PassportCommon Ground: Communist Mayor & Serbian Sisters in Crosby/Ironton
Season 5, Episode 17
Common Ground visits Crosby-Ironton to explore how iron mining has impacted both the politics and culture of the Cuyuna Range.
The show begins by exploring what was stirring in Crosby that made the 1932 election of a Communist Mayor possible and then steps across to Ironton to profile how a church welfare organization from Belgrade has evolved into a 21st century non-profit dedicated to preserving Cuyuna Range culture.
Iron range historian, Pam Brunfelt, sets the scene for Karl Nygard’s victory as the first Communist Mayor in America and Laura Ukura Leir, one of the founders of the re-born Serbian Sisters, explains how Manganese from Ironton aided the Allies victory in WWII. The show also includes authentic polka music from Rod Cerar, a visit to a Serbian Christmas party and a chat with muralist Mike Meyer about the miner whose image is depicted on the front of the Ironton Legion.
Original air date was on February 27th at 7PM on Lakeland Prime.
In addition to Common Ground 517 we present the full interview with Andrea Lee Lambrecht and Laurie Lee Norstedt as they reminisce in the Lika Garden conversing about Serbian Sisters.
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