Leonidas Merritt on the Vermillion Trail, 1892.

The Merritts' first mining operation on the Mesabi, c.1892.

From left to right: Leonidas, John, and Bert Merritt exploring, 1890.

Leonidas and Elizabeth Merritt, around the time merchantable ore was discovered on the Mesabi, c.1890.

Lewis H. and Hephzibah J. Merritt, c.1880.

Members of the Merritt family some twenty years before they began mining operations on the Mesabi, 1871.

One of Minnesota's greatest athletes was Dan Patch, a harness horse from the turn of the 20th century who set the world record by pacing a mile in 1:55. When salesman Marion Savage (the town Savage is named after him) bought Dan Patch, he became very rich by turning his horse into a supreme pitchman for all kinds of products, including cars, watches and washing machines. MN90 producer Marisa Helms has the story.

Split Rock Lighthouse has been a fixture of Northern Minnesota for generations. But few know the story behind its shaky beginning. What happens when an overeager new lighthouse keeper jumps the gun?

For decades, the majority of functioning lighthouses have operated mechanically, without a resident lighthouse keeper to keep things going. Yet tourists still flock to sites like Split Rock to ponder the lighthouse keeper’s lifestyle. What is it about a lighthouse that keeps us wondering?

The Honeywell round thermostat design is one of the most user-friendly and underappreciated appliance designs of all time. MN90 Producer Andi McDaniel explains what has made the “T86 Round” so popular and so enduring.