"Irish Immigrants to Minnesota performed two surprising feats. Contradicting the stereotype of Irishmen as bad farmers, they built some of the country's most successful and enduring Irish farming communities. And in St. Paul, despite being outnumbered by German immigrants, they left a lasting legacy, so that today most Minnesotans think of the city as an Irish town. As farmers and laborers, policemen and politicians, maids and seamstresses, their hard work helped to build the state. Wherever they settled, the Irish founded churches and community organizations, became active in politics, and held St. Patrick's Day parades, inviting all Minnesotans to become a little bit Irish."--Back cover.