Visiting Lake Itasca, the Source of the Mississippi River in Park Rapids, MN

 Lake Itasca State Park

Visitors start at the Mary Gibbs

Mississippi Headwaters Center.

Mary Gibbs was the Itasca State Park Commissioner (the first female Minnesota Commissioner).  In 1903 Mary confronted Loggers at the dam that was flooding the Park and threatening its trees.  The Loggers relented to the Park Commissioner and the water level was lowered, saving the trees.  The battle was won, but not the war...

A week later, C. E. Bullard was appointed Park Commissioner.  He allowed Logging Roads to be built throughout Itasca State Park but refused to raise the level of the dam.  Fourteen years later the dam was dismantled after the logging in the area was exhausted.  

This plaque details the successful

search for the source of the

 Mississippi River, with help

 from Ozaawindib, an Ojibwe

Tribal member.

 

The path to the Mississippi

Headwaters is handicap

accessible.

The Mississippi River starts at

1,475 feet above Sea Level.

It winds 2,552 miles south to

the Gulf of Mexico.

Lake Itasca is the area above

the rocks in this picture.

The Mississippi River flows

south from the lake, the

bottom of the picture.

Eric & I at the

beginning of the

Mighty Mississippi.

This narrow Stream becomes

the River that Americans 

fish & swim in, & boat on.

It's the River that Cruise Ships

& huge barges navigate.  

It's the River of Stories...