Mille Lacs Kathio State Park near Onamia in Mille Lacs County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
White Pine Forest
300 B.C.A.D. 1890
| | Kathio Landmark Trail: The Forest through Time | |
Photographed by McGhiever, May 29, 2025
1. White Pine Forest Marker
By 2,300 years ago a cooler, wetter climate encouraged the growth of a white pine forest, expanding from here northeastward. Another change indicated by the scientific pollen and phytolith study was an increasing amount of wild rice in the lake.
At the time the first European explorers visited this area, the forest on this side of Ogechie Lake was a mixture of white pine, spruce, red pine and northern hardwood species. On the west shore of the lake was a vast forest of white pine. In August and September, the lake was covered with a thick growth of wild rice.
The abundance of wild rice, along with access to fish and game, allowed people comfortable year-round living in the area that would become Mille Lacs Kathio State Park. By A.D. 1,000, permanent villages developed on the shores of Ogechie and Shakopee Lakes.
White Pine Forest
Northern Hardwood Forest
Oak Savanna
Red Pine Forest
Spruce Forest
Tundra
Erected 2013 by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Environment • Indigenous Peoples and Communities. A significant historical year for this entry is 1000 CE.
Location. 46° 8.857′ N,
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Regionally, this marker is in Central Minnesota. It is also 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 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: Northern Hardwood Forest (within shouting distance of this marker); Ogechie Lake (within shouting distance of this marker); Logging the Pines (within shouting distance of this marker); A Living Laboratory (within shouting distance of this marker); Why Did the Ojibwe People Choose to Live Here? (within shouting distance of this marker); Homeland of the Dakota
Photographed by McGhiever, May 29, 2025
2. White Pine Forest Marker (foreground) on the Kathio Landmark Trail
Credits. This page was last revised on November 28, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 28, 2025, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 113 times since then and 87 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 28, 2025, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota.
