Early Inhabitants

Early Inhabitants. The mastodon and passenger pigeon may be gone, but much wildlife remains. This diverse landscape has always attracted a wide range of inhabitants. At one time, mammoths and mastodons roamed this area. Birds such as the marbled godwit and chestnut collared longspur once lived in the prairie. And people have inhabited this area for 12 centuries., Archaeological evidence shows that during Paleo-Indian times (from 12,000 to 10,000 years ago) small groups of people passed through this region. They were highly mobile, and used spears to hunt big game., Less nomadic groups frequented this region during the Archaic period (from 10,000 to 3,000 years ago). During this span of 7,000 years, the area's largest animals started to disappear. These people remained here long enough each year to cultivate crops. They also used heavier tools, including stones to grind food., The Woodland and Mississippian era started 3,000 years ago. It continued until roughly 1400 AD. During this time, people gathered in larger social groups. They also used pottery, and traded with other groups. Archaeological records suggest that from 1050 through 1250 AD, an extremely well-organized community lived in this region., From 1450 through 1600 AD there is a gap in the archaeological record; for roughly 150 years, this region may have been largely abandoned., During the 1600s, Native Americans returned. Then early European explorers pushed into the region. Trading posts were constructed. In 1803, this land was part of the Louisiana Purchase, and in 1849 the Minnesota Territory was created. Early settlers arrived, harvesting the timber and converting the prairie to cropland. Minnesota became a state in 1858, and significant changes quickly followed., Much has changed. Passenger pigeons no longer darken the sky. Mastodons no longer walk these fields. Yes, this geographically diverse landscape still supports a wide range of wildlife. This area is part of the Mississippi Flyway, a key migration corridor for ducks, geese, swans and songbirds. Other inhabitants include deer, turkey, eagles, owls, monarch butterflies, pileated woodpeckers and rare wood turtles., Captions: , Mastodons and mammoths once roamed this area , Pileated Woodpecker, Text written by Dan Dietrich.