Rural Youth Culture of the 1950s & 1960s

The allure of Baby Boomer youth pop culture is enduring, and makes it fun to revisit famous stars and artifacts from the 1950s and 1960s. But the motivating question of this oral history project is something more specific: what difference did it make to grow up in West Central Minnesota during those years? Our research moves between well-known national stories of youth culture and the specific sites, institutions, and activities that drew kids and teens in our region.

This activity is supported by the University of Minnesota’s Institute for Advanced Study as a Research and Creative Collaborative.