Catholic Colonization in Minnesota: Revised EditionCatholic Colonization Bureau
History
Catholic Colonization in Minnesota: Revised Edition
Catholic Colonization Bureau
Agriculture -- Minnesota; Catholics -- Minnesota
"It may be interesting," says John W. Bond, Secretary of the Minnesota
State Board of Immigration, "to note the areas of a few of the largest
lakes in our State. Lake Minnetonka contains 16,000 acres; Lake
Winnebagoshish, 56,000 acres; Leech Lake, 114,000 acres; and Mille Lacs,
130,000 acres. Red Lake, which is much larger than any other in the
State, has not yet been surveyed.
"The above estimate of 2,700,000 acres in lakes does not embrace the
vast water areas included in the projected boundary lines of the State
in Lake Superior and Lake of the Woods, and along the great water
stretches of the international line."
The importance to the State of having Lake Superior as an outlet for its
produce cannot be overestimated. The day is not distant when a large
amount of grain will be shipped in bulk from the Minnesota harbor
(Duluth) on Lake Superior, to the Liverpool market in England.
RIVERS.
Minnesota has five navigable rivers. The Mississippi (The Father of
Waters,) having its rise in Lake Itaska, in the northern part of the
State.
The St. Croix, flowing through a large portion of the lumbering region.
The Minnesota, rising in Dakota Territory and flowing through a large
portion of the State empties into the Mississippi, five miles above St.
Paul. It is navigable, in favorable seasons, about 300 miles.
The Red River of the North, forming the northwestern boundary of the
State for a distance of 380 miles, and navigable about 250.
The St. Louis River, flowing into Lake Superior on our northeastern
boundary, a distance of 135 miles.
Besides these, the largest rivers are the Root, Rum, Crow, Sauk, Elk,
Long Prairie, Crow Wing, Blue Earth, Le Sueur, Maple, Cobb, Watonwan,
Snake, Kettle, Redwood, Wild Rice, Buffalo, Chippewa, Marsh, Pomme de
Terre, Lac qui Parle, Mustinka, Yellow Medicine, Two Rivers, Cottonwood,
Cannon, Zumbro, Whitewater, Cedar, Red Lake, Straight, Vermillion, and
others. These, with a vast number of smaller streams tributary to them,
ramifying through fertile upland and grassy meadow, in every section of
the State, afford invaluable facilities for the various purposes of
lumbering, milling, manufacturing and agriculture.
In connection with her rivers, we will say that Minnesota has perhaps
the finest water power, within her bounds, to be found in the world.
This power is found all over the State, and though only very partially
developed, it serves to manufacture 2,600,000 barrels of flour annually,
and runs 250 saw mills.
TIMBER.
Minnesota is neither a timber nor a prairie State; yet it possesses in a
large degree the advantages of both, there being unquestionably a better
proportion of timber and prairie, and a more admirable intermingling of
the two than in any other State. It is estimated that about one-third of
Minnesota is timbered land, of more or less dense growth. In Iowa, it
has been officially estimated that only about one-tenth to one-eight of
the State is timbered.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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