Historic Diaries: James Doty, 1820
July 20, 1820: To Lake Winnibigoshish
Editor's Note:
In fact, Schoolcraft, Cass and their party did not camp at Lake Winnibigoshish because it was only created 64 years later by the construction of a dam. The pair of lakes that Schoolcraft called Winnipec are not found in subsequent maps or gazetteers, and we therefore assume they were flooded by the creation of Lake Winnibigoshish in 1884.
Location: modern Lake Winnibigoshish, Minn.
View Schoolcraft's complete description in his 1821 Narrative
[Schoolcraft:] ...We embarked at half past five; our route lay through a prairie country, similar in every respect to that yesterday passed. At the distance of ten miles we passed the mouth of Leech river, entering on the left. This is the main southwestern fork of the Mississippi, and is ascended about fifty miles, to its source, in Leech lake, where the American fur company have an establishment... At the distance of thirty-five miles above Leech river, we entered Little lake Winnipec, which is about five miles long, and three in width. The water is clear. Its shores are low and marsby, covered with rushes, spear grass, and wild rice, which in some places extend quite across the lake, giving it rather the appearance of a marsh. On passing through this, the river again assumes the size and general appearance it had below, for a distance of ten miles, when it opens into a spacious bay, which is the northeastern extremity of the Upper lake Winnipec. We proceeded through this, and encamped on the north shore of the lake, at the mouth of Turtle Portage river.
Lake Winnipec is about fourteen miles long by nine width, and its waters are deep and transparent. Its shores are generally low and covered, at the water's edge, with rushes, and wild oats. Upon its banks we find oak, maple, poplar, birch, and white pine. It receives four tributaries, Turtle Portage river, Round Lake river, Thornberry river, and an inlet from the southwest, which being somewhat larger than the others, preserves the name of the Mississippi. Turtle Portage river, communicates through several intermediate little lakes, with the Rainy lakes, and the Lake of the Woods. The journey to the Upper Rainy Lake is performed in eight days, and from thence to the Lake of the Woods in ten days.
On passing through Little Lake Winnipec, we met a couple of Indian women in a canoe, being the first natives seen on the river, of whom our interpreter made enquiry as to the course of the river, and the nature of the country above. They manifested no alarm on our approach, and communicated what they knew frankly and without reserve. They had come down the river for the purpose of observing the state of the wild rice, and at what places it could be most advantageously gathered... In the course of this day we have observed, either upon the river, or its banks, the wild goose, duck, turkey-buzzard, raven, eagle, king-fisher, (alcedo alcyon,) and blackbird.
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