Steuben is named after Friedrich von Steuben, a long-dead Frenchman who was recruited by Benjamin Franklin to lend his brilliance in military organization and strategy to the Continental Army during the American Revolution in the late 1700s. Von Steuben arrived in the North America in 1777 and quickly realized that the Continental Army was full of a bunch of dirty dudes. He taught them basic hygiene, how to organize their camps to keep their waste away from where they cooked, and how to build proper bathrooms, among other things. He showed up in time to spend the winter at Valley Forge and, due to his expertise, the majority of the Continental Army survived the harsh winter.

Set to the southeast of the center of Crawford County, Steuben takes up six square miles and is home to 131 people, according to the 2010 census (177 in 2000) and the sign on the south side of town. The town is 99.2 percent white and the other .8 is Native American, though you wouldn’t know it if you didn’t look up the demographic data. According to Bob, the census number includes “Dogs, cats, and the kitchen sink.”

Crawford County is on the southwestern edge of Wisconsin and borders Minnesota. The county flipped from voting for Obama (59%) in 2012 to Trump (50% to Clinton’s 45%) in 2016. Among the poorer counties in Wisconsin, the average weekly wage is $649 or lower, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ lowest category for weekly wages.

Lou Atkinson has thick gray hair that used to be black. It’s pulled back into a ponytail because she’s preparing meat for prime rib night at Lou’s R&R, the bar she’s owned for almost 30 years, since, as a single mother with kids, she came to Steuben, Wisconsin. She’s thin and taller than most other people in their 60s. Atkinson has intense, wise eyes that contrast with her reserved demeanor. Her husband, Bob, the other bartender is the opposite, he was a 70s part bro and isn’t shy about it.

Crawford is representative of many Midwestern rural counties that flipped from blue to red in the 2016 election. The polls and experts were wrong; so how did Donald Trump flip these counties that were critical to the election?

“People around here like what he [Donald Trump] says, but not the way he says it. They like the message he’s trying to put across,” Lou said.

Too, Donald Trump fought hard to win the votes that won him Wisconsin and the election. He visited Wisconsin five times between July and October, while Clinton didn’t visit Wisconsin, but once in April.

“A lot of people who I don’t normally see voting voted. An older, ‘redneck’ sort of crowd turned up for the election,” she said. Apparently all Trump’s visits caught the attention of a sort of hidden majority in rural counties.

Lou voted for Clinton because she’s always voted for the Democratic nominee. It’s as simple as that for her. Her husband, Bob, didn’t vote for the president, but voted for all the other offices.

“There’s an old saying: we have to pick between a crook or a liar, but which is which?” Bob said about his decision to not pick a presidential candidate.

“Most people around here? They voted for Trump,” he said. “There were a lot of people out I’ve never seen voting before – ever!”

Lou had some other ideas about how Trump won her town and county, Wisconsin, and the election.

“I think they were afraid of her,” she said about Hillary Clinton. According to Lou, Clinton is a career politician and Trump isn’t, that alone, was enough for some people to dump all their democratic loyalty and take the opportunity to vote for someone not part of the establishment – a common theme in towns and villages in the Mississippi River Valley.

“Everyone’s got problems. We’ll see what happens, but someone always gets left behind,” she said as she went on to tell me about how they missed the Obamacare cutoff by 30 bucks and now have a huge monthly amount to pay for their health care that they don’t even use.

After ranting for a little bit about getting left behind by Bush and Obama, Lou sighed and said that it’s fine and really doesn’t affect her, her business, or her life very much. She’ll still pay taxes, still work in her bar, and still love Bob, she said.

Lou returned to preparing meat for prime rib night and took a second to look at Bob and laugh at his contribution to the mostly-inappropriate conversation being shouted between everyone in the bar.

The post Lou appeared first on Election 2016: How the Mississippi River Valley Turned Red.

The post Inside the Minds and Homes of Voters in Prairie du Chien, WI (Video) appeared first on Election 2016: How the Mississippi River Valley Turned Red.

Beyond the piles of worn furniture and old filing cabinets he salvaged from the town dump, resides a plane in the making, which Lange has been working on since 1975. Lacking almost all but the pilot’s seat and a windshield, the plane is nothing more than a rough-edged metal skeleton that he hopes to get flying before he dies.

Standing in Lange’s shed was like taking a step back into time. The space was consumed with rusted tools, tattered gloves and stock piles of magazine that dated back decades.

While some would question his incessant need to hold on to this seemingly useless clutter, Lange is sure that every last piece has its purpose.

“Some would call it junk; I call it projects.”

But it’s not just the literal past that he clings to; he is also clinging in a sense, to the metaphorical past as he explains why he voted for Donald Trump.

Reflecting on a time of economic prosperity, Lange reminisces about the good ol’ days.

“America was great in the 50’s,” said Lange. “I was making $15 an hour, gas was only 27 cents. I want to get back to that.”

While Lange prides himself on being proponent of change and progress, which he believes resides in a Trump presidency, you can’t help but wonder if his idea of progress is nothing more than a form of unconscious regression.

As Lange repeatedly references change to justify his vote for Trump, the change he describes when pressed, seems to be nostalgic in nature.

Raised on the fringe of the Milwaukee Metropolitan Area, Lange was born and grew up in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. It wasn’t until 1996, just a year after his retirement, that he made the move to the small rural village of Steuben, on western Wisconsin’s edge. Lange noted that he made the move in an attempt to evade the “Yuppie” infiltration.

Lange has become somewhat of local legend in Steuben, Wisconsin, always prepared with a form of political discourse at the ready.

It was his good friend and local bar owner, Jo Bunders, who pointed the student journalists in his direction. She explained that if you wanted to talk politics, Larry was your guy. With shared support for the Republican candidate, the two always had a lot to talk about.

“I had my mind made up as soon as he got the nomination,” said Lange. “Jo and I – we cheered like hell when he won it; we didn’t care who knew.”

Despite his candidate’s victory, Lange admits that he was surprised Wisconsin flipped red this last election.

“I was amazed Wisconsin went Republican. I really thought Hillary had this state,” said Lange. “I felt like nobody talked about Trump. If you talked about Trump you were a jerk, so, we just kept our mouths shut.” Turns out there were a lot of people doing that. Steuben flipped by the highest percentage from Obama to Trump in Crawford County, Wisconsin, which flipped among the highest percentages in the country.

Lange voiced his political insights illustriously, mentioning that the famous, “Make America Great Again” campaign spoke to him in volumes. For Lange, immigration was a driving force behind his decision.

“Immigrants that didn’t assimilate took over the country and ruined it,” said Lange. “I don’t know if the wall will ever get built, but at least he will take care of this immigration problem, one way or another.”

But for Lange, Mexican immigrants aren’t the only issue. Shedding some light on his thoughts about the Muslim ban, Lange recalled a shopping excursion he took the week before.

“The other day I was at Walmart and I was walking down the aisle and I turned around and there were three women – Muslim, I assume – dressed in all black,” Lange said, gesturing his hands from head to toe. “It took me back; I jumped. I have nothing against the Muslims, except when they come to this country, I assume and expect them to assimilate to our society.”

Lange admits that he hasn’t favored a Democratic candidate since the Kennedy administration.

“I didn’t like his womanizing, but goddamn he got things done,” said Lange.

However, when Trump’s notorious rhetoric came into question, Lange was not disturbed by his lewd comments.

“It’s locker talk, I’ve been there – I know how guys talk when they are supposedly not being heard,” Lange chuckled.

The sexual assault accusations had no effect on Lange’s decision.

“Cripes almighty, I think some of them were even a setup,” said Lange. “I mean, it’s a case of he said she said. All you can do is hope it ruins a guy’s reputation enough where they won’t vote for him. Man, I’ve had women put their hands on me, and I’ve hands on women – nothing is said, nothing is done.”

Lange became almost sentimental about the issue.

“It’s actually a sign of affection in my interpretation,” said Lange. “But, they want to turn it around. I don’t doubt that he said all that crap, but like I said, it’s just words. It’s not like what Bill did.”

While immigration certainly played a roll Lange’s selection, economic advancement was settled at forefront of his Trump allegiance.

“I hope he [Trump] lowers the corporate tax and gets the business back in the country and puts a tariff on what’s coming in,” said Lange. “Our trade deficit is $3 billion – that’s bologna. Man oh man, we’ve been doing it for years and years and it’s killing us.”

Lange also addressed the economic stress on a local level.

“If you look in the paper, you’re not looking at romantic jobs,” said Lange. “They’re drudgery jobs. Who wants to milk cows for a living, or farm work, or drive trucks or something like that? Not many people.”

Lange alluded to the fact that the lack of appealing jobs may have had an effect on the Crawford County demographic. He admits that village of Steuben is getting older.

“We go down to Jo’s every morning for coffee with the boys and I’m the oldest one, but there’s a bunch of ‘em that ain’t too far behind me,” said Lange. “Young kids want the city life; I can’t blame them. I was born and raised in the city, and I wanted the country. They just have the opposite frame of mind.”

Lange is sure that the county’s flip should not be credited to a shortage of jobs, but rather an overall demand of transformation.

“I think people just got sick of the same ol’ same ol’ and wanted something changed. Like Trump says, what’ve you got to lose? You’re already at the bottom.”

The post Old Man Time appeared first on Election 2016: How the Mississippi River Valley Turned Red.

There’s not much to do in these rural areas, but people make do. They even create a competition out of who can catch the biggest buck.

This is the time of year these towns wait for. With grocery stores miles apart, a 150-pound white-tailed deer could last a three-member family a few months. People actually eat what they kill. You might even see a coyote lying in the back of a hunter’s pickup truck, but the deer are the main prize. It’s only two hours and 30 minutes out of the inner-city of Milwaukee, but you enter into a new dimension. As the animals are hiding, the hunters are preparing for their next meal. Hunters are everywhere: in garages, gas stations and in bars. Their cars line the highways and are tucked away along side roads.

By 11:12 a.m. on the opening day of deer season, Tim and Jacob Bray had already killed their first prey. With the dead whitetail on the side of the road, and a pocket full of bullets, the 44-year-old father and his 15-year-old son reflected on the new president-elect.

“Even though he’s bat sh-t crazy, hopefully he’ll fix the economy,” said Tim as he walked up to the western Wisconsin highway leaving his deer where he shot it.

Despite his concerns, Tim voted for Donald Trump after backing Barack Obama in 2012.  He’s part of a trend in this area of western Wisconsin, where white working class voters like Tim flipped in dramatic percentages from Obama to Trump.

“Hopefully [Trump] brings in jobs back to the United States.”

Hunters in general – at least those out here – favor Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton because they think he understands them more than she does. She doesn’t understand the importance of guns in their lives, they say; it’s not for violence, but for a means to survive.

Although Jacob couldn’t vote, just like his father he would have voted for Trump. They hope Trump brings economic relief, but Tim is scared Trump’s going to bring other things into the office.

“I worry about things getting worse, like the racism. All the cops, they’re shooting people. Hopefully a lot of it changes.”

Tim and Bray were found hunting in Marietta, Wisconsin next to an isolated road with their bolt-action rifles.

Hunting is a bonding experience that brings an entire town together. Everyone knows everyone and if their guns were taken away, they fear they would be losing a part of themselves.

And in the bars, you’ll often find hunters passing out venison sticks. The deer was likely hunted, killed, processed and eaten within 15 miles. People here stick closely together and they seemed to vote in a pack this time around too.

Tim just wants to hunt without having to worry about his safety, but he’s not sure if Trump can help with that even though he’s a white male, in a majority white county, who’s armed with a gun.

“The way people treat each other, it’s not as friendly as it should be. Anybody should be able to walk down the street and not have to worry about being harassed.”

Tim, Jacob and other hunters believe Trump will be the change they need economically. They were willingly to take a chance on a man with no background in politics.

If Trump disappoints him like Obama did, Tim says the voters will just throw him out too. Then he jokingly adds that Trump might be killed anyway.

In the meantime, they’ll keep hunting. Up here, even the houses are part of the dress code. From the camouflage shades to the rugs, it always clear when a hunter resides there. It’s safe to say, the rural areas of Wisconsin chose Trump in hopes he’ll bring the change Obama promised them in 2012.

-With contributions from Jordan Garcia

The post The Hunters appeared first on Election 2016: How the Mississippi River Valley Turned Red.

Buehler opened up his metal shed of a home to two complete strangers: a professor and her student. The white door pulled inward and a new world was exposed.

“I am one of the Forgotten Men,” he said. “These are calluses on these hands.”

Trump’s face was on the screen on FOX News straight ahead on the flat screen; Buehler was standing to the left and, on the right, was his $60,000 car, which he doesn’t use since has everything he needs in his garage.

At age 73, Buehler’s retired and living in his garage. With 10 Donald Trump signs in his possession, Buehler’s 4×8 foot bright neon sign of Trump outside his home tops them all. He’s located near the Mississippi River on a barren road. There are no street lights, but that’s okay, as you’ll still see his Trump sign or in this case, “rump.” Somehow the “T” went missing. Buehler’s sign contains its own lights, showcasing his support for the new president-elect. He even includes his phone number, although it’s unclear why.

He’s from Iowa, but lives in Wisconsin, and he flipped his vote from Barack Obama in 2008 to Mitt Romney and then Trump. He lives in Crawford County, Wisconsin, which has among the highest percentage of voters in the country who flipped from Obama to Trump.

His clothing fit the scenery of Western Wisconsin, worn out and dull. He had on a grey hoodie, blue jeans with grey strands of hair reaching for the ceiling of his garage.

“I wasn’t into this politics sh-t, until Trump.”

Buehler believes Trump’s businessman demeanor is the change America needs.

After the first four years, he felt Obama turned on everyone.

“He promised the moon and gave you the shaft.”

Back then he thought it was time for a black president; America needed change.

Buehler’s worked two-three jobs at once, his entire life.

“We haven’t got a social security raise for how many years?” Even if he was to receive a raise, he said it’s used to pay back Medicaid.

He’s been a farmer and owner of a grocery store. Buehler worked in a factory for 15 years and was even a part of the union. He used to make register vents for Sears Tower, until his job moved to Mexico. He believes Trump will bring jobs back to America; he’s a businessman not a politician, according to Buehler.

His family originally came from Norway to Iowa for labor (factory jobs). His dad was German and he had a family of farmers, so it’s not surprising he voted for Trump. Farmers seem to love Trump because he promises to get rid of farm restrictions.

In 1988, Buhler moved to Ferryville, Wisconsin, where he opened a store, that he now lives in. It doubles as a garage, cars and all, right next to the corner where he’s created his living room. He sold guns, ammunition, liquor, hardware, plus he tagged and registered deer. He sold out of his garage for 20-30 years, but now he spends his time watching FOX news. Buehler still has old cases of things he used to sell. He has everything he needs in his garage, even a bed to sleep in.

Buehler has a 72-year old wife, who still works. She lives inside in their home, while Buehler lives in his garage surrounded by cars, with a cross on the wall. They’ve been married for 52 years, and they’re a happily married couple, according to him.

When asked why he voted for Trump, Buehler made it clear he wasn’t prejudiced. He voted for Trump in hopes the President-elect will secure the borders and enforce the law. Obama didn’t do enough when it came to protecting the police, said Buehler. He doesn’t like disorder, and protesters bother him a lot. He didn’t like the anti-police protests in the cities, and he wasn’t happy about the Act 10 protests in Madison over Governor Scott Walker’s collective bargaining law.

Just like many other Trump voters in the area, Buehler also voted for Trump because he dislikes Hillary Clinton.

“She actually killed four people,” he said, referring to Benghazi and the people who died there. “Trump is only accused of cuddling women.”

Buehler wasn’t bothered by Trump’s comments about women.

“Locker room talk is locker room talk. If guys don’t talk like that, they aren’t guys.”

Buehler is a true Trump fan. He has a lot of faith in Trump and hopes he’s not disappointed in the next four years. Trump’s signature slogan, “Make America Great Again,” isn’t something Buehler agrees with, though.

“We’ve always been great. We’re paying everyone’s bill.”

Even though he doesn’t like Obama and is a fan of Trump, Buehler would’ve voted for Michelle Obama if she ran for president.

One thing Buehler wanted people to remember is, he is the person everyone pays no attention to. He wouldn’t stop talking to the strangers as they exited his shed home; he had lifetime of stories he wanted the world to finally hear and, until now, almost no one asking for them.

Buehler is a white man in America and feels he is forgotten. With Trump in office, Buehler is sure he will be noticed again.

The post The Forgotten Man appeared first on Election 2016: How the Mississippi River Valley Turned Red.

Offering their Saturday night prime rib special, Elinor, 73, is the only customer at the inn to accompany her daughter, Carolyn, 50, who is busy working at the inn. So eager to please her new customers, Carolyn directed the eight strangers towards the dining room. She had no idea that she was about to tell these strangers about her life.

Both Elinor and Carolyn weren’t eager to talk to the students when the topic of the election was brought up. They continued to reply to answers by saying, “I don’t know,” and shaking their heads (and wouldn’t give their last names, although they allowed their pictures to be taken).

Getting nowhere with the conversation, the students felt a sense of awkwardness and the questions began to dwindle off. After ordering a cup of warm coffee, Elinor and Carolyn began to open up to the students.

Elinor didn’t vote in the 2016 election because she said she wasn’t excited about either candidate. She labels herself as a Republican who voted for Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker and liked Republican candidate for the state Legislature, Dan Kapanke.

“I can’t complain about either one,” said Elinor.

Although she considers herself a Republican, Elinor said she would have voted for Clinton, as did the majority of Crawford County. She said she regrets not voting because she didn’t think the race would be so close.

In a town that prides itself on its apples and has an Annual Apple Festival in September, it’s no surprise to find a glowing red apple light plugged into the wall inside the inn.

Elinor said that people from all over, especially Iowa, come to pick the apples. Unlike the many other isolated Trump towns, this Clinton town has a lot of visitors coming in and out. Having the diverse outside visitors could have some influence on the town’s people. It’s a Hillary Clinton hold out town in the middle of areas that flipped for Trump. It’s anomalous in other ways; for one it has a natural foods store in town and rumors of a commune nearby.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Gays Mills is a town of 530 people that are getting younger. The median age decreased from 47.5 to 37.3 from 2010 to 2014. This is also different from the county around it, where the county as a whole aged.

The town has continued to have a more female population throughout the years, with females making up 51.6% of the total population in 2014. This, too, is different from the county it’s in, as Crawford County as a whole tilts male.

Gays Mills is also losing racial diversity. Only two non-white citizens identified themselves as American Indian and Alaska Native in 2014 compared to six Black or African American and six American Indian and Alaska Native in 2010. Still, that’s a bit more than other towns nearby.

Students hoped to find more excitement when they heard about a myth that hippies reside near Gays Mills in a community perfectly named, Star Valley. Unfortunately, this story of a couch in the middle of the woods where these hippies would drink oils seemed to be false. The quiet town of Gays Mills made the students feel like they were Ren McCormack in Footloose. No cars were zooming by on the dimly lit streets, no music was playing at the apple inn and no one was outside, strolling through the town.

With her red apron on to match the red apples and her sandy blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail for work, Carolyn brings over a fresh apple pie. She made it in the back.

Unlike her mother, Carolyn has never voted. She said her reason for not voting is because she never has the time. She’s always working. Either at the inn or busy raising her three grandkids.

“My life is pretty much work, go home, take care of kids,” said Carolyn of her constant life cycle.

Carolyn is used to hard work. She grew up on a dairy farm and her family has lived in the area for a long time. She has been working at the inn, baking pies for seven years. Before that, she was working at another restaurant for 10 years.

Starting at seven dollars an hour and working her way up to nine dollars an hour, Carolyn makes $550 every two weeks.

Carolyn and her boyfriend were on FoodShare until her boyfriend got a job, making them ineligible.

“Everything that Obama did with Obamacare, Trump is going to take away,” said Carolyn. “Every time you try to better yourself, they [the government] takes it away.”

For Carolyn, losing her FoodShare eligibility made her question, why work when she can live off the government instead?

Few comments were mentioned about Clinton, but Carolyn did share that she didn’t appreciate Trump’s “locker room talk.”

“For me, Trump was a womanizer,” said Carolyn.

As the students were finishing up eating Carolyn’s apple pie, an older gentleman came inside the inn. The customer was willing to share a quick thought on his feelings about Trump’s win.

Unlike his fellow county members, he voted Obama in 2012 and switched to Trump for the 2016 election. He votes for Republicans because in his words, “Republicans get things done.”

“Might as well live with it and see what he does,” said the man before he disappeared into the other room for his meal

Having hungry customers sitting in the dining room to attend to, Carolyn got straight back to work to please her new guests.

-With reporting from Christina Luick

The post Sharon’s Red Apple Inn appeared first on Election 2016: How the Mississippi River Valley Turned Red.

David Krier has been editor of The Boscobel Dial for 24 years; on Jan. 1, 2017, it’ll be 25.

He’s familiar with the town and its people so much that the election results didn’t surprise him in the slightest. When he entered the bar one day a few weeks after the election, he planned to do an article on electronic deer tagging and how it’s affecting local bar owners such as Bob Atkinson.

Hunters are now required to tag their deer electronically, and in a packed bar where the bartender doesn’t know the Wi-Fi password, it’s easier to stop in for a drink or two and then head home.

Krier wants to write the story, and Bob and his patrons are more than willing to talk to him about it. They trust him and his work.

Bob, for his part doesn’t seem too worried, but it’s still early and the possible effects on business haven’t settled in. Krier on the other hand is worried, not about bar business but about his own job as a journalist and what the future holds.

Krier grew up in Port Washington, Wisconsin, a town that has a population of 10,000, a number that’s especially colossal compared to Steuben’s population of 131. He attended UW-Madison but dropped out his sophomore year to go exploring. For a while, he hitchhiked across Canada and Mexico before deciding to re-enroll in school.

His traveling had left him with an abundance of stories, and journalism seemed like the right fit.

“It probably didn’t hurt that my grandfather was a weekly newspaper editor,” Krier said, “and my mother was an English major.”

Being in the business for as long as he has, Krier has seen a lot of changes.

According to Krier, there’s a lot of fake news circulating around, and the internet doesn’t always improve the situation. Still, he’s taking it in stride. For Krier, accurate reporting is now more important than ever.

He’s doing the best he can, but print news isn’t as popular as it used to be, Krier knows this. As editor, he’s well aware of the falling subscription numbers. This younger generation prefers the digital side of news, and it’s starting to take a toll.

“I like to say that every obituary is another lost subscriber,” Krier said.

While Krier spends time thinking of ways to boost subscriptions, he now has another worry to add to his list: President-elect Trump. It’s no secret that Trump does not support the media, especially journalists.

“Mr. Trump doesn’t tolerate criticism of any kind,” Krier said, “and I fear for the future of journalism in America.”

On Election Day, Krier knew Trump was going to win. Crawford County is small, and everyone knows everyone, including who they voted for and who flipped.

“I saw people at the polls who I had never seen there before,” he said.

Krier believes that while a great number of Trump supporters came out of the woodwork in time to cast their ballots, he also thinks there was a low turn-out for Democrats.

According to Krier, a lot of Democrats stayed home because they didn’t like Hillary’s message.

Atkinson, a longtime Democrat, didn’t vote at all because he didn’t like Hillary.

“Ever since the Bill Clinton Presidency,” he said.

Bob wasn’t the only one who didn’t like Hillary, Hillary for Prison signs were posted all around the roads. Sheryl Groom, David Krier’s wife, didn’t like Hillary either; in her mind, Hillary is a criminal who deserves to be in prison, and the only reason she isn’t is because of the media.

According to Groom, news stations practice monarch mind control; she believes everything from the sounds to the colors to what the news anchors are saying is designed with the intention to draw the viewer in and hypnotize them.

Groom said that even though Hillary knew that her emails could be hacked, she still did it, and more people weren’t mad because the news stations essentially tricked them.

Although his wife is inclined to believe in conspiracy theories, Krier believes a different set of factors led to more people voting for Trump.

Krier noted that the most of the town is white.

According to him, a lot of people fell for Trump’s blaming immigrants; additionally, in a town where most people spend their weekends hunting, it’s safe to say the Second Amendment played a huge role in how people decided to vote.

Given everything, Krier wasn’t surprised. At the end of it all, the county switched from blue to red and helped Trump secure the election.

Still, no matter what the future may bring, Krier feels positive about one thing: That he loves the Boscobel area, and he’ll do whatever it takes to keep writing, as long as he gets to keep his five minute commute.

The post They Hate the National Media, but There’s One Journalist They Like appeared first on Election 2016: How the Mississippi River Valley Turned Red.

It was cold on day one of hunting season. People in big trucks parked in front of the large bar. Hunters bustled in, wearing matching orange hats and jackets. The customers turned and saw the new faces that obviously did not fit in with the neon orange attire. What at first was an awkward entry became a much friendlier environment.

Steuben is a village of about 132 residents in Crawford county that flipped by the highest percentage in the county from voting for Obama in 2012 to Trump this past election. According to the Crawford County voting tallies, out of 50 votes, 34 of them were for Trump.

It is part of what is called the Trump pyramid which also includes counties Wauzeka, Bell Center, Marietta, Eastman, and Freeman.

Jo Bunders, the bar owner and Trump supporter, was shocked by the county turning red.

“People are pretty closed mouthed,” said Bunders. “I was surprised that Trump won in Steuben. They weren’t talking about it. You only talked about it if you someone supporting Trump. Otherwise people were afraid of what people would think.”

Bunders made sure to greet everyone who came through the door. Her bar was the watering hole for visitors of Steuben that day.

The bar has been around for 30 years, and Bunders just got Wi-Fi recently. The walls were covered in lighted signs and posters. At the far end of the wall, there was a wooden sign that said “Red-necked Wind Chimes” with two dented beer cans dangling by strings. Bunders said there used to be more cans. In the corner, there was turkey feathers mounted to the wall with two bird feet giving “the bird.” Bunders said the decorations were from regular customers.

Bunders was born in Grant County, the county next door. She has lived in Steuben for about 33 years. Bunders, 56, has short white hair and square glasses. Bunders wore a simple V-neck shirt and pants. She seemed serious at first but once in a while she would give a big smile.

Bunders knows a lot of the people in town. Most people are about 30 to 50 years old. Bunders said that there were more people in town when she moved into town.

“I don’t know everybody’s dogs’ names, but I know most of them. I know everyone’s names and kids’ names; they just don’t lie, they are good people, hard-working people,” said Bunders.

It wasn’t rowdy or loud in the bar. Everyone chatted quietly while they drank and watched the silent T.V playing. Most of them did not vote at all but shared with Bunders similar views.

According to Bunders, the town hasn’t changed much since she’s lived in Steuben. She was born in Grant County, the county next door. She has lived in Steuben for about 33 years. Her daughter Jackie and grandchildren work in the bar with her.

People from Steuben and other places like Eastman come to Jo’s Kountry Bar for coffee at 7:30 in the morning. Bunders says that there is no place to get coffee in Eastman.

According to the bar owner, the town doesn’t have a post office anymore after a flood about eight years ago.

Bunders said she votes for who she likes and that she is an independent. She supported Obama because she thought he was a good speech maker. Bunders believed that Obama tried to do what he promised to do, but the Senate blocked it.

“I voted for Obama twice, and I voted for Trump because I’m sick of the politicians who are out for themselves.”

Bunders has Obamacare and it has risen $86, making it close to $300 a month. In the beginning the insurance worked for Bunders. She said it’s hard to pay that much when it’s coming out of their paycheck.

“I’m self-employed,” said Bunders. “That’s one week’s pay check. Literally out of pocket, I do get subsidies, I pay $191 out of pocket, now $86 more.”

Jo Bunders didn’t pay attention to the Democratic Party after Trump was nominated. She thought it was wrong what the Democratic National Committee did to Bernie Sanders.

Even though Trump is not a politician, he being a businessman is something that appealed to Bunders as a small business owner in Steuben.

“He’s just a businessman who started small, just a businessman and a regular person looks at that.”

Bunders said she and others are hoping that Trump will help the area economically. About six years ago a company called Advance Transformer moved from Boscobel, Grant County to Mexico. Some people in Steuben also worked there.

Some employees were older and retired early, according to Bunders. They picked up part time jobs until they could retire. Some went back to school.

“It hurts my business when the economy sucks,” said Bunders

Bunders said that Steuben is a farming community. There used to be a lot of dairy farms, but when milk prices are low, farmers struggle. Bunders said many farmers have turned to beef and crop farming.

There were some comments Trump made that Bunders thought wasn’t smart.

“He talked a lot of sh-t the first year, and he’d have a good week and then say something stupid and I would think, oh my God, but the last month maybe of the candidacy, he really looked in the camera and looked like he was talking right at you.

Bunders said that Steuben probably flipped for Trump because they were looking for change.  She talked to people who believed Trump was the lesser of two evils.

Bunders mentioned that people were not impressed with Benghazi and the emails.

“Whether she was the better political candidate or not, her track record was the bigger part against her,” said Bunders. “The lying – lying about emails and lying about Benghazi.”

Bunders was not bothered by the sexual allegations of Trump. She was not sure if they were telling the truth.

“Why wait until the last month to come forward?” said Bunders. “Maybe the Democrats knew about it and were waiting.”

Bunders said that a lot of “misogynist sh-t” happens at her bar.

When it comes to immigrants, Bunders is more bothered by people who are in the United States illegally. She said they need to do the paperwork and become citizens. Bunders believes that we do need those immigrants.

“I’m not going to pick apples, tomatoes.”

Bunders said that not everyone that voted for Trump are racists. She did not like Trump’s racist comments.

“I voted for Trump, and I’m not racist,” said Bunders.

As Jo spoke with customers and served hot bowls of chili and delicious burgers, attention is shifted in the direction of the nonchalant customers sipping beer. A father and son from Howard, Green Bay had come to Steuben to hunt and drink.

The father, Brian Haworth, 53, has been coming to the town for 30 years. Brian and his son 23-year-old son Josh both did not vote. Brian was quick to remark that his wife voted “for the guy with the fake toupee.”

Josh said he had a gut feeling that Trump would win and that a lot of people were hating on Obama. He said he didn’t vote because there wasn’t anyone good to vote for.

Brian said people probably didn’t want to vote for a lady. A lady that works for Jo quickly replied, “I didn’t want a liar.”

Jody Martin, 56 is a semi driver who also did not vote because he thought it doesn’t do any good. Martin didn’t vote for Obama. He could not recall the last time that he voted.

Martin said that he doesn’t believe in voting just Republican or Democrat.

He did not like either candidate, especially Hillary Clinton. Martin said he did not know how Clinton got away with the emails. He thought the last investigation was resolved too quickly.

One thing Martin disagreed with Clinton on is gun control. He was also one of many people that said she was a liar.

Despite his dislike for Clinton, Martin thought Trump was going to lose.

Across the bar was Richard Jacobson, 60, and his son-in-law Matt Montag from Pittsville, Wisconsin. They were bundled up in hunting clothes. Jacobson voted for himself and Montag voted for Trump. Jacobson however did prefer Trump over Clinton.

“Hillary Clinton is a criminal,” said Montag, who is in the National Guard, referring to the emails. “Any other person that would’ve dealt with classified information would be in prison.”

In the past, Montag voted for Mitt Romney and Bill Clinton.

Montag’s theory as to why Steuben flipped to Trump is that there are a lot of hunters there and Clinton wanted to take their guns away. Both Jacobson and Montag eat what they hunt.

They also agreed that there needs to be a ban on Islamic refugees. Jacobson said that the country didn’t have a problem with them until Obama was president. Montag replied that it’s because he let the refugees come into the United States.

Jacobson agrees with building a wall between the United States and Mexico. But they both said that not all refugees and immigrants are bad. Montag said he would support a ban now until there is background checks on them.

Montag and Jacobson did not agree with people calling Trump supporters racist.

“So does that mean if you support Clinton you support criminals?” said Montag.

The post Jo appeared first on Election 2016: How the Mississippi River Valley Turned Red.

The room, along with the rest of the building, is paneled with wood and seems blurred from the smoke. There’s an ashtray that individuals frequently get up from their stools to ash their cigarettes in and then return to their seats to resume their thoughts out loud. They each have a beer in their hands that they sporadically sip, waiting for their turn to speak on what aggravated them during this election.

“I am tired of Hillary’s little b-tch as-. She should have been indicted. If we did half the crap she did, we would be in prison,” said Michael Jacobs, 63. “She has enough to bury her.”

 Jacobs, a Donald Trump voter enthusiastic to express his opinions, didn’t take a seat all afternoon at Bob’s Bar, located in the historic downtown of Prairie du Chien, WI. It lies snuggled between the Mississippi River and the Rolling Bluffs. The town’s population is about 5,600 with almost 600 of them being veterans. It is a dominantly white community with about 93% white residents. Historically, Prairie du Chien is said to be Wisconsin’s second oldest town and was known for being the center of French fur trading. It’s also located in a county, Crawford, that dramatically flipped from President Obama in 2012 to Donald Trump in 2016, helping flip the state and country.

It’s halftime during the Wisconsin v. Purdue game, bringing a variety of sports fans to Bob’s Bar. It is a bar home of the latest jukebox and plenty of slot machines. There’s a pool table in the back of the bar alongside a foosball table. Six televisions circulate Bob’s along with a beer garden in the back. Though it was a sunny day, the bar was dark inside due to limited windows.

However, the bar held an array of characters with a diversity of attitudes toward the elections.

“The reason she (Hillary) lost is because she tried to buy the election,” said Jacobs. “Trump was correct when he said the system is rigged. It is rigged!”

Jacobs is an employee of a nearby prison where most of the inmates are from Milwaukee, WI. He was previously a logger and has always lived in Wisconsin. He plans to retire soon and go golfing in Arizona. Jacobs is in an oversized tan Carhartt jacket and a blue Brewers hat, his grey hair shined through the sides of his hat. He has rosy cheeks, glossy eyes, and a clean white beard. Although he voted for Trump, his favorite presidents were Roosevelt and Kennedy. He changed his opinion because he is upset and tired of the country’s political establishments.

“Trump won because of Sanders. Voters fell to Trump’s side,” said Jacobs. “The younger voters did because they are tired of the bullshit their parents are telling them. College kids are more liberal, but Hillary is a crook. Kids are smarter, they saw through it.”

A petite older woman with short hair and glasses piped in, “Well, young Republicans don’t cry.”

Her name is Judy Rousselow, she is friends with Jacob and seemed intrigued to express her frustrations.

“Journalists should be reporting, not taking sides,” said Rousselow. “NBC should’ve been excited and reporting, not looking sullen. Journalists should be journalists. TV and newspapers should not be biased and state their opinions.”

Suddenly a blonde in a jersey, Jenny Donlon, sat forward in her stool, “Let’s take care of our vets! How much money was spent on this election?”

“Money spent on the election plays a part in who wins,” said Rousselow from the other side of the smoke room.

Donlon is a middle-aged woman with a degree in dairy from Iowa State University. She was raised in a barn and grew up with cows, a passion that continues to be the biggest factor in her life and career.

“Have they even seen cows? Do they have any idea what is going on here in the Heartland?” said Donlon. “Corn and milk and beef prices are too low. It is horrible. Farmers are not making ends meet.”

“People are tired,” Jacobs chimed in. “Milk farmers are not making any money.”

“Nobody gives a sh-t about this place,” said Donlon out of irritation.

Donlon wrote in Betty White for president because she thinks White has more knowledge than

both Hillary and Trump. Donlon even unplugged her television so she didn’t have to hear the media talk about either candidate. As a 24/7, 365-day worker, it is evident Donlon is also drained by the country’s political establishment.

“Hey, hey,” said Jacobs requesting the attention be brought to him. “Make sure you write this down. The CIA killed JFK!”

With that, Jacobs left the conversation. With his absence, a new elderly man walked into the room. After listening in for a few minutes, the anonymous man decided to join in the booming conversation.

“We need to get rid of parties,” he said. “Whoever is our president should represent the United States. You’re not a Republican, you’re not a Democrat. You just represent the United States.” Donlon, like-minded, said, “This country is a little messed and they don’t even get it.”

The post They Don’t Like Hillary Much at Bob’s Bar appeared first on Election 2016: How the Mississippi River Valley Turned Red.

Carlos Tinoco, 33, appeared next to the side of the congo line as they tried to reach the sheriff about the broken down vehicle a few miles back. The travelers had been following loose rumors about a hippie commune called ‘Star Valley’ from the Gays Mills downtown area. Gays Mills drew the students’ interest because it stuck with Hillary Clinton in a sea of Trump flipping, and they wondered why.

 It turned out to be an apple themed town with a natural foods store and a crop of outsiders who come seasonally into town to pick apples in the multiple orchards that ring the town. In that way, it’s different from the other areas of the Trump Triangle: It’s has more diversity and change.

Tinoco quickly debunked the town’s folklore. He also revealed that he has been an employee at the farm Star Valley Flowers in Soldier’s Grove for 14 years since he first came to the states illegally from Mexico.

According to Census statistics, 81.9 percent of the population in the Gays Mills area is of white descent while 6.6 percent are African American and another 6.6 percent are Hispanic. That might not sound very diverse, except that some of the towns around it are almost entirely white.

Tinoco who lives on the winding, dark hillside on the northern edge of Gays Mills, in Crawford County, helps illustrate this.

With the election over with and several numbers still being accounted for, Despite the numbers and quotations from a handful of residents, Tinoco said he did not experience racism from within the county. He is not able to vote, but he said that his daughter was worried about the effect of Trump’s election on her parents.

The post The Man in the Shadows appeared first on Election 2016: How the Mississippi River Valley Turned Red.