1870s–1900: Voices from the past recreate the natural world Euro-Americans first encountered. Find out what happens to North America's most abundant species as commercial hunters and the railroad arrive in Minnesota. The majestic Big Woods are cut down to make room for farms and villages. Visit one of the little-known crown jewels of Minnesota, the Bluestem Prairie. Find out why Minnesota has some of the richest soils in the world and how Minneapolis becomes the flour-milling capital of the world. Historic re-creations bring to life the bonanza era of wheat farming. And experience the catastrophic fire that ushers in a new way of looking at the land.