The first bi-annual Hognander Minnesota History Award goes to Mary Lethert Wingerd for her book, "North Country: The Making of Minnesota," publisehd in 2010 by the University of Minnesota Press.

Wingerd's book won a Minnesota Book Award last year in the "Minnesota" category.

Wingerd is an associate professor of history at St. Cloud State University and the author of "Claiming the City: Politics, Faith and the Power of Place in St. Paul."

She will be honored on Saturday at the Minnestoa Book Awards Gala at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in St. Paul. The Hognander award, established by the Hognander Family Foundation, will be given every two years in recognition of scholarly work exploring Minnesota History.