This is the site of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) Biological Survey Camp 3. Serving as the home of Company 2705 from 1939 to 1941, as many as 23 buildings were once located here to house and support 200 men.
[Captions:] Crew . . . — — Map (db m210895) HM
The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), what began as a Depression era work program, became an important building block to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wildlife Refuge System. In 1939, seven thousand Corps participants worked at 35 . . . — — Map (db m210281) HM
Settlement
In the late 1800s, the first white settlers came to the area that is now the refuge. They were loggers, ranchers and market hunters. Loggers cut the pine trees from the land and floated them down the Rice River to the Mississippi . . . — — Map (db m210313) HM
Robert W. Akin (1871-1920) came to Anoka in 1898 and began working as a cashier in the State Bank. His property a few blocks south of Main Street on the east bank of the Rum River was said to be one of the "most picturesque sites in the . . . — — Map (db m162173) HM
Three stone houses were built during the 1920's by Thaddeus P. Giddings (1969-1954). Giddings was the Supervisor of Music for the Minneapolis Schools and founder of the National Music Camp in Interlachen, Michigan. The stone houses were part . . . — — Map (db m70825) 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
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
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
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
Philosophy.
Amos Owen was a Dakota elder and spiritual leader who wanted to preserve and restore traditional Dakota beliefs and practices. He believed that the suppression of Indian peoples had led to many parts of the culture being almost . . . — — Map (db m21588) HM
The desire to honor the memory of Mankato's Civil War dead prompted a citizens' committee headed by John Ray to purchase the triangular parcel of land in the Warren's Addition, bordered by Broad, Lincoln and Grove streets, and dominated by a . . . — — Map (db m66655) HM
Since the end of the last ice age, Minneopa Creek has carved a ravine through sandstone bedrock, creating a spectacular double waterfall.
Sometimes roaring, sometimes just a trickle, these falls have been an attraction for hundreds of years. This . . . — — Map (db m231657) HM
This Park is named in honor of Ray Erlandson, and through him, all the men and women who have served the citizens of the City of Mankato as firefighters promoting and preserving the public's safety. Ray Erlandson served as a City of Mankato . . . — — Map (db m120008) HM
On October 3, 1887 the City of Mankato purchased 120 acres for $13,088 at the confluence of the Blue Earth and Minnesota Rivers to create Mankato’s first park. Sibley Park was named for Henry Hastings Sibley (later Minnesota’s first Governor) who . . . — — Map (db m66483) HM
Robert was park superintendent from 1936 - 1939 at Minneopa State Park. He supervised the Works Progress Act (WPA) projects and planted many trees that still thrive today. Frieda operated a concession stand in the park that is now a visitor center. . . . — — Map (db m226147) HM
As a member of the local advisory board of Minneopa State Park for many years, Mr. Palmer, in October 1927 instigated the planting of the plot of black walnut trees north of the railroad — — Map (db m226153) HM
Ole Synsteby was born in Lesja, Gulbrandsdalen, Norway. In the summer of 1873, the Synsteby family migrated to the Lake Hanska area. In 1879 Ole purchased the land which is now designated as Lake Hanska County Park.
The story of . . . — — Map (db m79934) HM
This home was built by John Lind in 1887 and was a significant cultural, social and political center built on a prominence above early New Ulm. Swedish born Lind came to America and Minnesota in 1867 at age thirteen. While very young he was a . . . — — Map (db m65399) HM
540 acres of land southwest of this point, embracing Silver Creek in Jay Cooke State Park are dedicated to the memory of this pioneer civic leader who made great contributions to the establishment and development of this park.
Lands donated by . . . — — Map (db m53599) HM
The Big Woods
When the first Euro-American settlers came to this area in the 1850s, the land looked very different than it does today. At that time, the spot where you now stand would have been near the center of a two-million-acre hardwood . . . — — Map (db m212415) HM
The first excursion train pulled into Walker on August 8, 1896 and the town was ready for the invasion of fishermen from all over the country. Pat McGarry had opened up his White Tent City, consisting of twelve white tents, which became the next . . . — — Map (db m235797) HM
In the early 1900s before the automobile, tourists could book round-trip railroad passage from Minneapolis to Walker for just fifty cents! At its peak in the 1970s, there were over 200 Ma & Pa establishments serving the lake — mostly simply fish . . . — — Map (db m235794) HM
The village of Almelund and the Immanual Lutheran Church were established in 1887
Reverse
By Gods grace, the people of Amador Township and with the assistance of the Almelund Lions Club, this Triangle Park was developed in 1987. . . . — — Map (db m232288) HM
The pristine view in front of you would look much different without Walter F. Mondale's passion and tenacity. As Minnesota Attorney General, U.S. Senator, Vice President and an engaged citizen, he has spent a lifetime advocating for the . . . — — Map (db m235503) HM
One seed at a time, human hands are reviving this rich prairie.
This area was named Amador Prairie in the 1850s. However, prairie species faded as crops were planted, farm animals grazed, and homes and schools were built.
Efforts to . . . — — Map (db m235618) HM
In the 19th century, this part of Minnesota was covered by a mix of hardwood forests and open savannas. (A savanna is a grassland with scattered trees — often oaks.) When settler-colonists moved in, they turned most of the savannas into farm . . . — — Map (db m234229) HM
By 1890, 53 years after logging began in the forests that were predicted to last forever, enough trees were cut in one year along the St. Croix to build 50,000 houses. Hundreds of thousands of people across the Midwest lived in houses made from . . . — — Map (db m233412) HM
Wild River State Park gives visitors a sample of the beauty and variety of the landscape in the St. Croix River Valley. It is one of five Minnesota state parks located along the National Wild and Scenic Riverway. Wild River holds evidence of . . . — — Map (db m232715) HM
Below: Map of the Arrow Line route as advertised.
Above: Portion of an Arrow Line stock certificate.
Construction by the Twin Cities & Lake Superior Railway Company took place in 1907-1909. Forty miles of . . . — — Map (db m229960) HM
The people who created this state park will never meet you but they gifted you with a cherished place. Protection allows this landscape to welcome visitors in much the same way it has for centuries. Did you travel hours or minutes to get here? . . . — — Map (db m216753) HM
Discovered by Henry R. Schoolcraft from the summit of this hill July 13, 1832 This tablet is placed by the Society of Colonial Dames of America in the State of Minnesota 1924 — — Map (db m155676) HM
Acquiring a Homestead David S. Patterson came to Itasca in 1889. Patterson made claim to 152 acres, which included the Headwaters of the Mississippi. He purchased the land in 1891 for $191. Patterson's cabin was north of McMullen's cabin near . . . — — Map (db m155671) HM
Built their pioneer home at this place in 1893, one building being used as a store and post office. An act of the Minnesota Legislature in 1945 authorized acquisition of the homestead as an addition to Itasca State Park. Dedicated in grateful . . . — — Map (db m155673) HM
This replica of the original Wegmann Store was built in 1977 as part of an ongoing summer crafts program to demonstrate log cabin construction. The replica was built by craftsperson Christopher Alpine from Lengby, Minnesota. While the original . . . — — Map (db m155674) HM
So named in honor of Clarence R. Magney (1883-1962), lawyer, mayor of Duluth, district judge, justice of Minnesota’s Supreme Court, student of Minnesota history, defender of its wilderness areas, champion of their preservation.
As a young man . . . — — Map (db m232202) HM
Listen! Can you hear echoes from the 1930s, when 200 men of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) used picks and shovels to construct the Cascade River Overlook?
The Overlook, where you stand today, is part of the 118-acre Cascade . . . — — Map (db m203021) HM
When Newton H. Winchell, Minnesota's state geologist, and, Ulysses S. Grant II (the president’s son) surveyed this area in the 1890s, they concluded that a peak in the Misquah Hills was the state's highest point. Using an aneroid barometer, they . . . — — Map (db m151362) HM
Hedstrom Lumber Mill
This 6 acre site, bounded by the Gunflint Trail, County Road 60, and the Devil Track River, was home to the Hedstrom Lumber mill and office from 1914 to 1994. The 4 acre eastern portion, once boulder filled and rough, was . . . — — Map (db m231483) HM
In the 1960s, archeologists discovered here remains of a structure used between 1785 and 1802, unusual because it was built on posts. They found artifacts that match the bills of lading from bales, kegs, and cassettes (small trunks) that were canoed . . . — — Map (db m152972) HM
The Gates are shut always after sunset and...
there are two Sentries keeping a look out all
night chiefly for fear of accident by fire.
John Macdonell, Grand Portage, 1793
This gatehouse was not intended to . . . — — Map (db m152975) HM
The Grand Portage, or "the great carrying place, Gichi Onigamiing, has been a meeting point for centuries: it was part of an extensive Native American trading network well before the first French trader arrived in 1731. Though the French formally . . . — — Map (db m152968) HM
Montreal canoemen were hired to paddle to Grand Portage. Once there, each man had to carry several 90-pounds (41-kg) bundles of trade goods and supplies up the Grand Portage to Fort Charlotte, where the bundles were repacked for canoe brigades . . . — — Map (db m153054) HM
The word "portage" is French for "to carry."
Canoe rests were built between 1933 - 1942 in the Superior Roadless Wilderness Area, now known as the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW), by the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC). . . . — — Map (db m232921) HM
You are standing near the former site of the Judge's Cabin built approximately 1934.
"American Plan" was a popular cabin rental option from the 1920s-1970s. American Plan cabins were furnished with beds, chairs, dressers, and a wash . . . — — Map (db m235864) HM
“Grand Old Lady of the Prairie"
Florence Cook Roefer (1913-2000) was an early leader in preserving these rock carvings and the surrounding prairie. As the first site manager of Jeffers Petroglyphs, Florence nurtured 33 acres of . . . — — Map (db m140823) HM
This outcropping is an “erosional high”-rock
smoothed off by glaciers.
Continental glaciers advanced and retreated across this region many times in the last million years, before leaving for good about 12,000 years ago. . . . — — Map (db m140824) HM
About 14,000 years ago this landscape was covered with ice.
When the ice melted, an open parkland dotted with black spruce developed. After a period of warming and drying, forests of oak and elm replaced the spruce. People began living . . . — — Map (db m140820) HM
What are those fence posts doing in the middle of the prairie?
They used to mark the edge of a farm field. In 1974 the Minnesota Historical Society planted a few grass varieties on 50 acres of cropland, initiating one of the first . . . — — Map (db m140804) HM
Prairie fires set by lightning or by people were common in this region.
Fortunately, most prairie plants are long-lived perennials with deep, extensive root systems. Their ability to produce vigorous new shoots below the soil's . . . — — Map (db m140822) HM
People hunting game most likely traveled this ridge, which provided a dry route above the lake-dotted prairie for thousands of years.
The earliest inhabitants of this region hunted woolly mammoths and musk-ox. Beginning with the . . . — — Map (db m140821) HM
Although never a city entity, this park was located on the east side of Sixth Street just south of the Northern Pacific Railroad tracks, also called NP Park as it was on Northern Pacific RR land. The first NP Depot was just to the north, . . . — — Map (db m213559) HM
"Plant Some Trees, Then Plant Some More" Art Savage worked as a Forest Ranger from 1939 to 1971. He was District Forester for the Department of Conservation, the agency that later became the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. . . . — — Map (db m237499) HM
Though the fires noted on this panel are not considered among the most significant in the state's history, this area has experienced some harrowing and memorable wildfires. Over the years, the specialists we count on to deal with wildfires draw on . . . — — Map (db m237399) HM
About one-third of Minnesota is covered with forest. These woodlands are incredibly diverse, with over 50 species of native trees and a wide array of plants that make up the understory and cover the forest floor. It is very important that we all . . . — — Map (db m237397) HM
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry works with other agencies and fire departments, to provide wildfire protection for over 16 million acres of Minnesota forest. The Division of Forestry also administers burning . . . — — Map (db m237497) HM
Forest Fires can be devastating, and they play a paramount role in Minnesota's history. Fires were a recurring event in the Pequot Lakes area, threatening the natural resources, structures, and the human population of the region. Throughout . . . — — Map (db m237498) HM
Baudette-Spooner FireFire conditions in northern Minnesota were extreme in the autumn of 1910. Several small fires developed in the dry slash left in the wake of logging operations throughout Lake of the Woods County. The fires . . . — — Map (db m237400) HM
Welcome to Paul M. Thiede Fire Tower Park. The main feature of the park is the historic Pequot Fire Lookout Tower. The 100-foot tower, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, sits atop a tall hill, providing up to a 20-mile . . . — — Map (db m237392) HM
For thousands of years, fire was an important component of the health of natural areas including prairies, oak savannah, wetlands and forests. Fires were started by lightning and were also set by Native Americans as a planned landscape management . . . — — Map (db m237398) HM
You are standing in a young forest of aspen trees. This portion of the park was logged in 2004. That's a short time for trees to grow this tall. When they are young, aspen trees can grow as much as 3 to 4 feet in one year. It's important for the . . . — — Map (db m237495) HM
The hillcrest where you are standing is 1,378 feet above sea level, 70 feet higher than County Road 11 at the entrance to the park. Add another 100 feet to the floor of the tower cab, and you get a commanding view of the area. This site was . . . — — Map (db m237500) HM
Art Savage came to Pequot Lakes in 1939 to serve as a Forest Ranger for the Minnesota Department of Conservation, where a significant part of his duties included staffing the fire tower. Art and Beatrice Savage lived in the Spotter's Cabin from . . . — — Map (db m237560) HM
A 10-foot by 16-foot wooden building was built here in 1928, to house firefighting equipment. Forest Ranger Art Savage noted that in 1939 his firefighting equipment included 6 pump tanks, 6 shovels and 2 axes. He also recalled having to use his own . . . — — Map (db m237546) HM
Works Progress Administration (WPA) workers built this overlook in 1938 from local limestone. The workers came from Mendota Camp #1, which was along the river bluff about a half mile (.8 km) away. Between here and there was a limestone quarry. The . . . — — Map (db m225640) HM
Today more than one hundred parks, waysides, monuments, historic sites, and trails are operated by the State of Minnesota. They fulfill the plea of Newton H. Winchell, state geologist and archaeologist, who in 1889 stressed the value of a system . . . — — Map (db m185580) HM
The benches on either side of this section contain thirty five of the steps which were removed from the original Kiwanis stairway. One hundred fourteen steps still remain where they were placed initially on the upper west end of the bluff.
This . . . — — Map (db m224652) HM
Centerpiece of Covered Bridge Park for 27 years
1970
The first annual Chicken Barbecue was sponsored by local businesses and was held on the bridge. Proceeds helped to fund a new swimming pool which was also located in the park. . . . — — Map (db m203011) HM
Sergeant Dwight Carleton Williams, ski trooper, 10th Mountain Division. Born in Minneapolis, July 22, 1924. Attended Edina Grade School, Blake School, and Harvard College. Killed in action April 30, 1945, in Italy and buried there. In loving . . . — — Map (db m199335) HM WM
The Place Where People Want To Go
Back in the late 1900s, farmland stretched along this area below the Edina Mill dam. The pastoral landscape—with its intersection of the creek, grassy fields and woods—became a popular destination. Swimming . . . — — Map (db m198304) HM
The U.S. Army constructed the Coldwater Springhouse and Reservoir between the late 1870s and early 1880s to supply water to an expanding Fort Snelling. Coldwater Spring provided water from 1820 to the 1920s. The spring holds cultural significance to . . . — — Map (db m204889) HM
This area around the confluence, or meeting of the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers has been the center of activity in this region for centuries. Generations of people have gathered here to live, work, and recreate.
Native peoples, explorers, . . . — — Map (db m227822) HM
Where Rivers and People Come Together
You are standing on ground that has been a gathering place for rivers, people and legends for thousands of years. Nearby is the confluence, or meeting, of two mighty rivers—the Mississippi and . . . — — Map (db m185834) HM
Within the boundaries of this park, which in past days was Maple Hill Cemetery, there rest in the sleep of the ages 46 soldiers of the Grand Army of the Republic. Courageously they responded to our country's call in the war of the rebellion. . . . — — Map (db m236118) HM WM
Did you know that Lake of the Isles and Lake Calhoun are married?
Yes, it's true! When dredging was finished on the canal and lagoon between the lakes, they were "married" in a symbolic ceremony on July 5, 1911. The day was named . . . — — Map (db m237060) HM
The Expanding City
In 1910, Minneapolis was growing in every direction. From its beginnings at the Falls of St. Anthony about 70 years before, a dense collection of commercial and industrial buildings filled the downtown, and block after . . . — — Map (db m200506) HM
Missionaries Samuel and Gideon Pond arrived at Fort Snelling in 1834 and were immediately dispatched to work with Cloudman, Chief of the Dakota people, who had established an agricultural settlement on the eastern shores of Lake Calhoun near the . . . — — Map (db m212037) HM
Did you know that Shingle Creek was the water source for the first swimming pool at Webber Park?
Shingle Creek was once the site of a popular swimming hole. In 1908, however, the land was acquired for the park, and the creek dammed. . . . — — Map (db m231755) HM
Did You Know That Murphy Square Is Older Than the State of Minnesota?
When Minneapolis was little more than a cluster of saw mills and houses on the west side of St. Anthony Falls, a civic-minded citizen, Edward Murphy, donated this . . . — — Map (db m234575) HM
Construction on the Basilica of Saint Mary, 88 North 17th Avenue, began in 1907. It is the country's first Basilica and acts as an anchoring landmark on the north side of Loring Park.
The church was planned by French architect Emmanuel . . . — — Map (db m91409) HM
Did you know that the Park Board has protected the Mississippi River as a park for over 100 years?
Within weeks of its inception in 1883, the Park Board hired H.W.S. Cleveland, a prominent landscape architect, to create a comprehensive plan . . . — — Map (db m163894) HM
Mill Ruins Park embraces the flour-milling district that once lined the west bank of the Mississippi River at the heart of Minneapolis. Between 1858 and 1930, the milling district developed along the waterpower canal built here by the . . . — — Map (db m240366) HM
Pioneer Period
1821–23
Waterpower development at the Falls of St. Anthony began with construction of a gristmill and sawmill near the foot of 7th Avenue South by soldiers from Fort Snelling. The mill provided flour and lumber for the . . . — — Map (db m237363) HM
Do you know how many times the Stevens House has been moved?
For 134 years, this small wood structure has been moved four times. The third move, which brought the house to Minnehaha Park, is heralded as the first act . . . — — Map (db m243401) HM
Do you know how many times the Stevens House has been moved?
For 134 years, this small wood structure has been moved four times. The third move, which brought the house to Minnehaha Park, is heralded as the first act of historic . . . — — Map (db m243432) HM
Did you know that the Winchell Trail was the first rustic hiking trail in the city?
This mostly unpaved trail winds through the gorge on the west side of the Mississippi River between Franklin Ave and Godfrey Road, ending near Minnehaha . . . — — Map (db m176187) HM
Did you know that neighborhood recreation in Minneapolis began at Logan Park?
The ten-acre First Ward Park was one of the first purchased in 1883, the year the Park Board was established. First named Washburn Park, it was . . . — — Map (db m236201) HM
In 1905, H.A. Dorsey opened Wonderland Amusement Park on 10 acres between Lake ad 32nd streets and 31st and 33rd avenues. It opened to great fanfare, with 70,000 people attending on opening day. Its attractions included a 120-foot-high . . . — — Map (db m134501) HM
In honor of the 2014 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, Major League Baseball, the Minnesota Twins, Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, the Pohlad Family Foundation, and the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation provided substantial financial support . . . — — Map (db m231942) HM
Do you know why there were no playgrounds in the first Minneapolis parks?
Because the concept of a playground did not exist in 1883, when Horace Cleveland designed the first parks for the newly established Park Board. Parks were quiet . . . — — Map (db m176877) HM
Which were used on parkways first, bicycles or cars?
The first vehicles to use the new parkways were horses and carriages, but bicycles soon followed. In 1887 the Park Board formally approved the use of bicycles on parkways, which fed . . . — — Map (db m164138) HM
Did you know that 'Washburn Fair Oaks' was originally the name of the mansion that once stood here?
One of the largest homes in Minneapolis in the 1880s, it was built by William D. Washburn. His brother Cadwallader Washburn founded the . . . — — Map (db m156784) HM
Did you know that Powderhorn Park has hosted U.S. Olympic speed skating race trials?
A beautiful setting and a pristine sheet of ice shaved smooth, in the early years by a horse-drawn blade, pushed Powderhorn Park to prominence in the world . . . — — Map (db m201355) HM
Did you know that this park began as a power plant easement? A local amateur historian, Lucy Wilder Morris, convinced the St. Anthony Falls Water Power Company to grant an easement for a small park here in 1924. Lucy's interest in local . . . — — Map (db m155469) HM
The CM&StP: A New Route to the West
The CM&StP Railroad's Short Line bridge across the Mississippi River, completed in 1880, was the first of three important bridges in the vicinity. In 1888, crossing at Franklin Avenue and Lake Street also . . . — — Map (db m200507) HM
The Sheridan Veterans Memorial is in honor of all those who stepped forward to serve, a tribute to those whose lives were lost or forever altered, and a living reminder of our hope for a world with lasting peace.
State Representative Diane . . . — — Map (db m231905) HM WM
Do you know how many bandshells have been built at Lake Harriet?
Five, each built with a distinct style and features.
1888: The first bandshell was constructed by the Minneapolis Street Railway Company on their property near the rail . . . — — Map (db m211907) HM
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