The familiar image of a stoic Native American chief wearing a headdress is in many ways a core American cultural stereotype. It has been memorialized in films and statutes, as well as exploited to sell cigarettes and motorcycles. But who are these celebrated figures of the past? Mark Boswell joins host Eric Roper to discuss the roles that Native American chiefs played and introduce some of the state's most prominent chiefs. LINKS: Garbage graphic / River wall graphic What roles did Minnesota's Native American chiefs play? And who were some notable ones? (February 2024 Curious Minnesota st ..read more

Maplewood arguably has the strangest border of any city in the Twin Cities metro area. Its L shape wraps around the northern and eastern edges of St. Paul. The origins of that border reveals an interesting history of development patterns in the east metro. Reporter Greta Kaul joins host Eric Roper to discuss how Maplewood was born out of leftover land -- and became home to a signature Minnesota company. LINKS: Why does Maplewood have such an odd shape? Why didn't Minneapolis gobble up its suburbs? (Podcast, May 2023) Why didn't Minneapolis gobble up its suburbs? (Story, March 2023 ..read more

St. Olaf and Carleton colleges have left a big mark on the world. Their alumni have reached the highest levels of entertainment, the arts, politics and the legal system. A reader wanted to know how these two prominent private colleges ended up in Northfield, a small city just south of the Twin Cities metro area. Reporter Trey Mewes, who wrote a story on this topic for Curious Minnesota, discusses the interesting tale behind these institutions with host Eric Roper.  LINKS: How did Northfield become home to St. Olaf and Carleton colleges? (February 2024 Curious Minnesota article ..read more

It's not uncommon in Minnesota to see a news story about someone being sentenced to "the workhouse." But what is a workhouse? It turns out Minnesota is one of the only states still using this term, which describes unique facilities that are neither jails nor prisons. Reporter Kim Hyatt joins host Eric Roper to talk about what happens in a workhouse, who is sentenced there and the long history behind these correctional facilities. LINKS: What does it mean when Minnesota courts sentence offenders to 'the workhouse'? (February 2023 Curious Minnesota article ..read more

Sometimes, what seems like a simple question unravels into something much more complex and surprising than we expected. That was the case with the question behind today's episode, regarding the deepest lake in Minnesota. Reporter Chloe Johnson and graphics artist Jake Steinberg join host Eric Roper to discuss their reporting journey to find which lake dips the lowest. LINKS: What is Minnesota's deepest lake? (November 2023 Curious Minnesota story ..read more

Minnesota has been a national leader in turkey production since the 1950s, and No. 1 for the last two decades. That wouldn't have been possible without collaboration between farmers and researchers at the University of Minnesota. Christopher Vondracek joins host Eric Roper to discuss how Minnesota became such a turkey powerhouse. LINKS: How did Minnesota become the nation's top turkey state? (November 2023 Curious Minnesota article ..read more

Our winning question from the State Fair required some serious mathematics to answer. But the bakers at Duluth's Best Bread were up to the challenge. Reporter Christa Lawler joined host Eric Roper to discuss the logistics behind the Lake Superior Loaf. LINKS: How much flour would it take to turn Lake Superior into bread? (October 2023 Curious Minnesota article) MetaFilter thread about the article ..read more

The Beatles' 1965 concert in Bloomington was a memorable evening for many young fans. But that event was just the beginning of a long night for some ardent followers of the Fab Four. Reporter Zoë Jackson joins host Eric Roper to discuss what happened in downtown Minneapolis after the show. LINKS: Did teenagers 'riot' when the Beatles stayed in downtown Minneapolis in 1965? (June 2023 Curious Minnesota article) Minneapolis police press conference about the Beatles ..read more

Ernest Lundeen spent three decades trying to succeed in Minnesota politics. But it was his final years as a U.S. Senator representing the state that have defined his legacy, since Lundeen was spreading Nazi propaganda in the runup to America's intervention in World War II. Kevin Duchschere discusses his Curious Minnesota article on Lundeen with host Eric Roper. LINKS: Did a Nazi sympathizer once represent Minnesota in the U.S. Senate? (February 2023 Curious Minnesota story ..read more

Isadore Blumenfeld, a.k.a. Kid Cann, is the arguably biggest name in the criminal history of Minneapolis. He earned millions as a bootlegger during Prohibition and soon became a powerbroker in the city's corrupt political system. He was accused of many crimes -- which garnered big headlines in local papers -- but almost always beat the charges. Reporter Andy Mannix joins host Eric Roper to discuss his Curious Minnesota profile of Blumenfeld. How did Kid Cann become Minneapolis' most infamous gangster? (September 2023 Curious Minnesota article) Was organized crime behind the demise of streetcar ..read more