Near Comfrey in Cottonwood County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Prairie Preservation
Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, October 1, 2019
1. Prairie Preservation Marker
What are those fence posts doing in the middle of the prairie?
They used to mark the edge of a farm field. In 1974 the Minnesota Historical Society planted a few grass varieties on 50 acres of cropland, initiating one of the first prairie reconstruction projects in Minnesota.
Can prairie be recreated?
In addition to a great variety of plants, the original prairie supported several hundred species of birds, 80 different species of mammals, and thousands of types of insects. A specific climate, periodic fire and large grazing animals are needed to reconstruct the prairie as it once was. Some scientists believe that prairie reconstruction takes two to five hundred years. Others believe that once native prairie is destroyed, it is gone forever.
Erected by Minnesota Historical Society.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Environment • Horticulture & Forestry • Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1974.
Location. 44° 5.497′ N, 95° 3.312′ W. Marker is near Comfrey, Minnesota, in Cottonwood County. Marker is on 510th Avenue (County Road 2). Marker is located along a trail in the Jeffers Petroglyphs Historic Site. Touch for map
this page online
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 11 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Survival Through Fire (within shouting distance of this marker); Why did people come to this region? (within shouting distance of this marker); How did this Prairie get here? (about 500 feet away, measured in a direct line); Glaciers Marked the Rock (approx. ¼ mile away); Florence Cook Roefer Prairie Trail (approx. ¼ mile away); Sanborn, Minnesota Veterans Memorial (approx. 8 miles away); Veterans Memorial (approx. 10.8 miles away); a different marker also named Veterans Memorial (approx. 10.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Comfrey.
More about this marker. The Jeffers Petroglyphs is home to about 5,000 sacred rock carvings, also called petroglyphs, made by the ancestors of today’s Native Americans. Jeffers tells the story of this continent like no other place — connecting visitors to those who lived and traveled in ancient times across what is now known as North America.
Also see . . . More at the Jeffers Petroglyphs website. (Submitted on October 10, 2019, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota.)
Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, October 1, 2019
2. Prairie Preservation Marker
Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk, October 1, 2019
3. Jeffers Petroglyphs
Photographed By Ruth VanSteenwyk
4. Jeffers Petroglyphs Historic Site Sign
Credits. This page was last revised on October 10, 2019. It was originally submitted on October 10, 2019, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. This page has been viewed 126 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on October 10, 2019, by Ruth VanSteenwyk of Aberdeen, South Dakota. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
