Abstract

A collection of 20 essays, by 15 authors from different perspectives, on the environmental history of Murray County, Minnesota, an area of tallgrass prairie.

Table of Contents

Getting and keeping the land -- The coming of the Belgians -- The Louwagies -- Rivalry with the French-Canadians -- "Big barns and little houses" -- Quick to forsake the land -- Plowing with pencils -- The trinity of faith, land, and family -- Hector and Ida Louwagie -- Peasant-capitalists.

Abstract "This book's immediate predecessor drew on the writings of many southwest Minnesota authors to create a portrait of the land and its peoples. In this book, Amato and Pichaske explore the region's rich culture in their own words. From Amato's analysis of regional lead cities like Worthington and New Ulm to Pichaske's meditations on smaller towns like Minneota, Slayton, and Hanley Falls, the authors examine the ways this region has reacted to the changes and challenges of the late twentieth...

Abstract

Information about the newest wave of immigrants to southwestern Minnesota--Africans, Asians, and Hispanics. Responds to such questions as who the newcomers are, why they came, and what they experience upon arrival there. Gives special attention to matters of social services, housing, school, and crime. Seeks a comparative understanding of migration patterns and the different experiences of several food-processing cities in southwestern Minnesota.