Newspapers:
St. Paul Daily Globe
St. Paul Dispatch
St. Paul Pioneer Press
Minneapolis Star
Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Dates:
1859: The first official State Fair is held.
1861: the State Fair is canceled due to the Civil War.
1862: the State Fair is canceled due to the Civil and US-Dakota Wars.
1893: The State Fair is canceled because of the Chicago World’s Fair.
September 1901: Vice President Theodore Roosevelt makes his famous “Speak Softly and Carry A Big Stick” speech at the State Fair’s Grandstand
September 1906: Dan Patch sets the world record for the mile.
August and September 1927: John Philip Sousa debuts his famous “Minnesota March” at the State Fair.
1945: the State Fair is canceled due to World War II
1946: the State Fair is canceled due to the Polio epidemic
August and September 1954: Eleanor Maley is crowned the first Princess Kay of the Milky Way
August 21- September 1, 2008: Minnesota celebrates its sesquicentennial
In recent years, the State Fair has been held in late August and early September, during the 12 days leading up to Labor Day. Exact dates of each State Fair from 1887 to the present can be found at the Minnesota State Fair’s Archives website, which is posted in the more tab.
The Minnesota Historical Society holds the world's largest collection of Minnesota newspapers, with dates ranging from 1849 to the present day.
Past issues of most newspaper titles are available on microfilm in the MNHS library, but there is also digital access to select newspapers.
Use the links to the left to search for newspapers available at MNHS and to search within digitized newspaper collections.
Gale Family Library
Minnesota Historical Society Library
Located on the Second Floor of the Minnesota History Center
345 West Kellogg Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55102
Library Hours:
Thursday to Saturday: 10am to 4pm
Sunday to Wednesday: Closed
More Information on Visiting the Library
Contact Us:
651-259-3300
