Dense forests of white and red pine once ranged across northern Wisconsin and Minnesota. Tall, ancient trees that were part of a rich ecosystem well-adapted to the northern climate and one that had evolved to rely on periodic fires to stay healthy. Those trees were also highly desired by logging companies and builders who needed vast amounts of lumber to feed the appetites of growing communities in the middle part of America. In this episode, I describe what those forests were like, then get into stories from the era when those forests were leveled. I talk about the logging camps, the men who worked in them, and life in the communities that grew up around those camps. You’ll hear stories about the daily life for a logger, the speed of frontier justice, and the rapid decline of the industry. People once believed that those tall trees were a virtually infinite resource, yet almost of them were taken down in Minnesota and Wisconsin in just a couple of decades. I finish with a few thoughts on what those forests are like today. In the Mississippi Minute, I talk about a couple places where it’s still possible to walk around old growth pine forests.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
The Nikki Glaser Podcast
Every week comedian and infamous roaster Nikki Glaser provides a fun, fast-paced, and brutally honest look into current pop-culture and her own personal life.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.