In the early years of the 20th century, a Swedish-American doctor invested in a large tract of land in eastern Cuba. Using his doctor's office on Nicollet Avenue in Minneapolis as a headquarters, he promoted the sale of land parcels to his fellow Swedish-Americans. In his promotional pamphlets, written in Swedish, Dr. Lind promised cheap land,…

At 6 a.m. on the morning of August 27, 1920, the City of South St. Paul held the very first election conducted on the day following ratification of the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution granting women the right to vote. The identity of the first woman to cast a ballot will be discussed as will the history of…

CANCELLED  (will be rescheduled later this year) Based on his 2018-2019 oral history project, "We Won't Go, and We Don't Want You to Go Either," Peter Simmons will talk about Minnesotans who, during 1967-1970, took part in raids on Selective Service offices (draft boards) in Minnesota and elsewhere, aiming to cripple the ability of the…

Vicki Mickelson is a retired educator with thirty-eight years experience in the classroom, most of them in the Minneapolis Public Schools. Her writing journey began in Anna Maria, Florida, her winter haven.  Proudly, she offers seven published books of poetry, including Island Attitudes, nominated for a Minnesota Book Award in 2016, to her readers. Vicki’s poetry is inspired by…

On the 100th Anniversary of Women’s Right to Vote, another 100-year struggle to gain constitutional equality through ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment for women is one state away from passage. Modern-day suffragists around the country have united to make equal legal in 2020. We’ll explore efforts both here in Minnesota and around the U.S., finally,…

Minneapolis Pioneers and Soldiers Memorial Cemetery (formerly Layman’s) is the oldest existing cemetery in Minneapolis and the first in Minnesota to have been listed as an individual landmark in the National Register of Historic Sites.  The cemetery’s first burial took place in 1853, five years before statehood.  In addition to recognizing the significance of the cemetery’s built…

Since 2005 MHM has been working to document Minnesota's submerged heritage. They will detail their findings from side and down-imaging sonar surveys, underwater archaeological dive reconnaissance projects, Minnesota small craft and dugout canoe studies, and log books digitization. MHM was founded by Ann Merriman, PhD, and Christopher Olson, MA in July 2005 in St. Paul,…

Mr. Coleman is the acquisitions librarian at the Minnesota Historical Society. He writes and lectures on topics related to Minnesota culture and history. He served as president of the Library of Congress’s Minnesota Center for the Book, president over Minnesota Book Awards, is on the boards of Coffee House Press and the Minnesota Center for…

This presentation by independent scholar Alan Johnson will address the history of, and proposed alterations to, the Electoral College. We will discuss the intentions of the 1787 framers of the Electoral College, the understanding of the ratifiers, the early frustration of original intent, the adoption of the 12th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the failures…

For many years restrictive covenants in deeds and documents related to real estate transactions reserved land for the exclusive use of white people. Research involving academics, community  activists, and community members unearth the evidence of these practices. This allowed a map to be made showing how these restrictive practices were embedded in the physical landscape.…

Rock Steady Boxing (RSB) is a non-contact boxing program that helps people with Parkinson’s through intense exercise, camaraderie, and good fun. Established in Indianapolis in 2006, RSB has 900 affiliate programs throughout the world, including three in the metro area. Recalling former heavyweight champion Muhammed Ali at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, his masked…

Earth Day, 51 years old this year, has grown into an entire month of events encouraging us to recognize the importance of our impact on the planet. Our April speaker, Brenn Fromm, self-proclaimed Master Recycler and advocate for Planet Earth is going to energize us through an informative and interactive session. This will be a…

Ellingtonia, The Great Migration and The Promised Land This presentation will focus around two poems in my book, "The Promised Land." I will start with a short reading of the title poem of the book, "The Promised Land" and also read the poem, "Ellingtonia." I will then briefly discuss how I think the poems interface and…

Well-known Minnesota architect Cass Gilbert spent much of his early career designing homes and other buildings around the White Bear area.  Rheanna O’Brien of the White Bear Lake Area Hustorical Society will present an illustrated program as we discuss his early work. Some of those buildings still stand, while others have either not survived or were never built.…