The Challenge of the Prairie

Astragal Press books on antique tools and more

The Challenge of the Pairie

Hiram Drache

The Challenge of the Prairie tells the story of the prairie and how is one of the great gifts to humankind. Because of the fertile and wide-open lands pioneers were able to build a civilization and a culture, which has fed millions to this day.

This book presents the challenges faced by the first settlers along the Red River of Northern Minnesota. Here homesteaders settled the unbroken lands of the frontier and experienced seemingly endless obstacles in their quest to conquer the soil. Women bore the brunt of the burden, but children and men were not exempt from the agony of daily drudgery. Though the homestead was free, failure was more common than success and the price paid in toil, sweat, tears, and broken bodies was great.