The Things That Made the Drink Famous: Valentine’s Day Edition

  This is the second part in a series by Doug Hoverson featuring breweriana that complement the book The Drink That Made Wisconsin Famous. This Valentine’s Day edition comes with some difficulty because beer has not been the traditional drink of romance in poetry, story, or song. While breweries have celebrated Christmas, Easter, St. Patrick’s … More The Things That Made the Drink Famous: Valentine’s Day Edition

The Ford Century in Minnesota: The Postwar Boom and Challenges

BY BRIAN MCMAHONExcerpt from The Ford Century in Minnesota Ascent of the AutoworkersThe Postwar Boom and ChallengesWhen [World War II] ended, there were about twenty-five million cars on the road, and most were more than ten years old. People wanted new cars and Ford was eager to meet the pent-up demand. Several hundred workers, including … More The Ford Century in Minnesota: The Postwar Boom and Challenges

The UAW Local 879, 75 years ago: Ford, FDR, and the hard-fought battles behind the launch of this legendary labor leader.

Local 879, seen in this solidarity march in St. Paul, was a national leaderduring the 1980s and 1990s in promoting workers’ rights and fair trade.Image from the author’s collection. BY BRIAN McMAHON Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motor Company, vowed on many occasions that he would never allow a labor union. When workers at a … More The UAW Local 879, 75 years ago: Ford, FDR, and the hard-fought battles behind the launch of this legendary labor leader.

On freegans, pre-peeled oranges, and ethical consumer ‘Whack-A-Mole’

Photo courtesy of the author. BY ALEX V. BARNARDFood justice activist and doctoral candidate in sociology at the University of California, Berkeley Whole Foods felt the wrath of the Twitter-sphere this month. The episode started with consumers questioning the company’s ethical bona-fides but, in the end, cast into doubt the effectiveness of “ethical consumerism” itself. … More On freegans, pre-peeled oranges, and ethical consumer ‘Whack-A-Mole’

9 unforgettable moments in the history of Northwest Airlines

Download the infographic timeline. BY JACK EL-HAI My book Non-Stop: A Turbulent History of Northwest Airlines covers NWA’s history from its first flights as an airmail carrier in 1926 to its final sad days before its acquisition by Delta Airlines in 2010. Along the way, the book tells countless stories — important and incidental, famous … More 9 unforgettable moments in the history of Northwest Airlines

Harriman vs. Hill: Investing lessons for today

Read a larger version. BY LARRY HAEGFormer executive vice president of corporate communications for Wells Fargo & Company and author of Harriman vs. Hill: Wall Street’s Great Railroad War The central events of Harriman vs. Hill took place 112 years ago—long before the federal government regulated the trading of securities and before it prohibited insider … More Harriman vs. Hill: Investing lessons for today

Not capitalism 2.0 or 3.0, but a whole new operating system

This illustration by Adam Turnbull is featured in Take Back the Economy. By J.K. Gibson-Graham, Jenny Cameron, and Stephen Healy The task of imagining and enacting a new economy is one that is being taken up by a growing number of people around the world, as our new book Take Back the Economy: An Ethical … More Not capitalism 2.0 or 3.0, but a whole new operating system

Railroad wars and the St. Paul Union Depot

<!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-1610611985 1073741899 0 0 159 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin-top:0in; margin-right:0in; margin-bottom:10.0pt; margin-left:0in; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; … More Railroad wars and the St. Paul Union Depot

Mixed enthusiasm, fast growth: The early history of the St. Paul Union Depot.

The St. Paul Union Depot was among the busiest and best-known places in the city—one of the largest depots in the nation and St. Paul’s link to the world. Here, John W. Diers, author of St. Paul Union Depot, recounts a piece of that history, illustrated with images that appear in the book. Look to … More Mixed enthusiasm, fast growth: The early history of the St. Paul Union Depot.