Pioneering the Upper Midwest: Books from Michigan, Minnesota, and Wisconsin, ca. 1820-1910
Arts & Humanities

[Detail] An advertisement from The Minnesota guide. 1869

Poetry

The poem "White Pigeon's Grave" appeared in the White Pigeon Republican on May 29, 1839. It describes the construction of a pioneer's home on the site of an Indian chief's grave. The poem can lead to discussions of the effectiveness of poetry in expressing feeling and the widespread public use of poetry during the nineteenth century. Write your own poems about incidents described in the collection or in current newspapers.