were if the cab of the car was painted white it would reduce the heat generated from sunlight. Today, the Police Chief will not use black & whites.[citation needed]

Notable People

Dan Anderson (psychologist) – pyschologist

Karlyn Kohrs Campbell – academic

Bonnie Henrickson – head women's college basketball coach at the University of Kansas

Dean Johnson – politician

Carl O. Jorgenson – politician

Bradley Joseph – composer/recording artist

George Nelson (astronaut) – astronaut

Alec G. Olson – politician

Earl B. Olson – founder of the Jennie-O Turkey company

Kenneth L. Olson – United States Army soldier

Albert E. Rice – politician Marion Ross – actress

Henrik Shipstead – politician

Rick Swenson – dog musher and Iditarod participant

Buck Zumhofe – wrestler

Joe Vigil – news anchor KOB TV, New Mexico

Mark Anthony (Anderson)– meteorologist/reporter KGAN-TV, Cedar Rapids, IA and KDSM-TV Des Moines, IA. Also, KSAX TV and KSTP-TV.

Curt Swan – illustrator of Superman comics from the '50s to the '80s

Willow River

Ernie Nevers, Football Hall of Famer

Winnebago

John E. Grotberg - U.S. Representative from Illinois

Winthrop Winthrop is known as the "Grackle City of the World."

Worthington

On December 12, 2006 the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E) staged a coordinated predawn raid at the Swift & Company meat packing plant in Worthington and at five other Swift plants in western states, interviewing workers and hauling hundreds off in buses.[4][5][6]

Notable People

George Dayton was a banker and a real estate developer in Worthington before moving to Minneapolis to start Dayton's Department Store (now part of Macy's). Recently restored, the 1890 Dayton House is a community gem.

Tim O'Brien, an American Novelist known for his astute Vietnam War literature, grew up in Worthington in the 1950s. He references Worthington in several of his novels, including driving around Lake Okabena in The Things They Carried, published in 1990.

Zumbrota

The city is well-known for its covered bridge, which is the only existing authentic covered bridge in Minnesota.