Hall of Fame--On Top of the Mountain

BY ERIK CAGLE

Mora, Minnesota—population 2,500—is as obscure as any town in America. Boasting predominantly farm land, it may seem an eternity away from the excitement of the big city for someone who calls Mora home.

A. Oscar Carlson grew up there with his six brothers and parents on a dairy farm. Such an existence is not a way of life; it is life. From before the time the sun rises to a point beyond sunset, Carlson and his family knew what work had to be done. Something always had to be done, which didn't leave a lot of time for daydreaming about a better life.