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© Kosmo Esplan
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A deep-dive into the local eras, ”Trek Through Time” opens a portal to the past to discover the richly abundant history of Northfield, Minnesota. Featuring an absorbing monthly topic and interviews with one-of-a-kind expertise from the town’s knowledgeable Memoir Maestros, all aspects of the archives are analyzed. Hosted by Kosmo Esplan, produced by the Northfield History Center, and broadcast by KYMN 95.1 FM, "Triple T" offers a fun and fascinating voyage of bygone days.
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It’s a rhyming episode this month as Kosmo grabs a beer (a root beer, rather) and sits down with Mark Schiller, co-owner of Loon Liquor and local history buff. The two discuss Northfield’s origin in relation to the prosperous milling business that populated Minnesota in the 19th century; the evolution of local distilling from the temperance movement through Prohibition and today; and how Loon Liquor is continuing these historic traditions and intending to expand the business impact on Northfield as a result.
On this President's Day episode, Kosmo's interview goal of a presidential podcast is finally fulfilled when he's joined by none other than President Theodore Roosevelt (portrayed by Adam Lindquist), who shares the riveting details of his multi-faceted biography, from cowboy expeditions to political escapades to assassination attempts and even more. Plus, Kosmo gets TR to debunk (and affirm) some myths about POTUS' adventures, all while both discover the importance and relevance of past presidents to modern American life.
Before he transforms into Commander-in-Chief #26 for an extended TTT discussion, Adam Lindquist joins Kosmo out-of-character to chat about his journeys acting as Theodore Roosevelt, why Teddy's values remain relevant, and what's on Adam's radar for the sesquicentennial.
In this full, virtually recorded conversation between Kosmo Esplan and Sam Temple, the two history voyagers travel deeper into the story that shaped Faribault's formation, founder Alexander's multicultural experiment, and the impact of Minnesota Territory's broader political agenda – plus Kosmo ruthlessly grills Sam on the many anniversaries plaguing 2026 party planners.
To kick off a year full of historical significance, host Kosmo Esplan re-invites premier Faribault history prodigy Sam Temple into the Time Machine to dig into the contents of the latter’s newest documentary, Agua Vivas de Faribault: Alexander Faribault’s utopian vision when establishing the “Athens of the West”, how the ensuing challenges were microcosmic of the larger conflicts shaping Minnesota’s founding, and why this story still matters in 2026.
In this live holiday show from the KYMN studio on the day of Winter Walk, host Kosmo Esplan investigates a variety of local holiday traditions that have endured over the years . . . but it's not a Christmas special without a lineup of lively and festive guests, a visit from Father Christmas himself, and live music to top it all off. Merry Christmas, Northfield!
Following up on last year's voyage through college football, it's second down as Kosmo Esplan is back in the end zone turning his attention to the sport's significant presence at the Northfield High School, along with former head coach and current offensive coordinator Bubba Sullivan. From humble early years to the 1990s dynasty, host and guest blitz Raiders football and explore the team's enduring 133-year-old story.
On this first ever two-hour live TTT broadcast from the KYMN studio, your host Kosmo Esplan voyages across 77 years of Defeat Days history with a wide variety of locals, townies, and festival enthusiasts who share their stories and provide some background on why the festival is an enduring facet of Northfield's identity.Part #1 (00:00) – The Festival's Early Days w/ David Hvistendahl & Susan HvistendahlPart #2 (37:35) – The Townie Take w/ Chad Beumer, Sam Richardson, and Dick WatersPart #3 (1:06:11)– Annual Traditions w/ Deb Anthony, Brad Ness, and Herman TransbergPart #4 (1:32:48) – Bank Raid Commemorations w/ Russ Swanson & Earl Weinmann
On this Labor Day installment, Kosmo celebrates the upcoming DJJD celebration by discussing all things bank raid history with local history supercomputer Tim Freeland; in their freewheeling discussion, Mr. Host and Mr. Northfield dig into an assortment of trivia about the raid, Defeat Days, and other fascinating Northfield goodies.
To finish off August and celebrate the twentieth Triple Tee voyage, Kosmo explores stories behind the location that most of these episodes have been recorded in: the Scriver Building. With a trio of Northfield History Center comrades (Sean Allen, Aya Myint, and Henry Vrtis) joining to provide their expertise, the history clan dig into the iconic downtown staple's past, present, and future.
It's the final chapter of the "Trek Through Time" triad of Rock 'n' Roll Revival interviews this month! To cap it off, Kosmo Esplan virtually sits down with the man who started it all, Tom McKown, for a brief discussion about the very beginning of RRR and its journey into the Northfield zeitgeist.
We're packing it in this time on Triple Tee! With this year's Vintage Band Festival approaching, it's quadruple the fun as Kosmo invites an impressive tetrad of old-timey music lovers into the time machine to discuss one of the most historic band celebrations in the country: join artistic director Paul Niemisto, board president Dan Bergeson, board VP Randy Ferguson, and board secretary Joy Riggs to discover the nineteen years of rich music culture at the heart of the VBF's impact.
In honor of the Riverwalk Market Fair's 15th anniversary, Kosmo invites Market Manager Derek Meyers, Board Chair Martha Kasper, and local vendor/artist Kathy Miller for triple discussion duty as they focus on the beloved Northfield event's history, impact, and involvement in the community, including an upcoming fundraiser (July 15th at Imminent Brewing). Plus, they bond over the delicious treats available every Saturday in Bridge Square.
(Video available exclusively on Spotify.) In this exclusive podcast interview with Karate Kid: Legends star Ben Wang, host/cinephile Kosmo Esplan and Northfield's first Hollywood actor discuss Ben's early immigration to Minnesota, the impact of local theatre and good mentors, and his pivot to pursuing professional roles in NYC and LA. Unsurprisingly, movies come up, as well.
On the occasion of Triple Tee's one-year birthday, Kosmo Esplan highlights another Northfield anniversary (albeit one with more digits) by recruiting publisher Rob Schanilec and editor Ronica Roberson to voyage across 20 years of the Entertainment Guide. The triad delves into the beloved Southern Minnesota magazine's memorable moments, including its 2005 sesquicentennial origin, the evolution of monthly issues, and its two decades of, well, "Guiding" the community.
In this "Extra Exploration", Kosmo finishes off his conversation with Dr. Mahr by learning about a pair of photos, digging into the iconic Orchestra-Band softball rivalry, and tackling the relationship between the "big three" St. Olaf musical institutions.
Continuing the deep-dive into the St. Olaf Band's history, Kosmo, Susan, and Jeff look over a scrapbook from Susan's time in the Band, discuss the significance of a variety of pictures from History Center archives, and debate the most controversial topic of all: the Oxford Comma.
As promised, Kosmo Esplan returns to complete his tour through the eras of the St. Olaf Band . . . this time accompanied by the firsthand experience of Dr. Timothy Mahr, the Band's former conductor who led multitudes of students across the years to musical glory, including several international tours and a performance at Carnegie Hall. Kosmo (non-musical expert) and Dr. Mahr (musical expert) dig deeper into the latter's journey from student to maestro, favorite memories, and the Band's guiding principle since 1891.
On the first half of this two-part May exploration of Manitou Heights' oldest musical institution, Kosmo Esplan brings in the big guns to cover 127 years of St. Olaf Band history: Northfield history icons Susan Hvistendahl and Jeff Sauve, authors of the 2019 biography "Milestones & Memoirs of the St. Olaf Band: 1891-2018". All three Band fans take an aerial perspective of the origin, impact, and reputation of the richly chronicled organization, and Kosmo gets the scoop on what it was like to write a 600-page tome opus detailing that story.
(Video available exclusively on Spotify.) Resuming the conversation on the "power of the puppet", Kosmo treats Doug and Mary Kay to some artifacts from the History Center archives that relate to Doug's multi-decade career in guidance counseling; and the trio are joined by the ever-welcome puppet celebrity pair of DUSO the Dolphin and Jayhawk.
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