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

Inc yellow HEAD, VINO knew the region Weih
was ready to help him. He drew maps, col
Iected FIVE small canoes in which to travel and
engaged additional guides Early on the
morning of July II he led party of 16 persons
out of Cass lake by way of stream that ne
said was the Mississippi The travellers as
cended this stream to Lake Bemidji and then
turned SOUTH following the east fork of the
Mississippi now known the Yellow Head
or Schoolcraft river to its beginnings in a
swamp. They then began to walk over a
hardly noticeable portage path toward the
southwest.
This journey across the portage began early
the morning of July 49, = The Yellow Head,
carrying a conoe, led the way, and the others
came after, some loaded with baggage, others
bearing canoes. Through woods and under
brush they picked their way in Indian file.
"Evegy step we made seemed to in
crease the ardor with which we were carried
forward" writes Schoolcraft. 1.-THE desire Of
reaching the actual source of stream so cele-
brated as the Mississippi-a stream which La
Sale had reached the mouth of, century and
a half Qacking a Year, before, was perhaps
predominant; and we followed guide down
the sides of the last elevation with the expec-
tatiOn of momentarily reaching the goal of our
journey. What had been long sought at last
appeared suddenly. On turning out of
thicket, into small weedy opening the cheer
upon view. 1t was Itasca lake-the source
of the Mississippi"
Having found the lake, Schoolcraft was ready
with a name for it. The Indians called it
"Omushkos," the Chippewa name for elk; and
fur-traders, who had knowledge of the lakes
existence used the name Lac La Biche or Elk
lake. According to story told years later by
Boutwell,, Schoolcraft coined the name "Itasca"
while coasting along the south shore of Su-
perior ON his westward journey. He had asked
the missionary for some classical words mean
ing true source. or head of river. On piece
of paper Boutwell, wrote down "veritas' and
'caput," the Latin words for truth and head
Schoocraft then cut off the first syllable of
"veritas," did the same with the last syllable of
"caput" Joined what was left and had Itasca"
Such is the story commonly told, but School
craft himself offers somewhat different expla-
nation. In his History, Condition, and Pros
poets of the Indian Tribes of the United States,
published in 1855, he included in a list of names
Based on the Indian VOcabuaries" the name
"Itasca" with the following comment "From
IA to be, totosh the female breast or origin,
and ka, terminal subs, infection" And in an
other place Schoocraft says that he adopted
the name Itasca only after learning about some
of the NEUROLOGICAL and necromantic notions OF
the origin and mutations of the country enter
tanned by the Chippewa.
This probably refers to a legend of an Indian
maiden who was wooed by Chebiabo, the ruler
of the lower regions He bore her away to his
dominion below the earth, and her tears, she
weeps for the upper world. forms the springs
that well up into Lake Itasca. In this legend as
told by Mrs. Mary 81. Eastman in 1858, the
maidens name appears as "Itasca."
Schoolcraft and his party remained at Lake
Itasca only few hours. Up the long south
east arm they padded to the island that has
since been known as Schoolcraft island. Here
they put put up pole and raised the Ameri-
can flag. The Yellow Head told the explorers
that tiny creek that could not be called
river was all that flowed into Lake Itasca from
the south Both Schoolcraft and Allen showed
their confidence in the Indian by accepting his
statement Leaving to later explorers the task
of making detailed examination of the shores
of the lake. they took their departure through
its northward flowing outlet, which they were
surprised to find about ten feet wide with
an average depth of more than foot. This
was the main stream of the Mississippi, and
tbev followed it to Cass lake. There on Star
island called by the explorer Colcaspi or Grand
island. Schoolcraft gave the Yellow Head flag
and the presidents medal, thus investing him
with craftsmanship" On July 16, three DAYS
after the discovery Of Itasca, Schoolcraft and
his men were making their way southwark to
Fort Smelling. From tnat place the explorers
returned to the Sault by way of the Mississippi
and St Croix rivers and Lake Superior.
Though the existence Of Elk lake undoubt-
edly was known to fur-traders long before
Schoolcraft's visit on July Ii, 1882, historians
have not hesitated to honor Schoolcraft as the
real discoyerer. And so this summer the citi-
zens of Minnesota will celebrate the one-hun-
dredth anniversary of the discovery of the
source of the Mississippi river, confident that II
was the achievement of Henry Rowe School.
craft.
ea By Western Newspaper Union,