Aftermath of cyclone, Rochester. Photo by Elmer & Tenney, August 21, 1883.

Straws driven into wood, Rochester cyclone. Photo by J. C. Cook, August 21, 1883.

Ruins of Weber's residence after cyclone, Rochester. Stereograph by J. C. Cook, August 21, 1883.

Cyclone damage, Rochester. Stereograph by Charles E. Tenney, August 21, 1883.

Rochester cyclone. Photo by Charles A. Tenney, August 21, 1883.

Elevator after cyclone, Rochester. Photographed by Elmer & Tenney, August 21, 1883.

Cole's Mill after cyclone, Rochester. Photographed by Elmer & Tenney, August 21, 1883. At Cole's Mill, eight cars of flour were overturned, the west end of the mill was blown in, machinery was blown about, and the roof was blown off.

The one million acres of land and water bordering Minnesota and Canada called the Boundary Waters Canoe Area, or BWCA, began to be set aside for preservation purposes in 1902. MN90 producer Marisa Helms recounts some of its history.

During the 1870s, grasshopper plagues made life miserable for Minnesota's farmers. The insects traveled in swarms so large they darkened the sky, destroying crops and farmers’ livelihoods along the way. Learn more about the government response to the crisis and the lasting damage that was left behind.