Pelican Rapids in Otter Tail County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Minnesota Woman

Photographed by Liz Koele, December 22, 2021

1. Minnesota Woman Marker

Inscription.
Minnesota woman - the skeleton of a girl about fifteen years of age -- was discovered at this point in 1931 by a highway repair crew. Although the skeleton has not been dated exactly, based on the site geology scientists believe it to be perhaps 10,000 years old. This would make Minnesota Woman one of America’s oldest human skeletons.

Two artifacts -- a dagger of elk horn and a conch shell -- were discovered with the bones. Archaeologists believe that the girl drowned in Glacial Lake Pelican, which adjoined Glacial Lake Agassiz, a huge body of water that covered much of northwestern Minnesota at the end of the last ice age.

Erected 1992 by Minnesota Historical Society.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Indigenous Peoples and Communities. In addition, it is included in the Minnesota Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1931.

Location. 46° 36.536′ N, 96° 3.176′ W. Marker is in Pelican Rapids, Minnesota, in Otter Tail County. It can be reached from U.S. 59, on the right when traveling north. The marker is located at the "Minnesota Woman Roadside Parking Area.". Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 44620 Monument Beach Loop, Pelican Rapids MN 56572, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the American Midwest

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Louisiana Purchase.

Other nearby markers.

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At least 8 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Pelican Rapids Village (approx. 2.4 miles away); The Land We're On (approx. 2½ miles away); Mill Stones (approx. 2½ miles away); Mill Pond Suspension Bridge (approx. 3 miles away); Arrival of the Railroad at Pelican Rapids (approx. 3 miles away); The World's Largest Pelican (approx. 3.1 miles away); Pelican Rapids (approx. 3.1 miles away); Churches & Cemeteries (approx. 5.1 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Pelican Rapids.

Photographed by Liz Koele, December 22, 2021

2. Minnesota Woman Marker

Photographed by Annette Fillmore, July 10, 2025

3. Minnesota Woman Marker

This view of the marker is from the rest area, looking north on 59.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 16, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 5, 2022, by Liz Koele of St. Paul, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 1,364 times since then and 209 times this year. Last updated on July 14, 2025, by Annette Fillmore of York, Pennsylvania. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 5, 2022, by Liz Koele of St. Paul, Minnesota. 3. submitted on July 14, 2025, by Annette Fillmore of York, Pennsylvania. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.