“Toward a Better Land: Migration on the Minnesota Prairie,” is a COPLAC digital history exploring the cultural crossroads of migration and community transformation.  

“Migration is a constant in human history and is laden with cultural implications. In virtually any locale the movement in of people has occurred, but these migrations are not always at the forefront of the historical memory of a place.”

Dr. Leland Turner and Dr. Alvis Dunn

Join us as we seek to uncover the history and migration of the Apostolic Christian believers at the turn of the 20th century and the more recent Mexican migration into Steven’s County. This research is the culmination of discoveries that shows the migration of these two groups has not only shaped the economics and agricultural development of Stevens County, but has also greatly impacted the culture of Morris and the surrounding area.

We sincerely wish that this study will build greater understanding, respect, compassion, and empathy for both the process of and people affected by human movement. In doing so, we will bring to light the history of human migration, its impact on Minnesota, and the specific ways that it has shaped local institutions and culture  in Stevens County.

We hope that the stories of the Apostolic Christian believers and Mexicans living on the Minnesota Prairie will soon be at the forefront of the historical memory of this place.

Thank you for taking this journey with us.