Trains, Farmers, and the Sax-Zim Bog

Randy C Bunney began cultural landscape research in Wyoming as an American Studies graduate student exploring the Oregon Trail. He initiated a study of Minneapolis’ Hiawatha Avenue corridor and launched a Northern Spark project on river stories. Bunney’s research shifted 2.5 years ago to Sax Zim Bog’s agriculture and road history.

Bunney will tell the improbable story of the Duluth, Missabe, and Northern Railway enticing immigrants from Chicago to colonize Meadowlands, MN, during the early 20th century. This forgotten history of how the DM&NR’s demonstration farm and agricultural special trains spread modern farm practices in Minnesota’s “Land of Certainty.”