Book Review: “Minnesota 150: The People, Places, and Things that Shape Our State,”

On May 11, Minnesota will officially turn 150. To celebrate this event, the Minnesota History Center opened an exhibit this past fall titled “MN150.” It features 150 people, places and things that shaped our state.

The exhibit was created from more than 2,700 nominations submitted by the public. A committee whittled the list down to 150, basing their choices on the compelling case made by the nominator as well as the potential for each topic to be developed into a successful exhibit component.

Accompanying the exhibit is the paperback book, “Minnesota 150,” by Kate Roberts. t’s the perfect read because the longest stories run no more than two pages. Call me shallow, but there’s something refreshing about a short read that imparts something new. It’s also a wonder for trivia lovers like me.

For instance, I always assumed Sister Elizabeth Kenny, founder of the Sister Kenny Institute at Abbott-Northwestern Hospital, was a nun. Not true. “Sister” is a military title Kenny earned from serving in the Australian Army Nursing Service during World War I.

How about Edward Baker? Do you know what he did? He’s known as the “father of the skyway system” in downtown Minneapolis. In 1962, he designed the first skyway that crossed Seventh Street South linking Marquette and Second avenues in downtown Minneapolis.

And then there’s Bryan vs. Itasca County. This U.S. Supreme Court case provided the legal foundation on which the Indian gaming industry was built.

About the book
“Minnesota 150: The People, Places, and Things that Shape Our State,”
By Kate Roberts
224 pages, Minnesota Historical Society Press
$19.95, paperback
The book can be purchased locally at the Village Shop or borrowed from the Hutchinson Public Library.

To read more, see Tuesday print edition of the Hutchinson Leader, Tuesday, Feb. 26.

(Kay Johnson is a staff writer at the Hutchinson Leader. She can be reached at johnson@hutchinsonleader.com)