This 2003 documentary starts at over 2,500 years ago with the Indigenous history of Northern Minnesota and speaks to Iron Range elders and historians to tell the dramatic history of this little-known area of Minnesota.

00:53 History of Iron Range land
02:02 Mining of Mesabi Range iron ore beginnings
05:00 Immigrants arrive to work in mines
09:30 Life outside of mining
15:38 Schools built for children and adults
16:24 Becoming US citizens
18:25 Milford Mine disaster
30:31 Young Communists and growing radicalism
35:22 Mesabi Park created in Chisholm
36:18 John T. Bernard, MN Congressman, Communist?
43:25 Taconite revives iron ore mining industry
51:00 Management and workers hired outside of Iron Range
54:52 Boom times for taconite were ending

________________________________________________

Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/TwinCitiesPBS/?sub_confirmation=1

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/twincitiespbs
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tptpbs
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@twincitiespbs

This content is made possible by viewers like you. Support Twin Cities PBS: https://www.tpt.org/give​.

#ironrange #indigenoushistory #documentary #minnesotahistory