The author tells his tales of adventure in the northwoods of Wisconsin.

Tucked in the pine and birch woods of northern Wisconsin, Matt Harris has life-changing business to do. Representing the company promising a better future to his hometown and state, Matt returns to find that towns and people can change - drastically. Deprived of the once robust blue-collar economy, buildings have been boarded up, the school has declined, politics have grown bitter, and poverty reigns supreme. The growing plight of rural and Midwestern USA has hit home or, maybe, it was always there. Determined to please both his boss and the town, Matt must confront his greatest dilemma: whether he should use his ambition to help his hometown or to help himself. Through challenges of love, hate, ethics, and pride, Matt learns a lot about life on his visit home-but at what cost? North of Highway 8 explores the plight of rural America, man's inherent connection with nature, and the importance of tolerance, friendship, and ethics. Author Jacob Gardner questions: How far will you go for your pride or your career? What does it really mean to love your home? What is the balance between people's prosperity and the Earth's welfare? Take a journey north and explore these important questions with Matt.

Fourth report is accompanied by "Map and profiles of Iowa railroads, 1881"