The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1928-11-08
MINNESOTA LAKES
HAVE MANY NAMES
Many Bodies of Water in State
Observation-Disclosures Has
Been Compiled
1909 NOT CHRISTENED
Area, Not Including Boundary
Waters, Total 2,36S, 493
Acres Actual Surface

Of Minnesota's $500 meandered
lakes, which includes all the larger
bodies of water, which have been
mapped 1000 of them have not
been christened, while those with
names run into numerous duplica-
tons, it was disclosed by E. v.
Willard, state commissioner of
drainage and waters.
His announcement was made CO.
incident with the completion of the
first gazetteer of meandered lakes,
prepared in the state and which
has required effort on the part Of
his department covering more than
three years.
Duplication of names is the worst
sin, in the belief of Mr.. Willard
for if a visitor to Minnesota asks
for any of 100 lakes he is likely
to be directed to five or more diff
ferent water bodies.
There are ninety-nine Long
lakes in Minnesota this being. APP
parently the most popular name =.
Less pleasing is the name second
in popularity Mud lake which has
been attached to ninety-one lakes.
There are rs Rice lakes. fortythree
Bass; forty Twin; thirty-nine
Round, thirty-six Clear; thirty-two
Sand, Sandy or Sands lakes; twen-
ty-five Pine and twenty-five Cedar
lakes.
Horseshoe, Spring, Turtle, Fish,
Duck, Grass, Silver, Swede, Island,
and Goose occur many times in the
nomenclature grown from naming
Minnesota lakes. There is a rival
place between Ole Peterson, Swed-
Ell, Nelson, Mattson, Olson and
such mans as O'Brien, Irish, Dun
nigan, Murphy, Kelly, and Ryan.
There is full menu, consisting
of Coffee, Sugar, Sandwich, Ham,
Egg, Potato, Cranberry, Plum,
Lobster, and Pie Mr.. willard said.
Then there is Rum, Whiskey and
Bootleg.
Names like Sinking, Devil,
Dead Fish, Dead Horse, Dead
Man, Pigs Eye and Dirty Nose
are doubtless picturesque, but
hardly attractive Mr.. Willard sug-
gested. at seems" he continued,
"the every known bug, insect,
bird, beast and fish may be found
in the column of Names"
Mr.. Wizards efforts to obtain
names of the lakes successful in
about 70 per cent of the cases, ex-
| tended into old records, inter
4, views with old settlers and in cor
respondence with civic clubs and
local officials.
He found that the area of lakes
within the stae, not including
boundary waters, was 2,368,493
acres actual surface. There are
33 boundary lakes, which include
some of the larger water bodies of
Minnesota. Three border on South
Dakota, three on Iowa, two on Wis
consin and the remaining rs on
Canada. Of the meanderei lakes
in Minnesota SIG were reported as
having been dry at one time or an
other. =, .s..'~1
Minnesota has probably more
than 1000 lakes IN all, Mr.. Will
lard said. However, majority are
small unmeanderei lakes, many OF
which disappear in dry seasons. A
hard rain general throughout the
state sometimes will create 1000
lakes, some of them with consider
able area, which will disappear as
the water'is drained off or eVapo-
rated. '~af
Otter Tail county, for instance,
has 438 meandered lakes, while re.
liable local survey indicate that
there are more than 1000 lakes
large, and small, there.
:, Mr. Willard in his introduction