Mr. Graslie, lifetime resident of the Upper Midwest, begins the interview with a brief description of his grandfathers life in Norway and his father's emmigration to Baldwin, Wis. in 1869. He talks about life in Norway, what convinced his father to emigrate, and the route his father travelled. He then goes on to describe his own life in the St. Croix and Pierce County areas such as his schooling, work and a farmer. and work as a carpenter. He also describes the Gilman Cheese Factory. The bulk of the interview deals with Spring Valley, Wis., where Mr. Graslie settled and became a banker. He describes banking in the area, as well as conditions of the village over the years, the settlers who came to the area, and the businesses that existed. His recollections of the mining industry tells of both the men who worked in the mines and those who owned them. He talks about the operation of smelters and the manner in which the operations dissapeared. Mr. Graslie also describes the 1942 flood and a plan that had been made to move the entire village to a safer location.
