Crow Wing in Crow Wing County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Entrepreneurs and Upstarts
Photographed by McGhiever, June 28, 2025
1. Entrepreneurs and Upstarts Marker
The city of Brainerd was built, like many others, on a dream. Despite skeptics, railroad entrepreneurs envisioning a transcontinental railroad, running from New York to Puget Sound, Washington, formed the Northern Pacific Railroad Company. They established it near the confluence of the Crow Wing and Mississippi rivers. During 1871 and 1872 settlers by the hundred came to the "City of the Pines" to work for the new railroad. Adventurers, gamblers, speculators and other "undesirables" were right behind them, bringing a Wild West roughness to the town that would later be known as Brainerd. Entrepreneurs, eyeing the area's growth and seeing hard evidence of profitable dreams, found their way north as well.
A Northern Pacific engine approaches the railroad's Brainerd office and shop circa 1875.
A view of downtown Brainerd shows the city's earliest frame buildings and streets defined by plantings of pines [sic] trees.
Paul Bunyan-sized Opportunities
The great lumber industry came in the 1880s, attracted by the region's dense forests of Norway and white pine. The discovery of iron ore on the Cuyuna Range north of
this page online
More than 100 years later, tourism continues to be a major economic force but not the only one. As in earlier years, entrepreneurs are once again flocking to the region. The Brainerd Lakes Area is a modernized economy with financial service companies, high-tech firms, wood products and plastics manufacturers, publishing and mailing, health care and specialty firms all flourishing side-by-side.
Yet amidst all the expansion the area remains, as the title of an 1888 article about Brainerd noted, "A Growing Town at the Edge of a Forest." As more people seek a balanced lifestyle free of urban stress, the abundant natural resources and relaxed pace of life in lake country enhance its appeal. Visit the Chamber of Commerce office inside to learn more about the Brainerd Lakes Area.
Gray Wolf (Canis lupus)
The gray wolf can be gray, white, black or silvery.
Photographed by McGhiever, June 28, 2025
2. Entrepreneurs and Upstarts Marker (right) at the Brainerd Lakes Welcome Center
Wolves usually live and hunt in packs. These packs can range over 250 square miles. A wolf can run at 30 to 35 miles per hour and up to 40 miles without resting. They are carnivores, both predators and scavengers.
A wolf track has exaggerated toe pads. Tracks can be five to six inches long and up to five inches wide. The walking stride of the wolf is 26 to 30 inches, but at top running speeds, the distance between groups of tracks can be six to eight feet.
Although the wolf is doing well in the northern half of Minnesota, you are not likely to see them in the wild as they are extremely cautious animals. Crow Wing State Park staff have found gray wolf tracks on the banks of the Crow Wing and Mississippi rivers.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Entertainment • Industry & Commerce • Railroads & Streetcars • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1871.
Location. 46° 15.629′ N, 94° 19.17′ W. Marker is in Crow Wing, Minnesota, in Crow Wing County. It can be reached from the intersection of North Koering Road and Minnesota Highway 371. The marker is at the Explore Brainerd Lakes Welcome Center and Rest Area. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 7053 North Koering Road, Brainerd MN 56401, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Minnesota’s Northland. It is also in the American Midwest, in the Corn Belt, and in the Great River Road Region. Globally, it is in North America, the Great North Woods, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Ruperts Land, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Hunting Hospitality (here, next to this marker); Lakes on the Plains (here, next to this marker); Roughnecks and River Pigs (a few steps from this marker); Ojibwe Origins (a few steps from this marker); Land in the Middle (a few steps from this marker); Mississippi Crossings (a few steps from this marker); Paul Bunyan Statue (within shouting distance of this marker); Lumberjack Legend (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Crow Wing.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 4, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 2, 2025, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 84 times since then and 13 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 2, 2025, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
