Brookings County(44) ► ADJACENT TO BROOKINGS COUNTY Deuel County(3) ► Hamlin County(7) ► Kingsbury County(37) ► Lake County(21) ► Moody County(17) ► Lincoln County, Minnesota(3) ► Pipestone County, Minnesota(12) ►
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Legend of the Separation of the Lakes
See the narrow waterway between two peninsulas? How do you think it was formed?
A poem written by Professor A.B. Crane offers one explanation. He tells of an American Indian chief who pledged his . . . — — Map (db m179792) HM
Oakwood, called Tetonkaha, Lakes, when visited in 1838 by Nicollet & Fremont, was site of a small Fort, N of Little Round Lake in 1857 and again occupied in 1863-64. The township was surveyed by Richard F. Pettigrew in September 1871 and James . . . — — Map (db m179799) HM
The mounds found in Oakwood Lakes are typical of numerous such mounds in eastern South Dakota. Ten mounds have been located at Oakwood lakes and have been dated about A. D. 300 to A.D. 1400. Probably the remanents of late Woodland or Middle Missouri . . . — — Map (db m179695) HM
Breastworks
Probably built by two companies of the 2nd Infantry, under command of Capt. D. Davidson, in June-July, 1859. Parapets were then about 5 ft. high. A log house once stood in the center, but was razed long ago for firewood. Cannon . . . — — Map (db m179795) HM
This log cabin stands on the original site where it was constructed in 1869 by Samuel "Ol Spot" Mortimer.
Mortimer, a shoemaker from New York, came to Dakota Territory after hearing stories of the rich fur trade in the Big Sioux Valley. In . . . — — Map (db m179782) HM
Settlers arriving in the Oakwood area in the late 1870s desired a place to worship and hold prayer meetings. Lake Oakwood proved to be an ideal location for baptisms and to pitch a tent to shelter worshippers from the weather. As time and finances . . . — — Map (db m179777) HM
Millennium ago, migrating bison herds grazed the tall grass. Ducks, geese and other birds nested in the sloughs, and fish were found in abundance in the lakes and streams in this area known as the Coteau des Prairies.
With all this . . . — — Map (db m179698) HM
C. Z. Sutton came to the Oakwood Village in 1872 and in 1878 built a home on this site. It was dug into the hill so that the back and much of the sides were dirt. The front was field rock with mortar made himself by burning local limestone. The roof . . . — — Map (db m179935) HM
Each leaf on a green ash has 5 to 9 leaflets growing on 8 to 12 inch stems. During fall and winter months, clusters of seeds remain on female ash trees. Note the seed's shape. Indians were inspired to use ash wood for canoe paddles because of the . . . — — Map (db m237244) HM
The tall shrub near this post is a buckthorn. Dark green leaves, marked by prominent veins, cling to the branches long after a frost. Clusters of black, pea-sized berries appear in fall. The berries are a favorite of many birds because they cling to . . . — — Map (db m237238) HM
The cluster of oak trees at this rest spot are representative of the trees that gave Oakwood Lakes its name. In 1870, Samuel "Spot" Mortimer, sold oak trees from his land to other settlers for building their homes. Oak logs were prized for their . . . — — Map (db m237242) HM
The Oakwood Lakes chain was formed more than 10,000 years ago when melting glaciers filled depressions scooped from the earth's surface. The eight lakes, fertile lands and native woods attracted prehistoric Indians. Burial mounds in the park are . . . — — Map (db m237234) HM
There are a number of large cottonwood trees along the west shore of the island. These shallow-rooted giants are exceptionally fast growing and require lots of water. It is one of the most common trees growing along the watercourses and lakeshores . . . — — Map (db m237247) HM
At the edge of the slough behind this post you can see the reddish stems of the dogwood. Notice the white, pea-sized berries. The inner bark of dogwood was used in a mixture with tobacco and called kinnikinnick. Indians favored this in their . . . — — Map (db m237241) HM
This cluster of shrubs is comprised of gooseberries. The plant is easily recognized by the sharp, half-inch spines on its stems. Songbirds seek out the ripe berries for food. Indians used the fruit, which ripens to a deep red in the fall, to flavor . . . — — Map (db m237239) HM
Scout Island was named for the annual Boy Scout encampment once held here. The island is now a peninsula bordered on the east and south by Tetonkaha Lake and on the west by Johnson Lake.
At the flagpole is a plaque dedicated to D.C. Mackintosh, a . . . — — Map (db m237236) HM
Originally from Holland Michigan, Hessel and Charlotte Houtman married in Brookings in 1925 and farmed in various communities in Brookings County. Prior to the formation of Oakwood Lakes State Park, the Houtman family rented this land from the 1930s . . . — — Map (db m245340) HM
Here at the southeastern tip of Scout Island, exposure to wind and waves has washed soil away from the roots of trees and shrubs. The eroded soil settles to the bottom of the lake, eventually filling it in. The same thing that happens when dirt from . . . — — Map (db m237243) HM
From this vantage point, you can see the land formations described by explorer Joseph N. Nicollet and John Fremont when they camped at Oakwood Lakes in 1838. In Nicollet's words, "Wood is less scarce here. It is on all the tongues of land which . . . — — Map (db m237248) HM
Captain DeLozier Davidson and his soldiers from Fort Randall constructed this military fort in 1859. It served as a supply post for Fort Wadsworth, now called Fort Sisseton. Soldiers manned the fort, also called a breastwork, until December 1864 . . . — — Map (db m237191) HM
