Historic Tales of the Hiawatha Valley - Paperback

by Kent O. Stever (Author)

Adored for its tremendous beauty, the Hiawatha Valley also harbors a rich and varied history. Native Americans settled on the sandy shores of the Mississippi River and gave rise to the legend of Wee-no-nah. Later settlers arrived by steamboat and horse cart to tame the rugged hills and valleys and raise the finest of America's crops, industries and children. The "gandy dancer" of early railroading drove his spikes, and pickle makers fed the troops in early war efforts. All the while, the Mighty Mississippi beckoned to hardy explorers, Mark Twain among them. Join local author Kent Otto Stever as he blends historic events, places and people with personal reflections on everyday life in the valley.

Author Biography

Kent Stever has spent a lifetime in and about the Hiawatha Valley. Enjoying the remembrances and feelings of a life well lived in one of the nation's most scenic areas, he has authored numerous articles and four nonfiction books--reflected upon from his lakeside home in Lakeville, Minnesota. With more than fifty years as teacher, principal, Dale Carnegie leader and university lecturer, his in-depth research identifies growth of the region and patterns of society. Testimony to felt love, joy and depth of growing up in a river town of the Hiawatha Valley is enhanced through personal vignettes. "He lived what he learned."