The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-02-27
OUR MISSISSIPPI.
Some Interesting Facts not Generally
known, Concerning its Source
A Recent Discovery.

An exchange gives the following in l.
formation, concerning the source of the
Mississippi, which although not generally
known. is probably fact
Most of our geographers and maps
makers now assert and publish the fact to
the world that Lake ltasca is not the
source of the Mississippi, and in proof of
their belief have assigned that distinction
to another smaller body of water to the
south of Ilasca, and named Lake Glazier,
in honor of Capt, Willard Glaizer. the
discOverer. This enlerprising soldier
and popular writer, in July, 1891. organ
lied and led on expedition to the head =
waters of the Mississippi, traversng the
rough and almost impossible country of
the Chippewas to the west of Leech lake,
a wild section of Minnesota. which it is
believed had never before been tr0dden
by the white man. The members of the
expedition were furnished with canoes
and commissarlat at the expense of the
leader, whose ultimate object was the
descent of the great river from its source
to the Gulf of Mexico. This feat was
finally accomplished, but we have now to
do only with the important discovery
made by the intrepid voyagers after their
arrival at Lake ItaSca.
This lake, as is well known nv every
school boy, was discovered by School
craft in S32, and has been held to be the
secure of the Mississippi But Captain
GlaZer, from much study of the matter,
had an inkling that the scource lay fur
ther to the south, and his Indian guide,
Che -no-wa>ge-sic whose hunting ground
is in the immediate vicinity confirmed
this conjecture by emphatcally assuring
him that another lake did exist to the
south of Itasca, and was connected there
with by a respectable stream. which was,
in fact, the infant Mississippi falling into
that lake. Hence It followed that Itasca
could not he the sCourCe of the Mis>il T.
sippL
The confirmation determined Glaziei
TO extend his explorations. He assembled
the stream and with the assistance of his
guides pushed his canoe through the reed,
and rushes and other obstruction, into a
beautiful and placid lake, nesting among
the outrageous pines, and never unit
now, known to exist This lake he dis
covered to be the final fountain head of
| the Father of Water, and the name of the
discOverer was at once fixed upon by his
companions as its appropriate designa,
ton.
Lake Glazier now recognized, as the
true source of the Mississippi is about
| two miles in diameter and nearly circular
in shape. Its southern shore is rocky
and the water as clear as crystal. St
lonely is the region around the lake thai
| for fourteen days not even an Indian wa,
seen, with the exception of the guides
| The latitude of Lake Glazicr was found
to be A. > l3 % , and its height above
| the Atlantic Ocean / ,57S feet. The reason
why the precise locality. of the fountain
head of the river has been so long eny, |
oped in obscurity may be found in The
| fact that it is IN remote and unfre uuent
ed region of country, and entirely out o
the usual route of the fur traders
The party. on leaving the newly dis
covered lake, descended the river, anC
finally, as before limited, after voyage
OF 3,1S4 miles-the longest canoe voy
age on record-paddled out into the Gui
Of Mexico, having occupied 13S days il
the journey. Good-by, Itasca! Tn,
beautiful poetic name loses none of it
sweetness, though shorn of lis glory.