The project-based course Unearthing the Poor Farm: Local geographies of land, law and livelihood (GEOG 394) was offered in the Spring semesters of 2022 and 2023 at the Department of Geography at Macalester College. Students took part in a group process of mixed methods research on a particular county poor farm. These projects culminated in academic and public presentations.
Spring 2023
Public Presentation by students on Hennepin County
“Death and Life at the Hennepin County Poor Farm”
Hennepin County Public Library — Hopkins Branch
Hopkins, Minnesota
May 7, 2023
Academic Presentation by students on Hennepin County
“Death and Life at the Hennepin County Poor Farm”
Midwestern Undergraduate Geography Symposium (MUGS)
Hosted by the Geography Program and the Department of Earth, Environment and Society at the University of Saint Thomas
Saint Paul, Minnesota
April 29, 2023
Maura Haas (’23) majored in Geography, concentrated in Urban Studies, and minored in Classics at Macalester College. She is originally from Chicago, Illinois.
Matthew Trager (’23) majored in Philosophy and Computer Science. He is from Mazomanie, WI and is attending Texas Tech for graduate study in Fall 2023.
Leah Prinz (’23) majored in History with a Food, Agriculture, and Society concentration.
Carter Stacy was the Teaching Assistant for this course. He is majoring in Geography at Macalester and is from Santa Barbara, California.
Spring 2022
Public presentation by students on Ramsey County
“Geographies of the Ramsey County Poor Farm, from Minnesota Territory to the New Deal”
“History Revealed” Series of the Eastside Freedom Library, the Ramsey County Historical Society, and the Ramsey County Public Library
Saint Paul, Minnesota
May 3, 2022
Academic presentation by students on Ramsey County
Minnesota Undergraduate Geography Symposium
Hosted by the Department of Geography at Gustavus Adolphus College
Saint Peter, Minnesota
April 23, 2022
Jack Acomb (’22) majored in Geography with minors in urban studies and statistics. He was born and raised in Minnesota, living in the Twin Cities most of his life.
Eva Stromgren (’22) majored in Geography, minored in Political Science, and concentrated in Human Rights and Humanitarianism. She is from St. Anthony, Minnesota.
Marisa Williamson (’22) majored in Geography and was a Food, Agriculture, and Society concentrator. She is originally from Madison, Wisconsin.
Henry Yackel is majoring in Anthropology and Geography at Macalester with a concentration in Food, Agriculture, and Society. He is originally from Madison, Wisconsin.
In support of this work, Grace Jones (’22) contributed original illustrations to the project. She double-majored in Geography and Studio Art. She was raised in Seattle, Washington.
