"Flour Power" explores how milling made Minnesota. The story charts the growth of wheat farming, the harnessing of water power, the founders of the flour milling industry, and the expansion of the industry into global purveyors of industrialized food products.
"Lost Twin Cities III" is the third installment of the immensely popular "Lost Twin Cities" specials. Based on the Larry Millett book of the same name, these programs explore the vibrant history of vanished places and cultures in the metropolitan area.
"Cornerstones: A History of North Minneapolis" explores the neighborhood's diverse past through the power of place. Co-produced with the University of Minnesota and the U's Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center on historic Plymouth Avenue, Cornerstones is an hour-long journey through the history of Minnesota's least understood neighborhood.
The horror and hardship of the great Minnesota fires of 1918 are hard to imagine 100-years later. Ten communities were destroyed and dozens more were damaged in an inferno that covered an 1,800-square mile area. The date October 12, 1918 will forever be remembered in this part of the world as a date that didn't just make history, but erased history.
Our latest installment of the Lost Twin Cities history series tells the stories of Northwest Airlines, Negro League baseball, Longfellow Zoo, Dayton’s Oval Room, St. Paul’s Public Baths and a lost Frank Lloyd Wright masterpiece.
Glensheen is a true Minnesota original, preserved intact for future generations. It is a story of hard work, fortunate timing and a life long pursuit of knowledge.
This documentary follows Kate Beane, a young Dakota woman, as she examines the extraordinary life of her celebrated relative, Charles Eastman (Ohiyesa). Biography and journey come together as Kate traces Eastman's path-from traditional Dakota boyhood, through education at Dartmouth College, and in later roles as physician, author, lecturer and Native American advocate.
Four Native American Vietnam War veterans reflect on the agony of war and how their communities helped them carry their warrior legacy proudly. A lifetime later, these soldiers begin to tell their stories.Funding provided by Vision Maker Media and The Mark and Mary Davis Foundation.
People power, environmental cleanups, exciting new music, grand city plans, and food wars in co-ops and grocery stores--In the turbulent '70s, Minnesota shed its image as a snowy outpost and became a place of consequence in politics, culture, business and civic activism. Produced with the Minnesota Historical Society Press and inspired by authors Dave Kenney and Thomas Saylor.
Discover the era of the great American touring ice shows, revealing how they dominated family entertainment for decades, changing the lives of skaters and audiences alike.
In 1975, at the tumultuous close of the Viet Nam war, the Hmong people in Laos fled their homes, livelihoods, and culture and began to arrive in the U.S. as refugees. Since that time, St. Paul, Minnesota has become the largest home of Hmong Americans in the United States; Hmong Pioneers is their story.
Host Mary Lahammer explores the top-to-bottom three-year $300 million restoration of the home of state government. We soar to the top of the Dome and climb up scaffolding in the Rotunda to see an up-close view of the world's second largest self-supported marble dome and classical art valued at a billion dollars. Architect Cass Gilbert's 1905 masterpiece shines anew.
Take a scenic, historic 440 mile trip with host Cathy Wurzer down iconic Highway 61 revisiting the early days of automobile travel. Using an old travel guide, Cathy drives a period Cadillac the length of Minnesota Highway 61 exploring the secrets of places long gone and spinning stories about people from the past.
Built in 1925, the Twin Cities Ford Plant was famous for its classical architecture, on-site hydropower and glass manufacturing. Get the inside story about its role in WWII, the labor movement, the evolution of the city, and the relentless pressure of the assembly line. Produced in partnership with Highland District Council.
A discovered tape of a speech given by Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., at the University of Minnesota in 1967; followed by an interview of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by host L. Howard Bennett for a discussion on ideas, methods and words of wisdom on how to achieve the goal of a free society for all.
The Legendary Saint Paul Winter Carnival's traditions of gathering Saint Paul's neighborhoods to participate in ten days of winter sports, activities and parades, building elaborate ice palaces and crowning a fabled royal family have continued for generations. This one-hour documentary is rich with archival film and images, capturing Saint Paul throughout Carnival's 130-year history.
CASS GILBERT: STANDING THE TEST OF TIME, features the story of how one of Minnesota's most gifted artists became one of our Nation's great architects. By building on his formal education at M.I.T. and his world travels, Gilbert transformed the spot where he played as a boy by creating one of America's finest statehouses- our Minnesota State Capitol.
Why does Minnesota suffer through some of the worst racial disparities in the nation? One answer is the spread of racist, restrictive real estate covenants in the early 20th century. Jim Crow of the North charts the progression of racist policies and practices from the advent of restrictive covenants after the turn of the last century to their final elimination in the late 1960s.
Clarence Johnston was one of Minnesota's most prolific Gilded Age architects. Discover how his aesthetic legacy shaped the state.
WOMEN OUTWARD BOUND profiles the first group of young women to participate in an Outward Bound survival school course in 1965, and chronicles their experiences in the wild. It also captures how one month in the woods taught them they could do more than they ever thought possible. During their experience, the young women forged a special bond.
For the first time since its original run 30 years ago, Minnesota Experience brings back Emily Goldberg's first person journey through the vibrant Minneapolis music scene of the 80s. A Twin Cities PBS Original.
A documentary look at some of the deadliest weather to ever strike Minnesota.
16,000 BP–1870s: 16,000 years of Minnesota’s fascinating early history. Prominent members of Minnesota’s Native American community describe their long relationship with the land. With the arrival of Europeans comes a new way of looking at the land, one that will change the region forever. See how this is expressed in the land survey, which carves the natural world into squares that can be bought and sold. The fur trade era and early lumbering are brought to life with historic re-creations and photographs. Discover what happens when early entrepreneurs fail to understand the geology of St. Anthony Falls.
Join Michael Portillo and discover how Minneapolis harnessed the power of the Mighty Mississippi to become a great industrial center. In St. Paul, Michael explores the birthplace of F. Scott Fitzgerald. Michael's diplomatic skills are tested at a Swedish-American lunch where the centerpiece of the menu is reconstituted dried cod.
Michael Portillo continues his rail journey along the Upper Mississippi to Red Wing, Minnesota, and the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Picking up the Empire Builder rail service he travels to Winona, La Crosse, and Tomah, Wisconsin, where he wades in a bog to harvest the nation's most important berry from the marshes at a century old farm.
In the shadows of the Vietnam War, the CIA organized a secret war in neighboring Laos to prevent communism from spreading deeper into Southeast Asia. The Hmong fought for the U.S. — and for themselves— to keep Ho Chi Minh’s regime from destroying their way of life. Distributed nationally by American Public Television.
Out North - Part 1 of a full-length film documenting and honoring Minnesota's LGBTQ history. The film will tell the stories of known and largely unknown LGBTQ Minnesotans who found each other and spoke out when it was a tremendous risk to do so.The film will also explore some of the important ways that Minnesota has played a significant role in the national movement for LGBTQ equality.
Minnesota’s Iron Range built America from sea to shining sea. Steel buildings to enriched bread. Co-produced with the Minnesota Humanities Center.
"Becoming Big League" explores how sport was changing in 1960 and how that changed Minnesota. From Olympic hockey to High School hoops, from pro-sports origins in Big Ten titles, "Becoming Big League" is a retro sports page come to life that illustrates how 1960 might be the most dynamic year in Minnesota Sports history. A Twin Cities PBS Original production.
Take a look at how the Mayo Clinic, which is "world renowned for its medical arts," has met the changing demands of healthcare for 150 years, and what it can teach us about facing the challenges of patient care today.
One of the oldest neighborhoods in the Twin Cities is the focus of this 60 minute documentary that explores its birth, growth, decline and reclamation over the course of more than 150 years. In partnership with the Ramsey Hill Association.
The Experimental City is a documentary about the Minnesota Experimental City project, a futuristic attempt to solve urban problems by creating a full-size city from scratch in the isolated woods of northern Minnesota.
Follow the Gunflint Trail and Mesabi Trail through their fascinating pasts, their multi-faceted modern uses, and explore what lays ahead for these winding paths. Enjoy the amazing views that these treasured trails have to offer.
Minnesota 13 explores the little-known history of an elite moonshine produced in the heart of Minnesota during Prohibition, and the modern-day attempts of a micro-distillery to resuscitate the brand as a craft whiskey.
Explore the pioneering spirit and passion that connects the brewing community through time. From historic breweries in Duluth, Virginia, and Tower to the current craft beer revolution underway, discover how beer making bubbled up in the Arrowhead. Hear the stories of brewers, families, and collectors connected to the beer history of the north.
Four stories bring to light the hidden histories of African American Minnesotans during and after the Civil War. These unsung heroes made unique contributions to the Union and their new state, but the details and records of their involvement still challenge historians. Produced with the Ramsey County Historical Society.
Born for espionage in World War II, the computer has touched nearly every part of human life. And for decades Minnesota was the global epicenter of computing as birthplace of the supercomputer and home to Univac, Control Data, IBM Rochester, and Honeywell.
Compelling stories about Minnesotans who have shaped the sounds of our beloved country music. Narrated and produced by former KARE 11 news anchor Diana Pierce, the half hour documentary touches on stories about Ardis Wells from Alexandria, the Walt Benton Hillbilly Rainbow Band from Dovray, WE Fest in Detroit Lakes, the Flame Bar in Minneapolis and more.
Celebrating the University of Minnesota's 50th Anniversary of the African American Studies program, This Free North reflects on the people and events that led to its formation as well as its connection to, and influence on, contemporary students. In the act of looking back, this documentary reminds the viewer that history is complicated, divisive, ongoing.
The Lost Twin Cities programs revisit places of the past that no longer exist in Minneapolis and St. Paul. The four programs recalled lost chapters in Twin Cities history. Best of Lost Twin Cities features favorite segments voted on by viewers.
Mary Lahammer teams up with historian Hy Berman and meteorologists Mark Seeley and Paul Douglas to tell the stories of Minnesota's most damaging historic blizzards and forest fires. They tell the story of the great forest fires of 1894 and 1918 along with the fabled Schoolchildren's Blizzard of 1888 and the Armistice Day Blizzard of 1940.
Mary Lahammer leads us on a tour of the oldest neighborhood in the Twin Cities: the Uppertown and Irvine Park area of St. Paul. We explore how early builders used limestone mined nearby to create distinctive homes and businesses. Many of the structures date from before the Civil War. We watch as some of St. Paul's oldest buildings are being lovingly restored.
A possibly true story of the legendary Minneapolis nightclub First Avenue. Prince may have made the club famous, but many others have toiled backstage to keep this landmark standing. From the days of Woodstock, through disco, punk, and hip-hop this "pirate ship that goes nowhere" has weathered the storm - just barely.
Bound by Earth: Archaeology in Minnesota focuses on the science and new technology archaeologists use to uncover and preserve archaeological resources in a non-invasive way, and how remaining evidence, such as Indian burial mounds, are still significant to Native people today.
The landscape of Minneapolis was once that of a tall grass prairie The landscape of Minneapolis was once that of a tall grass prairie with few trees and marshy lakes. Today the city is regarded as one of with few trees and marshy lakes. Today the city is regarded as one of America’s great "green" cities with tree-lined parkways.
Stories originating in places like Willmar, Bemidji, St. Paul, Fort Campbell, and South Vietnam provide personal perspectives of what the war in Vietnam was like for the teens and young adults who experienced it.
This fifth installment of the popular series explores the vibrant history of lost places and cultures in the metropolitan area. From All Star Wrestling to vanishing drive-in movie theaters and beyond, join us as we remember the places that brought us together - and anticipate gathering together once again.
Citizen explores the multigenerational march of Minnesota women and all they hoped would come with the vote. From pioneering activists like Sarah Burger Stearns to Progressive Era leaders like Nellie Griswold Francis, the vote was seen as a mark of fuller citizenship and tool of change for concerns like healthcare, children, and women’s rights.
Based on the book from Zenith City Press, the story of "Lost Duluth" comes to life through the stories of explorers, dreamers, and leaders along with the common man looking for a better future for his children. From Duluth's humble beginnings sprang industry after industry, including a harbor busier than any other in the United States.
ROBERT BLY: A THOUSAND YEARS OF JOY presents a moving portrait of one of America's most celebrated and revolutionary poets of the last half-century. The film showcases Bly's development as a writer with an unswerving belief in the importance of poetry both to his own life and to American culture in general. A THOUSAND YEARS OF JOY charts Bly's singular path from a mid-western farmer's son to radical anti-Vietnam War activist to "wild man" of the 1990s men's movement and author of The New York Timesbest-seller Iron John: A Book About Men.
This two hour documentary examines one of the most difficult chapters of Minnesota's history: the state's involvement in the Dakota War as the Civil War was simultaneously raging. Both of these wars, which came quickly on the heels of statehood were about race, land, and identity.
From Pine City, Minnesota to war-torn Europe, WWII U.S. Eighth Air Force Bombardier Lt. Charles Woehrle, relives his experiences as a prisoner of war in Stalag Luft III, made famous by the movie The Great Escape. Lt. Woehrle survived two long years of uncertainty and tremendous hardship by his wits, courage, and compassion. His harrowing saga can teach us about war and about life.
Coming to Mni Sota explores conflicts, contradictions and solidarity among the millions who have moved through, and to, Minnesota. For hundreds of years, the arrival of those from around the world has changed Minnesota's identity and caused disruption for those already here. By examining our state's narratives, communities reveal unique stories that lead to greater understanding.
Cemeteries are more than burial grounds for the dead. They are windows into history. Cathy Wurzer travels the state to visit some fascinating Minnesotans at their final addresses. Cathy makes stops in Hibbing, Red Wing as well as Minneapolis and St. Paul. Along the way, we learn about noted war heroes, remarkable athletes, talented artists and beloved nurses.
In 1862, a fierce battle, formerly known as the Sioux Uprising, broke out between Minnesota's white European settlers and its Dakota Indian population. By the end of the year, hundreds of settlers and Dakota were dead, thousands of Dakota were imprisoned and exiled, and 38 Dakota were hanged. The story of the violent chapter in America's history, its causes and aftermath is told through diaries, old photographs, sketchbooks, newspaper archives, trial transcripts and oral histories.
Follow the journey of the award-winning author of the best-selling "Little House" series in this exploration of her life and legacy and her little-known, secret collaboration with her daughter on the books that shaped American ideas of the frontier.
In 1971, three college kids blazed a new trail in the world of interactive entertainment with the creation of The Oregon Trail. Produced by the independent media outlet MinnMax, this documentary is the untold story of how Bill Heinemann, Paul Dillenberger, and Don Rawitsch created a phenomenon, became Minnesota's greatest video game pioneers, and why they gave it all away for free.
Raised by her grandmother after losing her mother at the age of three, Rosalie Wahl trailblazed her way to become the first woman appointed to the Minnesota Supreme Court. She overcame many hardships growing up on a Kansas farm during the Great Depression, earn a law degree from William Mitchell College of Law in 1946, and after facing discrimination as one of few female lawyers in Minnesota, she fought for women's equality in the 1970's, which led the way to her 1977 court appointment.
Clearing out the old and making way for the new. Buildings have come and gone in Minneapolis and St. Paul. But sometimes this happens before we have the opportunity to appreciate them. This is the story of the buildings lost in the Twin Cities.
1870s–1900: Voices from the past recreate the natural world Euro-Americans first encountered. Find out what happens to North America's most abundant species as commercial hunters and the railroad arrive in Minnesota. The majestic Big Woods are cut down to make room for farms and villages. Visit one of the little-known crown jewels of Minnesota, the Bluestem Prairie. Find out why Minnesota has some of the richest soils in the world and how Minneapolis becomes the flour-milling capital of the world. Historic re-creations bring to life the bonanza era of wheat farming. And experience the catastrophic fire that ushers in a new way of looking at the land.
RETURN TO SKID ROW walks along the pavement of bygone downtown Minneapolis, preserved in rare footage, memory and 21st Century reflection. A unique 16mm film brings back to life Minneapolis' seedy Gateway district in its twilight years. Guided by the first-person account from the 'King of Skid Row,' the film is an unnerving and illuminating gaze on midcentury poverty, people, place, and the past.
Minnesota was home to a little-known military intelligence school during WWII that trained Japanese Americans be to translators. Primarily recruited from concentration camps on the West Coast, these men and women, served while many of their families remained imprisoned. For their efforts it is said that they "shortened the Pacific War by two years and saved possibly a million American lives."
THE CO-OP WARS tells the story of the idealistic youth who tried to build an alternative to corporate capitalism, the violent struggle that almost tore them apart, and their eventual success in ways they never foresaw.
We'll remember a World War I-era shipyard that once employed thousands in western Duluth's Riverside neighborhood. Along the way you'll learn what a carriage step is and why you can no longer find them in the city; delve in to Duluth's advertising legacy; and remember the grand pavilion that once served as the social center of the city.
The Baldies were a Minneapolis skinhead crew that fought racists in the 1980s and beyond.
Before high speed internet, telephones and even Highway 61, Minnesota's North Shore was connected by water—specifically a fleet of sailing vessels and steamers that hauled mail, fish, freight and passengers to communities up and down the remote coastline. The Steamer America was a star in the early 1900s, with her speed and relative luxury she became a vital lifeline and a friend to many.
Cemeteries are hallowed places right in our midst. But they also reflect the community, and have evolved dramatically over time, constantly adapting to meet our ever-changing views and values. Minneapolis' own Lakewood Cemetery is a mirror of the city: its remarkable origins, its rich history, its complex people, and its unwritten future. A TPT co-production with Lakewood Cemetery.
Celebrate the days when the Foshay Tower was the tallest building in town; when visitors viewed the bizarre attractions of Wonderland Amusement Park on East Lake Street; when St Anthony Falls was rough and unharnessed, with enough raw energy to create the greatest milling district in history; and when eagles soared above now-vanished Spirit Island.
This program showcases the unique body of work of one of the most significant American artists of the 19th century, and takes viewers back vividly to the period and explores Eastman's complex relationship with his subjects. Eastman recorded a culture he thought would disappear, while he carried out the government's Indian removal policies. To the Dakota he was a friend, an enemy and a relative.
See how four key places: the lower landing, Merriam Park, Summit Avenue, and Rondo, helped shape and define St Paul's past and present. The program also introduces some fascinating people, whose names would eventually be connected with famous novels, historic landmarks, and St Paul streets.
In the early 1970s, a group of young, artist started a film program for teens in the Twin Cities. Film in the Cities would go on to become a groundbreaking media arts and education organization. This retrospective is told through and reflections from founders and former students and features rare and revealing super 8 student films from a half century ago.
An affectionate trip down memory lane that looks at: the car culture of the '50s, when University Avenue was a drag strip and Porky's a fabulous drive-in pit stop, the ultra-luxurious Stratocruiser, the first plane to offer in-flight beverage service, the burning of Swede Hollow, the big-band ballrooms of the 50s and the early days of Twin Cities TV including "Axel and His Dog".
1900–1940s: Historic footage brings to life the beginnings of conservation in Minnesota. Discover why Minnesota is at the forefront of conservation in the United States in the early 1900s and the key role that women play. Through historic stills, footage, and interviews see what happens to the Mississippi River as the population of the Twin Cities explodes. Graphic animations help viewers imagine the results of one man's plan to flood the boundary waters region. Then, get to know the fascinating character who helps to save the region from destruction.
News and culture features from an old Twin Cities PBS current affairs program offer a unique flashback to Minnesota at the dawn of the 80s. Electric-Chronicle or Electronicle creatively and critically probed the politics, people, and soul of the state. Writer Steve Marsh provides a contemporary twist on then and now.
Jesse Ventura is many things, but boring isn't one of them. 25 years after the pro wrestler shocked the world when elected Governor of Minnesota, it's high time to explore the people, values and experiences that shaped him. Follow his implausible career path, wild term in office, love of democracy, guns and gay rights, early support of women's lib and Trump: larger than life is an understatement.
A reflection on the life of freedom fighter and civic leader Dr. Josie Johnson, who fought for fair housing, education, and civil rights. Hear in her own words how her experiences turned her to activism. Dr. Johnson was inspired by activists who came before her, and the documentary shows how her activism continues to inspire the next generation of activists, including her grandchildren. The struggle for justice and equality continues, but there is hope in the struggle.
A stand-out hockey star from Warroad, Minnesota, Henry Boucha impressed on the ice from the 1969 Minnesota High School Hockey Tournament to the 1972 Olympics to the NHL, but an on-ice assault and injury ended his athletic career that unexpectedly led to a journey of healing and cultural reclamation for this Ojibwe hockey legend.
In Minnesota, the Latine community burgeons amidst a vast opportunity gap. Two charter schools, rooted in decades of struggle, champion equity through decolonized, bilingual education. PROFE delves into this educational revolution, blending history and contemporary narratives to illuminate its profound impact.
