WPA Guide to Minnesota : The Federal Writers' Project Guide to 1930s Minnesota

by Minnesota Historical Society

• ISBN13: 9780873511858
• ISBN10: 0873511859
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1985-05-01
• Publisher: Minnesota Historical Society Pr

Summary

In the 1930s, at the height of the Great Depression, the federal government put thousands of unemployed writers to work in the Federal Writers Project of the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Out of their efforts came the American Guide series, the first comprehensive guidebooks to the people, resources, and traditions of each state in the union.

The WPA Guide to Minnesota is a lively and detailed introduction to the state and its people. Much has changed since the book's first publication in 1938 when, as the authors noted, some Minnesotans could "clearly recall ... the sight of browsing buffalo herds, and the creaking of thong-tied Red River carts." But the book vividly recaptures the era when annual fishing licenses cost fifty cents, farmers ran barn dances for motoring townfolk, Duluth was the headquarters of the Hay Fever Club of America, and the nearly new Foshay Tower loomed on the Minneapolis skyline.

The guide has much more than nostalgia to offer today's readers. Twenty auto tours and six special city tours tell the stories of the state's peopl

Table of Contents

List of Maps	p. xiii
Introduction	p. xv
Using the Guide	p. xxi
Preface	p. xxiii
General Information	p. xxv
Minnesota: Past and Present
Minnesota Today	p. 3
Natural Setting	p. 8
Climate
Geology
Paleontology
Flora
Fauna
Conservation
First Americans	p. 27
Archeology
Indians
Historical Survey	p. 42
Wilderness to Commonwealth
Territorial Expansion
The New State
After 1900
Government
Agriculture and Farm Life	p. 68
Immigration and Racial Elements	p. 74
Tides of Immigration
Racial Groups
Transportation	p. 81
Industrial Development	p. 89
Lumbering
Milling
Mining
Quarrying
Meat Packing
Commercial Fishing
Labor and Labor Relations
Co-operatives
Education and Religion	p. 110
Press and Radio	p. 120
Sports and Recreation	p. 126
The Arts	p. 132
Architecture
Literature
Music
Painting
Sculpture
Minnesota: Cities and Towns
The Tale of Two Cities	p. 153
Minneapolis	p. 166
St. Paul	p. 206
Duluth	p. 235
St. Cloud	p. 255
Winona	p. 262
Rochester	p. 270
Minnesota: Tours
(Port Arthur, Ontario)-Duluth-Pine City-St. Paul-Red Wing-Winona-La Crescent-(La Crosse, Wis.); [Ontario 61 and US 61]	p. 281
Port Arthur-Duluth	p. 282
Duluth-St. Paul	p. 290
St. Paul-Wisconsin Line	p. 297
Junction with State II-Bemidji-Wadena-Sauk Center-Willmar-Redwood Falls-Windom-Jackson-(Spencer, Iowa); [US 71]	p. 307
Junction with US 53-Hibbing-Grand Rapids-Minneapolis-Mankato-Blue Earth-Elmore-(Fort Dodge, Iowa); [US 169]	p. 318
Junction with US 53-Minneapolis	p. 320
Minneapolis-Iowa Line	p. 328
(Winnipeg, Manitoba)-Noyes-Crookston-Moorhead-Breckenridge-Ortonville-Pipestone-Luverne-(Sioux City, Iowa); [US 75]	p. 334
Canadian Border (Noyes)-Moorhead	p. 335
Moorhead-Ortonville	p. 339
Ortonville-Iowa Line	p. 340
(Ft. Frances, Ontario)-International Falls-Cook-Virginia-Eveleth-Duluth-(Superior, Wis.); [US 53]	p. 343
(Ft. Frances, Ontario)-International Falls-Baudette-Warroad-Roseau-Greenbush-Donaldson-(Drayton, N. Dak.); [State 11]	p. 348
(Superior, Wis.)-Duluth-Grand Rapids-Bemidji-Crookston-East Grand Forks-(Grand Forks, N. Dak.); [US 2]	p. 356
Wisconsin Line (Duluth)-Bemidji	p. 356
Bemidji-North Dakota Line	p. 361
Junction with US 61-Finland-Ely-Tower-Cook; [State 1]	p. 364
(Burr Oak, Iowa)-Rochester-Zumbrota-Twin Cities-Anoka-St. Cloud-Alexandria-Fergus Falls-Moorhead-(Fargo, N. Dak.); [US 52]	p. 369
Iowa Line-Minneapolis	p. 369
Minneapolis-North Dakota Line	p. 375
(Hudson, Wis.)-Twin Cities-Delano-Litchfield-Willmar-Benson-Ortonville-(Aberdeen, S. Dak.); [US 12]	p. 382
Twin Cities-Chaska-Granite Falls-Montevideo-Dawson-(Watertown, S. Dak.); [US 212]	p. 388
(La Crosse, Wis.)-La Crescent-Winona-Rochester-Owatonna-Mankato-New Ulm-Tracy-Lake Benton-(Huron, S. Dak.); [US 14]	p. 396
(La Crosse, Wis.)-La Crescent-Preston-Austin-Albert Lea-Blue Earth-Fairmont-Worthington-Luverne-(Sioux Falls, S. Dak.); [US 16]	p. 407
Minneapolis-Farmington-Northfield-Faribault-Owatonna-Albert Lea-(Northwood, Iowa); [US 65]	p. 417
Junction with US 61-Aitkin-Crosby-Brainerd-Motley; [US 210]	p. 425
(Prescott, Wis.)-St. Paul-East St. Cloud-Little Falls-Staples-Detroit Lakes-Moorhead-(Fargo, N. Dak.); [US 10]	p. 429
St. Vincent-Thief River Falls-Detroit Lakes-Fergus Falls-Montevideo-Marshall-Worthington-(Cherokee, Iowa); [US 59]	p. 442
St. Vincent-Detroit Lakes	p. 443
Detroit Lakes-Iowa Line	p. 447
(Ellsworth, Wis.)-Red Wing-Lake City-Zumbro Falls Rochester-Spring Valley-(Waterloo, Iowa); [US 63]	p. 451
(St. Croix Falls, Wis.)-Taylors Falls-Center City-Forest Lake-Minneapolis; [US 8]	p. 453
Bemidji-Cass Lake-Walker-Brainerd-Little Falls; [US 371]	p. 460
Superior National Forest and Canoe Trips	p. 465
International Boundary Route from Gunflint Area	p. 469
McFarland Lake
Mountain Lake
Rose Lake
Gunflint Lake
Saganaga Lake
Cypress Lake
Big Knife Lake
Prairie Portage
Upper Basswoods Falls
Table Rock or Skull and Crossbones Campsites
Crooked Lake
Iron Lake
Shortiss Island (Lac La Croix)
Near Coleman Island (Lac La Croix)
Group of Islands (on northwest end of Lac La Croix)
South end of Lac La Croix
Loon Lake
Vermilion Narrows
From Gunflint Area	p. 471
East Bearskin Lake
Clearwater Lake
McFarland Lake
East Bearskin Lake
From Gunflint Area	p. 472
Poplar Lake
Winchell Lake
Brule Lake
Cherokee Lake
Long Island Lake
Henson Lake
Poplar Lake
From Gunflint Area	p. 473
Round Lake or Cross River
Tuscarora Lake
Little Saganaga Lake
Frazer Lake
Kekekabic Lake
Sea Gull Lake
From Gunflint Area	p. 475
Sea Gull Lake
Red Rock Lake
Sea Gull Lake
From Gunflint Area	p. 475
Sawbill Lake
Polly Lake
Little Saganaga Lake
Snip Lake
Cherokee Lake
Sawbill Lake
From Ely Area	p. 477
Lake One
Lake Three
Hudson Lake
North Kawishiwi River
Polly Lake
Parent Lake
Isabella Lake
Isabella River
Bald Eagle Lake
South Kawishiwi River
Lake One
From Ely Area	p. 479
White Iron Lake or Silver Rapids
Clear Lake
Birch Lake
White Iron Lake or Silver Rapids
From Ely Area	p. 479
Fall Lake or Winton
Bass Wood Lake
From Ely Area	p. 480
Burntside Lake
Fenske Lake
Grassy Lake
Murphy Lake
From Ely Area	p. 481
Burntside Lake
Big Lake
Stuart Lake
Boulder River
From Ely Area	p. 482
Burntside Lake
Cummings Lake
Moose Lake
Nina Moose Lake
Lake Agnes
From Ely Area	p. 483
Moose Lake
Ensign Lake
Thomas Lake
Kekekabic Lake
Knife Lake
From Tower Area	p. 484
Vermilion Lake
Little Trout Lake
Little Indian Sioux River Campsite
East Bay of Loon Lake
Lac La Croix
From Tower Area	p. 485
Vermilion Lake
Vermilion Dam
Vermilion River
Crane Lake
Appendices
Chronology	p. 489
Suggestions for Further Reading	p. 498
Index	p. 504
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