Minnesota Unknown

Minnesota Unknown
  • 5.0 (8)
  • History

From the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Duck Duck Gray Duck, and perpetual road construction, welcome to Minnesota Unknown — a regional history podcast. Join local historians and tour guides Alex Weston, Josie Bergmann, and Hannah Norton for deep dives into Minnesota's storied past, with a special emphasis on the surprising, the unusual, and little-known history hidden in plain sight. www.minnesotaunknown.com

  1. Aug 27

    Purple Reign (Prince part 3 of 3)

    At long last we come to the epic conclusion of our Prince mini-series! (We recommend listening to the previous two episodes if you haven't already.) Picking up where we left off in the last episode, we follow Prince's quixotic quest to become a movie star, see how Prince was almost replaced in his own movie, track the unlikely success of the film and album Purple Rain, learn how Prince gave us that 'Parental Advisory' sticker on explicit albums, witness the building of a 65,000 square foot compound with microphones in every room, find out how Prince became a symbol (literally), and so much more. (Content Warning: strong language, sexual content and innuendo.) For detailed shownotes, links to related content, and a list of sources cited, head here.

    Purple Reign (Prince part 3 of 3)

  2. Aug 16

    Baby, I'm a Star (Prince Part 2 of 3)

    In 1977, an 18-year-old Prince arrived in New York city with a demo tape and dreams of becoming a star, determined to leave Minnesota behind forever. As fate would have it, Prince would indeed become a star, but only once he returned to his hometown, and the road to fame and fortune would include many bumps and hurdles to overcome. In this second part of our three-part series on the life and career of Prince, we follow his trajectory from his first attempts to break into the music business up until he emerges as one of the biggest stars of the 1980s. Along the way, we'll visit the quietest room in the world, follow Prince through some disastrous early performances, find out how the coat room of a former bus depot fostered a thriving punk scene, and learn why the 1980 disco hit "Funkytown" filled Prince with a white hot rage that ended up fueling his rise to stardom. *** (Content Warning: brief strong language, sexual content and innuendo, discussions of racism and homophobia.) You can detailed shownotes, related images and links, and a list of sources cited here.

    Baby, I'm a Star (Prince Part 2 of 3)

  3. Jul 13

    The Little Prince (Prince Part 1 of 3)

    Prince’s legend looms so large that it often feels as if he simply descended from another realm. However, behind the Symbol was a flesh-and-blood human being who was greatly shaped by the city he grew up in. In this episode, we’ll look at Prince’s early life and the start of his career, digging into his family history, his first bands and musical experimentation, and exploring the way his Minneapolis upbringing shaped Prince as a person and influenced his music. This is the first part of a three part series. Next episode, we’ll pick up where this one left off and follow Prince’s life and career as it takes off. _____ Here is the footage of 12-year old Prince, in 1970, we reference during the episode. For more on racial housing covenants and segregation in the Twin Cities, check out Mapping Prejudice. You can find detailed shownotes, related images, sources cited, and more here.

    The Little Prince (Prince Part 1 of 3)

  4. Jun 7

    Your Prince Stories

    Over the course of his 57 years on this earth, musical legend and icon Prince Rogers Nelson crossed paths with countless people. We put out a call on social media asking for people's stories about their own encounters with Prince, and listeners, you delivered. Listen on as we share these listener tales. We want to greatly thank each and every one of you who took the time to write in. You can read all the submissions in full and view accompanying images in our shownotes here.

    Your Prince Stories

  5. Jun 3

    Loonacy

    We get a bit looney as we discuss the magnificent Gavia Immer, better known as the Common Loon. How did this unique water fowl beat out its far more popular avian competition—including the Scarlet Tanager, the Robin, the Goldfinch, and Meadowlark—to become the official state bird of Minnesota? And can they really shoot lasers out of their eyes? We'll answer at least one of those questions. To see photos of loons, loonlets, other birds, and lots of loon-inspired flags and other designs, check out our shownotes here.

    Loonacy

  6. May 7

    Leeann Chin

    This week we’ll be looking at the fascinating life and incredible legacy of Leeann Chin—chef, restaurateur, cookbook author, and inventor of the cream cheese wonton. We’ll follow her story from 1930s China to her arrival in 1950s Minnesota, years during which she received nothing but discouragement from others, to her eventual triumph as a business mogul and culinary star, in part thanks to a fateful encounter with none other than actor Sean Connery. To see images related to this episode, find links to other resources, and see our sources cited, check out our show notes here. *** During this episode, we play several excerpts from an interview Leeann Chin gave to Twin Cities Public Television in 1992. You can find that full interview here.

    Leeann Chin

  7. Apr 16

    Monument Madness!

    Minnesota has no shortage of quirky monuments, statues, and roadside oddities. But which of these kitschy monuments is truly the best in the state? That’s what we asked YOU, the people, to decide! We’ve recently concluded Monument Madness 2026, a contest to decide which is the best roadside monument in the great state of Minnesota. Starting with a bracket of sixteen monuments, we put these roadside marvels head-to-head and solicited comments on social media and votes on our website in a thrilling single-elimination tournament. In this slightly unhinged episode, we adopt the persona of 1930s newscasters and share the exciting match-by-match results of this tournament as well as the fascinating history behind each contender. You can view images of each of the monuments described here. We are also pleased to announce that we have commemorative art prints celebrating the top finalists for sale here!

    Monument Madness!

  8. Mar 21

    Is Fort Snelling on Stolen Land? (Part 2 0f 2)

    How did Fort Snelling come to be built at Bdóte, a sacred site at the center of the homeland of the Dakota people? Join us for part two of our two-part examination of just how, exactly, the US came to claim this site. After delving deep into the backstory and setting the scene in our last episode, here we'll follow the 1805 mission of Lt. Zebulon Pike and take a close look at the supposed treaty that he negotiated. We'll find out why this treaty—usually taken to be the first purchase of land by the US in what is now the state of Minnesota—is about as legally dubious as treaties can get. *** (Content warning: topics discussed include racism, colonialism, genocide, land dispossession, and the desecration of graves.)

    Is Fort Snelling on Stolen Land? (Part 2 0f 2)
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About

From the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Duck Duck Gray Duck, and perpetual road construction, welcome to Minnesota Unknown — a regional history podcast. Join local historians and tour guides Alex Weston, Josie Bergmann, and Hannah Norton for deep dives into Minnesota's storied past, with a special emphasis on the surprising, the unusual, and little-known history hidden in plain sight. www.minnesotaunknown.com

Information

  • Creator
    Minnesota Unknown
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Minnesota Unknown LLC, 2025
  • Show Website
    Minnesota Unknown

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