Near Turtle River in Beltrami County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Native American Fishing on the Turtle River

A Fishing Camp

Photographed By McGhiever, September 25, 2013

1. Native American Fishing on the Turtle River marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

Near this spot, archaeologists found evidence for a Native American fishing camp. Pottery from the camp indicates that people lived here at various times between 3,000 and 600 years ago during what is known as the Woodland Period.

Harvested fish were preserved for future use through drying and smoking, or boiled to obtain fish oil used to treat and soften hides.

Caption: A broken Blackduck "fish pot" containing a layer of preserved fish bone shows that the site's inhabitants caught white sucker and northern pike/muskellunge. These types of fish are still plentiful in the Turtle River and Three Island Lake.

Caption: An archaeologist carefully unearths artifacts (far left). Fish vertebrae found within the "fish pot" (middle). A Woodland Period arrowhead (left).

Caption: Among the artifacts that archaeologists discovered were tips for fishing spears carved from bone.

Erected by Beltrami County.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Native Americans.

Location. 47° 37.504′

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N, 94° 46.949′ W. Marker is near Turtle River, Minnesota, in Beltrami County. Marker can be reached from Three Island Access. Marker is in Three Island Lake County Park, on the paved path a short distance west of the parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7015 Three Island Road NE, Bemidji MN 56601, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 4 other markers are within 12 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Pottery Types of the Turtle River and Three Island Lake (a few steps from this marker); Historic Beltrami Camp (approx. 6.4 miles away); Beltrami County History (approx. 11.4 miles away); Paul Bunyan and Babe (approx. 11.6 miles away).

Marker in picnic area of Three Island Lake County Park image. Click for full size.

Photographed By McGhiever, September 25, 2013

2. Marker in picnic area of Three Island Lake County Park

Credits. This page was last revised on July 2, 2019. It was originally submitted on June 28, 2019, by McGhiever of St Paul, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 210 times since then and 40 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 28, 2019, by McGhiever of St Paul, Minnesota. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.