Ironwood County
The fictional Ironwood County, created by American author John Schreiber, is located in southern Minnesota between Steele County, Minnesota, Dodge County, Minnesota, and Olmsted County. The leading towns in Ironwood County are Hillcrest (setting of the novels Hillcrest Journal and Life on the Fly), Paradise (setting of the novel Passing Through Paradise), Maple Valley, and Cherry Grove (referred to in some of the stories in Tales from 2 A.M.).
Fictional microcosms
The Ironwood County series portrays small towns as realistic microcosms of humanity, not as idyllic, romantic locales, nor as backwater societies. The fictional county is described as follows:
Ironwood County is located in southeast Minnesota and is bordered by Steele, Dodge, and Olmsted Counties. Situated between Owatonna and Rochester and not far from the Twin Cities, Ironwood County offers a host of shopping and cultural activities to visitors and residents. Real estate prices continue to be attractive to those who wish to work in a larger metropolitan area yet desire to live in a quieter, safer environment.
Near the southern edge of Ironwood County is its largest city: Maple Valley, population 3,145. Maple Valley is home to the Pressboard Company, a major employer that offers generous starting salaries and a wide range of benefits, including a safe 401(k) plan (unlike those of large metropolitan corporations).
Ironwood County's second-largest city is centrally located Hillcrest, population 1,954. It is also the county seat. Hillcrest has experienced a surge of growth in recent years due to its solid reputation for providing a progressive education. Hillcrest has also gained notoriety through the publication of the controversial novel Hillcrest Journal.
The third-largest town is Cherry Grove, located east of Hillcrest. Its population is 1,207 and stable. Cherry Grove has many area attractions for tourists, including a bike trail, restored mansions which offer a variety of bed-and-breakfast opportunities, and some of the oldest limestone buildings in the Midwest. Cherry Grove is currently boycotting Tales from 2 A.M. because of its unflattering portrayal of the community.
On the northwest edge of Ironwood County is Paradise, population 401. Paradise was originally settled east of its current site and called Paradise Valley. It moved west when the railroad ran a line from Maple Valley to Minneapolis, bypassing Paradise Valley. Both Paradise and the Valley (as it is called by locals) are popular for those wishing a quiet drive in the country. Paradise currently offers many options for creative entrepreneurs. As an added note, Paradise received some unexpected publicity with the publication of Passing Through Paradise. Some residents feel that the novel casts a bad light on the town; others feel that any publicity is good publicity when it comes to business and tourism.
Between Hillcrest and Maple Valley is the tiny hamlet of Oak Center. Attractive home prices should make this a growing community in the 21st century.
Ironwood County novels
- Hillcrest Journal
- Passing Through Paradise
- Life on the Fly
Short stories
- Heartstone
- Tales from 2 A.M.
External links
This article "Ironwood County" is from Wikipedia. The list of its authors can be seen in its historical. Articles copied from Draft Namespace on Wikipedia could be seen on the Draft Namespace of Wikipedia and not main one.
