When I was a kid in the 1950s, we lived in a completely modern affluent Minneapolis suburb. My parents and grandparents all were academics and university professors. They were always taking our family to one visit historic site or another. One summer when I was 9 or 10, we took a month-long trip to the Mesabi and Vermillion ranges during the taconite boom to learn about the history and current practices of the iron mining industry. I remember being fascinated by the geology and impressed by the huge size of the trucks and other equipment used in the mining industry.

RIP Marvin Lamppa the Iron Range lost a great historian. I’m so glad he’s part of PBS documentaries.

My ancestors came from England, Ireland, and Norway and settled up at the range. My great grandfather was the mining superintendent at the Buhl Mind in the late 1800s and ran it until 1930. His name was Thomas Murphy. He and my great grandmother had nine children and lived in the nicest house in Buhl.

In 1953 I spent a happy summer in a trailer on a hill between Lake Superior and Silver Bay. In 1958-1959, I attended school in Silver Bay, happily traveling by bus 45 minutes each way from Finland, with all the descendants of miners. My heart still belongs to this forest, where my Ojibwe ancestors lived for awhile, too.😢

My great grandfather, Paul Eagle Nelson, and my great grandmother, Carrie Nelson, lived in Orr. Their families came here from Norway. We visited them from the cities often in summer time. I really loved them. Eventually, I brought my 6 kids up to the range to live. My oldest son is now a millwright in the mines and doing so well for himself. I’ve often doubted myself for leaving the cities but this documentary has me feeling grateful and low key pretty proud that my kids and now grandchildren are being raised on the iron range. 😊 Thank you

You know I live in Delaware and yet I’m subscribed to the Duluth, MN’s local PBS station here on UKposts and have been watching all these documentaries and I’m really digging it! It’s super interesting to learn about the local history of different places. I know that my local PBS stations (WHYY Philadelphia/Wilmington, DE & NJTV out of New Jersey) are my absolute favorite channels to watch on television but now, through the internet it’s possible to watch programs from not just all over the country, but all over the world and its freakin AWESOME! I’m loving this channel! Thank you for broadcasting on UKposts.

So glad to be from the iron range I grew up playing and swimming , cliff jumping in the old mines now I work in them

A wonderful documentary. Bringing a tear to eyes watching. Thank you so much. Really appreciate it. Shared on a media site to show how hard Minnesota immigrants worked years ago.

I lived as a kid in a WV steel mill town that used that ore, and I’ll just say it....it stunk like acid metal and polluted everything in my hometown as they used the ore to make steel. The cancer rates were sky high and if you caught fish in the Ohio river they had tumors and were full of toxic metal like chromium and arsenic and lead. In the winter the top of the snow had a black sheen on it from the graphite particles falling from the sky. The roof and hoods of cars had their paint eaten away in two years from it. Clouds of toxic junk would sear your lungs. I’m not sure why people think the old days were so great. They were a polluted and toxic wasteland.

I grew up in Eveleth and I have family still in Eveleth, Gilbert and Virginia. The last house I lived in with my mother in Eveleth was across the street from part of the Thunderbird mine and when I was a toddler my parents took us to the leonidas overlook in west Eveleth and I thought we were on the top of the world and everyone in my family has called it the top of the world ever since, it was always really fun bringing friends or serious boyfriends on the 3 hour trip up north to meet my family and to show them the mines and bring them swimming in Orebegon ❤

Love it, as a Baby Boomer from the fifties this brings me some loving memories. I did not grow up within a Mining town, but this does bring me home, thanks for sharing and for the respect you show for these challenging but loving times. God Bless. God, Family and Country. 1776

My mom used to pick crab apples from the trees left behind by those ghost towns and made the most delicious spiced apples, seeds and all! That was in the early 70's.

PBS north did a great job throughout the whole documentary series! Well done and thank you! 🍻

It's sad the way these very hard working people were exploited by these mining companies. They didn't even own the land they lived on and had little control over their own fates. The towns they built such fond memories in were erased. I understand the nostalgia for simpler times, but wish there was a little more critical thought expressed about the economic system that did this to them and how unsustainable it is.

Wow, my grandfather worked these mines and lived with his family including my father in Hibbing, Minnesota. He died when I was a baby and I am thankful for this window into his world. Bob Dylan is pretty cool too.

As a native Chicagoan I value this series. Helps me understand my state.

Love this movie! I grew up in a mining town in northern ontario. It's still there by the skin of its teeth. But it was a great place to live in the 60's and 70's!! Timmins, Ontario!

Fantastic job producing this documentary!

I worked for Erie mining, Hoyt Lakes 76 to 77. Japanese steel was cheaper, union went on strike,I had leave, I needed a job, had a pregnant wife. The fools killed the company.

I’m a third generation iron ore miner my.maternal grandfather started mining at age 11 in silver an copper mines in Montana before coming to the iron range an working 40 years for US steels Oliver mining company my father came to the range through the CCC program an started working in the mines in 1941 he worked until 1977 when he was killed in a accident at the mine my 2 brothers an myself worked in the mines and it helped pay for our college educations I would eventually work for the Minnesota Department of Resources for 20 years at the Hill Annex Mine State Park as a Historical interpreter talking about the Mesaba Iron Range an Iron mining

This show was great! So much history. I live in omaha, ne. and model the Duluth Missabe & Iron Range Ry. and I love the Iron Range.

Although it was the largest, Mesabi was only one of three iron ranges in Minnesota. There is much more history to be uncovered.

Several years ago I was on a little road trip, camping by myself. On the trip up the north shore I would take each road to the right and I happened onto the taconite harbor & abandoned town, I had never heard of it and was fascinated. There was an old street light, a grown up road but could still see a curb and lines on the road, very few remnants but it prompted be to find out about it ! I dated a guy that lived in hibbing, I would drive over to see him but didn’t see much of the area, I want to go back over there and look around more !!! He lived in a beautiful old house and the town still has steam heat !!!! Gosh, I can’t wait for spring, going to take my camper and go look around over there !!!!

The snippet of video of an open pit mine from 1928 is amazing!

A touching documentary and I could relate to the Finnish family at the end as I grew up in a Finnish family in nearby Wisconsin in the 50's. It was in the countryside near Superior. My grandparents sure had their sauna and we would use it often. Also back then, they were the first ones to have a television, and before my parents got one, we would go there to watch a bit. It would have been interesting to hear more how people lived in the winter. Did the mines still operate. Winters there can be quite severe.

Really good program! Thanks for sharing.

Fascinating video.I could feel like I was almost there.

My family came from Ireland and we're farmers but I'll always be Minnesota strong and understand the things that happened up north. hockey got me an education in Michigan. I'll never forget home, thank you. Silver bay🤔🤔🤔🤔a bit of a mess. Born in 1960, Minnesota is beautiful!

Thanks for posting this ❤❤❤

Outstanding! Thank you.

What a great documentary ,what history these people have and photos just great . Thanks for putting this up love history it how you learn about things again thanks

Well done. I really enjoyed this.

I grew up in Marble, which is between Grand Rapids & Hibbing, Mn. I remember traveling with my parents through Cooley to get to Hibbing on the old Hwy. 169. They re-routed the hwy. several years ago & made it a 4-lane by-passing Nashwauk, Keewatin, Chisholm & now in later years Bovey on the west end of the range. My uncle & aunt used to live in McKinley which was mentioned toward the end. A few years ago my wife & I were on a trip from our home in the Twin Cities, stayed overnight in Eveleth. The next day we traveled through Gilbert & McKinley which has also been by-passed by Hwy. 135. Took me awhile to get my bearings having not been there in over 40 years but I eventually found the old hwy. & the big field where my uncle used to let us run his snowmobile. Memories.

Awesome documentary!

My dad used to take me to that area when I was young, and explain the history. The truth is, I was too young to really understand, so my focus was on collecting taconite pellets for my slingshot.

I can only imagine how difficult life was in the mining industry of the time, but it also strikes me that, unlike other countries mining industry, the workers were not as badly treated by mine owners, they had virtually everything provided for them, although I think that had more to do with productivity and profitability than humanitarian reasons, homes, schools, entertainment, supplies etc etc etc, but what strikes me is that vast sums of money was spent to provide all this “workers welfare” and the mine owners were, obviously,still making huge profits, and I was wondering if they ever had to return the land back to some semblance of its original form, filling open cast mine craters, sealing up pit shafts, removing old equipment etc????, In addition there were obviously going to be deaths, whether that was from natural causes, industrial accidents, or health conditions, so it follows that there would be cemeteries, did they move those to new locations????, it just strikes me that almost overnight some locations would close and very shortly after the company’s would move everything, lock, stock and barrel to a new location without missing a beat, and whole towns would move like swarms of bees, it must have been incredibly hard to keep doing that????. Thanks for sharing another interesting and informative documentary film with us all. Really enjoying the whole series of films. 😀👍🇬🇧🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

My great-Grandfather owned a mining company here, married a German immigrant and raised six children in Duluth. He grew up in Quebec, immigrated into the US in 1885, by rail. Started out in logging then mining. At first he struggled, couldn’t come up with a $50 payment on some land, and a guy named Rockefeller bought his land. He would go prospecting in Nova Scotia sometimes. He was on a prospecting trip up in Ontario, Canada with a buddy and a canoe, got lost in the wilderness for 28 days. He died from exposure two days after he was found, age 67.

I miss the mine my dad was a miner from Wisconsin and it was called JCIC , it was an extension from the Minnesota mines and it was fascinating to see the miners hard at it blasting and seeing the iron ore was really interesting to see the operation . I sure as hell miss the mine it was good money .

Mitchell Location was torn down when the DM&IR pulled out its track. Kitzille location hanging on my fingertips in 2019, but sadly to me it is losing

My grandpa was a engineer for iron ranage and my dad grew up in hibbing has MANY stories about his time

I've never heard that history before but Minnesota's Lost Mining Towns that history of Minnesota is getting interesting :)

Forgot to mention as in the later part of this documentary, I witnessed the moving of some homes from Calumet about 1 mile east of Marble to Marble in the late 60s because the blasting from the Hill Annex Mine in Calumet was getting too close to the homes mentioned so they lined 'em up in a row on the south side of Marble. Still there today.

One of the only places on Earth a person CAN be " older than the hills " around the towns. 🙂🙃

First of all, thank you for this video!! I love history and this sure was full of history in less than and hour!!! Its a shame that those houses towards the end had to be tore down. And or let the fire department practice fire fighting. Really looks like a very secluded area? I was taking back how the boarding house had 3 shifts of the same room lol. That was like wow!! What happened if one was sick? Or for some strange reason the mining company had to shut down? Say there was a accident (example) where would all 3 men sleep who shared that room in shifts? I think to much but really?? Great video! very well put together and interesting!! Ty for sharing history of America!! These kids today haven't a clue what life was like 100 years ago and threw the 20 century. I had a shoe accessory factory in my house ( which my great uncle owned before my mom) it was in the basement. There were two motors (they actually still worked) with leather belts turning lathes and other equipment. Shoe machines of some sort? I was told 4 woman worked for him. I'll be honest the furnace had asbestos wrapped around it and all the pipes?? Wow first thing my mom did was have all of it removed!! Anyway I don't want to say were i grew up but it was shoe city biggest manufacturer's of shoes in the world. Slowly I watched beautiful brick buildings converted to condos and a lot torn down. Its a beautiful city and we've had a great mayor for decades now. Hes a visionary!!! I grew up @ a time when a lot of change was going on in the world! Some good some bad. Ty for the history lesson!!🇺🇸

I'm thinking PLM stock is going to go up with all the copper that is going to be needed to supply the electrical energy surge. Minnesota makes up 70% of the iron ore for the USA a lot of copper is located here. I live in the Twin Cities and love going to the north shore...I'm mixed between buying stock and helping the company or not and hoping they fail because I love the area so much and would hate to see it ruined. It was formed 1.1 billion years ago and boundary waters is one of the last areas in the world that hasn't been touched/destroyed by humans.

what size tire & lift do have on van?

this was very intresting. my relative did emigrate from finland to minnesota early 1900. a have still relatives in minnesota

Born & raised in Grand Rapids Minnesota. Which butts right up to the Iron Range. Lived in a few Iron Range towns, Bovey, Taconite,Taconite, and Coleraine. Grew up swimming in Tioga & Buckeye pits. Loved growing up in the beautiful area.

Fascinating. I just moved to the Iron Range and the people here are the salt of the earth. Originally from California. Big, big change for the better.

Couchsurfed with a family in the iron range. Met a lot of their friends and they all work in the mines. Really hospitable people.

I worked with Forrest Koland at US Steel. He was my Track Boss. He always had a funny way of explaining things but a great teacher.

Does anyone know where to find the movie shown at 14:16 ?

My uncle Jim Murphy played for the New York Yankees in the 1920s. He was married to Irene Anderson. Irenes sisters name was Marry Anderson. Marry Anderson was Richars Andersons grand mother. I think you all remember Richard Anderson as an actor in many movies and TV shows. His most popular was the 1970s tv show Macgyver.

Just too be alive as a young man through the closings. Wild.

Great documentary

I spent a bunch of time visiting friends in McKinley during the 70s and 80s. My grandparents grew up around Virginia. I had family scattered across the Range. This brought back some good memories! Thank you.

My grandparents are Diane andLeroy Flug ....great great grandfather was Jasper Flug... Goodland and Pengilly area I love this place and will never leave

As a child, I remember often stopping at Fraser location with my father. He was a coach at Chisholm High School. This was only a detour of a few minutes from our home in Chisholm. I am curious as to why it is considered a location of Buhl, as it is closer to Chisholm, and it's residents were educated at CHS.

Were there any mines or abandoned mines around walnut Grove, circa 1876 or so.

Tower and soudan on the north side of lake vermilion? Somethings wrong there😂

i like the guy who sounds like Abe Simpson

My mom grew up in Harold Location. It wasn't there when we went there in the sixties. Her dad was a mine foreman, I think. On our visit there, an aunt with a beard, made us Cornish Pasties. They were delicious. I'm not sure how the Swedish and the Cornish got mixed. Mom was from Swedish stock. The Mesabi Range, quite a story to tell. I still have some Taconite balls somewhere in my memory box.

I’m just watching this because I’m from Minnesota

Good show. Too bad about the cursor and partial word on screen throughout.

Our Grandfather ran a restaurant and hotel called Holland Hotel and Restaurant in Virginia Mn. My siblings were born there too! However once he passed away the family moved out East in 1960s.

I grew up in the iron range in Michigan very similar .

PBS can you please upload Iron Country hosted by Marvin Llampa?? Thankyou

Super documentary, thanks. Boom and bust, that's the way it goes.

I don't see any reference on the map noting Elcor. My family, the Butala's had to move from Elcor to Gilbert.

Northern Minnesota is in my blood. Although my mom and dad moved down to the cities when they were young my favorite place is up there. It smells different up there. Different energy in the air. I don't go up there enough. Still got cousins living up there but most my uncle's and aunts are past on.

A couple of my uncle's mined up there. One said there's things that went on that he could never talk about or they'd kill him. I'm assuming some miners were killed mining or by disgruntled other miner then they just made the body go away.

After seeing the methods and techniques used to mine ore post 1900... PLEASE explain to me how exactly, they mined all the brownstone block from say Duluth prior to 1900.

Used to be an old gold mine somewhere between St.Charles and Elba MN. Never found it grandma told me that is “lost”/most likely flooded.

How's the town of embarrass? doing, isn't that an old mining town. I always hear how cold it is in that town.

I grew up on lake vermilion. My folks owned vermilion beach resort back in the 70s went to school in tower! Moved out west colorado when i was 20 never looked back!

The guy at 38:00,, he got drafted out of one mining camp in 1940, and when he went back in 1945 he lived down the street... What would be absolutely surreal is thinking, the material to fight that war came from the mine that made his house move....

When I was a young kid in Duluth about 1960 I remember reading a help wanted ad in the paper for a school teacher on the Iron Range. “Must speak Finnish”, I remember it said.

My grandpa worked on the very 1st mine he retired from the mines Our family goes way back on the mines

Just south a little bit is Crosby,Cuyuna,Tromald mines lots of history in that area of Minnesota also. My Uncle watched my Grandfather die in Crosby.😞 my uncle tells amazing story’s about those times

I would love to watch this but I need closed captioning. The CC on this video is a hot mess.

Duluth history is in some way linked to me because my grand grand parents migrated to that city and they have been living there for the rest of their lives.....So many Slovenian people went there but we are such a small state in southern Europe that nobody knows of us....only 2 mil of population but we are hearty folks and are proud of our heritage....As so were my ancestors.....But when they visited their old country (Slovenia) they always told us how they are missing it......Small towns, no big industries to ruin landscape and enslave people to work for practicly nothing for all the time......I still remember them and as they passed away i will always have in mind their thoughts.....No matter where you go to seek your fortune, you will always have the link to your home.

I’m from eastern Ky and mining in my blood so Minnesota always been a place I’ve wanted to go see…

I want to know about mining communities. But they intrigue and sadden me. It is sad that things decline, but miners are always exploited. And this doco didn't mention much if anything about the environmental damage these mining operations caused, and the legal trials in the 1970s. Still, I'm intrigued and I find myself wanting the community to hang on. The idea of a community is nice. And when it is gone something goes with it.

Home home on Da Range...

My Grand Gather and Great Grand Father worked the Tower mine..1889.

holy crap 12:13 fella just described a literal COMPANY OF ENSLAVEMENT. We're even shown a photo of the armed guards. LOL @12:34 that photo is absolutely void of ANY and ALL joy! "You could tell by the looks of the peoples faces".... Should you, the reader here, opt not to apply your indoctrination of "how things were then" and instead simply view said photo..... pretty CRYSTAL CLEAR!

I am old and I remember Sparta Location near Ely Lake beach

“Burn the house down” Oh my, that’s a dang shame!

I worked for Forty, in the late 70s. Quite a personality, there.

Great grandpa and grandma were In Lucknow. They said the bought them out. How about some feedback.

Things haven't changed much have they aside of the owners taking their money over seas to break every ones balls. Now they are back. some on let them all back in a few years ago. Allowed them to bring their money back. Not much has changed aside of it's hard to move up into income today just going on to work an make an honest living unless you do nothing but work all day 6 days a week.

this was reality tv before reality tv got the deservedly bad rap its got now

They left alot of garbage behind when they scurried to the bank

I love my state of Minnesota

Interesting but ruined by the annoying background music

I grew up in a mining town in Alabama in the 60s and 70s. My dad and my grandfather were coal miners for republic steel. But we call them camps.

My mother’s parents came to America early 1900 from Finland. Her father worked in the mines and was killed in an accident in the mines. When. My mother and her twin sister were born the mother died. Their names Peter and Katherine Karila. My mother and sister were adopted

Minnisoooota!!!

I love those Bucyrus steam shovels.

I live in the Adirondacks. Was the world's second Iron ore, magnetite, mining industry till the ore beds in Minnesota were discovered. It was cheaper to open pit mine then it was to tunnel mine. It's crazy to me most people including myself had never known the Adirondacks supplied so much ore! So much history through the Adirondacks with Bloomeries, foundries, tunnels, etc. Over the past couple years I've found some pretty amazing artifacts, spots, and amazing tunnels, all around me! I'm 41 and grew up in the Adirondacks, I explored spots when I was a kid and had no idea it was 1800s mining spots! Minnesota killed the mining industry for us. But still plenty of evidence all around if you know what to look for.