Washington telegraph., 1856-05-21
NO..
From the St Paul Pioneer and Demo-
Who Discovered the Source OF
Mississippi ?

Who Discovered the Source of
--. Mississippi?
We extract from the annals of thd
nesota Historical Society, now in COZ
publication in the Office of the Phone,
Democrat, the following letter from
Morrison. Esq, of Crow Wing, L
county, tenclosing letter from his b
William) to Hon Alexander Ramsey,
ident of the Society.
William Morrison, who claims /
letter to his brother to be ''thc fret
man that discovered the source of the
Mississippi river" is probably he old
the early Indian traders now living. q
taribault. Mr.. Morrison has been I;
dent of Canada for many years.
about seventy-six years of age, aud wa
gagged in the business of trading witt
Indians in this Territory from 1902 to
Allan Morrison, who communicates tn
ter of his brother to the Historical Sol
is well known citizen of our Terrific
has been member of the Legislative
sembly, and is himself one of the
of the Indian traders.
The correspondence shows that boil
Ian and William Morrison were at !
Lake, which Mr.. Schoolcraft claims {,
the source of the Mississippi long b.
that gentlman visited the North " est.
Crow WIG, BENTON Co, NJ I.
Eehrnarr Il 1876
Hon. ALExASDEE RAMSEY, 81. Pal
Dear Sir: Incloscd you will find
the first discovcrer Of the source of the 4
sissippi is. William Morrison, my broj
came to this country in 1902, and led
1926. He is now seventy. five years OF
and was the first American citizen who|
tended the first line of trading posts 1
Old Grand Portage to Lake of The Wo1
was then agent for the old American
Company, of New York, and is we'll ku
in the West by the Oldest pioneers. d
astonished that Mr. Schoolcraft should Il
that honor. for | could with safety claiI
before him myself for | saw Itasca j.;
before that gentleman or Mr. Nicollet
thought of coming to this part Of the c.
try. You will much obligc me by pres
ing the within formation to the Iiis'ol
Society of Minnesota, to which [ will
hereafter, some information relative to
first traders, their progress, &c
/ remain yours most respcctfullv
ALLAN MORRISON
ALLAN MORRISON, Eso.-Dca1 BJ
cr' In answering your favor of the !
July. / will pass several Incl dents tha
presume You are well informed of. and
you the time and circumstances that led
to be the first white man that discover
the source Of the great Mississippi river.
left Grand Portage, On the north shore
Lake Superior, now the boundary botw
the United States ard the British Pos
sions, in the year 1902, and landed
Lcech Lake in September or October of
same year. | wintercd OF one of
streams Of the Crow Wing, near its sour
Our Indians we're Pillagers, In 1903 q
1901, | went and win,ered at Rice La
now called Cass Lake, and then up
to Elk Lake, now called lta
Lake the source ofthc great river MississiT
\ short distance this side | made a port
to get to Rice river, which is called
Portage of the Heights of Land, Or the
viding ridge that separates the waters
he Mississippi, and those that empty i
he Red river of the North thence to III
;on Bay the portage is short
L discovered no traces of any white d
before me when | visited Itasca Lake,
1901. And if the late General Pike
lot lay it down as such, when he came
Leech Lake. it is because he did not happ
o meet me-. | was at an outpost that "
er. The late General Pike laid dos
Jass Lake on his map as the head of t
river. In lSl1-l2. went t
anne route to winter on Rice river near t
,lains. ThereI overlook gentleman wi
in outfit from the Mackinac, by the name
Otesse, with whom I parted only at Fond
Lac. he taking the Southern route to Mac
nae, and the northern to head quarte
which had been changed from Grand Pc
ge to Fort William. This will expla
o YOU that l visited Itasca Lake, then call
Elk Lake, in 1904, and in 1911
nd FIVE small streams that empty into {
AXE, that are short, and soon lose them
he swamps.
By way of explanation, why the /.
zen. Pike, then Capt Pike, in 1905, W
lad orders to stem the Mississippi to
ource, and was stopped by the ice lit
,alow Swan river, at place called Pix,
Rapids, or Pixies Block-House, and h
o proceed from there to Leech Lake
oot. He had to learn there where {
ource of the Mississippi was lie VIC
o Cass Lake, and could proceed no fl
her He had been told that / knew t
ource, but could not sec me, | being 0
It an outpost This want of informati
made him commit the error some perso
lot knowing better, told him there was !
liver above Cass Lake. Cass Lake !
.eives the waters of Cross Lake, and Gro
lake those of Itasca Lake, and 1--WE sm;
treams that empty into ltasca Lake, th'
.alled Elk Lake. Those streams ] ha
noted before. No white man can clai
he discovery of the source Of the MIissi
sippi before me, for / was the first til
,aw and examined its shores Yours,
rSigned1 WM. MORRISON.
SPoRTIvG.-The editor of Young Am,