Towns and Places of the North Star State Quiz

Answer: Alexandria

Alexandria, Minnesota is home to Big Ole, a 25 ft Viking statue, which was originally built for the 1964 World's Fair in New York. It is located in Alexandria, outside a city museum that houses the Kensington Runestone, a block of greywacke that suggests Viking explorers came to the area during the 14th century.

Answer: Rochester

The Mayo Clinic headquarters is located in Rochester, Minnesota. Its campus is almost three times the area of the Mall of America, and it is home to several health science schools, including the Mayo Medical School. It was founded from the medical practice of Dr. William Warroll Mayo, an immigrant from the United Kingdom.

The clinic grew from a small facility to become America's first integrated medical group practice. The clinic has become a model for American medical practices and has assisted patients from around the world.

Answer: Roseville

Roseville, Minnesota was selected for being the home of the Guidant John Rose Oval, as part of a state plan to build a place that could possibly host the Olympics. It was named for John Rose, a member of the Minnesota State House of Representatives. The outdoor ice rink has a 110,000 square foot surface of concrete, with 84 miles of embedded cooling tubes, and an 800 ton refrigeration system.

It has hosted national and world championships for speed skating, as well as the Bandy World Championships for men in 1995.

Answer: Albert Lea

Albert Lea is located in between Lake Albert Lea and Fountain Lake. It received its name from Lake Albert Lea, in honor of Lieutenant Albert Lea. Lea was a topographer that visited the area on a United States Dragoon expedition in 1835. Dragoons were soldiers trained in infantry and horse riding skills. During this time period, Dragoons scouted out territory in Iowa and Minnesota shortly after the area came under U.S control.

In his career, Albert Lea worked with the federal government in creating the boundary lines between Iowa and Missouri. Later, Albert Lea became a general in the Iowan state militia and Chief Clerk of the U.S War Department.

Answer: Woodbury

Woodbury was named in honor of Levi Woodbury, the first Supreme Court Justice who attended law school. Levi Woodbury attended Tapping Reeve Law School in Litchfield Connecticut, but did not graduate. He was known as a Jackson Democrat and openly supported many of President Jackson's financial policies. Justice Woodbury was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Polk in 1845.

He served on the Supreme Court until his death in 1851.

Answer: Stillwater

Stillwater originated when the United States government and the local Indian nations signed treaties allowing settlement in the St. Croix Valley. The area drew in many settlers because of the lumber business and the river traffic. The town became known as the birthplace of Minnesota, from the 1848 convention that was held in Stillwater to being part of the process of making Minnesota a state. Stillwater was also the site of the Minnesota Territorial Prison, Minnesota's first prison. For decades, Stillwater has attracted many visitors due to its historic landmarks.

Answer: Brainerd

Brainerd has a hilly terrain and is located in a terminal moraine area that was formed by ice glaciers. There are 450 lakes within 25 miles of Brainerd's city limits, although there are almost no lakes in the city itself.

Answer: Eagle Mountain

Eagle Mountain is the highest land point in Minnesota and is located 15 miles from Minnesota's lowest land point at Lake Superior. It is a Minnesota State Historical Marker and is located in a national wilderness area.

Answer: Chippewa National Forest

The Chippewa National Forest stretches over 1.6 million acres and covers the Itasca, Cass, and Beltrami counties. It was originally known as the "Minnesota National Forest", but the name was changed to honor the Chippewa Indians who were the first ones to live in the area.

Answer: Hull-Rust-Mahoning Mine

The Hull-Rust-Mahoning Mine supplied most of the iron ore mined in the United States during World War I and World War II. It is more than three miles long, two miles wide, and 535 feet deep. The mine became a national historic landmark in 1966. The mine has been operated by Hibbing Taconite Company for years, and over eight million tons of taconite pellets are usually extracted per year.