Author Event: Retracing the Dragoon Trail

Award-winning Iowa historian, Iowa State graduate (PhD, 2020), 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 Ames Public Library for an immersive journey along the 1835 First U.S. Dragoon Expedition on Wednesday, June 3, at 7:00 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.