Otter Tail River

Otter Tail River. . The Otter Tail River has long played a vital role in the development of Fergus Falls, supporting flour mills, saw mills and power plants. Early maps of the area identify the river as the Red River. Ojibwe Indians called the river "Otter Tail" as far north as Grand Forks, North Dakota. The official name changed around 1907., In 1857 Joe Whitford, seeking potential townsite locations along the river, was told by a group of Ojibwe that there was "big swift water" in this area. Seeing the potential to harness the rapids for power, Whitford named the sight after his employer James Fergus., As the Otter Tail turns through Fergus Falls, its westerly flowing waters fall approximately ninety-five feet. During his 1848 geological survey of Minnesota, American geologist David Dale Owen described this stretch of the river:, "At a sudden turn in the river we unexpectedly came upon turbulent rapids...our canoes could not be arrested but shot down them with a velocity which was impossible to arrest. It soon ran the canoes hard and fast among the rocks at a spot where the water reached the armpits of the men.", Visit the Joe Whitford monument at the corner of Summit Avenue and Whitford Street., Captions: , Wright Water Power at Central Dam on Cascade Street, 1877. The dam is a "Crib style" which shows the natural flow of water. , Joe Whitford , Wright Water Power at Central Dam on Cascade Street.