Minnesota has been called the “Bread and Butter State” because of its wheat and dairy production. For the Pan-American Exposition at Buffalo, New York, in 1901, the state of Minnesota produced a pamphlet—Minnesota, “the Bread and Butter State.” “Kansas has always been the great bread state of the Union; she is now becoming the great bread and butter state” had been cited in newspapers in 1897, but it’s not known if this influenced Minnesota’s promotion four years later. The “Bread and Butter State” nickname has only been infrequently used after 1901.
 
Minnesota is also called the “Gopher State,” the “Land of 10,000 Lakes” and the “North Star State.”
 
   
Wikipedia: Pan-American Exposition
The Pan-American Exposition was a World’s Fair held in Buffalo, New York, United States, from May 1 through November 2, 1901. The fair occupied 350 acres (1.4 km2) of land on the western edge of what is now Delaware Park, extending from Delaware Avenue to Elmwood Avenue and northward to Great Arrow Avenue. It is remembered today primarily for being the location of the assassination of President William McKinley.
 
Chronicling America
20 January 1897, Topeka (KS) State Journal, pg. 4, col. 3:
Kansas has always been the great bread state of the Union; she is now becoming the great bread and butter state.
 
Chronicling America
28 March 1901, St, Paul (MN) Globe, “More Money Is Needed,” pg. 8, col. 3:
As a prominent gentleman of Buffalo said to us, “Minnesota is the bread and butter state of the Union.”
 
Chronicling America
13 April 1901, St. Paul (MN) Globe, “Commissioners at Work,” pg. 2, col. 3:
If an idea, which has been suggested by Gov. Van Sant, is carried out, Minnesota will henceforth be known as “The Bread and Butter State” of the Union. he has notified the commissioners that it would be a clever thing to have a pamphlet prepared showing the resources of the state, its fertility and wealth, and to have it headed with the words, “Bread and Butter State.’ The title has struck the commissioners as being particularly appropriate and they will follow out the suggestion.
 
14 May 1901, Davenport (IA) Republican, pg. 7, col. 3:
LOYAL TO HIS STATE.
GOVERNOR VAN SANT PREDICTS GREAT FUTURE FOR IT.
(...)
“We have usually been designated as the Gopher State, but since we diversified our farming we have found that the price of our dairy products, last year, exceeded in value or entire wheat crop, so we now designate ourselves as the Great Bread and Butter State of the Union.”
     
OCLC WorldCat record
Minnesota, “the bread and butter state” : at the Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo, N.Y., 1901.
Author: H W Hall
Publisher: [Minnesota?] : [publisher not identified], [1901]
Edition/Format:   Print book : State or province government publication : English
 
Chronicling America
9 June 1901, St. Paul (MN) GLobe, pg. 2, col. 4:
BREAD AND BUTTER STATE.
That Is the Name of a New Booklet
Applies to Minnesota.
“Minnesota, the Bread and Butter State” is the title of a booklet issued by the Minnesota board of managers for the Pan-American exposition. It gives a brief sketch of the progress of the state within the past half-century, a review of its resources and a glance at the promises for the future.
 
11 August 1901, Springfield (MA) Sunday Republican, “The Farm and Its Interests,” pg. 12, cols. 3-4:
The “Bread and Butter state” is the way Minnesota will be known hereafter, says Dairy and Creamery. Last year she ground out 26,630,500 barrels of flour, and churned 60,000,000 pounds of butter.
 
OCLC WorldCat record
The bread and butter state
Author: Minnesota. Board of Managers, Pan American Exposition, 1901.
Publisher: St. Paul (Minn.) : Pioneer Press Company, 1902.
Edition/Format:   Print book : English
 
OCLC WorldCat record
The predicament of Minnesota an array of facts that shows a most remarkable and threatening condition in the bread and butter state,
Author: Paul Latzke
Publisher: St. Paul, Minn., Webb Pub. Co. Press, 1904.
Edition/Format:   eBook : Document : English : 2d ed
 
OCLC WorldCat record
Come to Minnesota : the bread and butter state invites you
Author: McGill-Warner Co.; Ten Thousand Lakes of Minnesota Association.; Greater Minnesota Association.
Publisher: St. Paul, Minn. : McGill-Warner Co., ©1928.
Edition/Format:   Map : English
 
OCLC WorldCat record
Come to Minnesota! : the bread and butter state : you’ll do better on a Minnesota farm.
Author: Ten Thousand Lakes-Greater Minnesota Association.
Publisher: St. Paul, Minn. : 10, 000 Lakes-Greater Minnesota Ass’n, [1931]
Edition/Format:   Print book : English