Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1905-10-27
THE EARLY EXPLORERS
Conclusion Of Mr.. Upham's
Story Of Their
LaborS

at the Flke Celebration In Little Fails
last week:
One of the members of Longs par.
ty, travelling with him from Fort
Smelling to Pembina near the inter.
national boundary, was Beltrami,
who is we'll characterized by Prof.
N. 81. Winohell as IAN educated
Italian gentleman. a political exile,
of q romantic a. sentimental cast of
mind" Excepting q Canadian ex-
plorer, David Thompson, in 179e.
Beltrami was the earliest white man
of whom we have record to traverse
Red and Turtle lakes. the latter.
with Its tributary small streams and
lakes, being the most northern source
of the Mississippi. Having taken af.
front at what be deemed discourteous
treatment by Major Lorg, Beltrami
parted from that expedition at Penn.
bina. aud journeyed, with nc white
companion and 10 part entirely alone,
way of Red and Turtle lakes to the
Mississippi and down this river to
Fort Smelling. His experiences were
very Interestingly told in two volumes
soon after ward published In French
1928 at London.
After Long and Beltrami, the next
exploration to be here noted was by
Schcolcraft In 1882, coming from lake
Superior bv the san route "a in 1890,
and going to Lake Itasca. which ever
since has been recognized as the chief
and arthest sou &c of the Great River.
It had formerly been known. through
accounts received from the Indians
and occasional traders going there, as
Elk lake. by the translation of its
aboriginal name; but during this ex
petition. while Schoolcraft and his
party were canoeing along the south
coat of lake Superior. on their way to
the Mississippi and pl ming to go
to the true head, he named this lake
of their destination. to signify that,
lake I5ascs. On bis questioning one
of his companions, Rev, William T.
Boutwell,, who had received some
education In the classical languages.
for the Latin words meaning truth
and head. Boutwell, gave these right
~ as velitas and caput. These. how
ever, Schoolcrsft deemed too long.
and therefore struck off the initial and
final syllables. leaving this euphonious
name, Itasca, of 80 fantastic origin.
-Four years later. in 1888. Joseph
Nicolas Nicollet. most accomplished
geographer and explorer, voyaged
with canoes from Fort Smelling up the
Mississippi to the many streams and
lakes forming it's sources, and wrote
q very complete and admirable des-
cription of lake Itasca and it's en-
vlrons His final map of the region
that now comprises Minnesota and
the eastern parts of North and Sonth
Dakota, published in l843. >shortlv
after his death, is marvel of accur-
acy, although prepared at that early
time when the area of our State had
no villages. excepting that Of the
OjiDwas at the narrows of Red lake
and q few Dakota villages On the Min
nesota River.
We need not review the excellent
work of the earliest GEOLOGICAL survey
of this region, by David Dale Owen
and his assistants under commission
from the national government, nor of
the later geological and natural his
tory survey of Minnesota, begun in
1879 and carried forward during thir-
ty years by Prof. N. n. Winchell and
his assistants Each of these surveys
added greatly to the public nowledge
of the upper Mississi ppi river.
But the labors of the late Hon. ].
" Brewer in the establishment of the
Itasca State rark. including lake Itas-
south to tn and five miles from
east to west. should not fail to re-
ceive due recognition here. He per-
formed noble public service. which
will be adequately appreciated only by
future generations
Lot us now tura back, from the cen.
tury here particularly commemorated.
to the earliest coming OF white men
on the UPPER part of this Great River.
A period of two hundred and fifty
years. the quarter part of millen-
uium. rolls back it's scroll, Aha We see
two adventurous French fur traders,
Groseilliers and Radisson, coming in
1866 to Prairie leland of the Missis.
sippi between Red Wing and Hast.
inRs. II rightly identify their route
and time IA made known in Raids.
sons narration, which was long hid
den from historians but was pu oil she
twenty years ago by the Prince go.
ciety.
Inc same explorers 8hOut four years
later, in the spring OF 1850. during q
second far eastern expedition from
Lower Canada to the area Of Mime.
sofa, crossed the Mississippi some
where near Minneapolis or the mouth
Of the Rom river, and visited the Tin.
tonwan or Prairie Sioux. probably In
the valley Of the Minnesota river.
Perhaps this visit was near the site of
New Dim, where more than q hundred
years after ward. Carver spent q win
ter with these Sioux or Dakotas of the
bnffalo prairies.
On July 2, 1879, twenty four years
after the first western expedition OF
Gre filters and Radisson, another
forerunper of the fur trade, puI.uth.
visited the Isanti Sioux at their great
village on Mile Lacs. 10 the autumn
he held q council with the Sioux,
Assiniboines, and other northern,
tribes. near the site Of the present CITY
of Duluth, FIR the purpose of Undue.
ing them to 70, sake their hereditar =:
warfare live In peace with zach otn-
or, and COLI furs for himself and
other French traders.
Almost exactly q year later, abont
the first of Jolly, 1880. Father Louis
IT,