Beltrami County was established by an act of the state legislature on Feb. 28, 1866. The new county extended from a line drawn west from Lake Itasca to a north/south line between Cass Lake and Lake Winnibigoshish. The northern border went through . . . — — Map (db m290685) HM
Beltrami County was established by an act of the state legislature on February 28, 1866.
The first post office in the county was established in Red Lake in 1875.
The first homesteader in the county was Joachim Cyr at Little Turtle Lake in . . . — — Map (db m131652) HM
June 1911 Bemidji Commercial Club entertains Louis Hill, Governor Eberhart, and others at Markham Hotel for dinner and tours them around the Bemidji area hoping Hill will commission a new Great Northern Depot in Bemidji. April 24, 1912 . . . — — Map (db m235292) HM
In commemoration of the first Reserve Unit in the United States to be called into active service in World War I. Forty eight men, composing the Fifth Division of the Minnesota Naval Militia, were mustered in for service directly to the southwest of . . . — — Map (db m235294) HM
Beltrami Camp was built in 1942 by the Works Progress Administration. It was a popular gathering place for family reunions and civic groups. The only remaining building from the Beltrami Camp is the Dining Hall. Today it is still used by the Girl . . . — — Map (db m136149) HM
I wish you would listen in pity to my words for only a few moments. You see that I am now nothing but a corpse, but I will try to speak my mind to you. Regarding… our removal, what shall we do when we get there? How shall we manage to get ahead . . . — — Map (db m290901) HM
The statues of Paul Bunyan and Babe were both built in 1937 in connection with a January Winter Carnival. The 18-foot Paul weighs two-and-one-half tons and stands above five tons of concrete footings. Babe was originally built to be mobile, covered . . . — — Map (db m131670) HM
The utmost good faith shall always be observed towards the Indians, their lands and property shall never be taken from them without their consent… —Northwest Ordinance July 13, 1787 Shaynowishkung's life in this region spanned a time of . . . — — Map (db m290889) HM
Shaynowishkung was born about 1834 near Inger, Minnesota. He Who Rattles is the English translation of his Ojibwemowin name. As a young man, he hunted and harvested throughout this area, which had been a village site, gathering place and . . . — — Map (db m290883) HM
Here now, it is winter, and not a dollar of their annuities, which by solemn treaty stipulations… ought to have been paid months ago, have any of these destitute tribes received. —Minnesota Pioneer, November 21, 1850 As a result of many . . . — — Map (db m290899) HM
Near this spot, archaeologists found evidence for a Native American fishing camp. Pottery from the camp indicates that people lived here at various times between 3,000 and 600 years ago during what is known as the Woodland Period.
Harvested . . . — — Map (db m135890) HM
Pieces of pottery and other artifacts tell archaeologists that Native Americans have lived along the shores of the Turtle River and Three Island Lake for thousands of years. Because the ways in which Native Americans decorated and made their . . . — — Map (db m135881) HM
In recognition of the remarkable foresight of Dr. Haukebo in creating an unparalleled language and cultural immersion experience for young people, the Welcome Center of Concordia Language Villages at the entrance to the Turtle River Lake sites . . . — — Map (db m307392) HM
Norway Pine planted in memory of Harry Davidson 1894 — 1983
Harry and Vera Davidson operated Sunset Lodge on this site from 1938–1970. It included a café & bar, 9 cabins, and boat rentals. — — Map (db m199596) HM
Waskish was named by the Chippewa Indians who hunted, fished, and gathered wild rice along the Tamarack River. The Ojibway word for deer is Wawaskishi, which was shortened to Waskish by the early pioneers. The old town site was located at the . . . — — Map (db m181008) HM
Can you imagine the waves on a lake this size?
If you visited this region 10,000 years ago, the sight of Glacial Lake Agassiz would have astounded you! Covering 200,000 square miles, spanning numerous present-day states and . . . — — Map (db m307646) HM
Several years of dry weather set the stage for the devastating fire of 1931
Prelude to Disaster
The bog's early settlers often set fires to burn trash or to clear land for planting. During dry spells, these fires created . . . — — Map (db m308930) HM
As far back as 1927, walleye eggs were harvested at the mouth of the Tamarac River. Eggs collected here were sent to the State Hatchery at Redby for hatching until 1941 when the Waskish Hatchery was built as a Works Progress Administration . . . — — Map (db m272963) HM
River Routes
Our local rivers were used for transportation for centuries, first by Indians, later by white fur traders, explorers, trappers and hunters. From Red Lake, early travelers could canoe either to Lake Winnepeg via the . . . — — Map (db m272830) HM
In 1891, government surveyors platted this area as "meadows." Travel was difficult until drainage ditch spoil piles provided a rough bed for the first road, present-day Highway 72. A road linking Baudette and Kelliher was completed in 1914. . . . — — Map (db m191359) HM
Tradition holds that Red Lake was named after its beautiful red sunsets. The name first appeared on a 1755 map as "Lac Rouge," (French, translation–Red Lake.)
The great glaciers that covered Minnesota melted, first in the . . . — — Map (db m272683) HM
The Big Bog was the last refuge for the lower 48 states' woodland caribou, which vanished in the 1940s. Although caribou survived in Minnesota for a century after they disappeared in Wisconsin and Michigan, multiple threats took their toll here. . . . — — Map (db m190013) HM
An early 20th century attempt to drain the bog failed, but the old ditches still mark the invincible, yet fragile landscape.
Taking on the Bog
In 1889, the federal government appropriated almost three million acres of the Red Lake Indian . . . — — Map (db m191353) HM
Constructed by dragline in the 1960s, this ditch was used by fishermen as a marina and safe harbor. Shallow water, strong winds and big waves made mooring fishing boats difficult. Docking boats by the campground along the Tamarac River could also . . . — — Map (db m191558) HM
The Big Bog is part of the Patterned Peatland of Minnesota, whose rare landforms and plant and animal communities provide a vital resource for for scientific research, education, and recreation. A place of wonder and renewal for many, the Big Bog . . . — — Map (db m191556) HM
The Red Lakes have a long history of walleye production that supported a successful commercial fishery, a constant subsistence fishery, a popular sport fishery, as well as provided a source of walleye eggs for introducing or enhancing walleye . . . — — Map (db m272744) HM
You are standing at the site of an old forestry station, established decades ago to fight one of the biggest foes of forests—fire!
While pickaxes and pulaskis were common fire-fighting tools, a forester's biggest weapon may have been a tower. . . . — — Map (db m207228) HM