The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-12-28
The Undine Region.


The Undine Region.
AS all things relating to Mankato and
its early history are of interest to our
readers, and as so much has been said
about the name Mankato, as being de.
rived from a German fairy tale, we sub
join the following extract from j. N.
Nicollet's report of his explorations
through this country In 1888. We find
this extract in the Historical Sketch OF
the Explorations and Surveys in Mime.
sota," by Prot. N. H. Winchell, State
geologist.
shall now proceed to give short
account OF some of the regions OF coun.
try adjoining the Coteau DIES Prairies,
emitting those which have already found
place in the geography OF the United
States, SD as to be more particular con-
corning such as are but little or not at
all known. Among these, that which
appeared to he the most favorable, is
the one watcred by the bold Mankato
or Blue Earth river, and to which !
have given the name of Undine Region.
The great number OF the navigable
tributaries of the Mankato, spreading
themselves out in the shape of fan the
group OF lakes surrounded by we'll.
wooded hills; some wide spreading
prairies with fertile soil; others ap
parenfly less favored, but open to i'm
provement-the whole together bestow
upon this region a most picturesque APP
pearance. 1t was while on visit to
lakes Okamanpiddn and Tchanhasson
Uittlc Heron and Maplewood lakcs),
that it occurred to me to give it the
name that have adopted, derived from
that of an interesting and romantic Ger
man tale, the heroine of which belonged
to the extensive water-spirits living in
the brooks and rivers and lakes whose
father was II mighty prince. She was
moreover the niece of a great brook (the
Mankato) who lived in the midst of for
ests, and was beloved by all the many
great streams of the surrounding coun
try, etc etc.
/ do not know why fancy an analogy
between the ideal country described IN
the tale, and that Of the one before me !;
but involintarily, as it were, adopted
the name.*
The limit OF this region IS the N. f
prong of the COteau DIES Pralries, which
takes i'm the sources of the Mankato and
of the La HoHtan rivers, subdividing it.
self into undulations whence proceed
the waters of tho Wazsciu, or Pine river,
Niaiska, or White Water river, Okak. or
Heron run, &C., &C., all emptying into
the Mississippi.
The Mankato becomes navigable with
In few miles fits sources. 1t is deep,
with modern current along great pOr-
ton of its course, but becomes very
rapid on its approach to the st. Peters.
Its bed is narrowly walled up by banks
rising to an elevation of from sixty to
eighty feet, and reaching up to the up
lands through which the river flows.
These banks are frequently cliffs, or yer.
teal escarpments, such as the one called
by the Sioux Manga Mhtdksd, or cleft
elevation. The breadth of the rlver is
pretty uniformly from 80 to 100 feet
wide; and the average breadth of the
valley through which it flows scarcely q
quarter of mile. The latter, as well
as the high grounds, are well-wooded
the timber beginning to spread out on
both shores, especially since they have
become less frequented by the Sioux
hunters, and are not so often fired. But
the crossings of the river are hard to
find requiring to be pointed out by an
experienced guide. / have laid down
on the map my route over the Undine
region, shd the geographical positions
of the crossing places will be found in
the table at the end of the report.
On the left bank of the Mankato, six
miles from its mouth, in rocky bluff
composed of sandstone and limestone
are found captives in which the famed
blue or green earth, used by the Sioux
as their principal pigment, is obtained,
This material Isnearly exhausted, and il
is not likely that this is the spot where
a Mr.. LIE Sueur (who is mentioned in
the narrative of Major Longs Second
Expedition, as also by Mr.. Featherston.
haugh) could, in his third voyage dur.
ing the year 100, have collected his
four thousand pounds of copper earth
sent by him to France. have reason
to believe that LIE Sueur's location is on
the river to which l have affixed his
name, and which empties into the Man
kato three-quarters of league above
Fort L'Huillier, butt by HIM, and where
he spent winter.
This location corresponds precisely
with that given by Charlevoix, while IL
Is totally inapplicable to the former
Here the blue earth is abundant In the
steep and elevated hills at the mouth of
this river, which hills form a broken
country on the right side OF the Man
kato. Mr.. Fremont and myself have
verified this fact he during his visit to
the LIE Sueur river; and upon the local..
ty designated by Mr.. Featherstonhaugh,
where the Ndakotahs formerly assem-
b,ed in great numbers to collect it, but
to which they now seldom resort, as il
is now comparatively scarce-at least
so was told by Sleepy Eye, the CHIEF
of the SissitOns. who accompanied me
during this excursion.
sThe beautiful poetic conceit OF Nicollet In
applying the name Of Undine to this region
should be perpetuated. Undine was water
sprite, that had control of the waters &c
as to accomplish her designs. Her uncle,
Kuhleborn. who possessed great stream
was influential over many, and caused sever.
al floods to stop travel, and to intercept fugi'
tiyes.: His passage from province was often
subterranean, and brought him into numer.
GUS lakes. He made his realm obedient to
| Undine, and aided her ambitious design to
captivate rich and noble knight. The story
n one OF the eighteenth century, written by
Fouqus. The multiplicity Of streams. springs
and lakes in this region with occasional SUP.
terraneOn channels tsee Geology OF Blue
Earth County, greatly in contrast with ne
monotonous, treeless prairies on either SIDE
make It an image of the domain OF kuhle:
born. and suggest that II Is the haoitation OF
Undine, and her associate water-nymphs.
The valleys. and some Of the uplands, In this
| region, are wooded and the streams some
times run in deep, rock-bound gorges.
Inter.Ocean: The makeup Of the
Committee on Commerce is obvious.
" Objectionable. Mr.. Reagan, OF