"This is a city that knows history matters," Richard Moe, president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation, stated in a news release. "With its historic river charm, Red Wing, Minn., has sensitively preserved its heritage and natural resources to create a thriving and vital community that has much to offer residents and visitors alike." Red Wing Mayor Donna Dummer said the community has always appreciated its heritage, but that pride became more evident in the 1980s, when the Red Wing Shoe Co. helped renovate the St. James Hotel. "Once that was done, it was like, 'Whoa, I think we can do this with the rest of the buildings in the community,'" Dummer said. "One thing just kind of led to another, and people took a little pride in their buildings and said, 'Well, hey, we can scrape the dust off our bricks, too.'" In naming Red Wing a distinctive destination, the National Trust for Historic Preservation referred to it as a "treasure trove," where the architecture still reflects its beginnings as a riverfront trade point. The city has 25 listings on the National Register of Historic Places. Many of its downtown commercial buildings were constructed between 1860 and 1910. "It's a committed community," Dummer said. "And preserving that heritage has been a big commitment." The natural landscape of Red Wing is also something special, she said. >From "_Postbulletin.com: Red Wing is named a distinctive destination - Sat, Feb 9, 2008_ (http://news.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=2&a=327538) RED WING -- Its natural beauty and historic buildings have earned this river town a title. The National Trust for Historic Preservation on Thursday named Red Wing to its 2008 list of America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations. Red Wing is the first Minnesota city to make the annual list since it began in 2000.
**************Biggest Grammy Award surprises of all time on AOL Music. (http://music.aol.com/grammys/pictures/never-won-a-grammy?NCID=aolcmp003000000025 48)
