Minneapolis, MN
Special events planned for Minneapolis’ oldest cemetery after Underground Railroad designation
Minneapolis’ oldest cemetery gets designation
Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery tells a pre and post Civil War story about the City of Minneapolis, which includes the final resting place for Black soldiers who fought for the Union Army, a woman who escaped slavery and joined a Minnesota regiment on the battlefield as a cook, and William Goodridge who ran an Underground Railroad through his home in York, Pennsylvania.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery tells a pre and post Civil War story about the City of Minneapolis, which includes the final resting place for Black soldiers who fought for the Union Army, a woman who escaped slavery and joined a Minnesota regiment on the battlefield as a cook, and William Goodridge who ran an Underground Railroad through his home in York, Pennsylvania.
Cemetery gets Underground Railroad Distinction
What we know:
Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in Minneapolis, established in 1853. Thousands of the city’s working class immigrants are buried there along with 500 of the city’s first African American citizens.
“These are the everyday people who built Minneapolis who lived in Minneapolis and traditionally haven’t had their stories told widely,” says John Crippen, the Executive Director of the Hennepin History Museum. “The cemetery does a great job of saying here’s how these people shaped the community we live in today,” he adds.
Sue Weir is the president of the Board of Friends of Pioneers and Soldiers Cemetery and a longtime historian.
She has researched the stories of the people who captured the attention of the National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom program.
Why it matters:
The Network to Freedom program honors, preserves, and promotes the history of the resistance to slavery.
She says the founders of the cemetery were very active in the anti-slavery movement.
“Martin and Elizabeth Lehman, the original owners, were very much involved in the anti-slavery movement,” says Weir. “They were Baptist and their church was involved.”
Names that helped with the Designation
- Hester Patterson, Freedom Seeker. Patterson escaped slavery, worked as a cook on the battlefields, befriended a surgeon from Minneapolis who helped her get a train ticket to Minnesota.
- Woodford Anderson, Freedom Seeker, and U.S. Colored Troop soldier.
- Charles Broden, Freedom Seeker who, while was not an official member of the U.S. Colored Troop, performed manual labor duties for the Iowa unit.
- William Goodridge, abolitionist, and conductor on the Underground Railroad in Pennsylvania.
The Work Behind the Designation
The backstory:
St. Paul native and genealogist Elyse Hill conducted research on Goodridge, Anderson and Broden and submitted her documentation to the National Park Service. Hill specializes in African American genealogy and has extensive experience researching the histories of formerly enslaved African Americans.
What you can do:
The Hennepin History Museum is planning a series of events over the next few months that will focus on the cemetery and African American genealogy in Minnesota. They are also planning a public event in June for the cemetery’s National Park Service designation. Their event on February 27 is sold out, but it will be recorded and later posted on their YouTube channel. You can check out their schedule the museum’s website.
Dig deeper:
Last year, FOX 9 put a spotlight on William Goodridge’s life as a hero of the Underground Railroad:
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – A Minneapolis salon is turning heads by mixing rock and roll with haircuts, creating a one-of-a-kind experience for music lovers.
A salon where music and haircuts go hand in hand
What we know:
HiFi Hair and Records sits on the edge of downtown Minneapolis, marked by a leopard print awning and a vibe that’s all about community through music.
“I tried to model it after a barbershop,” said Jonny Clifford, owner of the salon.
Clifford opened the shop in 2011, inspired by his father who introduced him to music and was battling terminal cancer at the time.
The salon brings together the hum of blow dryers and the sounds of rock and roll, with Clifford saying, “Music is the uniter. Most everyone who is alive today grew up on rock and roll.”
He added a record store the following year, letting customers browse new and used vinyl and CDs while waiting for their appointment.
“I jokingly refer to it as the coolest waiting room in the city,” said Clifford.
The shop is filled with memorabilia from music legends like Elvis, David Bowie and The Monkees. There’s even a wall dedicated to Minnesota’s local music scene.
Clifford said, “We’ve got Bobby V who I think never gets enough credit for his contributions to music in Minnesota.”
Clifford’s journey from punk haircuts to community hub
Why you should care:
Clifford started cutting hair in the early 1980s because he and his friends in southwest Minneapolis couldn’t afford the punk haircuts they wanted.
Now, he not only looks the part—”Ronny Wood, Jeff Beck, Keith Richards, I’m always like old Keith Richards or young Keith Richards”—but he helps others feel like rock stars too.
“People are like make me look like a rock star and that is sort of a universal term right. Everyone wants to look like a rock star,” said Clifford.
His goal is simple:
“If I can make a living and raise my family, pay my bills, have a business and be a part of a community, that is important to me. I win. That’s everything,” said Clifford.
He is passionate about giving a boost to local musicians, saying, “I think they need it more. I love Lady Gaga and The Rolling Stones, but they are doing fine. Our local people haven’t made it national yet. They could use a voice. They could use a boost, and they need to be heard.”
The salon’s rhythm is all about joy, music and community, and Clifford plans to keep it going.
“Til I kick over. I’ll probably be back standing behind the chair. And someone will complain I didn’t finish their haircut,” said Clifford.
HiFi Hair and Records continues to be a place where music and style meet, giving Minnesota’s music scene a little extra volume.
EDINA, Minn. (FOX 9) – A deadly shooting in Edina sparked a massive police response and forced a lockdown at nearby businesses at Southdale Mall on Wednesday as police are searching for the suspects.
Deadly Edina shooting
What we know:
Edina police responded around 12:30 p.m. to the report of a shooting along West 66th Street near Southdale Mall.
At the scene, officers found one victim with a gunshot wound. Officers tried to revive the victim but say they ultimately died from their wounds.
Local perspective:
Police say the suspects ran from the scene. As a precaution, they advised nearby businesses to go into lockdown. FOX 9 learned that MHealth Fairview also went into lockdown procedures as a precaution.
Aerial video from the scene showed the investigation appeared to be focused around an apartment building across from the mall. Police say the apartment building is described as a transitional housing.
Avoid the area
Big picture view:
Police are asking the public to avoid the area as the investigation is underway. Officers have blocked off West 66th for the time being.
Police say they are looking for more than one suspect involved in the shooting.
What we don’t know:
Police say some people were taken into custody at the scene but it’s unclear what their role was in relation to the shooting.
Law enforcement near the 3300 block of W. 66th Street in Edina. (FOX 9)
Minneapolis, MN
Ellison, Minneapolis, St. Paul update lawsuit against Operation Metro Surge with new data
(ABC 6 News) – Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and Minneapolis and Saint Paul updated their lawsuit over Operation Metro Surge with new survey data on economic harm.
Researchers at the University of California San Diego conducted two surveys tied to the amended lawsuit. The lawsuit says the federal operation violated the Constitution and caused lasting economic damage.
The first survey was done between February and March and included nearly 1,400 residents. It found workers lost more than $240 million in wages during the operation.
A separate newly released survey of about 900 businesses found more than $600 million in lost revenue. The updated lawsuit from Keith Ellison and the cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul adds that new data to its claims.
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