The Minnesota Iron Range is comprised of three large deposits of iron ore: the Vermilion Range, the Mesabi and the Cuyuna. From the discovery of iron ore in the late 19th century through the development of taconite production (a process to concentrate lower grade ore into iron rich pellets) iron mining formed the base for a stable economy in the region. The decline of the American steel industry hit the Iron Range and American Rust Belt cities severely. In the late 1980s the number of jobs attributable to the iron mining industry in Minnesota was 15,000, at present there are 4,000.

The Iron Range attracted immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe. In that regard the ethnic composition of the region is comparable to many industrial cities in America.

Until unionization of the mines and the development of year-round above ground mining, the men working in the mines depended upon a variety of skills to survive in northern Minnesota. Large gardens along with hunting and fishing were necessary for survival. In addition, winter weather demanded self reliance and cultivated a strong sense of community.

An important Iron Range tradition is community celebrations. Mary Lou Nemanic has written in, One Day For Freedom that July 4th celebrations were an opportunity for the miners to be rowdy and rebellious, characteristics not favored by the mine owners at any other time of year. She suggests that Iron Range July 4th celebrations have their origins in European carnival. For me, the best example of that boisterousness is the Eveleth Clown Band. It was my good fortune to be welcomed by the members of the Eveleth Clown Band. Their joi de vivre has buoyed and educated me for over twenty years. The band has been in existence since the late 1940s and is counted upon to provide music, laughter and smiles at community parades across the Iron Range.

Hard work and equally hard play are traditions that define the region.