Sunday, March 1, 2020

March 1 - National Minnesota Day


Happy National Minnesota Day! Today we observe the 32nd state to join the union back on May 11, 1858. 

This midwestern U.S. state bordering Canada and Lake Superior, the largest of the Great Lakes. The state contains more than 10,000 other lakes, including Lake Itasca, the Mississippi River’s primary source. 

The “Twin Cities” of Minneapolis and state capital Saint Paul are dense with cultural landmarks like the Science Museum of Minnesota and the Walker Art Center, a modern art museum. 

Also nicknamed The Gopher State and The North Star State, Minnesota shares its northern border with Canada. Angle Township on the north edge of Lake of the Woods makes Minnesota the northernmost state of the continental forty-eight. Also known as the Gopher State, it extends along the northern shore of Lake Superior. 

Dakota Sioux and Ojibwa, Menominee, and other tribes populated the area when the first Europeans began to explore and later settle the area. Fur trading in the densely wooded territory led to French treaties in the late 17th century. 

The Mississippi River divides a portion of the state; its source is Lake Itasca. This natural boundary also divided the region when the Treaty of Paris determined United States’ western border after the Revolutionary War. Minnesota would not become whole until 1836 when it became part of the Wisconsin Territory, thirty-three years following the Louisiana Purchase. 

The state capital of St. Paul, once called Pig’s Eye Landing, was founded in 1838 along the Mississippi River and was named the territorial capital in 1849. Nine years later, Minnesota became a state. 

Just upriver from St. Paul, Minneapolis formed from Ft. Snelling, built in 1819. Today, the metropolis spans both sides of the river for nearly sixty square miles. 

Downtown Minneapolis includes the world’s most extensive uninterrupted network of indoor pedestrian pathways. The skyway system boasts eight miles connecting restaurants, shopping, businesses, hotels and apartment complexes. 

Head north along Lake Superior into the Arrowhead Region where the air stays cooler longer and lake effect will have real meaning. Duluth and points north with an industrial history benefit from mild summers, access to clear summer nights, Aurora Borealis and unspoiled views. 

For a complete list of Minnesota State and National Parks and historic sites, please visit the websites below: 

Lake Bemidji State Park – Bemidji 
Saint Croix State Park – Hinckley 
Lake Maria State Park – Monticello 
Fort Ridgely State Park – Fairfax 
Old Mill State Park – Argyle 
National Eagle Center – Wabasha 

Be sure to check out a few of the featured sites around the state below as well: 

MUSEUMS 

The Works Museum – Bloomington 
Herreid Military Museum – Luverne

HOW TO OBSERVE

From the founders of the Mayo clinic to the creators of inline skates and cheerleading, Minnesotans find time to create, explore and celebrate. Tour the cities or 10,000 lakes and all the history in between! Use #NationalMinnesotaDay to share on social media. 

Hidden Treasures

Niagara Cave – Harmony 
Jolly Green Giant Statue – Blue Earth 
Spam Museum – Austin 
Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum– Walnut Grove 
Paul Bunyan & Babe – Bemidji 
 
We also observe these famous figures born in Minnesota of whom are still recognized for their past accomplishments, heroics, talents, ingenuity and innovations: Charles Eastman, Charles and William Mayo, Sinclair Lewis, Richard W. Sears, Fred Quimby, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Wanda Gág, Walter Breuning, Richard Gurley Drew, Robert Mondavi, Toni Stone, Judy Garland, Charles M. Schultz, Roger Maris, John Madden, Bob Dylan, Ann Bancroft and Prince Rogers Nelson.

Visit the link below to see those of notable birth who were not mentioned on the list above.


Here's to the Land of 10,000 Lakes! 

#NationalMinnesotaDay 
#mallofamerica 
#paulbunyan
@MayoClinic
@mnwild
@Sears 
@GopherSports 
@nichecinema 

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