The Minnesota pioneer. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1849-1855, 1852-03-18
From the Annals OF tho Minnesota Historical
Society, 1881
Saint louis River.
BY REV. :, Al. FULLERTON, or ST rApL.

By REV. :. ii. FULLERTON, or 81. rApL.
| The head Of Lake Superior is about Ave miles
VIDE, the shore forming nearly a regular SEMI
circle. The St. Louis river enters the lake near
the middle OF this bend. The entrance from
the lake Is about west forty or fifty rods, when
the river bends suddenly to the norih keeping its
! course parallel with the ke shore abou, half a
mlie, wren the course is again changed to the
southwest. Here the river wideus out into bay
about SIX miles long. and in places two miles wide;
, having several small Isla nds in it, The bend of
'0e river, near the mouth, forms u peninsula be-
tween II, north bank and the lake, about a mile
loag, and averaging abOnt quarter Of mile in
w'd n. 1t body Of sand, producing only some
small evergreen un1eEbFush, aud beautiful grove
OF tall, straisht, htnbless yellow pines. on the
siuIh side ii the river there 10 tract OF several
hundred acres Of low land. portion of which is
similar TO that the norh side, but much OF it
Is swampy. The American Fur Company, pre-
vious to Isl had trading pos, here, about half
mhe ifom the lake, but II was subsequently re-
naeved to Fond du Lac, "a; the foot of the falls
The river. at its mouth, il less than quarter
oi mile WIDE, and. .obstructed By sand bar,
holding countless snags; but passing this few
rods, brmss the boat beyond the bend, into calm,
deep water, IN any weather. Al the head Of ihs
' INT 10 the falls the river is fail ofs islands and
fields OF wild rice. around and through which,
there are numerous channels. The Inexperienced
may row several miles, and find himself at the
head OF bay or cove, and be under the necessi-
ty Of returning to seek the true channel. From
The lake to The falls, called twenty miles the
northern shore is bold and rugged, except in few
places where il falls back, forming small plat of
table land between it and the rver gives vent
+. s.i,f, binH. ,l,.,
south side, similar To those the north for
several mics below the fails; they there disap-
pear. The Fond ju Lac ri'er, from the south
ives, enters the lake about two miies south of the
outlet OF the ST. l.oais, aad the valleys Of tho
two rivers are merged IL one some Elk or seven
miles from the lake.
\ few rods below the falls creek of pure.
never-al!lnS water from the north, .orms Il Juno
tion wi,h The river. The west side ofthe valley,
formed by this creek, is occnpied BY tho Amefi-
can iur company, and the eas, by the missionary
establishment otthe Methodist Episcopal Church.
The whole valley does not afford above eighty
acres of arabic land.
he general face OF the country around Fon dr
Lac, Is MOUNTAINOUS. On the river, and small
streams, there iew acres of soCd soil in pa-
ces, bat most of sse low lands impeuetrabe
white cedar swamps. Back Of these there is usu-
ally plat Of table land, covered with hard Ma
ilIe DICit, uds-Wc'S dUI UiDel tltiuSlo
10 river bottoms in the Southwestern States, to.
ge;her with here and there very ars se white pines
Sui farther back, mountains lower up towards
iieaN en-. j he soil on some ot these Is good, bat
most oi theln are tuarsiy. White Pima and birch
are thc predoniinltlng ,lnbers on the mountains.
Large boUdets numerous, well on these
snountains as Oil the table lauds and river bot
IONS.
About three miles north of Fond 0n Lac. peak
of tA.at tl,.s.
ers.' Inc Only asceut, IL on tho north side, and
Is I0lerahiy easy Tor ioo.nan. The south side 10
d perpendicular rock OF several hundred feet in
height. / he summit is level bare rock The
stone, forming IRIS peak, Is unlike any thing else
seer IN the country. II IS Of dark grey color
and SO close III texture, ihat the united strength
OF myself and interpreter, could not break piece
Of II by hurting against Tie mass on which We
stood. Ihe beholder can scarcely resist the. im-
preston, liul he stands pyramid In the n,iis,
Ui an immense b;sin, " hose outer rim is The limit
of human vision. Lake Superior, though twenty
miles distant, appears if lying at his feet, and
stretching Itself away TO the east, Until sight loses
II III the distance; aud the river, with lis islands
channels, and nee fields, is ali in full view, from
The falls 10 its month. The writer has never seen
another spot where such comprehensive view Of
the vastness of crea,.on could be obtained.
1 he Falls OF ct. Louis river. are no,bing more
than Il succession Of rapids for the distance Of a.
eout fifteen miles, except at the head of ''Knifs
fos,Nge.' 1T that point the water falls about
zen feet pcrpendicuary Above that point, TO
the mouth Of Savannah river, eighty miles from
the lake, there are few banks seen in high water
The bottoms are several miles wide, in places, in-
deed, most of the way, and often over.iown. But
from ton in Lac, to the above named fails, the
water rCshes through marrow gorge, the banks
IN several places being from fifty to one hundred
feet high, and always cTUnibllng in. In several
places " ithla two miles Of Fond Gu Lac, they are
composed Of sha!e, sand and boulders; the s!aty
shale lying in regular strata, dipping several
degrees westward on the south SIDE, md equally
eastward, The north side Just above these
banks, on tho North side Of the rfxer, an acre OF
more of trap rock mixed with copper, precisely
ike that below Lapointe, is exposed 10 view ia
low water II has The appearance of having once
been covered with a bauS siHilar TO those above
described, which has washed away and it was
he opnl0n OF the writer, that the same formation
mi.ht be found under many OF the hills around
ihe falls. Up the creek before menlioned, mile
tsom the river, tho same mixture Of -hale aud
sand may be lii many places. 1he Indians
considered this metallic substance ia the trap
rock, valuable, and IN the treaty made at La
poaie, IN 1912, they reserved this spot slip0!at-
ing ,hu, The traders store ono mile below, shouIl
Dc the coruer Of that cesslon. The head chiefof-
ten told the writer, that be expected TO take out
Il great amount of wealth from the river, at that
spot, he should get the means.
I he first portage on these falls, Is .bout eight
miles long on The north side of the river. h
over very rough country, shrongh sevaral very
swampy places, and Is generally mprac,lcabe for
horses any thing that canno, walk pole. AZ
the head Of this portage, canoes are used again,
ios two mics, and there The ''knifc Portage" is
made the south side of the river, three miles,
10 the grand falls, above alluded to. In high wa-
te,, boih Of these portages are longer. On beth
SIDES Of Tire river at the Knife Portage, much Of
he suifice ofihe ground is covered with masses
of slate, equa! to any hone for edged tools They
have the appearance Of being thrown up by some
internal revolution, there being nothing like order
regularity in their posiiion and the Intervening
ground being
Europeans who have seou this slate, alege that
il is equal TO that used in Eagmnd fer thing. The
supply even On the surface Of the ground, il mex
ha us,Ible.
I here can scarcely be iilni. 10 the amount Of
Isl, pickere! chiefly that may be taken on the