Explore every episode of the podcast Minnesota Unraveled: Pulling on the Threads of Minnesota History

Dotted throughout the Twin Cities are fallout shelter signs. Chances are you’ve seen one of these black and yellow signs attached to a very sturdy building. Have you wondered: What purpose did they serve? Why were fallout shelters needed to begin with? What was it like to live in the atomic age? For this second episode of MN Unraveled, historian and host Dr. Chantel Rodriguez explores the history of fallout shelters. What starts with a question about the origin of fallout shelter signs becomes an exploration of the family and the American way of life. She dives into this history with author Dave Kenney and historian Elaine Tyler May.

If you’re in the West Side of St. Paul, there’s a chance a splash of color will catch your eye – one of the neighborhood’s many murals. Where did they all come from? Do they have a shared heritage? And who are the artists behind them? For this first episode of Minnesota Unraveled, historian and host Dr. Chantel Rodriguez delves into the West Side’s rich history, and why Chicano art is at its heart. She talks with Ralph Brown, a longtime resident and co-founder of the West Side Community Organization. To gain more insight to the works of art themselves, she sits down with renowned Chicano artist, Jimmy Longoria.

Introducing Minnesota Unraveled, a new podcast from the Minnesota Historical Society. Each episode, historian and host Dr. Chantel Rodriguez uses her training to investigate unsung stories of Minnesota history, and how that history plays out for Minnesotans each and every day.