6: We Should Keep That Which is Ours

Power in The Wilderness

Hibbing’s population is exploding faster than the mine blasts on the edge of town. Vic’s policies prove hugely popular and the town prospers. However, the world is changing. Half the people in Hibbing come from Europe where the first World War just broke out. The demand for steel is about to skyrocket which means the pressure from the mining companies is about to ramp up. But Vic continues to beat U.S. Steel in the courtroom and at the ballot box. He easily defeats a mining company candidate in his first contested bid for re-election. Then the mines try to cap the village’s taxing power through a bill at the state legislature. Power gathers a force of Hibbing citizens to counteract the sophisticated lobbying operation of U.S. Steel at the state capitol. The people rejoice, throwing an enormous midnight parade for “the Little Giant.” Then the mining companies take their boldest action yet: they refuse to pay taxes to the Village of Hibbing, again citing extravagant spending. Somehow Victor Power and Hibbing endure months of economic sanctions by using village IOUs as a makeshift currency. In the end, Hibbing wins the fight, but Power sees the edges of what is possible in the face of overwhelming corporate strength.