Minnesota History Magazine Fall 2026 (70.3)

Articles England’s “Most Distant” Allies: How Native American Diplomacy, Trade, and Resilience Shaped Mni Sota Makoce in the Revolutionary Era William Convery and Hayden L. Nelson While war between the British and the American colonies was looming on the eastern seaboard, Indigenous nations navigated the events unfolding in the Upper Midwest. Dakota and Ojibwe leaders of the Revolutionary era contended with British imperial ambitions, continental trade rivalries, and a devastating smallpox epidemic that reshaped the region’s power dynamics. Small Town, Big Vision: Fertile’s Bicentennial Success Story Thomas Saylor The northwestern Minnesota community of Fertile harnessed the “Spirit of ’76” to become a Model Bicentennial City. With dedicated local leadership and broad citizen participation, the town organized ambitious projects—ranging from historical publications to community beautification—proving that organized, grassroots dedication can create a lasting civic legacy that extends far beyond an anniversary. Bound Together Paul Nelson Twenty-five years ago, three Minneapolis nonprofits—a literary center, a small press, and a center for book arts—formed a risky joint venture to create a shared permanent home. This collaborative experiment, known as Open Book, grew into a community-focused gathering place for literary and book arts that has inspired similar endeavors nationwide. Departments Editor’s Note Amy L. Boxrud Curator’s Choice Arielle Fields Portrait of Amelia Ullmann EyeWitness Annette Atkins Diane Cummisford: Breaking Barriers at General Mills LandMark Marsha Neff and Greg Gaut Ranier Community Building, Koochiching County Book Review Michael J. Lansing Making Mill City: Flour and Fortune in Minneapolis by Robert M. Frame III Take Three/News & Notes/Letters Highlighting MNopedia Karl Nycklemoe Quatrefoil Library Preserving > Sharing > Connecting Kurt Klotzbeucher: Building Understanding