Minnesota Moxie

Minnesotans are a tough lot, capable of pulling a house six miles by muscle alone or giving birth to a sixteen-pound boy. In 1921, young Phoebe Fairgrave set a parachute world record, stepping off the wing of a biplane 15,200 feet above the Twin Cities. In 1962, the last powerhouse Gophers football team brought home the Rose Bowl trophy. A year later, thirteen-year-old Jean Webb of Minneapolis risked arrest and refused to leave a segregated restaurant. In 1979, Gerry Spiess crossed the Atlantic alone in a 10-foot sailboat he built in his White Bear Lake garage. These inspiring stories and dozens more, culled from the Star Tribune newspaper archives, are presented in their original form by author Ben Welter, along with in-depth background, fresh interviews and more than seventy-five historic photos.

About the Author: 

Ben Welter is a Minneapolis native and news copy chief at the Minneapolis Star Tribune. He has posted more than 500 interesting stories and photos dating back to 1867 on his blog, Yesterday's News. He published Minnesota Mayhem with The History Press.

• Paperback
• ISBN: 9781467135719
• 192 pages