Its' haunting, laugh-like call is easily distinguished over Minnesota lakes. Minnesota produces over two-thirds of all natural wild rice in the world. The pink and white Lady Slipper is a variety of an orchid. This flower is quite rare throughout the state and a law prohibits picking the flower. Well, actually there are 12,034 lakes in Minnesota larger than ten acres.
Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world.
Minnesota boasts 90,000 miles of lake and river shoreline, more shoreline than California, Florida and Hawaii combined. The Headwaters of the Mississippi River are located in Itasca State Park. Early settlers arrived in Bloomington in the 1840's, settling in the area along the Minnesota River near Fort Snelling. The township of Bloomington was formed in 1858 and became a city in 1960. Early building included the Ferry Bridge and Old Shakopee Road, which are still in existence today.