Not far from Embarrass, Minnesota, on the far eastern end of the Mesabi Iron Range, there was once a thriving town named Mesaba, Minnesota. It was among the first of the towns settled by Europeans and their descendants in northern Minnesota. Years later, people would refer to it as âOld Mesaba,â perhaps to separate it from the rest of the Iron Range with which it shared a name. Like so many small towns and Mining Locations on the Iron Range, Mesaba was beloved by many of those who lived there, even long after its streets were overgrown and buildings stood empty.