John McGivern’s Main Streets

[bright music] - John McGivern: I am on the Mississippi River, and this Minnesota City is known as a hub for tourism, river commerce, and shoes.

[bright music] - Announcer: Thanks to our underwriters.

- Heiser Automotive is honored to help John McGivern and his team arrive safely at many Main Streets.

Heiser itself has been in the community for over 100 years.

We have worked hard to achieve the American dream, and now it's your community's turn.

We are here to help.

– Baker: My father taught me that to make a great bakery, you have to do it the right way.

O&H Danish Bakery, where Kringle traditions begin.

[camera clicking] - Wisconsin's picture-perfect historic downtown Greendale isn't just a great backdrop for photos.

It's the perfect place to... indulge your hobby or your sweet tooth.

Try something new!

Shop for a treasure, and eat some really great food.

Ask anyone who's made memories here.

We'll all tell you the same thing.

You just gotta see Greendale!

[camera clicking] - Twenty-minute commutes, weekends on the lake, warm welcomes, and exciting career opportunities.

Not to mention all the local flavor.

There's a lot to look forward to in Wisconsin.

Learn more at InWisconsin.com.

– Announcer: How to bring generations together?

Start by splashing together.

Maybe go on a ride together, see stuff together, or do something different altogether.

Wisconsin Dells, come together.

The waterpark capital of the world, WisDells.com.

- Thanks to the Friends of Plum Media and to the Friends of PBS Wisconsin.

'Cause these are our Main Streets Something about our hometown speaks to me There's nowhere else I'd rather be The heart and soul of community's right here On these Main Streets [upbeat music fades] - I am in Red Wing, Minnesota.

With a population of just under 17,000 people, this city in Goodhue County sits on the banks of the Mississippi River.

It is about an hour southeast of the Twin Cities, and it's just a stone's throw across the river from my home state of Wisconsin.

You know, Emmy, this town feels like two towns to me.

So there's this charming downtown with lots to explore, and it's surrounded by beautiful landscapes.

– Emmy Fink: Absolutely gorgeous.

And don't forget, the birthplace of Red Wing shoes.

– John: Right here.

- But really fascinating history around these parts long before any footwear.

And it all started with a Dakota Chief in the 19th century, and his name was Red Wing.

So he must have been pretty loved because we're here.

– John: Yeah.

You have to believe, too, that the Mississippi had a lot to do with its growth.

- Oh, of course, so steamboats were here in about 1850.

Red Wing was one of the largest shippers of wheat in the entire country.

That's when business just started booming.

Then settlers and visitors, they came to this area, and then, well, Red Wing exploded.

- Sure.

And what did the early people bring with them?

- Yes, well, immigrants came from Germany, Norway, and Sweden mostly, and they brought with them their skills and their knowledge of hospitality, pottery making, and shoemaking.

- Shoemaking I'm not at all surprised because that craftsmanship continues today, and it's very successful, and I love some shoes.

And you know what I'm happy about?

I'm happy that they named the shoes after the town and not the town after the shoes.

That's what I'm happy about.

- There you go.

- I was told that when we get to Red Wing, Minnesota, I will see the biggest boot I will ever see in my whole life.

And I'm wondering if this is...

It's a big boot!

– Clare Pavelka: This is iconic, classic.

– John: What size is this, do we know?

- 638.

And a half.

- Is it?

– Clare: Don't forget the half!

Yes.

- Red Wing Shoe Company.

It's an icon brand in this community.

- Yes, mm-hmm.

- Yep.

- When did the doors open here?

- 1905.

Red Wing was founded by a gentleman by the name of Charles Beckman, and he was actually a shoe retail merchant here on the same block in downtown Red Wing.

Clare: And he was frustrated because he couldn't provide the shoes for his customers that he knew that they needed.

And he had the pioneering spirit, and he said, "I'll just start my own company."

- In 1905, what were they building, and who were they building it for?

– Clare: Occupation-specific industries.

– John: Yeah.

– Clare: So, mining, farming, factory work.

Red Wing products earn their badge.

We also manufacture and sell garments.

– John: You do.

– Clare: Personal Protection Equipment.

– John: So, I just thought boots, okay?

- The shoe, and then, there are the boots.

- The 'Cross Lite.'

What other colors do these come in?

- Are you shopping for yourself?

- Right now.

- Or for a friend?

- Clare, I heard that there's an outlet.

I'll try this one on first.

This is an 11.

It's called the 'Weekender,' right, Clare?

- Mm-hmm.

- Yeah.

It's a handsome shoe.

- Clean, condition, protect?

- I love it all.

I love a little set of it.

'Cause sometimes I can go to a 12.

It's a great poster.

They're nice.

- Looks great on you.

- When I look back on my visit to Red Wing, there's one thing I will remember for the rest of my life.

Shoes is not the only footwear story in Red Wing.

What else is made right here in this town?

[quizzical music] - Here in Red Wing, you will find one of just three remaining manufacturers in the country of ice skates and roller skates.

Riedell Shoes has been making skates since 1945.

Their founder was actually a Red Wing Shoe employee, and they have famous skating customers like Johnny Weir and Kurt Browning.

And me!

Look at these babies!

See ya!

[bright music] - Pottery is a big deal in this town.

So, a guy from Germany discovered that this land was rich with clay in the 1860s, and the pottery business just took off.

The iconic pieces that you may know, it's those large stoneware jugs and crocks that people used to store food in before refrigeration.

Now they're huge and expensive collectors' items.

And this town honors that history with CrockFest every year.

There's also a Pottery Museum where they say they have the largest collection in the world of clay items.

This is very cool.

This is an old kiln that was with the Stoneware company.

This is where they baked the pottery.

And you know what we were told?

We were told that there was a 20% breakage rate once it went into the kiln.

Really gives an idea of what it was like.

[bright music fades] - So Lois just discovered this.

We're in the heart of downtown.

This is West Avenue.

This is East Avenue.

If you travel four blocks up West Avenue and then come back down East Avenue, you're gonna run into no less than seven churches.

The Episcopalians right behind me-- obviously, the prime real estate.

But then you'll find three different Lutherans, a Presbyterian, a Methodist, a building that used to be a church which is now an artist sanctuary.

I mean, it's like car dealerships!

When there's one, there's ten!

It works.

[smooth music] - John: Phileo is the name of your store?

– Andrea Hanson: Yeah, it's Greek for friendship love.

– John: And how long have you had this place?

- Almost five years, yeah.

- And were you in the woman's clothing business before?

- No, I was actually a high school math teacher for 12 years.

- Wait, what?

- Yeah.

- Really?

- Yeah.

- And five years later, was it a great decision?

- Yes, absolutely.

- Yeah?

I love all of your models.

- Yes.

- I was just told that they're all local.

- They are local.

That's really important to us.

So these are all friends of mine, and they graciously said yes when I asked them to be on the walls permanently.

- Yeah.

- It's really important that everyone can come in here and find something that they feel beautiful in.

– John: Isn't that great?

– Andrea: So one thing that I really value is showcasing local artists.

These earrings right here are made right in town.

- They're pretty.

- Yeah!

- And you're not gonna find another one like it, are ya?

- Nope, 'cause they are handmade.

- Oh, they're great!

- Yeah!

So we've got lots of colorful purses.

- It's a three-in-one purse.

- Yeah.

– John: Come on!

– Andrea: In any color you could imagine.

- Right!

Are you involved in the business district?

- We actually have a pretty tight-knit downtown, as far as business owners go.

A lot of people come to our town and say, "It's kind of odd that we go into a store, "and everyone is recommending that we go to three other stores."

But that's just the culture here is we want everyone to succeed.

– Anthony Andler: Hey, John.

- Hey, Anthony, I'm John.

Good to see you.

- How are you?

- Good to see you.

- Nice to see you in person.

- Oh, there we go, thanks.

- My great-grandfather and his father were tailors.

- Really?

- So, there's over 200 years' worth of tailoring in our family.

– John: What a great history!

- And so we got shirts, hats.

Back here is our suit department and our custom clothing department.

- This is like a Hollywood set.

- Right, the dressing room's back here.

This back room.

- Yeah?

- Is the backbone to the business.

The things that they're buying are actually made here or tailored here.

I always say there's a hat for every face.

- I don't believe that.

- There totally is.

- No.

- No, I already know your size.

- What is it?

- It's 7 1/4.

- 7 1/4 head?

- Yeah, yeah.

Einstein had the same head size, so, and he was super smart.

- Don't be a smart butt with me!

[Anthony and John cracking up] - John, the first hat off, we got the bowler.

- On occasion, I guess.

- The Panama fedora.

- Oh, I feel almost pretty.

[Anthony laughs] - And then we have the pork pie, worn by the butchers in Chicago.

- Yeah, this is like, I wish I had a bass with me right now.

- Then we have a hand-woven Panama.

- Oh, my God.

- Eh?

- I'm a girl from Ipanema!

- You talking to me?

- Oh, my!

[laughing] - This is the summer hat for you.

- Oh, this isn't bad!

- That's a classic.

- I don't... [playful music] I think I broke it!

- And the last one is pub cap, John.

- Look at that!

I think that's it!

- I think that's it.

See?

I knew we'd find the perfect hat to frame the face.

And what a face it is.

[Anthony laughs] - John: What?!?

Yeah!

[Anthony laughing] If you're looking for some good food served with a side of local flair, this is the place to be.

It's called Bev's.

It's the oldest restaurant in Red Wing.

But don't try to reserve that front table.

You know why?

Because it's reserved for the round table group, a group of local guys who come in every morning at 5:00 a.m. - Shelley Diercks: I've loved them and served them for years.

- Isn't that great?

- Yeah.

– John: And they show up almost every morning?

- Yeah.

And if they're gonna be gone, we expect them to check in and report.

[John laughing] - Are you like, "Where are they this morning?"

- Yeah, well, you do!

- "What do you mean they're on vacation?"

- Yeah, you do worry, you know, if they don't come in, you know.

- It reminds me of the grownup table at Thanksgiving, yeah.

And these guys are grown up.

Trust me.

[rock music] That's an ADM plant.

And what do you do here?

– Emily Harrison: So, the Red Wing ADM is pretty unique.

We're actually ADM's only facility globally that processes flaxseed into the traditional linseed oil, which is used in oil-based paint.

- In the world?

- In the world, yep.

- And you're in charge?

- Yup, and it's in Red Wing, Minnesota.

– John: Once you process, how does it leave here?

- So, our oil is shipped in 16-ounce bottle size, that is available on Amazon, all the way to a barge, which would hold three million pounds of oil that's shipped down the Mississippi River.

- You're looking at commerce!

Like this is, this is a business for you!

– Noah Slaby: Yes.

Yeah, it's the most economic and environmental way to move product.

- And why environmentally?

Why is it helpful that way?

- Because you can move the most amount of tonnage for the least amount of fuel.

Your average barge holds about 60 semi-trucks.

So if you took that same amount of fuel to get 60 semi-trucks to where you need 'em to go, you put 'em on the water, and you're pushing 'em with one boat, you're just saving that much energy.

And it's a very safe industry as well.

– John: Yeah.

– Noah: This vessel, the Lil Charlie, will go to the line boat, take the barges that were assigned to Red Wing, take it to the docks that are requesting them.

– John: And what they're doing is pushing barges from New Orleans all the way up to what's the end of the river?

- Saint Paul.

- Saint Paul.

- Yes.

So what we're approaching now is called the Big Turn.

- Turn, okay.

- Yeah.

And geographically, it's the tightest turn on the Mississippi.

– John: Anywhere on the Mississippi?

- That's what I'm told.

- Okay.

– Noah: Where we'll just help get alongside of the tow and kinda help push and navigate around like a helper boat.

So we're doing the same thing that we've been doing for 200 years.

– John: For 200 years.

- You know, you think about it, historically, the steamboat days, Mark Twain, that whole thing, it's still alive on the river.

- It's very cool.

- Yeah.

- The little mom-and-pop grocery store.

They're hard to come by these days, but I found one here in Red Wing.

Buchanan Grocery.

Handmade sausages, homemade deli, and the most loyal of customers.

That's how they've been around 100 years.

Thanks, Casey.

- You're welcome.

- Yum!

Mm!

[jovial acoustic music] - I wish you could smell and look around like I have the chance today because this is my new favorite place in the whole world.

This is really great.

– Bill Hanisch: Well, that's some of the looks we get, yes.

[both laughing] I've been here 28 years.

I've owned it for 16.

- For 16?

- Yeah.

The bakery itself has been in this location since 1968.

- And now it's yours!

Do the recipes come along with the bakery?

- Yes, Pirius Bakery, which was what it was back in the '40s up into the '60s, we make their Swedish Limpa rye.

You know, when people ask us, "What are you known for?"

It's not one thing, it's just about everything that we make.

- It's all of it.

- Yep, we bake everything, as much as possible, fresh, ready to order.

When you walk in this door at about 6: 00, the case isn't even filled yet.

- It's not.

- We're filling the case with still hot and fresh doughnuts.

- I get up early.

[Bill laughs] Here's the cream-filled Long Johns.

- Nice.

This is, you said, is your biggest seller.

- It is definitely-- - Maple bacon.

- Maple bacon.

- What are these?

– Bill: Those would be our home-style cinnamon rolls.

- These look delicious.

What are we doing today?

– Robyn Hanisch: We are making decorated cookies.

- So, teach me how.

These look beautiful.

I think I'd like to do the carrots.

They look easier.

[John laughs slyly] [Robyn chuckles] Oh, it's a swirl.

– Robyn: Mm-hmm.

– John: A one, two.

What are those?

- Eyeballs.

– John: They're cute!

[laughs] They're really cute.

Okay, here we go.

Not so bad.

– Robyn: Nope.

Squeeze.

- Squeeze.

– Robyn: And pull.

- What is that, squeeze and pull?

- Yeah.

- Okay.

Squeeze and pull.

– Robyn: And then, the eyes.

- Those eyes are a little crossed, just so you know.

- You can make them crossed.

They're kinda crossed.

Dot on each.

– John: There we-- oh, what's going on?

He's winking!

And now, the smile.

- Smiley.

[John laughs] - Really thin lips!

[Robyn laughs] Okay, that's a good one.

It'll still sell, won't it?

- It probably will sell.

- I snuck my cookie out.

The one I made.

I could tell it was mine by that eye.

Yeah, oh well.

It's a carrot, it's a vegetable.

- Red Wing High School is home of the Wingers, and apparently, a Winger looks an awful lot like a purple Philadelphia eagle.

But we're not talking football.

We're talking hockey because hockey is the unofficial sport of Minnesota.

And there certainly have been Wingers that have played in the NHL.

Johnny Pohl, he played for eight seasons, and his dad, Jim Pohl, well, he was the high school hockey coach here and the principal.

Go, Wingers!

[Emmy clapping] [bright music] - This cabinet in the Sheldon Theater has been here since the doors opened in 1904.

What was this cabinet used for?

[quizzical music] - This cabinet is a layout.

It's the floor plan of the theater.

So it was someone's job to write on each individual ticket the seat number, and then put it in the correct spot so they knew when a show was sold out.

Sounds like a fantastic job for an intern.

Right?

– John: In eighth grade, I was chosen the boy to give the speech at eighth-grade graduation.

– Emmy: Oh, there you are!

- What a thrill!

- And, of course, on stage.

- Come on up here.

- Okay.

- Sorry, Emmy, I couldn't wait to step on stage at the Sheldon.

Sorry!

- Well, I see why this is your home.

- There's so much history here, too.

- Oh, so much history.

- Yeah.

- So, it really started with T.B.

Sheldon.

He was a really prominent businessman.

He owned several businesses, but he also loved the arts.

Well, when he passed away, he left half of his estate to the city, and said, "Just do something with it that everyone could enjoy."

- Nice.

- So, in 1904, the Sheldon Theater was built.

– John: But not without its share of problems throughout the years.

- Oh, goodness sake.

First, there was a fire in 1918, so not long after it was built, okay?

A cigarette forced a complete gut of the inside.

But it was restored, okay?

Then come the '20s and the '30s when movie theaters were, like, the next big thing, so they covered up the beautiful tile on the floor.

They added the drop ceiling, covered up that pretty artwork.

– John: When was it restored to this?

- Back in the late '80s, the good people of Red Wing, they're like, "We need the Sheldon back to what it was originally."

- Yeah.

– Amy: When everyone was gathered in the lobby to celebrate this beautiful new chapter for the theater, there was another fire.

- No!

- Another fire.

And right after they evacuate, there's an explosion, and the roof lifts off the building only to fall right back perfectly in place.

- That is the definition of raise the roof.

- Oh, goodness.

But it's true.

I mean, the roof coming off the building actually saved the building because the force of the explosion didn't go through the walls.

– John: Quite a story.

And look at it today.

- It's gorgeous.

- Nice!

- I'm in Memorial Park, standing on Sorin's Bluff, but that, that is the most famous landmark in Red Wing.

Barn Bluff.

It's also a sacred site for the Dakota, who call it He Mni Can.

It formed over a half billion years ago on the floor of an inland sea, and it got its shape from melting glaciers.

It was quarried for limestone in the mid-1800s and turned into a park in 1910 to protect this beautiful treasure.

It now is an incredible place to go hiking and has some of the best views you'll see in Red Wing.

[gentle music] - We are in front of the Prairie Island Indian Community Center.

– Johnny Johnson: We call it Tinta Wita.

And that-- - Tinta Wita?

- Yeah, and that means 'Prairie Island' in our language.

– John: How big is your community?

- Our community just is under 1,100.

You know, and I grew up here all my life.

- You said this is tribal council?

- Yeah, this is our tribal chambers.

We have our new health center here.

You'll see the trophies.

In here is the gymnasium.

- Great facility.

- This is unbelievable.

- Yeah.

- Let's talk about the buffalo.

- Oh, the tatanka.

- Tatanka.

- Yes.

The Dakota were recognized as the buffalo people, and we followed the buffalo.

[gentle music] - Paul Dressen: At the turn of the century, there were only 850 bison left out of 60 million.

- What?

- There were under a quarter of a million of our people left in North America.

- Yeah.

- In 1992, the Oglala Nation in South Dakota gifted us a 6-year-old bull.

The next year, we got a few cows.

And then, lo and behold, we started to have calves.

- And now you have a population of over 300.

- Correct.

– John: These are the youngsters who are how old?

– Paul: These are yearlings.

– John: Last year's babies.

- They're kinda like middle school kids.

- Are they, no-- - Gangly.

Socially inept.

Some have big horns; some have small horns.

– John: Is there a hierarchy of who's in charge here?

– Paul: I always say it's a matriarch society.

- Oh, it is?

- There's one cow that kinda leads the herd.

- She's bossy?

- She's in charge.

That's all they're saying.

She's in charge, yes.

- She's in charge.

- So, these are wild animals.

People sometimes forget that.

They can run up to 40 miles an hour.

They can jump a six-to-eight-foot fence.

They are incredible athletes, and that's why you're in the truck and not out there amongst them.

They are part of our food sovereignty.

– John: Yeah.

- And our community now receives monthly rations of bison.

Really, as the herd has continued to grow and flourish, so has our community.

- I can honestly say I wish my father and all his sisters could see this today.

– John: They'd be proud of it?

– Johnny: They would be very proud of it.

– John: Yeah.

– Emmy: We found a bit of zen just outside downtown here at Stoney End, where they make handcrafted harps.

Not just any harps; traditional folk harps used in Celtic music.

Now, they're all made by Gary Stone and his team.

Gary used to be a former cabinet maker turned harp maker.

And I've got a little bit of Irish in me, so I should be okay at this.

[disjointed harp music] Maybe I'll keep my day job.

[gentle music] - This is called the Anderson Center.

This is a great story.

Did you ever eat Quaker puffed rice or puffed wheat when you were a kid?

You did?

Well, then, you need to thank the man who lived in that house.

His name was Dr. Alexander Anderson.

He was a scientist who lived there with his wife and kids.

He did experiments that led to the invention of puffed wheat, which led to a relationship, a partnership, with Quaker Oats.

Yeah.

And his innovation did not stop there.

That tower provided all of the water and electricity to the entire place.

Today, it's all about history tours and art exhibits, and there's a great sculpture garden in the backyard.

It's called the Anderson Center.

Good story, huh?

[smooth, upbeat music] When you come to Red Wing, Minnesota, take a half hour of your time to come to the St. James Hotel.

Get the St. James Hotel self- guided walking tour brochure, and take a walk through this incredibly beautiful historic hotel built in 1875.

What a great hotel.

– Jennifer Olson: Thank you.

We love it.

- Yeah.

- What we did in our last renovation is brought in a little bit of the history of Red Wing.

Of course, the boots, Sturdiwheat Pancakes, pottery.

- Collector pieces, these are.

- Absolutely.

- And, Jen, do you know why they called it the St. James?

- So, the story goes, they liked the name, and it sounded fancy.

- Okay.

[laughs] Jen, this is the room I would want if I checked in, just so you know.

[Jen laughs] - Just overlooking, right here?

So, the historic front desk, this is where you would've checked in, and we actually turned this into a bar.

- Might as well.

- Yeah, absolutely.

– John: This room is beautiful.

- Yeah, this is our historic library.

- Gorgeous.

- Yeah.

- They're making shoes, you know.

– Jen: True to time.

[laughs] - These are the 11 guys.

The 11 businessmen.

- Yes.

– John: That started this hotel in 1875.

- Yep, so they came together with their $60,000 and built the hotel to make sure all the businessmen coming in had a place to stay.

So this is-- - It's sweet, is what it is!

Really sweet.

The bathroom is huge!

– Jen: The bathrooms are all surprisingly large.

– John: Could I have my bed in here, please?

- Absolutely.

- We'd like a cot!

- So, Clara Lillyblad, she started here as a waitress.

She married one of the last founding members in 1914.

And then their family continued to run the hotel until 1977.

And then, in 1977 is when Red Wing Shoe purchased the hotel, and did a full renovation for two years, and brought it back to what it is now.

- Very cool.

I don't know if there's an award for the city that has the best flowers, but if there was, Red Wing would take it.

And for the person who does the watering, I applaud you.

[claps] You do a great job.

These are gorgeous.

[upbeat music] - Okay, this view, totally worth the drive up the Bluff.

- Didn't I tell you?

- You did.

I gotta listen to you more.

- You do.

- I mean, I see why this is such a destination.

I'm ashamed this is my first trip to Red Wing.

- This place is great.

It's almost like a little storybook town, isn't it?

Beautiful Mississippi, charming downtown.

- You write such a nice picture.

- Thanks.

– Both: We'll be back.

There's nowhere else I'd rather be The heart and soul of community's right here - We'll cut that part out.

- She is literally cleaning off the bird poop from this statue.

- Ah, oh!

[John groans, woman laughs] [John blows raspberries] One more time!

Let's try this again.

- It's the stopping that I'm not so great at.

So I'm going around you.

- Minnesota... [delay] [John groaning] Break.

- Nailed it.

[laughs] - Announcer: Thanks to our underwriters.

- Heiser Automotive is honored to help John McGivern and his team arrive safely at many Main Streets.

Heiser itself has been in the community for over 100 years.

We have worked hard to achieve the American dream, and now it's your community's turn.

We are here to help.

– Baker: My father taught me that to make a great bakery, you have to do it the right way.

O&H Danish Bakery, where Kringle traditions begin.

[camera clicking] - Wisconsin's picture-perfect historic downtown Greendale isn't just a great backdrop for photos.

It's the perfect place to... indulge your hobby or your sweet tooth.

Try something new!

Shop for a treasure, and eat some really great food.

Ask anyone who's made memories here.

We'll all tell you the same thing.

You just gotta see Greendale!

[camera clicking] - Twenty-minute commutes, weekends on the lake, warm welcomes, and exciting career opportunities.

Not to mention all the local flavor.

There's a lot to look forward to in Wisconsin.

Learn more at InWisconsin.com.

– Announcer: How to bring generations together?

Start by splashing together.

Maybe go on a ride together, see stuff together, or do something different altogether.

Wisconsin Dells, come together.

The waterpark capital of the world, WisDells.com.

- Thanks to the Friends of Plum Media and to the Friends of PBS Wisconsin.

- Let's do a public art initiative in Red Wing.

What should we have as our public art?

Just, I'm just asking.

What should... Yeah!

I think that's a good idea.