Episode 1: Castle in the Woods
Filmmaker Karl Jacob and author Aaron Brown take a road-trip-movie style journey through time to unlock the mystery of Bob Dylan’s hometown, and their hometown, Hibbing, Minnesota. They find a dynamic mayor named Victor Power who left few traces after his mysterious death almost a century ago. His political ghost still haunts an opulent, castle-like high school in the middle of the wilderness and reveals a story of America that has never been told before.
Karl and Aaron share the story of how they each found the cold trail of Victor Power, and then how they found each other and decided to team up.
A first generation Irish-American, Victor Power began his career in Hibbing as a blacksmith’s assistant. He developed a knack for understanding people. When his older brother got into a scrape with the local hand of the world’s largest corporation, Vic took notes. In 1903 he went to law school in Chicago and came home ready to fight U.S. Steel.
But first Vic Power makes a name for himself defending the winner of Minnesota’s last known pistol duel.
“Power in the Wilderness” is a production of KAXE/KBXE Northern Community Radio, an independent NPR affiliate and member of AMPERS. This program is made possible in part by support from the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
CREDITS:
Hosted and Produced by Aaron Brown and Karl Jacob. Edited by Karl Jacob. Additional research by Tucker Nelson. Featuring guests Mary Palcich Keyes, Erica Zubich, and the voices of people in Hibbing. Featuring music by Sam Miltich from his album Peasants with Torches.
