Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1951-01-05
by GEORGE LUDCKE

Ages ago from their arctic source,
Ice mountains rOarcd down with a primal force.
And from giant tracks that a glacier makes,
Emerged the Land Of Ten Thousand Lakes
Minnesota means Land Of the Sky Blue Waters"
In Indian tongue but her and daughters
Gave her the nickname, North Star State"
When she joined the Union In IS.
She = haunting music Of Indian names
Cities where homesteaders stated their claims,
Trails early French explorers trod,
Missionaries for King and God
Pipestone quarry's sacred lore
Traces Of who have gone before
Viking rhinestone with ancient script
Found In q rocky pasture crypt.
Minnesota Is HiAwathas ground
The wild cataract Father Hennepn found:
Mills that grind her wheat to flour.
sun using st. Anthony Falls for power.
She's Fort Smelling alerted ut sumters fall.
Farm boys who answered Abe Lncolns call
The smell Of spring In her fresh ployed loan
To veterans OF Saipan and Begium--home
Minnesota Is opportunity
For newcomers to the Land of the Free
Faith In God by plain farm people;
Sunsets rays white church steepe
Swedish and German mmigratons
Merging In later generations:
Iron range miners and names they've got
Northwestern melting pot.
A stream In IAsca's pines the source
OF the mighty Missssipps
Haunt Of u King size lumberjaCk
Paul Bunyan born a oRgers shack.
Minnesota 3 red iron ore
Dug for the nations hard steel core.
She's blocklonG lake boat with wheat filled hold
Bread for the nation prairie gold
Men whom obstacles couldn't bewlder.
Jim Hll from Cork TO Empire Builder
Wild geese winglng through northern sky.
boy named Lindbergh who learned to fly.
She's the sudden strike of a hungry bass
Mallards skimmng across the pass.
Drm-beat OF grouse the autumn air,
white tail deer In its lcafy lair
Minnesota Is a pioneer lane. grant college,
Grown to word-renowned seat Of knowledge.
symphony proof of her cultural claim
Golden Gophers OF gridron fame.
Minnesota = healing and hope for many
Mayo Clinic and Sister Kenny.
Ali champions glowing health,
Proof OF her dairy and garden wealth.
She's Sinclair Lewis famed main Street"
Al Sank Center where lakes and farmland meet
Rival schools that Mortified claims
Along with bank robbed by Jessie James.
Minnesota $ timber; from northern pine
To cottonwOods down the Iowa line.
She's spit-Rock Lighthouse cool North Shore.
And Canada's neghbory open door
She's the State Fair each year bigger than last
Where farm meets city and present meets past.
Brradbasket that fills its needs and
Food for the hungry on foreign shore.
Minnesota Is temperature change
Extremes OF her busy thermometers range
She's hot summer shmmertng
And winters cold blast, arctic born.
She's the bird flight north early spring,
And the rich green growth that her summers bring
riot OF color when autumn calls.
Sumbering peace when the soft falls
Twelve states larger in the nation.
Sixteen have greater population;
But You can't tell with figures show with charts
Minnesotas place in her peoples hearts
Statistics can't picture the glad hearts leap,
When the native returns; why roots grow deep
Where the pines tall and the prairies roll
Money can't measure the wealth OF the soul