Dragoon Trail History Coming to Waldorf University

Award-winning Iowa historian and University of Northern Iowa assistant professor Kevin Mason invites Iowans to rediscover their state’s environmental past with the release of his new book, Retracing the Dragoon Trail in Iowa (Michigan State University Press). Join Mason at the Waldorf University Odvin-Hagen Recital Hall for an immersive journey along the 1835 First U.S. Dragoon Expedition hosted by Waldorf University and the Winnebago Historical Society on Wednesday, April 15, at 6:30 PM. Drawing from his new book, Mason will uncover how the state’s prairies and wetlands evolved into the farms, towns, and highways we know today. Blending environmental history, Indigenous perspectives, and the spirit of firsthand travel, this engaging presentation will reveal how Iowa’s landscape still echoes with the stories of its past.

Drawing inspiration from his 2021 walk across Iowa (featured on Iowa Public Radio and the Iowa PBS series “Iowa Life”), Mason examines how the 1835 U.S. Dragoons expedition charted not just a physical route across the territory, but also the early stages of Iowa’s environmental transformation. “In his new book, Mason gives the reader a brilliant tour of Iowa, the most Midwestern state, which will help people from all regions understand the center of our country,” says author of The Good Country and editor-in-chief of Middle West Review John K. Lauck.
The book blends fieldwork, archival research, and on-the-ground storytelling to illuminate the ways landscapes and communities have evolved since the 19th century. “Mason’s meticulous research and vivid narrative take us on a remarkable march through Iowa history, seamlessly connecting centuries of people, culture, commerce, and the geography that shaped it all,” says author of Tractor Wars and The John Deere Story, Neil Dahlstrom.

“I wanted to understand how history lives in the land itself,” says Mason. “By retracing the Dragoons’ path, I was able to see how the stories of Iowa’s people and environment are deeply intertwined.”

In addition to his research, Mason is the founder of Notes on Iowa, a digital public history platform that reaches more than 3 million users each week across social media and the web. Through Notes on Iowa, Mason engages diverse audiences with the state’s overlooked and underappreciated stories, bringing local history to a broad public.

Mason will be traveling across Iowa throughout spring and summer 2026 for author events, readings, and community programs highlighting Retracing the Dragoon Trail in Iowa. Event details and dates are available via Notes on Iowa and Michigan State University Press.