Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1885-09-16
EFrom the Real Estate Register.l
STATE OF MINNESOTA.
GEOGRAPHY AND cHoRoGRApHY.

of Ontario and Manitoba, on the
east by Lake Superior and the State
of Wisconsin, on the south by
Iowa and on the west by Dakota
territory. It is separated from
Ontario, except space OF few
miles in length, by Pigeon river, a
tributary of Lake Superior, and
the succession of lakes and streams
which comprise the Rainy Lake
system; from Manitoba partly by
Lake of the Woods, an interval of
about eighty eight miles occurring
between where the line leaves the
western shore of that lake and the
the westert boundary CT the state,
along which the forty-ninth paral-
lei forms it's limit. On the east
side the Missippi and St. Croix
rivers and Lake Superior give 1t a
water line boundary, except for
thirty-fve miles of distance; and
on the west, Red river, Bols DIES
Sioux and Lakes Traverse and Big
Stone seperate it in part from Da.
kota, there being a distance of
about one hundred and twenty
miles south of the last named lake
where the limit is political. On
the south its boundary is wholly
conventional. The water courses,
which form fully two.thirds of the
boundary lines, except less than a
fourth part of their extent, are
navigable for ordinary steamers,
and so are several of the interior
rivers and lakes. On the Missiprl,
St. Croix and Red rivers steamers
are now constantly plying during
the summer seasons, while Lake
Superior is coursed in every direc-
ton by steam and sail vessels Of
heaviest tonnage. Nor are the
navigable opportunities of the In
terror lakes and streams wholly un-
improved, as will be shown here
after.
Entering the state from the
northeast, between the sources OF
Pigeon and Rainy Lake water sys-
TENS is high ridge marked on the
maps as "Height of Land" Its
course atteri entering the state is
west by south unil it approaches
Lake Winnebogoshish i'll Itaska
county. Here it turns southwest
| and afterwards, with continuous
curvature to the south and south
east, passes through Beltrami,
Becker, Otter Tail, Douglas, Pope,
Kandiycbi, Keeker, Wright, Nc
Iced, and Carver counties. Thence
tren Sing south by west it contin-
| ues throug Scott, LIE Sueur and
Waseca counties, finally merging
into the high prairies in Freeborn
county, where it looses its iden-
tity.
| A branch of this elevation makes
| off south, near the western line of
St. Louis county and forms the
divide, first between the tributa-
| ries of the st. Louis and Missippi
rivers and lower down, between
those of the Missippi and St. Croix;
while spur, which parts from it
after it passes the head of Lake
Superior, turns eastward and sep
crates the st. Croix from the
streams flowing northward into
the lake. Another branch thrown
off to the northwest just north OF
Lake Winnebagoshish, passes be-
tween Red lake and Lake of the
Woods, dividing the waters OF the
latter from those of Red river.
| Again the main divide branches in
Douglas county, limb turning
west and passing between lakes
Traverse and Big Stone, the slopes
of which divide from the sheds
whence the waters flow respective
ly into the Red and Minnesota
rivers. The main ridge bending
forms the heights between the Mis-
sippi and Minnesota rivers. The
latter river, which turns nearly
north in Blue Earth county after
flowing southeast about half its
length, breaks through depres-
sion in this barrier and joins the
Missippi at Fort Smelling; but the
height continues to separate its
tributaries from those of the lar
ger river south of this point to
: where it's identity is lost in the
high prairie already described.
The southwest corner of the
State is traversed by branch OF
the Couteaux DIES Prairie, which
enter from Dakota into Lincoln
county a nearly southeast direction
until they too arc lost in the high
prairie in Freedom county, o,
rather in iowa south of Mower
tcounty.
The main divide, first described
from where it enters the state t.
Winnebagoshish lake, has an aver
elevation of about eighteen hun
dred feet, with an irregular rang
of hills of from two to three hun
dred feet high, browning it's sum
L aI,oI /,