https://www.rangestories.com/contact-us daily 0.75 2023-05-05 https://www.rangestories.com/home daily 1.0 2023-12-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/3b9933ef-da03-4976-8b42-90a2ceaafe79/restaurant+portrait.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/a2f66c45-f73c-4dab-ad28-e48250222fcf/building+flag.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/7906476d-8be2-4113-b3f9-722a551bf902/Artifact.jpg https://www.rangestories.com/about daily 0.75 2023-08-21 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/63df2a20-a56a-4dfb-91fb-1ea479b06f79/msab_logo_color+copy.png https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/e8b3ed22-32f8-42ac-801e-ec7db1760863/legacy_logo_rgb+copy.jpg https://www.rangestories.com/portraits daily 0.75 2024-02-17 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/1688573246997-7WR4ETVCFMJR9JAZQ5VR/shannon_web.jpg PORTRAITS - Shannon Johnson Hannigan (b. 1957, Third Generation Finn - 100% Finnish) TITLE: DREAM CATCHER Shannon grew up in Embarrass, MN on the Iron Range. All four of her grandparents immigrated from the west coast of Finland to northeast Minnesota where the landscape resembled Finland and there was work in the mines. At the turn of the century in Finland, only the eldest son in a family could inherit the family land. Other family members were left with nothing so they moved to find a better future. Shannon loved living in the woods growing up but she had dreams other than working in the mines so after graduation, she eagerly left for college. SELECT VIDEO LINK HERE, 12:42 MINUTES https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/1688573274332-9RF8EKBMW2XFGOECEBYA/Moroni_web.jpg PORTRAITS - BARBARA MORONI JOHNSON TITLE: ERODING BOUNDARIES Barbara’s paternal grandparents immigrated from Rome, Italy along with 5 of their 6 children to Minnesota. Giuseppe Moroni was a musician and a shoemaker by trade. He formed the Italian Band in Eveleth. The Oliver Iron Mining Company paid for artistic and academic endeavors in the mining towns on the Iron Range. Giuseppe Moroni’s children all played musical instruments as well. To read more of the Moroni history in an article written by his grandchild, Christine Moroni, select the button below. Another granddaughter, Barbara Moroni, did not marry an Italian but a Finnish young man who grew up in a Finnish community on the Iron Range. READ ARTICLE BY CHRISTINE MORONI SELECT LINK https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/1688573310295-N49R5LUBJ1UWBSZDZDY5/Entanglement_web.jpg PORTRAITS - Toivo Charles Johnson (b. 1910, Kankaanpää, Finland d. Embarrass, MN) TITLE: ENTANGLEMENT Toivo’s father, b. 1877 (Karl) Charles Fredrik Räikkälä, had his name changed by the United States government to Johnson upon arrival in the US. Toivo’s parents settled in Embarrass, MN where Toivo was born and met his Finnish wife Helen Nevala. Most immigrants at that time married within their ethnic group. Toivo and Helen’s children, third-generation Finns, married non-Finns whom they met in college. Instead of working in the mines, Toivo was a socialist-inspired co-op man who managed several during his career. Finns turned to co-ops as a means of providing for themselves separate from the mining companies. VIEW JOHNSON FAMILY TREE SELECT LINK https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/1688573314802-62Z18Y0I5YQDX7VHG3E2/Bill_web.jpg PORTRAITS - Bill Erzar (B. 1948, 3rd Generation Slovenian – 100% Slovenian) TITLE: BEHOLDEN Bill Erzar worked for mining companies his entire career after returning from 4 years in the Air Force. He worked for U.S. Steel primarily in the area of instrumentation and electronics repair for process control. His grandparents came from a small town near Ljubljana, Slovenia to Ely in 1909 to work in the mines. His family has always been involved with the union and Bill is a proud union man. The unions sponsored most of the social events in the strong union town of Ely. His father got fired 3 times, twice for union organizing and once for trying to start a Slovenian library. SELECT VIDEO LINK HERE 10:17 MINUTES https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/1708201180955-48JD5KP5VI0A2G7WJOXK/*Ray+2024+web.jpg PORTRAITS - Raymond Syrjanen (b. 1926 – d. 2024, 3rd Generation Finn – 100% Finnish) TITLE: STRONGER PROUD Raymond Syrjanen was born in Embarrass, MN, and was 31 years older than his cousin Shannon Johnson Hannigan. Like Shannon, Raymond’s parents and grandparents were all born in Finland before immigrating to Embarrass, MN. Raymond and many of his cousins and uncles worked in the iron ore mines on the Vermilion Range. Raymond spoke about mining accidents from his own and his father’s experiences while working there. He was proud of his work in the mines but felt the mining companies cared more about losing their property and tools during the mining accidents than the miners’ lives. SELECT THE VIDEO LINK HERE 9:14 MINUTES https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/1688573332514-MAHFDNRIKHP9W1OJ08S8/Serephine_web.jpg PORTRAITS - Seraphine Rolando (b. 1947, 3rd generation immigrant) TITLE: UNCOVERING MEMORIES Seraphine has lived in Ely and worked in the mines his entire career. His paternal grandparents were from Northern Italy and his maternal grandparents immigrated from Croatia (Yugoslavia). He said that the mining companies in the early days tried to keep miners from talking to each other so they put miners together who spoke different languages. This prevented unionizing since the miners were treated poorly and without safety procedures in the underground mines. Seraphine only worked in the open pit mines and saw many nearby mines close during his career. He said the town of Ely was dying and that he didn’t believe that tourism alone could save it. SELECT VIDEO LINK HERE, 3 MINUTES https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/1688573339241-RT4NWF58EE15L02CG0AI/MiarNew_web.jpg PORTRAITS - Anonymous Young Woman TITLE: SHIFTED GROUND This young woman is an advocate for protecting the environment and is against the proposed mining of copper and nickel near the Boundary Waters in Minnesota. The waste produced by copper-nickel mining can be toxic, and if not properly managed, it can leach into groundwater supplies and contaminate drinking water. There is a history of water pollution found near nickel mines, in which heavy metals contaminate waterways, harming aquatic life and public health. However, nickel is crucial for the transition to clean energy as it is used in batteries for EVs. The industry is facing environmental challenges with its water use as well as its greenhouse gas emissions. READ ABOUT MINING CONTROVERSY https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/1708488581757-XGMHEH78TR5Q4TYFITK8/_Carl-Final-fix-blue.jpg PORTRAITS - Carl Johnson https://www.rangestories.com/mining-towns daily 0.75 2023-12-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/1688571196958-MRHGAJNHGX8AADBWVSDM/hibbing.jpg MINING TOWNS - HIBBING Hibbing, the largest community on Minnesota’s Iron Range, is known as the Iron Ore Capital of the World. Home to the world's largest iron ore mine, Hibbing grew rapidly in its early years as the huge iron ore mines provided the raw material for America's industrial revolution. Hibbing was founded in 1893 by German immigrant Frank Hibbing who was an expert iron ore prospector. He used his personal means to provide a water plant, an electric light plant, the first roads, a hotel, a sawmill, and a bank building. By 1915, it was determined that iron ore was under the town and that the entire town would be moved to expand the Hull-Rust-Mahoning open pit mine. The process was completed in 1921. New civic structures such as Hibbing High School, the Androy Hotel, the Village Hall, and the Rood Hospital were soon constructed in the new location with mining company money. The United States’ ability to win World War I and II was due in part to Minnesota's vast ore reserves. In the 1940s it’s said that one-fourth of the ore mined in the United States came from the Hull Rust pit mine. - - Hibbing Area Chamber of Commerce Listen to the podcast recorded by the Minnesota Historical Society. Select PLAY above the image. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/1688571218912-SHKSGJX511HX1LRSBY1O/Ely.jpg MINING TOWNS - ELY Ely lies on Shagawa Lake at the east end of the Vermilion Iron Range in northeastern Minnesota in the heart of the Superior National Forest. Ojibwa Indians were living in the area when fur trappers arrived in the 18th century. Settled in the 1880s as Florence, it was renamed for Samuel Ely, a Michigan miner. Iron ore was discovered there in 1883, but, because of the high cost of underground mining, the last underground mine closed in 1967. Thousands of new immigrants were arriving in America at that time, and many of them came to the area later known as the Minnesota Iron Range looking for work. The logging industry has also declined, and Ely’s economy now depends chiefly on tourism. Soudan Underground Mine State Park, about 20 miles southwest of the city, offers tours of a former iron mine 2,400 feet below the surface. - From Britannica Ely is known as the gateway to the vast Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness that contains more than 1,500 miles of water trails. Recently, there are environmental concerns for the area after Twin Metals Minnesota proposed to mine copper near the BWCAW. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/1688571221970-ZGURE5S9EXDABPSE6AAQ/virginia+.jpg MINING TOWNS - VIRGINIA Virginia, located on the Mesabi Iron Range, has an economy heavily reliant on large-scale iron ore mining. It is considered the Mesabi Range’s commerce center and labeled the “Queen City of the Iron Range.” Virginia was laid out in 1892 and named after an area lumberman’s home state. Although it began as a logging community, it quickly became an iron mining community and was incorporated in 1895. The population grew after mining camps were built for entrepreneurs and financiers such as James J Hill and Andrew Carnegie. The mines moved millions of tons of iron ore per year and shipped them out of the ports of Duluth, Superior, and Two Harbors. The mining industry suffered economic setbacks in the early 80s but it still remains the basis of the city’s economy. Although hematite iron-ore reserves diminished, the taconite is now mined. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/1688571225308-Z1IF3SRG0SXL0U2B3YDX/Embarrass.jpg MINING TOWNS - EMBARRASS The Town of Embarrass, founded in 1905, lies in the Embarrass River Valley near the Laurentian Divide on the Iron Range. The Embarrass River was named by French explorers because the French word means "To hinder, confuse or to be complicated." Early records show that the Dakota Indians were the earliest inhabitants of the area. As the Dakota moved westerly, the Anishinaabe moved into the area. Later various woodsmen and Finnish inhabitants dominated the area. The Finns, known for their determination or "sisu" carved their homesteads and fields in the area’s forests and began farming. Similar topography and climate in their native Finland probably attracted many to this area. Later churches, schools, roads, and businesses became established. It wasn't until the boom of the taconite mining industry in the mid-1900s that other people with different nationalities moved into the area. Mining is still a prevalent industry in the area, however, residents commute to neighboring towns for k-12 education and other employment opportunities. - - Taken from Embarrass Township https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/45d23853-cd0d-4c2d-9f3e-d29a7ecf9cd8/SilverBay_web.jpg MINING TOWNS - SILVER BAY Silver Bay, originally known as the Beaver Bay Housing Project, was founded in 1954. The town was built by the Reserve Mining Company for the employees of its taconite processing plant. The city was officially incorporated in 1956 as the town grew. At that time, the elementary school was added and in 1958 the high school was built. The William Kelley High School was named for the Reserve’s first president and eliminated the long 28-mile bus ride to Two Harbors. In the 1960s it was discovered that the Reserve Corporation was dumping taconite tailings into Lake Superior. They were forced to stop in 1972 and were charged with violating the Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899. This act prohibited the dumping of harmful materials into interstate waters. In 1977, after a long trial, Reserve agreed to build a new waste-storage facility 7 miles inland. https://www.rangestories.com/artifacts-mines daily 0.75 2023-12-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/1688577953803-K3ZRSZ8YZV8DIPP1XZST/rust+mine+copy.jpg MINES & ARTIFACTS RUST HULL MINE, HIBBING TITLE: RANGE OF COLOR The Hull Rust Mine is the world’s largest open pit iron ore mine currently operating. The pit is more than 3 miles long and 2 miles wide with a depth of 535 feet. The mine, located in the Mesabi Range, supplied as much as one-fourth of all the iron ore mined in the US during its peak production years of WWI and WWII. The Minnesota Historical Society recorded information about the Hull rust Mine. Select the link above to hear storytellers Jack Croswell from the Hibbing Taconite Company and Judy Whitlock who was a mine worker discuss the largest iron ore open pit. 1 minute and 45 seconds. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/1688577992819-V4FHWVIIBO8HM6SRGGKO/BeneathWeb.jpg MINES & ARTIFACTS GLEN MINE, CHISHOLM. TITLE: BENEATH THE SURFACE Located in the center of the Mesabi Range in Chisholm, the Glen iron ore mine operated from 1902-1957. The Minnesota Discovery Center now sits on top of the Glen Mine property where there are abandoned mine shafts. The center was built to celebrate the immigrants who built the Iron Range region. Chisholm is also home to the Museum of Mining. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/1688578002345-72X0ZSV4ZLSWEQTT7WNN/Dissecting+Time.jpg MINES & ARTIFACTS PIONEER MINE, ELY. TITLE: DISSECTING TIME The Pioneer Mine was an underground iron mine in Ely that was in operation from 1889 to 1964 and is currently a museum. At one time, there were eleven mines that operated on the Vermillion range with five in the Ely Area. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/1688578013560-B4DGBBD43ITI6HGG59XH/Doubleweb.jpg MINES & ARTIFACTS SOUDAN MINE, TOWER. TITLE: DOUBLE VISION The Soudan mine was an underground iron ore mine on the south shore of Lake Vermillion on the Vermillion Range. It is known as the oldest, deepest, and richest iron ore mine in Minnesota. It closed in 1962 and is now a National Historic Landmark and State Park. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/1688578018558-Z6AULQSICMH31D7P5DKK/Structure2web+border.jpg MINES & ARTIFACTS CROFT MINE, CROSBY. TITLE: CARELESS INTRUSION The Croft Mine was one of several underground mines located on the now inactive Cuyuna Range (southwest of the Mesabi Range). The former mines are now a recreation area for hiking, biking, and fishing. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/1688577928954-ZCZIYU3V6023T28X6J0J/instruments+web.jpg MINES & ARTIFACTS TITLE: INSTRUMENTS OF CHANGE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/554969a7-dffd-4c52-9c88-f201eb1b0331/artifact+thumbnmail.jpg https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/1693015703005-B3W5SJYLSQTQ1AU9MNJ7/PowderHouse_web.jpg MINES & ARTIFACTS TITLE: POWDER HOUSE https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/1693015707146-9EXUNHDKBBZ67HNX8FIG/Testimony_web.jpg MINES & ARTIFACTS TITLE: TESTIMONY https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/64443a86262fb84cd60586da/1693015711962-1P4UP9VKWE8U6D98FY4R/blueclock_web.jpg MINES & ARTIFACTS TITLE: MANUAL ALARM