CROW WING SP, BRAINERD, MN

8/6-8/7

We arrived at Crow Wing State Park on Wednesday August 6th. We set up camp and then took a bike ride around the park. Our first stop was the Mississippi River. What a beautiful sight. We hiked to Chippewa Lookout for a view of the Misssippi from 400 ft above sea level. Then we continued around to see The Catholic Mission, where the Knights of Columbus rebuilt the mission; and the Lutheran Mission which had a plaque about the area.

“There is some disagreement about the origin of the name Crow Wing. Most agree that the 19th century town, the county and the state park honored the name of the river. Some claim that the river was so named because an island, prominently located at the confluence of the Mississippi and Crow Wing Rivers, is shaped like a crow's wing. Others claim that the name is a mistranslation of an Ojibwe word for raven or raven feather. Still others say that the name is derived from the Little Crow chiefdom and lineage of the Dakota, who inhabited this region before the Ojibwe. According to historian William Warren, this was the scene of a major battle between the Dakota and Ojibwe Indians in 1768. The fur trade era brought the voyageurs of the Northwest and American Fur Companies. Soon traders established posts along the rivers and a branch of the Red River Trail brought ox carts through the area. Leaders of the territory and the state settled here. Allen Morrison, the first citizen of Crow Wing, established a post below the southern mouth of the Crow Wing River in 1823. In 1847, Clement H. Beaulieu took over operations of the American Fur Company at Crow Wing and built a stately mansion in the frontier village. This Greek Revival structure survived the ages. It has recently been returned to its original location and is presently being restored. Missionaries came to teach the Indians and build mission churches. The cemeteries remind us of the once thriving community.” http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/crow_wing/narrative.html

On Thursday we kayaked the Mississippi River. It was a lot of fun. There was a good current going down the river. As usual when we kayak, on the return trip the wind and current were against us and it was quite a challenge to get back to where we put in. We had beautiful weather and wonderful time just looking and listening.