In 1930 Fargo was a winner in a region where winning came hard. As the
commercial center for the vast, sparsely settled Northern Plains, it
grew even during the Depression, attracting hopeful entrepreneurs off
the farm. In Going It Alone, historian David B. Danbom shows how the
city struggled to survive problems it could not solve by itself. A
critical complement to Depression histories focused on federal policies
and programs, this study demonstrates how Washington's initiatives for
relief played out in a community of people born into a steadfast culture
of self-sufficiency and independence.