On This Date in Minnesota History: February 16

February 16, 1903 – “At Pokegama, Minnesota, temperatures fell to a record state low of 59 degrees below zero.”
http://timelines.ws/states/MINNESOTA.HTML

On This Date in Minnesota History: February 15

February 15, 1887 – “The Northwestern Knitting Company was incorporated by Minneapolis patent attorney Amasa C. Paul, who was president in 1887 while George D. Munsing served as vice-president.” In 1919, the company was renamed the Munsingwear Corporation. “By 1923 the company, reconstituted as Munsingwear, Inc., had become the largest manufacturer in the world producing underwear under one trademark. The firm was the largest employer of women in Minnesota—85 percent of its 3,000 employees were female.”

http://collections.mnhs.org/MNHistoryMagazine/articles/50/v50i04p152-161.pdf

From a 1918 newspaper advertisement

The building today is International Market Square

Photos taken by Pamela J. Erickson. Released into the public domain Feb. 15, 2013, 

as long as acknowledgement included.

On This Date in Minnesota History: February 14

February 14, 1951 – “Teachers Strike: Schools that were closed since a strike that [began] January 23rd were re-opened. The teachers had picketed up until a day before this date, demanding a pay raise higher than the $100.00 a year offered by the school board once a year. An agreement was made by [Minn.] Governor Luther W. Youngdahl to intervene with Minnesota legislators in an effort to gain more financial support for city’s schools. This strike had originally started with the Janitors, but then eventually teachers were included in it as well.”

http://www.thepeoplehistory.com/february14th.html

On This Date in Minnesota History: February 13

February 13, 1906 – The last hanging by the State of Minnesota took place on this date in a St. Paul prison. Miscalculation and err prevailed during the hanging, causing the prisoner to be “strangled to death over the span of a ghastly quarter-hour.” Once reports of this awkward execution became public, efforts were made to abolish the death penalty in Minnesota, which eventually happened in 1911.

http://www.executedtoday.com/category/where/usa/minnesota/

On This Date in Minnesota History: February 12

February 12, 1973 – Duluth native David Wheat was released as a POW by the North Vietnamese during Operation Homecoming. He had been shot down October 17, 1965, having spent “2,675 days in captivity.” He was awarded a Silver Star for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity while interned as a Prisoner of War in North Vietnam.”¹ One of his fellow POWs was Sen. and former presidential candidate, John McCain.^2
1http://www.veterantributes.org/TributeDetail.asp?ID=68
²http://www.startribune.com/politics/27891234.html?refer=y

David Wheat

http://militarytimes.com/citations-medals-awards/recipient.php?recipientid=24011

On This Date in Minnesota History: February 11

February 11, 1856 – Brown County, Minn., was organized on this date. The county was named after Joseph Renshaw Brown, a drummer boy, soldier at Fort St. Anthony (renamed Fort Snelling in 1825), Indian trader, lumberman, pioneer, legislator, founder of cities, politician, editor, inventor and explorer.

Upham, Warren; Minnesota Geographic Names, Their Origin and Historic Significance; Minnesota Historical Society (St. Paul, Minn., 1969); pp. 67-68.

Joseph Renshaw Brown
http://www.usdakotawar.org/history/joseph-r-brown

On This Date in Minnesota History: February 10

February 10, 1993 - Identical quadruplets Calli, Kendra, Megan and Sarah Durst were born in Robbinsdale, Minn. on this date.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_multiple_births

 Durst quadruplets

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2011/03/15/tv-show-about-buffalo-quads-premieres-tuesday/