Regent, North Dakota: The Enchanted Highway

Long Haul: Public Radio Documentaries to Go!

North Dakota's population is shrinking dramatically – so much so that many counties there now meet the U.S. Census' definition of frontier land, much as they did before homesteading began in earnest in the late 1800's. Kids are leaving; the rest are aging, dying. But in the Southwest part of the state, one man is fighting to save his hometown by building giant metal sculptures along a lonely strip of state highway. Gary Greff's dream is to make Regent, North Dakota, the metal art capital of the world and a top destination for tourists. Some think he's a little crazy – but he's also built some of America's most magnificent pieces of roadside art with little money and a shrinking volunteer base. We followed Gary for four years, and the story includes his own archival tape from the first days of the project. (Produced in 2005; this description is from that broadcast.)