Near Duluth in Saint Louis County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Clifton–French River
Photographed by Keith L, June 12, 2011
1. Clifton–French River Marker
Clifton, first townsite surveyed in the United States section of the North Shore, was platted west of the mouth of the French River in 1855. The river was known to early explorers as Riviere des Francais. Rumors of nearby copper deposits resulted in widespread prospecting and townsite planning in the 1850s. Like many of the projected towns, Clifton never developed. From 1864 to 1866, the French River Mining Company and the North Shore Mining Company dug several exploratory shafts, but failed to locate profitable copper deposits. Extensive lumbering operations were carried on here in the 1880s.
[Seals of the State of Minnesota Department of Highways and The Minnesota Historical Society]
Erected 1959 by the Minnesota Department of Highways and Minnesota Historical Society. (Marker Number SL-DUT-002.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers • Waterways & Vessels. In addition, it is included in the Minnesota Historical Society series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1855.
Location. 46° 54.051′
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Minnesota’s Arrowhead Region and in the Iron Range. It is also in the American Midwest, on the Great Lakes, and in the Corn Belt. 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 the Viceroyalty of New France, Rupert’s Land, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 6 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Prospectors & Settlers (approx. 1.6 miles away); Commercial Fishing (approx. 1.6 miles away); Boatwatching (approx. 1.6 miles away); Highway 61: Road to Tourism (approx. 1.6 miles away); Superior: One Great Lake (approx. 1.6 miles away); Safe Haven from Wild Winds and Waves (approx. 1.6 miles away); Buchanan (approx. 5 miles away); The Arthur V. Rohweder Memorial Highway (approx. 6 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Duluth.
More about this marker. The French River was originally called Angwassago zibi, an Ojibwe word meaning "Floodwood River." It was known to early French explorers as "Riviere des Francais" or French River.
The marker was erected under a cooperative program of the Minnesota Department of Highways and the Youth Conservation Commission. The labor consisted primarily of youth on parole or probation from the Red Wing Correctional Facility.
Photographed by Keith L, June 12, 2011
2. Clifton–French River Marker
Minnesota Department of Transportation: Historic Roadside Development Structures Inventory website entry
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Click for more information.
Photographed by Keith L, June 12, 2011
3. Clifton–French River Marker
Photographed by Keith L, June 12, 2011
4. Clifton–French River Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on July 20, 2022. It was originally submitted on June 26, 2011, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 2,262 times since then and 78 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 26, 2011, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin.
