Minnesota Unknown

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.***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.

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!

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.)

Bdóte, the confluence of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers, has been a site of incalculable spiritual, cultural, and historical significance to the Dakota people for centuries. However, today this sacred landscape is contained within an area officially known as the Unorganized Territory of Fort Snelling. So how, exactly, did the area of Bdóte come to be claimed by the US government? It’s a story that has been told many times quite simply, but the truth is far more messy and complicated.Join us as we unpack the tangled and controversial history of this site. In this part one of two, we’ll explore the larger context needed to make sense of this event, and then learn how a rogue army general’s traitorous conspiracy to sell half of the United States to the Spanish government inadvertently set into motion the sequence of events that would eventually lead to the establishment of Fort Snelling. Then, in our next episode, we’ll take a close look at the signing of an 1805 treaty that remains the basis for the government’s land claims, and follow the consequences of this event all the way up to the present day. It's a truly international and cross-cultural story, spanning centuries, with surprising twists and turns, and it is at the very foundation of all Minnesota history as it has unfolded for the past two hundred years.***Maps!This is an episode that involves a lot of geography, so if you're someone who benefits from maps, here are a few that may be of some use.

“Did you know the city of Saint Paul used to be called ‘Pig’s Eye’?”It’s a favorite “fun fact” repeated by local know-it-alls, (note: as “know-it-alls” ourselves, we use that term with respect), confirmed by every book written to date on the history of Saint Paul. It’s a great story. There’s just one problem with it: most of it is not true.Join us as we learn the TRUE story of “Pig’s Eye” Parrant and the naming of Saint Paul.To see images related to this episode (including a really helpful map of sites discussed), find links to other resources, and see our sources cited, check out our show notes here. ***At the time of this episode's release, Minnesotans of all walks of life are suffering greatly as ICE continues to stop, harass, and detain people regardless of their citizenship status. Normal life in Minnesota has been interrupted, as schools have been forced to close or go virtual, as people live in fear of leaving their homes or going to work. The good news is Minnesotans are organized and activated, there are many, many ways that YOU can help. We urge everyone listening to head to StandWithMinnesota.com. You can donate to dozens of grassroots organizations doing work on the ground, help pay rent for families who are affected, seek out legal training or advice, find ways to volunteer or direct actions to participate in, and so much more.No matter who you are, where you live, or what your resources are, there are ways that you can make a difference and help people right now.StandWithMinnesota.com

According to the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, there have been zero recorded fatal bear attacks in Minnesota. However, that’s not technically true.Join us for the harrowing tale of the fatal bear attack THEY don’t want you to know about, which occurred in Mankato in 1934.To see images related to this episode, find links to other resources, and see our sources cited, check out our show notes here.***(Content Warning: animal death, fatal bear attack)Additional music used in this episode:“Monkeys Spinning Monkeys,” by Kevin MacLeod. (Free Music Archive) Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 International License.“Scary Forest,” by Serge Quadrado. (Free Music Archive) Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

During WWII, one of the most daunting engineering challenges facing the military was how to design a bomb that could actually hit its intended target. University of Minnesota professor of psychology B. F. Skinner believed that he had the answer: the US could train pigeons to guide missiles. Aiding him in this Quixotic quest would be an unlikely partner: General Mills (yes, the cereal company).Join us for the stranger-than-fiction story of "Project Pigeon," a top secret collaboration between General Mills, the US military, and one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century. We'll explore how B. F. Skinner's quest to train pigeons to guide bombs led to everything from the development of one of the most important concepts in modern psychology, to the invention of the touch screen.To see images related to this episode, find links to other resources, and see our sources cited, check out our show notes here.

This week, the Witch of November has come stealin' again as we bring you the truly EPIC tale of a storm that was remembered for decades by residents of Minnesota’s North Shore as the “Storm of the Century.” An inland cyclone blew across Lake Superior on November 27th, 28th, and 29th of 1905, sinking 29 ships and claiming 36 lives.This episode has everything, from the most harrowing shipwreck narratives we’ve ever heard, the heroic derring-do of a "human squirrel," Samoan kings, “horny-handed sons of toil,” and the origins of Split Rock Lighthouse. You won’t want to miss it.To see images related to this episode, find links to other resources, and see our sources cited, check out our show notes here.[Content warning: tragic death, drowning, freezing to death]minnesotaunknown.com

"The lake, it is said, never gives up her deadWhen the skies of November turn gloomy..."-Gordon Lightfoot, The Wreck of the Edmund FitzgeraldFifty years ago this week, the iron ore freighter S.S, Edmund Fitzgerald sank beneath the icy waters of Lake Superior, claiming the lives of 29 sailors.In this episode, we recount her harrowing final voyage, and examine why, out of the hundreds of shipwrecks that have occurred Lake Superior, the Edmund Fitzgerald maintains such an enduring hold on popular memory and imagination.A little tip—if you are somehow not already familiar with Gordon Lightfoot's iconic 1976 ballad, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, go and give the song a listen before starting this episode, as we reference the song gratuitously.To see images related to this episode, find links to other resources, and see our sources cited, check out our show notes here.[Content warning: tragic death, drowning]___You can find detailed show notes for this and all episodes at minnesotaunknown.com/podcast. We’ll post a link there to each episode along with features such as accompanying images, links to more info, and lists of sources cited.If you have questions, comments, corrections, complaints, or compliments, or would like to suggest a topic for a future episode, please email us at [email protected]. We’d truly love to hear from you.___Podcast Credits:Minnesota Unknown is produced, hosted, written, and researched by Hannah Norton, Josie Bergmann, and myself, Alex Weston. This episode was edited by me. Our theme song is by Union Shakedown. This episode is copyright 2025 by Minnesota Unknown, LLC. All rights reserved.

Welcome everyone, to part two of a two-part series on what are alleged to be Minnesota’s most haunted houses. If you haven't listened to last week’s episode, we recommend that you do so, as this one picks up pretty much where that one left off. (Content Warning: suicide, death, and a brief allusion to sexual assault)Now, as a refresher, last week we discussed the Forepaugh mansion in St. Paul, which was built in 1870 for businessman Joseph Forepaugh and today houses a fine dining restaurant known as Forepaugh’s. Specifically, we talked about the ghost story popularly associated with the house, which concerns an affair between a maid name Molly and her employer that ended in a double suicide. As historians we’re not qualified to assess any supernatural claims, but we tried our best to see if the legend of Molly could be confirmed in the historical record. Sadly, we were not able to find any documentation that might confirm this story. What we did find, however, was that a near-identical story had also been circulating about a different Saint Paul mansion: the Chauncey Griggs mansion at 476 Summit Avenue. Alongside Forepaugh’s, the Griggs mansion is often claimed to be the most haunted home in Minnesota. In this case, the spirits of the ill-fated maid and her employer are not alone. According to some accounts, as many as 13 different ghosts or entities are said to haunt the Griggs mansion.And so, this week, we’ll be delving into the history of the Chauncey Griggs mansion, to see whether or not the historical record can shed any clues on these fascinating legends.

The Forepaugh mansion was built in 1870 for dry goods merchant and shoe manufacturer Joseph Forepaugh and his wife Mary. Today, the mansion is famous for two things: fine dining, and being among the most haunted places in the state.(Content Warning: suicide, death, sexual exploitation)Rumors of a haunting started soon after the historic mansion was converted into a restaurant in 1976. Customers and staff alike began reporting strange experiences, including hearing footsteps where no one was there, seeing objects move by themselves, and vanishing apparitions of a young woman and an older man, both in Victorian clothing.Local folklore has identified these ghostly residents as the restless spirits of Joseph Forepaugh and a maid named Molly with whom he had an affair. After their affair was discovered, the story goes, both died by suicide and the restless spirits have haunted the house ever since,Here at Minnesota Unknown, we pride ourselves on our research, and do not share any stories on our tour without first confirming every detail we can through primary sources. We have spent a great deal of time poring over old documents, searching for any details that might corroborate the legend of Molly. And what did we find? Listen on to find out!***For more detailed shownotes and links to additional resources, head here.

Welcome to a very special BONUS episode of Minnesota Unknown!This is a companion piece to our first episode, which covered a bugle-playing chimney sweep named Skunky Norton who was a beloved local celebrity in St. Paul at the turn of the 20th century. You don’t necessarily have to have heard our first episode to understand this one, though we do hope you’ll check it out if you haven’t already.Our original edit of the first episode was about twice as long, mostly because we went on a long digression into the broader history of chimneysweeps. We talked about the evolution of the profession from its origins in the 1500s through the 20th century, and looked at regional differences between chimney sweeping in Britain, the US, and continental Europe.Ultimately, we decided to cut most of the background material from that first episode, and keep it focused on Slunky Norton and Saint Paul. However, we think the parts that we cut were nonetheless pretty interesting, and that this extra material really helps put Slunky in context. So we are pleased to offer that background context here as a special bonus episode.Meanwhile, we’ll be releasing a new regular episode on a completely different soon. Be sure to follow or subscribe so you don’t miss it. But for now, listen on to learn everything you ever wanted to know about chimney sweeps!***Content Warning: this episode includes discussion of child labor, mistreatment of children laborers, child death, slavery, and racism.***Click here for shownotes, bonus images, links to more resources, transcripts, and a list of sources cited.

At the turn of the 20th century, the most beloved celebrity in St. Paul, Minnesota was a bugle-playing chimney sweep named Slunky Norton.For our inaugural episode, hosts Hannah, Alex, and Josie provide an origin story for Minnesota Unknown by bringing listeners along down a research rabbit hole that has been an obsession for these three local history nerds for years. The three used to work together at the Minnesota Historical Society, and during their time there they came across the incredible story of Slunky Norton—a chimney sweep, entertainer, bugler, Santa Claus, philanthropist, radio host, and beloved local celebrity.You can find detailed show notes for this and all episodes at minnesotaunknown.com/podcasts, featuring accompanying images, links to more info, and lists of sources cited.If you have questions, comments, corrections, complaints, or compliments, or would like to suggest a topic for a future episode, please email us at [email protected]. We’d truly love to hear from you.

Coming soon from from the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Babe the Blue Ox, and Duck Duck Gray Duck:Minnesota Unknown — a brand-new local history podcast.Join Alex Weston, Josie Bergmann, and Hannah Norton, three local historians and major history nerds with years of experience leading tours and working at historic sites and museums. Each week we'll offer deep dives into Minnesota's storied past, with a special emphasis on the surprising, the unusual, and little-known history hidden in plain sight.In 2024, Minnesota Unknown was founded as a history walking tour company and began giving history walking tours. But not all stories fit onto a walking tour. That’s why we’re excited to branch out into podcasting.In the coming weeks, we’ve got episodes coming about......a famous bugle-playing chimney sweep in old Saint Paul......that time that General Mills, the cereal company, partnered with a famous psychologist and the US military to try and train pigeons to guide missiles......the state's only recorded fatal bear attack (and why you won't see it listed in the official statistics)......the state of Minnesota’s most mysterious cryptids......the true story of a shifty bootlegger and fur trader nicknamed “Pig’s Eye"......the most dramatic shipwrecks on Lake Superior....And SO much more.We hope you’ll join us each week. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.And be sure to find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Just look for Minnesota Unknown.www.minnesotaunknown.com