Date of Graduation

12-2016

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts in Journalism (MA)

Degree Level

Graduate

Department

Journalism

Advisor/Mentor

Foley, Larry D.

Committee Member

Carpenter, Dale

Second Committee Member

Rosteck, Thomas

Keywords

Social sciences; Applied sciences; Eleveth clown band; Eleveth minnesota; Ice hockey; Iron mining; Mesabi iron range; United States hockey hall of fame

Abstract

This 30-minute documentary film provides snapshots of the small northeastern iron mining town of Eveleth, Minnesota, on the Mesabi Iron Range. It uses a two-pronged approach: 1) a first-person return to the town by the filmmaker almost 50 years after graduating from high school to see how the town may have changed, 2) a look at some historical and cultural factors which made the town what it was when the filmmaker was growing up and what continues to animate the town in the face of iron mining’s decline and rebirth. The latter include the immigrant experience and influence as the town was being developed from the early 20th century to the present, the contribution of ice hockey to the culture of the town, and an exploration of Eveleth as the quintessential iron mining town of the Mesabi Iron Range of northeastern Minnesota. Information obtained from the first-person filming visits is provided primarily by interviews and conversations with key members of the town, including the mayor, a former bar owner and member of the city council, a pharmacist and owner of the major retail establishment on the main street, the director of the US Hockey Hall of Fame, as well as some residents and former residents of the town, a historian specialist in the area, and an economist from a nearby university, among others. The goal is to tell the story of this unique little town and what distinguishes it from the many small rural communities in the United States. For copies of the actual film, contact judyluna1@gmail.com.

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