2006 Wargo Nature Center Heritage Lab
Milling, Mining and Lumbering
Minnesota’s First Industries
Milling, mining, and lumbering were among the first important industries
Look for important
underlined terms that
in Minnesota. As more people settled here, business and industry
you’ll learn more about
grew. People needed certain services and items in their daily lives. At
at Lab!
first, many people produced their own food, built their own homes and
made their own clothing. But as the number of people grew, people
found that they could buy, sell, and trade goods with their neighbors. People also found
they could use the valuable natural resources found in Minnesota. Natural resources are
materials supplied by nature, such as minerals, water, and timber. They found ways to
take minerals, such as iron and granite, out of the ground. They used timber to build
homes, and they converted water into power. Read on!!
Mining
Among the first industries to begin in Minnesota was the mining industry.
Mining involves digging minerals out of the earth. One of the most
important minerals to be mined was iron. Large deposits were found in the
northeastern region of Minnesota, which became known as the Iron Range.
The Iron Range includes the Mesabi, the Vermilion, and the Cuyuna
ranges. Other minerals found in Minnesota are granite, limestone,
sandstone, clay, and pipestone.
Lumbering
The many pine trees in Minnesota’s forests
created
another
industry
lumbering.
Lumbering is the industry of cutting down trees
for the purpose of making things such as
houses or furniture. Lumber mills were built
along the Mississippi River so that water power
could help run the mills. The river also provided
a way to transport logs to areas south of
Minnesota.
As people continued to move
westward across the country, more trees were
cut down to make lumber for houses and other
buildings. The land was also cleared of trees so
that it could be farmed. The need for Minnesota
lumber continued.
Milling
In addition to the mining and lumbering
industries, milling of wheat grew into a large
industry in MN. The first settlers found that
the soil was well suited for growing wheat.
The wheat was then ground into flour at a mill.
The first mills were small, but as more people
came to the area, more wheat was grown and
more mills were needed. Around 1870,
Minneapolis started growing as a milling
center because the Mississippi River and St.
Anthony Falls provided water power to run the
mills and many people already lived there
because of the lumber business.
The Expansion of Industry
Sometimes the growth of one industry will cause other industries to grow. This has been true in
Minnesota. As more people moved to the area, they needed homes; so the lumbering business
grew. Then the milling business grew because people settled in an area and needed the flour.
The mining industry grew because there were people available to work in the mines. And so,
industries expanded and new ones emerged..
Make Your Own Paper!!
In the old days, people used wood pulp to make paper, but you can use little bits of paper
instead. Collect any kind, like construction paper, tissues, or brown grocery bags.
1. Tear the paper into small pieces about one inch square.
2. Place the paper into a blender filling it half way.
3. Pour one quart of cold water over the paper or enough to cover it.
4. Pour in 2-3 teaspoons liquid starch.
5. Blend at high speed until it becomes a mushy pulp.
6. Spread the pulp on a spare window screen to make sheets of
paper, or press it into molds to make mini-paper sculptures.
7. Gently press the sheets or molds with paper towels to remove as much moisture
as possible.
8. Allow paper sheets to dry on the screen, elevated from the table surface and
carefully push the sculptures out of the molds.
9. Allow to dry for at least 24-hours
Adapted from Minnesota for Mini-Sotans, by Debby Anderson 2004
Decode the Mining Jobs
Decode the names of the jobs that are needed in the Mining Industry using the code
below:
Code:
A=Q
B=I
C=M
D=O
E=W
F=C
G=Z
H=A
I=R
J=D
K=B
L=U
M=J
N=F
O=Y
P=S
Q=E
R=L
S=N
T=V
U=G
V=T
W=K
X=P
Y=X
Z=H
C B S Q I
__ __ __ __ __
K R H P V Q I
__ __ __ __ __ __ __
U Q D U I H X Z Q I
__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __
Learn about the life of a miner at Heritage Lab!
From Digging into Minnesota Minerals by the MN DNR, Minerals Division
Tell a Tall Tale
At night in bunkhouses, loggers swapped stories and songs. They sat on long benches
called deacon seats and took turns telling tales or singing story songs called ballads.
Loggers sang about their work, their heroes, and the dangers of the deep woods. They
told of strange creatures, contests of strength, and giants. One made up creature was
called the Hodag. They said it had the face of a lion, the horns of an ox, and the spiny
back and tail of a dinosaur.
Adapted from Rough & Ready Loggers, by A.S Gintzler 1994
Why do you think loggers made up the Hodag (at
right) and mythical people, such as Paul Bunyan, the
giant? Can you make up a story about the loggers
and the Hodag or a mythical creature of your own?
Learn more about the Tall Tales of the Timberjacks
with Jack “Tall Timbers” Nelson at Heritage Lab.