The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1932-07-08

In the spring or 1873 there arrived at Fort SHELL
ing the Virginia. the first steamboat to
ascend the Upper Mississippi an Italian named
Gacomo Beltrami. With Maj. Stephen H. Long
of the United States army destined for fame
a western eXplorer) Beltrami left in July
for the Red River country. At Pembina on the
Canadian border the two men separated and
Beltrami, with an interpreter and two Chippewa
Indian guides, struck out into the wilderness to
the southeast to seek the source of the Missis-
sppi.
Beltrami's guides deserted him but he pushed
on alone and succeeded in reaching Red lake.
There he engaged halfbreed guide who led
him eventually to a heart-shaped lake about
half way between Red and Cass lakes and he
named this Lake Julia. Betrami could find no
visible outlet of this lake but he believed it's
waters to 'fltrate through it's banks both north
ward and southwark and he pronounced it 'the
most southern source of the Red river and the
most northern source of the Mississippi" While
he was there he learned from the Indians Of
the existence of another lake not far away and
from what they told him he considered it "the
western source of the Mississippi" He did not
visit this lake, however, and thus missed the
honor of becoming the dscoverer of "the true
source of the Mississippi"
That honor was to be reserved for an Amer
lean mineralogist named Henry Rowe School
craft and it is his feat which is the occasion for
interesting centennial celebration in Min
nesota this summer On July 13, 1882, School
craft discovered what is now known Lake
Itasca and which has officially been determined
the "true head" of the Mississippi and in recog-
milton of that fact twelve communities in the
vicinity of Itasca state park, organized into
what is known as the Northwestern Minnesota
Historical association, will commemorate the
event with pageant which is free to the pub
lie, which will be staged on the banks of Lake
Itasca and to which the whole nation is invited.
The dates for the pageant are July 10, 16 and
81, August IA and % and September 4. In addi-
ton to these pageants, the Minnesota Historical
society will hold it's annual meeting in the park
on July 16 and most of it's program will be de-
voted to the history Of Schoolcrafts exploration.
Few stories of exploring expeditions and dis
coveries in American history have many
mantle elements in them as has the story Of
SchOolcraft's achievement. He was born at Ham,
ilton, N. Y, March %, 1793 and was educated
at Middlebury and Union colleges Schoocraft
was of the first Americans to become in
terested in mineralogy and geology and, because
of those interests, made his first trip to the Mis-
sissippi valley in 1917.
Schoolcraft accompanied Governor Cass ex-
petition in 1920 as mineralogst and although he
seems to have accepted Cass' belief that Cass
lake was the true source of the Mississippi, the
mneralogist took careful note of that fact that
Cass lake had two inlets, indicating that there
must be some body of water which fed Cass
lake and which therefore might more properly
be regarded as the But he had op-
portunity at the time to pursue his investiga-
tons. In 1922 the semi-dplomatic position of
Agent of Indian Affairs in the Northwest
created and Schoolcraft, being best fitted for
the post because of his knowledge of the In
dians, was given the appointment.
Tn Gas VIII woS fhap ~
war, instructed his former mineralogst to con-
duct an exploration into the country west Of
the Great Lakes, the principal purpose being
one of paciication For the Chippewas had
received a painted war club and pipe from
Chief Black Hawk of the Sauks who
preparing to resist what he considered the
unjust aggressons Of the whites in the state
Of Illinois. Schoolcraft was instructed to
checkmate the activities of the Sank leader
among the Chippewas, to try to bring about
lasting peace between them and their hered-
itary enemies, the Sioux, to gather as much
Information about them as he could, and to
see to it that many as possible were vac
cinated. For purposes Of evangelical OBJ
servation' missionary, William T. Boutwell,,
was attached to the party; DR.. Douglass Hough-
ton went to vaccinate the Indians; and mil
itary escort consisting of ten soldiers command
ed by Lieut.. James Allen was provided.
Schoolcraft's party left Sault Ste. Marie on
June Z 1892 and went by way of Fond du Lac
and the Savanna portage to Sandy and Cass
lakes While he was still on Lake Superior
he met Ozawindib or the Yellow Head, Chip
pewa Indian whose home was at Cass lake.
This Indian was hired to guide the party. He
led the explorers to Star island In Cass lake.
where his village was located From this
place Schoolcraft planned to push on into the
wilderness through one Of the inlets that he
had observed in 1920, hoping to find the true
source Of the Mississippi