At the turn of the 20th century, the most beloved celebrity in St. Paul, Minnesota was a bugle-playing chimney sweep named Slunky Norton.

For our inaugural episode, hosts Hannah, Alex, and Josie provide an origin story for Minnesota Unknown by bringing listeners along down a research rabbit hole that has been an obsession for these three local history nerds for years. The three used to work together at the Minnesota Historical Society, and during their time there they came across the incredible story of Slunky Norton—a chimney sweep, entertainer, bugler, Santa Claus, philanthropist, radio host, and beloved local celebrity.

You can find detailed show notes for this and all episodes at minnesotaunknown.com/podcasts, featuring accompanying images, links to more info, and lists of sources cited.

If you have questions, comments, corrections, complaints, or compliments, or would like to suggest a topic for a future episode, please email us at info@minnesotaunknown.com. We’d truly love to hear from you.

Coming soon from from the Land of 10,000 Lakes, Babe the Blue Ox, and Duck Duck Gray Duck:

Minnesota Unknown — a brand-new local history podcast.

Join Alex Weston, Josie Bergmann, and Hannah Norton, three local historians and major history nerds with years of experience leading tours and working at historic sites and museums. Each week we'll offer deep dives into Minnesota's storied past, with a special emphasis on the surprising, the unusual, and little-known history hidden in plain sight.

In 2024, Minnesota Unknown was founded as a history walking tour company and began giving history walking tours. But not all stories fit onto a walking tour. That’s why we’re excited to branch out into podcasting.

In the coming weeks, we’ve got episodes coming about...

...a famous bugle-playing chimney sweep in old Saint Paul...

...that time that General Mills, the cereal company, partnered with a famous psychologist and the US military to try and train pigeons to guide missiles...

...the state's only recorded fatal bear attack (and why you won't see it listed in the official statistics)...

...the state of Minnesota’s most mysterious cryptids...

...the true story of a shifty bootlegger and fur trader nicknamed “Pig’s Eye"...

...the most dramatic shipwrecks on Lake Superior....

And SO much more.

We hope you’ll join us each week. You can subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.

And be sure to find us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok. Just look for Minnesota Unknown.

www.minnesotaunknown.com