Curious Minnesota
Curious Minnesota
Minnesota Star Tribune
How a small Minnesota town ‘seceded’ from the U.S.
16 minutes Posted Jun 23, 2025 at 3:11 pm.
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In the summer of 1977, the leaders of a small Iron Range town made a rather bold announcement: Kinney, Minn., had seceded from the United States. The statement was tongue-in-cheek, but the town’s situation wasn’t funny. The story of the Republic of Kinney is one of dismissed town needs, a wacky, bar-born plan and the power of media attention. Reporter Christa Lawler joined host Erica Pearson to share Kinney's story.