EXPLORING
MINNESOTA
By Stephen Nguyen
We will be examining the following pages in
DeLorme’s Minnesota Atlas & Gazetteer:
Page 87
Page 75
Page 55
Page 34
PAGE 87: BACKGROUND
This page lies in the very southeastern corner of
Minnesota
 It is part of the Bluff Region
 It is made up of the Winona and Houston
Counties
 Sites:






Winona State University and St. Mary’s College
Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood State Forest
Great River Bluffs State Park
Beaver Creek Valley State Park
Apple Blossom Drive
THE LAND: BLUFF REGION


In this part of the state, you will find many bluffs, which
are steep or broad hills or cliffs, typically located near a
river
Bluffs were formed because of repeated transgressions of
subsidence and uplift between 550 and 350 millions of
years ago


When seas covered the large areas during subsidence, layers of
sedimentary rock were left on the floors of the sea and became
strata of sedimentary rock once the land was uplifted again
This is the only part of the state where you will find solid
bedrock, or bedrock that is close enough to the surface that
it has an impact on the shape of the land
Bluff Examples
Limestone Bluff in
Winona
“Sugar Loaf Bluffs” in
Winona, MN
More Bluffs in
Winona, MN
THE LAND: STRATA



In southeastern Minnesota, the lowest sedimentary rock
was deposited first; thus, they are the oldest
This older strata is primarily sandstone
The younger strata that sits on top is primarily carbonates
(limestone and dolomite)
 These rocks resist physical erosion and they caprock
steep sandstone bluffs
 They dissolve very easily
 The underlying rock that dissolved caused sinkholes in
the land and the ground to collapse
THE LAND: DRIFTLESS AREA




Glacial ice apparently did
not cover the southeastern
part of the state near the
Mississippi River
“Drift” refers to all materials
deposited by glaciers
On page 87, you will find a
Driftless Area on the upper
right corner of the page. It is
marked with a “Unique
Natural Features” symbol
(see legend)
It is known as a Driftless
Area because no glacial
deposit left by the ice has
ever reached it
THE LAND: GOAT PRAIRIES
Also marked with a “Unique Natural Features”
symbol in the DeLorme atlas, these dry, hilly
prairies are located just above the Driftless Area
on page 87
 These prairies tend to be dry because they sit on a
steep slope, soaking up the sun
 They receive little water, and the dry shallow soil
sits over sand or limestone

WINONA






Winona is one of the major cities
on page 87 of the Atlas
Winona means “first-borndaughter” in Dakota
Its location on the Mississippi
River made it Minnesota’s thirdlargest town in 1860
It became a major sawmilling
center and received over a
thousand steamboats a year by
1860
Winona profited greatly from
farming
 In 1870, it was the fourth
wheat shipping port in the
United States
Winona’s population peaked in
1900, and the city began to
decline until recent decades
SITES IN WINONA





J.R. Watkins Company located in the Majestic
Administration Building off East 3rd St.
 J.R. Watkins began his business in Winona where he
manufactured an array of pharmaceutical applications,
most notably the red liniment
 The company has grown into one of the largest direct
sales operations in the world
 It’s still a thriving business today with the help of its
catalog and internet sales
 You can also visit the Watkins Museum located in this
building
Polish Museum (102 Liberty Street)
Minnesota Marine Art Museum (800 Riverview Drive)
Merchants National Bank (102 E. Third St.)
Acoustic Café (77 Lafayette St)
WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY




Established in 1858 when the MN State
Legislature established “normal schools”
Enrollment of about 8600
In the 2011 edition of “Best Colleges” by
U.S. News Media Group, WSU is ranked
second among public universities in
Minnesota
Also ranked America’s "100 Best College
Buys" for 15 years in a row for the quality
and value that they convey
St. Mary’s College




A Catholic college established in 1912
in Winona
Enrollment of about 6000
Offers two Campuses: Winona and
Minneapolis
Received recognition from Forbes,
Princeton Review, and U.S. News and
Report
Richard J. Dorer Memorial Hardwood
State Forest



Richard J. Dorer began working for the MN Department of
Conservation in 1938
After seeing the erosion in the hillsides in southeastern
MN, he developed a plan to restore the area
 Replant slopes with trees
 Acquire erosion-prone land and establish wildlife
management areas, state parks and forests
The forests stretches for about 1 million acres and is public
and privately owned. The State owns about 45, 000 acres
GREAT RIVER BLUFFS STATE PARK





The park is located just
southeast of Winona
Its about 3000 acres long
with steep bluffs rising 500
ft
The park includes hiking
trails, a campground, and
stunning views
Wildlife includes 35 species
of mammals, 17 species of
reptiles and amphibians,
and over 100 species of
birds
The park offers great views
of steep grassy hillsides
covered with sunflowers and
wild bergamot
September to mid-October are peak color
months
BEAVER CREEK VALLEY STATE PARK





Located in Caledonia (The
Wild Turkey Capital of MN)
The park is 1,187 acres long
There are 45,474 annual
visits, and 6,437 overnight
visits
The park resides in the
Driftless Area
Wildlife include: deer,
raccoon, muskrat, mink,
badger, red and gray fox, an
occasional beaver, and wild
turkey. A rare animal that
can be found in the park is
the timber rattlesnake
APPLE BLOSSOM DRIVE
Located in La Crescent
(Apple Capital of MN)
 Just off of Highway 61,
Apple Blossom Drive rises
into the Bluff Country with
wooded ravines and hills
covered by apple trees, and
farmlands
 “17 miles of spectacular
beauty- orchards, bluffs,
farm lands- overlooking the
Mississippi River”


Slide 2 Image Src: DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer

Slide 4 Info Src: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluff

Slide 4 Info Src: Landscapes of Minnesota: Hart, John

Slide 5 Img Src:
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_qMfHdW5XHs0/TESR80Oa5DI/AAAAAAAAECI/Xf6UicdCujw/s1600/249275680_f40a8ec4cb.j
pg

Slide 5 Img Src: http://www.co.rice.mn.us/parks/cannon.php

Slide 5 Img Src: http://www.hbci.com/~bkuhl/winona.htm

Slide 6 Info Src: Landscapes of Minnesota: Hart, John

Slide 7 Info Src: Landscapes of Minnesota: Hart, John

Slide 7 Img Src: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/04/19/driftless/

Slide 8 Info Src: http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/nature/habitat/whatprai.htm

Slide 8 Img Src: http://adventurewithbandb.blogspot.com/2008/10/beaver-creek-valley-state-park-october.html

Slide 8 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 9 Img Src:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_qMfHdW5XHs0/TESRGkbiTfI/AAAAAAAAECA/8gDNZVlbzzU/s1600/winona-minnesota.jpg

Slide 9 Info Src: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_forests/sft00033/50years_video.html

Slide 9 Img Src: http://plainviewcvb.com/hardwood_forest.htm

Slide 10 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 11 Info Src: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winona_State_University

Slide 11 Img Src: http://campusfacdev.project.mnscu.edu/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={4D0F952E-F930-40A1-8B35-

Slide 11 Info Src: http://www.smumn.edu/welcome-tobrst-marys/about-smu/fast-facts

Slide 11 Img Src: http://annexstadfamilyfoundation.org/saintmary1.html

Slide 12 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 13 Img Src: http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/top-lists/best-places-to-see-fall-colors-minnesota/

Slide 13 Img Src: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_River_Bluffs_State_Park

Slide 13 Info Src: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/great_river_bluffs/narrative.html

Slide 14 Info Src: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/beaver_creek_valley/narrative.html

Slide 14 Img Src: http://www.mnartists.org/work.do?rid=236140

Slide 14 Img Src: http://www.bluffcountry.com/caledonia.htm

Slide 15 Info Src: http://www.lacrescentmn.com/appleblossom.html

Slide 15 Img Src: http://minnesotascenicbyways.com/appleBlossom.html
20D7CF958CD8}
PAGE 75: BACKGROUND
This page lies in the southern central part of the
state
 It is part of the Southern Prairies
 It is mainly made up of the Brown, Le Sueur,
Sibley and Nicollet Counties
 Major cities include: New Ulm, Mankato, and Le
Sueur
 Sites:







Minneopa State Parks
Mount Kato
Sakatah Singing Hills
Flandrau State Park
Harkin Store
The Mayo House
DISTRIBUTION OF GLACIAL LANDFORMS
Over a period of 60,000 years,
huge lobes of ice scattered
southward across the state many
times from different directions
 There are 4 major lobes: Wadena,
Rainy, Superior, and Des Moines
 These lobes are responsible for
most of Minnesota’s current
landscape
 The Des Moines Lobe is
responsible for creating much of
the present landscape in southern
Minnesota

THE LAND



14,000 years ago, the Des Moines Lobe pushed southward
across MN from the Red River Valley all the way to Iowa
It deposited particles from Canada and North Dakota such
as fine-textured, silty, grayish-brown till consisting mainly
of shale particles
This formed a rolling till plain that has now developed the
finest farmland in south central and southwestern MN
SOUTHERN PRAIRIES
When European immigrants first arrived in the
Midwest, they saw a massive land of prairie
grasses
 Southern Minnesota was dominated by prairie
grasses that were often more than head high
 In the western states, grasses were drier and
shorter
 Today about one fifth of these western grasses
remain
 Almost all of the tall grass prairies of the 1850s
have vanished


150,000 acres of prairie remain, which is only less
than 1% of its original content
HISTORY- TRAVERSE DES SIOUX
The site where whites and Indians came together
to negotiate the sale of southern lands in MN to
the Unites States resides on page 75 of the atlas
 In 1851, the signing of this treaty agreed that the
Sisseton and Wahpeton Dakota tribes would sell
24 million acres of land, most of southern MN, to
the United States in exchange for cash,
annuities, and agricultural training
 The MN Historical Society has placed several
kiosks around this site to explain its significance
 The Nicollet County Historical Society has built a
Traverse de Sioux Interpretive Center nearby

LE SUEUR, MN




In Le Sueur, you will find many
industries such as warehouses,
cheese factories, and canneries
The Minnesota Valley Canning
Company began its operations
in Le Sueur in 1903 selling
sweet creamed corn
The Green Giant was
introduced in 1903 as a
promotional figure for the
company’s peas. In 1950, the
company adopted the name
Green Giant
General Mills bought-out Green
Giant and the headquarters no
longer exist in Le Sueur
THE MAYO HOUSE



The small white house
located at 118 N Main
Street in Le Sueur is where
the founder of Green Giant
once lived
Perhaps more surprising is
that the house was built by
Dr. William Mayo, who
practiced there for five
years as his first medical
practice location
Dr. Mayo and his sons
moved the practice to
Rochester and expanded
into Mayo Clinic, the
largest and most famous
medical facility in the
world
DAKOTA CONFLICT
In 1862, the most violent battle in the state’s
history occurred in the area between New Ulm
and Redwood Falls, known as the MN River
Valley
 The harvest of 1861 was poor, making it a harsh
year for the Indians who found themselves in
near starvation
 Tensions arose as agents refused to give the
Indians food from the warehouses until annuity
payments were made from Washington which
were usually late
 The conflict sparked when an ignorant trader
said, “if they are hungry, let them eat grass”

DAKOTA CONFLICT







Four young Dakota men attacked a farm in Meeker
County, killing five white settlers
Then groups of Dakota men launched a surprise
attack on the Redwood Agency, killing agents,
traders, and Indians, and looted and burned buildings
They also attacked isolated farms, killed settlers,
burned their belongings, as well as their houses and
barns
They then attacked Fort Ridgely and New Ulm
On August 23, they attacked New Ulm again, nearly
burning the whole town down
The six week conflict ended on September 23, 1862,
when a mobilized army defeated the Dakota at the
battle of Wood Lake, and many Dakota fled to Canada
303 Dakota were captured and to be hanged, but
Abraham Lincoln only approved of 38 to be hung

Occurred in Mankato on the day after Christmas, making
it the largest mass execution in American History
NEW ULM




New Ulm was established by two German settlers,
Ferdinand Beinhorn and Wilhelm Pfaender
By 1860, the town was populated with Germans; and
only 2 out of the 635 residents were not of German
origin
In the mid 20th century, New Ulm was recognized as
the Polka Capital in the United States
In 2000, the city had a greater percentage of citizens
with German decent than any other city in the U.S.
HERMANN THE GERMAN

A statue of a Hermann who led
the Germans in battle against
the Romans in 7AD sits on top of
a hill in New Ulm
102 ft tall
 Founded by the National Grand
Lodge of the Sons of Hermann, a
fraternal organization



A second monument was put up
in 1991 by the German
Bohemian Heritage Society to
honor the Bohemian immigrants
in New Ulm
Schell Brewery is a great way to
get a sense of the German
heritage in the town
It is the second oldest familyowned brewery in the country
 Produces 38 different beers

HARKIN STORE
Old store that is nestled in
the woods
 Located in the town of West
Newton, between New Ulm
and Fort Ridgely
 Preserved because of the
railroad route
 Closed in 1901
 Much of the original
merchandise still sits on
the shelves
 The Minnesota Historical
Society now manages the
site

NEW ULM FESTIVALS


The city hosts several popular festivals throughout the year
 Fasching- a series of “crazy days” prior to Lent
 Bavarian Blast in July
 Oktoberfest during the first two weeks of October
Visit Domeier’s (1020 S. Minnesota St.) to find an array of
unique German and Bavarian souvenirs
Bavarian Blast, New Ulm
MINNEOPA STATE PARKS

2, 689 acres long

106, 800 annual visits


Great site for bird watching
 Home to a large variety of songbird species
 Here you will find the eastern bluebird, the western meadowlark, and
the yellow shafted flicker
Established in 1905 after Minnesota passed legislation to set aside the
area for public use

This made Minneopa the third state park in MN

The entire park sits on the banks of the Glacial River Warren

The southern part of the park is very hilly and wooded

One of the main features is the Minneopa Creek and its waterfalls
MOUNT KATO
Winter sports facility
 Offers skiing, snowboarding, snow tubing, and
mountain biking
 There are 19 trails with 55 skiable acres
 Vertical drop of 240 feet

SAKATAH SINGING HILLS
39 mile paved trail
 Construction on the trail began in 1974, which
consisted of mostly gravel, and was then fully
paved in 1995
 Activities include: bicycling, snowmobiling, cross
country skiing, walking, rollerblading, walking
pets, bird watching and nature observation
 Maintained by the Minnesota Department of
Natural Resources

FLANDRAU STATE PARK






1,006 acres
254,650 annual visits
22,351 overnight visits
Common wildlife include many types of birds, white-tailed
deer, and raccoons
Landscape includes wooded riverside areas, oak forest and
grassland areas along the bluffs
Mainly a floodplain forest

Slide 17 Info Src: DeLorme Atlas & Gazetteer

Landscapes of Minnesota: Hart, John

The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 18 Info Src: Landscapes of Minnesota: Hart, John

Slide 19 Img Src: http://www.springerimages.com/Images/Geosciences/1-10.1007_s10933-008-9291-6-1

Slide 19 Info Src: Landscapes of Minnesota: Hart, John

Slide 20 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 21 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 22 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 22 Img Src: http://senses.typepad.com/sensesworkingovertime/2008/09/green-giant-peas--1955.html

Slide 23 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 23 Img Src: http://www.mnriv.com/mayo.html

Slide 23 Img Src: http://blog.lib.umn.edu/schwa735/architecture/

Slide 24 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 25 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 26 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 26 Img Src: http://www.trailergypsies.com/Minnesota/New%20Ulm.htm

Slide 27 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 27 Img Src: http://www.trailergypsies.com/Minnesota/New%20Ulm.htm

Slide 27 Img Src: http://mnprairieroots.wordpress.com/2010/08/28/learn-a-little-history-drink-a-little-beer-on-the-august-schell-brewing-companytour/

Slide 28 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 28 Img Src: http://minnemom.com/2008/06/25/still-no-mail-for-us-at-the-harkin-store/

Slide 28 Img Src: http://events.mnhs.org/media/Images/Sites/hs/

Slide 29 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 29 Img Src: http://www.nujournal.com/photos/news/md/523074_1.jpg

Slide 29 Img Src: http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4079/4815406145_c238597504.jpg

Slide 29 Img Src: http://www.minnesotabeautiful.com/wp-content/uploads/image/Bavarian%20Blast%20New%20Ulm_1.jpg

Slide 30 Info Src: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/minneopa/narrative.html

Slide 30 Img Src: http://minnemom.com/2010/04/15/minneopa-falls-state-park-mankato-minnesota/

Slide 31 Info Src: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kato

Slide 31 Img Src: http://www.snowrev.com/Travel/All/North-America/USA/Minnesota/Mount-Kato

Slide 32 Info and Img Src: http://www.sakatahtrail.org/about.html

Slide 33 Info Src: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/flandrau/narrative.html

Slide 33 Img Src: http://sistertex.com/flandrau.html

Slide 33 Img Src: http://www.panoramio.com/photo/37569683
PAGE 55: BACKGROUND
This page lies in the northeastern part of the
state
 It is part of the Heartland area
 It is made up of the Aitkin County
 Most notable is Lake Mille Lacs
 Other Sites:






Mille Lacs Indian Museum
Mille Lacs Kathio State Park
Wealthwood State Forest
Father Hennepin State Park
Solana State Forest
DISTRIBUTION OF GLACIAL LANDFORMS


The Superior and Rainy Lobe is responsible for
creating much of the present landscape in
northeastern Minnesota
About 30,000 to 20,000 years ago, the Superior and
Rainy Lobe made its way thru northeastern
Minnesota, depositing brown and reddish till from the
Superior Upland
This till consisted of course, sandy fragments of tough old
rocks
 The soils derived from this till are mostly used in dairy
farming



The Rainy Lobe scoured the Superior Upland
The Superior Lobe is responsible for forming the
thick, hummocky, boulder-strewn St. Croix Moraine

The later advancements of the Superior Lobe formed the
moraine that cups Mille Lacs
THE HEARTLAND
The heartland consists of many farms, ranches,
hills, forests, rivers, bogs and lakes
 It is part of the Coniferous Forests
 Network of rivers and trails made the area easily
accessible

 St.
Croix, Rum, Mississippi, Crow Wing, and Ottertail Rivers
Great history of lumbering and railroads
 Holds Minnesota’s largest reservations


According to the DeLorme atlas, page 55 consists
mostly of Woodlands and Wetlands
AITKIN
The town of Aitkin got its name from an
ambitious fur trader by the name of William
Aitkin
 William Aitkin established trading posts at
various strategic points in the area
 The town of Aitkin really came into being when
the railroad reached the Mississippi from Duluth
in 1870
 Once the rail link to Aitkin had been established,
the town flourished as a major supply base in the
lumber industry


Trains from Duluth brought supplies to Aitkin, and
the materials and lumbermen were brought to camps
along the Upper Mississippi River by means of
steamboats
AITKIN




Five years after the town was founded, it had a
population of 165, with all but 20 being men
Soon after, immigrants came into Aitkin and
cultivated the land
Aitkin developed a bit of civilization, with church
socials, public lectures on scholarly subjects, and even
an opera house
Aitkin remains a pleasant town and tourism center
Explore its early history in the museum located in the
preserved train station downtown
 Many festivities post-Thanksgiving





Annual Fish House Parade, where decorated fish houses roll
down MN Street on trailers
The American Legion Chili Cook-Off
Day-long craft fair
Sample the Fish House Stew provided by a local Bank via
Moose Lodge
FRANCIS LEE JACQUES MUSEUM





Jacques was a famous
landscape and wildlife painter
and long-time resident of Aitkin
You can see his works at the
Jacques Art Center in
downtown Aitkin
He created many works for the
Museum of Natural History in
New York City, and also the
Bell Museum of Natural
History at the University of
Minnesota
Jacques was a farmer and also
worked in other blue-collared
occupations-lumberman,
railroad hand, taxidermist
As he spent a good deal of time
in the forests and lakes, he
would depict what he saw in
drawings
RICE LAKE NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE






Located on Hwy 65, just South of McGregor
This is an unusual natural environment that Jacques
enjoyed exploring
It is most known as a seasonal home to one of the largest
populations of ring-necked ducks migrating in North
America
Also known for its cultivation of wild rice
Kettle River runs through it
There is a nine-mile stretch with several different habitats
to explore along the drive
LAKE MILLE LACS
A Mecca for fishing
 It’s the second-largest inland lake in Minnesota
at 132,516 acres
 Premier walleye lake, with fish weighing in at
ten pounds or more
 The lake is very shallow with a maximum depth
of 42 feet
 The massive amounts of fish made the lake
appealing to white explorers and fur traders
 Wild rice and maple sugar also came in
abundance
 There were long disputes between the French,
Ojibwe, and Dakota over who claimed the land

LAKE MILLE LACS


Ice-fishing began to gain popularity in the 1950s, and continued
to grow into the recent decades
There are times when more than eight-thousands fishing houses
are planted on the ice
 These houses sit on timber frames with floors six inches off
the ice
 The may have 4 to 6 fishing holes measuring eight to sixteen
inches in diameter
 Offer propane gas heat, toilets, batter-powered stoves,
microwaves, and color television
MILLE LACS INDIAN MUSEUM
This museum is dedicated
to the Mille Lacs Band of
Ojibwe, and offers many
permanent exhibits
relating to the band
 It opened on May 18, 1996
and is run by the MN
Historical Society
 In February of 2005, they
celebrated the 150th
anniversary of the Treaty
of 1855, which established
the Mille Lacs Reservation

MILLE LACS KATHIO STATE PARK






10,585 acres
133,127 annual visits
This park will give you the sense of what the first settlers
found so appealing about the Mille Lacs area
It contains the site of where Kathio once stood
It is Minnesota’s fourth-largest park and offers hiking,
camping, swimming, and horseback riding
You can get information relying the park and the history of
the town of Kathio at the interpretive center
WEALTHWOOD STATE FOREST





15, 042 acres
Established in 1963
Rolling topography with small wetlands and strands of
mixed hardwoods
In its history, the land was seen as very valuable for timber
production
The Minnesota legislature enlarged the original size in
1963 to the current 15, 042 acres in 2000
FATHER HENNEPIN STATE PARK
320 acres
 130,086 annual visits
 26,359 overnight visits
 Named after Father Louis Hennepin, a priest
who visited the area with a French expedition in
1680

He wrote intensively about the Mille Lacs area
 He called the area Louisiana after King Louis XIV
 His journal of meeting with Dakota and the
landscape of the area are written in the book,
Description of Louisiana, published in 1683


The Rainy and Superior lobe are responsible for
the forest, bogs, and swamps in the area

Slide 35 Info Src: Landscapes of Minnesota: Hart, John

Slide 36 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 36 Img Src: http://www.nemnatp.org/images/region.jpg

Slide 37 Info Src: http://www.landsat.com/glory-minnesota-aerial-p654724.html

Slide 37 Info Src: http://www.co.aitkin.mn.us/departments/land/forestmgmt.html

Slide 38 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 39 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 40 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 40 Img Src: http://liquidnight.tumblr.com/post/171242681/francis-lee-jacques-swan-diorama-at-the-museum-of

Slide 41 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 41 Info Src: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tiffibunny/sets/72157594177240783/detail/

Slide 42 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 43 Info Src: Landscapes of Minnesota: Hart, John

Slide 43 Img Src: Landscapes of Minnesota: Hart, John

Slide 43 Img Src: http://www.flickr.com/photos/33275719@N02/favorites/page5/?view=lg

Slide 44 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 44 Img Src: http://www.igougo.com/journal-j44965-Minneapolis-Fishing_Lake_Mille_Lacs.html

Slide 44 Img Src: http://events.mnhs.org/media/Kits/release.cfm?newsID=2020&SiteID=3

Slide 45 Info Src :http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/mille_lacs_kathio/index.html

Slide 45 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 45 Img Src: http://ookaboo.com/o/pictures/topic/1972383/Mille_Lacs_Kathio_State_Park

Slide 46 Info Src: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_forests/sft00052/about.html




Slide 46 Img Src:
http://www.maps7.com/picture.php?place=Mille+Lacs&address=Mille+Lacs+Lake%2C+United+States&latitude=46.363
188786214&longitude=Slide 47 Info Src: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/father_hennepin/narrative.html
Slide 47 Img Src:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_QSwDZi5_3ao/SlYV4YkdbXI/AAAAAAAAAO8/QqkNq9pc4cs/s400/BlogPhotoDay11MilleLacsSign.JPG
Slide 48 Info Src: http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_forests/sft00049/index.html
PAGE 34: BACKGROUND


This page is further up north and to the east than the
previous page we just explored
It lies in the St. Louis County
the second-largest county in the United States east of the
Rocky Mountains
 Larger than the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island
combined




Sits in the Mesabi Range (Iron Range)
Major Cities: Hibbing and Virginia
Sites:






Superior National Forest
Sturgeon River State Forest
Sturgeon River Trail
George Washington State Forest
McCarthy Beach State Park
Laurentian Divide
THE LAND
Page 34 is mostly made up of coniferous forest
and wetlands
 This corner of the state was the last occupied by
settlers, and consisted of many different
immigrants


You will find many Slavs and Finns here than any
other part of the state
This part of the state is transitory due to its
mining
 On the lower part of page 34, you will find many
areas marked with a “Mine or Quarry” symbol
(see legend)

IRON RANGES

Minnesota has three iron ranges :
Vermillion Range- extends 25 miles from Tower to
Ely, and had ore with 63 to 70 percent iron
 Mesabi Range- stretches more than 100 miles long
from Grand Rapids to Babbitt and south of Virginia,
with ore containing 55 to 60 percent iron
 Cuyuna Range- is entirely in eastern Crow Wing
County and had ore with 45 to 63 percent iron. This
ore was rich in manganese, which is essential for
producing steel

Together, these three ranges accumulated 3
billion tons of iron ore
 The Mesabi Range cuts across the lower part of
page 34

IRON RANGE



Prospectors and engineers had long
suspected that the old rocks beneath
the wilderness near Duluth would
contain valuable deposits of ore, just as
similar rocks of pure copper were found
by Indians on the Keeweenaw
Peninsula and Marquette, Michigan
 These rocks came from Lake
Superior in northern Michigan
 Native tribes have been extracting
copper for over 5000 years
The first iron mines in Minnesota
opened along the Vermillion Range
From 1900 to 1980, the Mesabi Range
contributed about 60 percent of the
nation’s iron ore
THE GOLD RUSH



In 1865, the state of MN hired a geologist to examine the
area around Lake Vermilion for iron
The geologist found something far more valuable—gold!
This started the state’s first and only gold rush
 A rode from Duluth to the southern shore of a remote
lake was constructed
 A town developed with saloons, dry good stores, and
boarding houses
 Unfortunately, there was no gold to be found, and the
gold rush quickly came to an end
HIBBING
Sometimes considered the center of the Iron
Range
 Largest town in the area and sits at the heart of
the Mesabi Range
 The town was discovered by a German immigrant
named Frans Hibbing

Worked in real estate in Duluth, and also studied
mineral exploration
 In 1892, he and a group of 30 men went into the
Range and found ore deposits
 The next summer, the town site was platted, and
named in honor of Frans Hibbing
 He returned the favor by financing the construction
of a water plant, and electric plant, roads, a bank, a
sawmill, and a hotel via personal funds

REVENUES FROM THE IRON RANGE



The Iron Range produced a great revenue for the
surrounding area
 Many towns on the Iron Range had more lavish parks,
schools, and community buildings than the norm, due to
the property taxes brought in from the mining
companies
The Hibbing Taconite Company still extracts eight million
tons of ore each year
The Mesabi Range currently produces 75% of the iron ore
mined in the United States
The ore extracted from the Mesabi Range
produced massive amounts of steel
 This steel helped produce a number of cars,
airplanes, tanks, appliances, computers, cables,
and many other steel appliances

THE HULL RUST MINE





Located on the outskirts of Hibbing
Known as the world’s largest open
pit mine, this enormous hole in the
ground stretches more than three
miles long, up to two miles wide,
and 600 feet deep
It was the first mine opened in the
Mesabi Range
In 1895, more than 1.4 billion tons
of earth was removed form it
At its peak operations, it produced
more than a quarter of all the ore
mined in the United States
PLACES TO VISIT

To get a glimpse of the Iron Range life, head
down to the Sunrise Bakery (1813 3rd Ave E)
 Sample
some of the miner’s favorites such as
 Pasties- a Cornish meat pie,
 Potica- a traditional Slovenian nut bread, or
 Porketta- a Range favorite of rolled pork roast
BOB DYLAN





Bob Dylan was born in Duluth in 1941
but grew up in Hibbing once his family
moved there when he was eleven
You can drive by Dylan’s boyhood
home, located on the corner of 25th
Street and 7th Ave. E
Stop by Moose Lodge on a Friday for
some fish fry and see the venue where
Dylan and his band use to play
Zimmys, a restaurant located on
Howard Street, offers a memorabilia of
Dylan and some good eats
The Hibbing Public Library features
a Bob Dylan exhibit in the basement,
with rare yearbook photos and posters
LAURENTIAN DIVIDE


Just outside of Hibbing, you will
find a unique geographical
interest—a Laurentian Divide
(located on page 34 in the lower right
corner where Hwy 106 and Hwy 169 meet)
It marks the spot where three watersheds
meet





Hudson’s Bay
Gulf of Mexico
North Atlantic
You will see many Laurentian Divide signs
throughout the northern areas of the state
This spot marks one of only two divides in
the country where not two, but three
drainage systems meet
BUS INDUSTRY



Hibbing is home to the American
bus industry
Two local entrepreneurs, Carl
Wickman and Andrew “Bus Andy”
Anderson, started a bus line in 1914
 Purpose was to provide
transportation for iron miners
back-and-forth from Hibbing to
the nearby town of Alice
 The first buses could only carry a
few people, but once the service
became more popular, new
routes were added, and the
businessmen expanded there
operations little by little into
what is now the Greyhound Bus
Line
In 1989, the Greyhound Bus
Museum opened in Hibbing to
celebrate the astonishing chapter in
the nation’s transportation history
VIRGINIA



Virginia has placed pride on
itself for having a touch of class
not found in its neighboring
towns
The main business district
burned down twice during the
early years, but the town picked
itself up from the devastation
both times
When a lumber baron named
Frederick Weyerhauser
established the Virginia and
Rainy Lake Lumber Company in
1908, its mill was the largest and
most modern in the world
The mill covered a square mile of
land
 Employed 3000 lumberjacks and
1,800 workers at the mill
 It closed in 1929, signifying the end
of a golden era in white pine
logging

VIRGINIA MINING
Virginia was also rich in mining, with 20 mines
operating simultaneously
 The Messabe Mountain Mine in Virginia was the
largest mine in the world at that time
 Because of the wealth generated by the mines,
people started to refer to the city as “The Queen
City of the North” and the name is still retained
today

Virginia, MN
VIRGINIA- SITES
The appealing Chestnut Street downtown is
lined with store fronts and marquees from past
periods
 At the west end of Chestnut Street, you will find
a train station in a three-story orange building,
which now houses a bank built in 1913
 Virginia was a large rail center, with four
railroads running twenty trains a day in and out
of the city



A “Lumberjack Express” also ran from Virginia to
Cusson, hauling forest workers to their appointed
destinations
The final passenger train left the Virginia station
in 1961

Slide 50 Info Src: Landscapes of Minnesota: Hart, John

Slide 51 Info Src: Landscapes of Minnesota: Hart, John

Slide 52 Info Src: Landscapes of Minnesota: Hart, John

Slide 53 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 53 Img Src: http://www.ironrange.org/communities/mt-iron/

Slide 53 Img Src: http://www.cirimn.org/Mining/History/tabid/126/Default.aspx

Slide 54 Img Src: http://www.etftrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/gold-bars.jpg

Slide 55 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 56 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 56 Img Src: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KxL7 KDnUgg/Td7AHz_ruqI/AAAAAAAABCI/nsKNPzHCKhc/s1600/2.jpg

Slide 56 Img Src: http://www.ironcityproperties.com/a/j/rental-property/belmont-apartments-apartments-for-rent-hibbing-mn

Slide 57 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 57 Img Src: http://www.topnews.in/files/iron-ore.jpg

Slide 57 Img Src: http://www.wisconsincentral.net/Culture/Culture/AshlandOreDocks_files/page13-ironoretrain.jpg

Slide 58 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 58 Img Src: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pmarkham/3478379111/

Slide 58 Img Src: http://pics4.city-data.com/cpicc/cfiles48569.jpg

Slide 59 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 59 Img Src: http://staticart.ybcdn.net/adartwork/ints/000/074/145/21.1.png

Slide 59 Img Src: http://bakerypoticagift.com/var/cy/152587/1158933-callout.png

Slide 59 Img Src: http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/recipe/ss_R059908.jpg

Slide 60 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 60 Img Src: http://www.yogadork.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Bob_Dylan_yoga.jpg

Slide 61 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 61 Img Src: http://www.macalester.edu/geography/mage/curriculum/gomn/east_central_mn/hibbing/3way_water/Hibbing_3way_water2.jpg

Slide 62 Info Src : The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 62 Img Src: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3346/3606999684_c14f9833d0.jpg

Slide 62 Img Src: http://nocargo.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/greyhoundbus_300x210.jpg

Slide 63 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 63 Img Src: http://www.lakesnwoods.com/images/Virgin55.gif

Slide 63 Img Src: http://www.moodyscollectibles.com/store/images/uploads/usviews/minnesota/11421.jpg

Slide 64 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John

Slide 64 Img Src: http://www.miningartifacts.org/Virginia__MN_open_pit_mine..jpg

Slide 65 Info Src: The Seven States of Minnesota: Toren, John