Tuesday, October 25, 2022 marks 20 years since Minnesota lost one of its most memorable champions for the little guy, U.S. Democratic Senator Paul Wellstone. Now his surviving sons are launching a new way to visit his northern Minnesota memorial.
It's a virtual walkthrough of the memorial in a wooded area near Eveleth, which marks the spot where Wellstone's campaign plane crashed in 2002. Just twelve days before Election Day in 2002, the plane carrying Wellstone crashed on the way to the Eveleth airport. In addition to instantly killing the senator, his wife Sheila, daughter Marcia, and three staff members were also killed.
Wellstone’s Son Dave says the site is a beautiful tribute to the work his parents were known for.
“Just the grassroots, everyday touching of people’s lives is what I think my folks were all about,” says Dave Wellstone.
The virtual tour uses 3D drone video, allowing viewers to walk through it with a click of a mouse.
Plaques along the way showcase Wellstone’s dedication to “helping make all Minnesotans' lives better”, no matter what their politics.
"My dad always tried to figure out issues that he could work across the aisle on and get things done, kind of a lost art today," says his son Dave. "But it also lets people know about that, right. This person worked hard, yes he was a Democrat, but he worked hard for everybody."
Paul Wellstone served Minnesota in the U.S. Senate for twelve years, and was a teacher and activist for more than thirty.
The memorial on a six-acre site is a tribute to Senator Wellstone’s life and career, and to the lives of his family and staff who died in the crash. It is divided into three parts: the Legacy Trail, the Commemorative Circle, and the Crash Site Narrative Space. This site was kept largely undisturbed since the crash in 2002.
You can find more information on the memorial site here.
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