Minnesota History Magazine Summer 2026 (70.2)

Articles

One Bicentennial, Many Voices: Minnesota's Grassroots Approach to the Nation's 1976 Anniversary
Thomas Saylor

Minnesota’s 1976 Bicentennial was a collection of diverse, grassroots celebrations across the state. However, the anniversary also exposed divergent views. Black and Indigenous Minnesotans debated celebrating independence given unresolved issues of equality, often using the occasion to tell their own stories.

Build for Belonging: Camp Parsons Provides Enrichment and Respite for Generations of Urban Youth
Shannon Smith

In 1958, the Phyllis Wheatley Settlement House established Camp Katharine Parsons, Minnesota’s first Black-owned summer camp. For more than 40 years, the camp provided enrichment and social-emotional skill building to generations of North Minneapolis urban youth who were otherwise excluded from segregated camps. The Phyllis Wheatley Community Center is now working to restore and reopen the historic site.

The Fishing Life Revisited

In retirement, Michael Risku returned to his 50-year-old thesis on Minnesota’s North Shore commercial fishing industry. His recent book, Following the Fish, chronicles the industry’s vibrant history and eventual collapse. Now with enhanced sources available, Risku reaches a new conclusion, arguing that massive-scale pollution, not just overfishing, damaged fish spawning grounds and prevents the lake’s full recovery.

Departments

Editor’s Note
Amy L. Boxrud

Curator’s Choice
Kate Hujda
Curator's Choice: Framing the Moment: The Photography of Jerome Hill

EyeWitness
John Rosengren
Roller Derby Hits Minneapolis

LandMark
Kosmo Esplan
Northfield's Scriver Building, Rice County

Book Review
Hayden L. Nelson
To Banish Forever: A Secret Society, the Ho-Chunk, and Ethnic Cleansing in Minnesota

Take Three/News & Notes/Letters

Highlighting MNopedia
Nathan R. Stenberg
"Welsch V. Likins"

Preserving > Sharing > Connecting
Bridget Larson-Lindner: Championing Northwestern Minnesota's History