How Lake Pepin's forgotten pearl button boom inspired a local author's new novel

These days, no one would consider Southeast Minnesota to be a major player in the world of fashion. However, the region, specifically Lake City, played a vital role in clothing manufacturers in the 1800s. “For a while, the Upper Mississippi River Valley produced about 50% of the world’s buttons,” nurse and writer Melissa Meyers said. That fact might not seem important in the 21st century. In the 1890s, though, buttons were extremely important. “We didn’t have stretchable materials, then,” Meyers said. “You know, zippers weren’t invented yet. So how do you keep your clothes closed? The average person used buttons.” That pearl button industry along Lake Pepin inspired Meyers to write a novel, "The Pearl Button Sisters," her fourth book, which was published Sept. 1, 2026. The book comes from her research into this bit of Lake Pepin history. According to Meyers, clothing manufacturers originally used sea oysters to make buttons.

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