14 Quirky Facts About Minnesota That Sound Made Up, But Are 100% Accurate
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Trent Jonas
Author
The Land of 10,000 Lakes is a pretty fascinating place, but those unfamiliar with it may not be aware of some of the most interesting Minnesota facts. Here are a few fun facts about Minnesota we thought folks might like to know about.
1. The Land of 10,000 Lakes actually has more than 14,000 named lakes that are 10 acres or larger.
In terms of total number of lakes, Minnesota ranks fourth, behind Alaska (with a whopping 3 million-plus), Michigan, and Florida.
2. We invented water skiing.
Well, technically speaking, Ralph Samuelson of Lake City invented water skiing - but we all take credit for it.
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3. Post-It Notes were born here.
Art Fry, a scientist at Minnesota's own 3M Corporation, invented the product when the developer of a tacky, reusable adhesive, 3M scientist Dr. Spencer Silver, could not come up with an application for his invention.
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4. Although known for its deep Scandinavian roots, Minnesota is home to the largest Hmong and Somali communities in the United States.
5. There's a 60-foot tall magnetic rock in northern Minnesota.
The hike out is lovely, and yes, this stone column is actually magnetic.
6. Home to a rare, three-way continental divide, and located in the center of the country on the Canadian border, Minnesota is the only state that water flows out of and not into.
With the exception of a few border streams that cross into the state and leave again.
7. Speaking of which, the headwaters of the Mississippi River is right here in Minnesota.
You can walk across it at Lake Itasca in Itasca State Park.
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8. You have to drive through Canada (or cross a lake) to get to part of Minnesota.
The Northwest Angle, a Lake of the Woods peninsula, is part of Minnesota but only connects to Manitoba by land. It's the northernmost point in the Lower 48.
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9. More turkeys are hatched in the Gopher State than anywhere else in the country.
Minnesota produces around 40 million birds annually.
10. Dorothy's ruby slippers from the Wizard of Oz were stolen in Minnesota.
The notorious heist occurred when they were on display at the Judy Garland Museum in Grand Rapids. Part of the museum is located in the childhood home of Garland, who was a Minnesotan.
11. Minnesota is home to the delightful meat treat Spam.
You can even take a tour of the Spam Museum if you visit Hormel headquarters in Austin.
12. More gray wolves live in Minnesota than in any other of the Lower 48 states.
This is because the state's wolf population was the only one to have avoided extirpation in the 19th and 20th centuries.
13. Two Minnesotans have won the Nobel Prize for Literature.
Bob Dylan, of Hibbing, in 2016, and Sinclair Lewis of Sauk Centre in 1930. Lewis's boyhood home is now a museum.
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14. Fargo is NOT in Minnesota. But its sister city Moorhead is.
The 1995 movie, Fargo, which was set in Minnesota, left a lot of folks thinking that the city was located in the state. Well, it's not. It's located in North Dakota, across the Red River from Moorhead, Minnesota.
Did anything on this list surprise you? What are some other fun Minnesota facts we should know about? And, if you’re feeling especially proud to hail from Minnesota, be sure to check out this collection of apparel from Wear Your Roots.
Love all things Minnesota? Check out this footage of a stunning trail and scenic byway:
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