NATURAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENT: PARKS AND RECREATION DIVISION:

An Inventory of Its State Parks Files at the Minnesota Historical Society

Government Records

OVERVIEW


	Creator:	Minnesota. Division of Parks and Recreation.
	Title:	State Parks Files.
	Dates:	1840s-2002.
	Language:	Materials in English.
	Abstract:	Correspondence, memoranda, contact and planning reports, opinion surveys, press releases and clippings, annual reports, photographs, and maps regarding development projects and usage provisions and regulations in state parks.
	Quantity:	8.3 cubic feet (9 boxes).
	Location:	See Detailed Description for shelf locations.

Included in the Itasca State Park files are reports on the historicity and physical condition of the park (1959, 1979), creation of the state parks system (1925-1951), the Civilian Conservation Corps and Emergency Conservation Work (1933-1941, 1984, 1993), the park's natural history (circa 1970s), and the wilderness area (1985-1986), and materials documenting improvements (1941-1942, 1949-1960, 1967), historical pageants (1932-1933), the Lake Itasca Forestry and Biological Station (1964-1967), the Squaw Lake Youth Camp (1959-1961), relocation of Trunk Highway 92 (1949-1951), the park's Red, White, and Jack Pine forests (1995), utilities contracts (1941-1963), a l961-1962 launch purchase, Wilderness Drive (1987), a 1993 oral history project, and several 2001 visitor guides.

Also of special interest are materials, including photographs and maps, relating to development of the Grand Portage National Monument (circa 1926, 1938-1971), Lake Minnetonka and Minnehaha Creek (1930, 1934-1942), Lake of the Woods (Northwest Angle, 1937-1969), and the state park naturalist program (June 1991); an archaeological survey of Savanna Portage State Park (1969); 1935 progress reports for Scenic and Sibley state parks; St. Croix State Park title abstracts (1925-1943); a 1988 underground state park feasibility study; research files concerning vegetation in and history of Nerstrand Big Woods State Park (1840s-2002); and several files documenting scenic waysides and natural areas.

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ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

Availability:

The collection is open for research use.

Preferred Citation:

[Indicate the cited item and/or series here]. Minnesota. Division of Parks and Recreation. State Parks Files. Minnesota Historical Society.

See the Chicago Manual of Style for additional examples.

Alternate Form Available:

A published version of John Dobie's "The Itasca Story," is cataloged separately in the Society's library collections.

Accession Information:

Accession numbers: 977-23; 998-77; 989-230; 2001-67; 2002-14; 2003-40; 2004-29; 2006-13; 2004-26; 2012-65; 2015-59; 2018-55

Processing Information:

Catalog ID number: 001728596

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DETAILED DESCRIPTION


Location
112.H.6.3B		General information, 1975-1985. 2 folders.


		Afton, 1989.


		Baptism River, 1945-1948.


		Bear Head Lake, 1959-1962, 1968. 2 folders.
			Includes George T. Gaylord plaque dedication materials.


		Beaver Creek Valley, 1950, 1989. 2 folders.


		Big Stone Lake, 1956-1972.


		Birch Coulee, 1951, 1961.


		Blue Mounds, 1935-1937, 1970s-1980. 3 folders.
			Includes interpretive center photographs.


		Buffalo River, 1978-1980.


		Camden, 1935-1965, 1978-1980. 2 folders.
			Includes photographs and maps.


		Cascade, 1959-1960, 1978-1979. 2 folders.


		Charles A. Lindbergh, 1979-1980.


		Crow Wing, 1957-1966, 1978-1980.


		Father Hennepin, 1978-1980. 2 folders.


Flandrau, 1939-1980. 6 folders:
	Correspondence and miscellaneous, 1943-1964.
	Monthly reports, July 1939-May 1949, 1955-1969.
		Prior to 1945 the park was known as the Cottonwood River State Park. Handwritten monthly reports (dated July 1939-May 1949) by park superintendent, Carl R. Pederson, concerning various activities, work, and projects at the park. Reports for the period June 1944-December 1945 reference German PWs (prisoners of war) living and working at the park. According to the reports the German PWs arrived at the state park in June 1944, and the prisoner of war camp was closed in December 1945. There is scattered correspondence and reports for the period 1955-1969.
	Fish rearing pond, undated and 1949-1951.
	Dam, 1948-1966.
	Dam photographs, 1965.
	Development, undated, 1977-1980.


		Flood Bay Wayside, 1979.


		Floyd B. Olson Memorial, 1938.


		Forestville, 1977-1979.


		Fort Ridgely, 1933-1940, 1947, 1978-1979. 2 folders.


		Fort Snelling, 1976-1980. 3 folders.


		Fort Snelling—Upper Bluff Area Policy, 1975-1976.


		Frontenac, 1935-1939, 1953-1957, 1978-1979. 2 folders.


		G. C. Manitou, 1978.


		Glacial Lakes, 1979.


Location
111.G.5.5B	Gooseberry Falls, 1936, 1978-1980. 2 folders.
		Includes photographs.


		Grand Mounds Wayside, undated.


		Grand Portage National Monument, circa 1926, 1938-1971. 2 folders.
			Includes photographs (circa 1926, 1932) and maps.


		Grand Portage National Monument, circa 1926, 1938-1971. 4 folders and 3 volumes.


		Hayes Lake, 1978-1980.


		Helmer Myre, 1978.


	Itasca:
		Annual activity reports, 1986-1988.
		Bibliography of Papers Containing Information About or Gathered in the Itasca Wilderness SNA, Paul A. Benson-Lender, August 1986. 1 volume.
		The Civilian Conservation Corps [CCC] and Itasca State Park, Ben Thoma, Park Naturalist, prepared in May 1984. 1 volume.
		Correspondence—General, 1932, 1955-1969.
			Includes 1932 photograph of the lake.
		Discover Itasca Information Series, undated.
			Contains Nos. 1-12, 14, 15, and 24.
		Documentation History of the Itasca Wilderness Area: The Donald B. Lawrence File, circa 1938-1978. 1 volume.
			Compiled by Ben Thoma in 1985; photocopies of a series of letters, manuscript reports, newspaper clippings, and publications collected by Donald B. Lawrence (died 1996) of the University of Minnesota and documenting the Itasca State Park Wilderness Area.
		ECW [Emergency Conservation Work]-CCC: S.P. No. 1 - Camp Itasca No. 1 Reports and Letters, June 1934-May 1939.
			Photocopies of reports and letters from the National Archives regarding Itasca State Park.
		ECW-CCC Reports regarding staff employment and politics, 1934-1937.
		Evaluation of the Historicity and Physical Condition…, report by Minnesota Historical Society, 1979.
		Guide to the Informational Signs of Itasca State Park, 1984.
		Historical Pageants Report, 1932-1933.
		Ice Houses and Picnic Shelters, 1993.
		Improvements, 1941-1942, 1949-1960, 1967.
		Informational Material Pertaining to the History, Research and Management of the Red, White and Jack Pine Forest of Itasca State Park, Minnesota: Volume 7-Final Volume, 1995.
			Management Strategy and Review and Abstracts of the Relevant Literature; prepared by the Natural Resources Department and the University of Minnesota Lake Itasca Forestry and Biological Station.
		Itasca Imponderables: A Series of Little Known Facts about Itasca State Park, 1989-1994.
			Includes No. 2: The Mississippi Headwaters, 1989; No. 3: The Mississippi River Commission, 1989; No. 4: Bedrock at 680 Feet, 1990; and No. 6: [Picnic Shelters], 1994.
		Itasca Notes, compiled by Ben Thoma, circa 1970s. 3 folders.
			Compilation of printed and mimeographed fact sheets covering various aspects of the park’s natural history and designed to assist naturalists and park guides in their interpretive program presentations. Virtually all are undated but appear to date from the 1930s into the 1960s. The arrangement within the volume is random. Topics covered include the following topics: geology, pre-history of the park, biography of Jacob V. Brower, voyageurs, origin of park place names, forest fire history, forest conditions/largest trees, various species of conifers, Minnesota vegetation zones, tree growth, wild rice, mushrooms, walleye, amphibians/reptiles, loons, eagles, beaver, deer, timber wolves, mice, 1965 park usage controversy, Itasca name origin, Mississippi River source discovery, park rules, interpreters’ guide sheets to trails, fisher and porcupine, ecological and silvicultural research, tree diseases, ruffed grouse, and the Lake Itasca Forestry and Biological Station.
		Itasca State Park Civilian Conservation Corps Projects 1936-1942, Ben Thoma, 1993. 1 volume.
Location
111.G.5.6F		Itasca State Park-Wilderness Area, Ben Thoma, January 1985. 1 volume.
			From inscription on front cover, “This is the complete wilderness file of Dr. Donald B. Lawrence. The originals are on file with the DNR Scientific and Natural Area Program.” Contains copies of correspondence and reports dating back to 1930s.
		The Itasca Story, circa 1959.
			Written by John Dobie; photocopy of what appears to be the typewritten manuscript, with handwritten corrections, for the published book of the same title.
		Lake Itasca Forestry and Biological Station correspondence, 1964-1967.
		Launch purchase, 1961-1962.
			Includes photographs.
		Oral History Project, 1993.
			Includes manuscript of U. W. Hella.
		Photographs, undated, 1936-1937, 1952.
			Headwaters, buildings, and assorted landscapes.
		Region I: Regional Resources Management Program, Program Review, June 1989.
		Reports to the National Park Service: Emergency Conservation Work [ECW]-Civilian Conservation Corps [CCC]-Minnesota S.P. No. 1 and/or S.P. No. 19, September 1933-July 1942. 4 folders.
			Photocopies of reports and photographs from the National Archives. More descriptive information is found in the folders.
		Reports to the National Park Service: T.P. No. 9 [Squaw Lake] Camp Headquarters, February-March 1936, February-March 1937.
			Photocopies of reports and photographs from the National Archives.
		Reports to the National Park Service: T.P. No. 10 [Elk Lake] Camp Itasca, January 1936-March 1937.
			Photocopies of reports and photographs from the National Archives.
		Snowshoe Notes, undated. 1 volume.
			Prepared by Neb Amoht [Ben Thoma] and Nad Areb [Dan Bera?]; a compilation and review of interesting articles and illustrations, both old and recent regarding snowshoes and their use.
		Squaw Lake Youth Camp, 1959-1961.
		State Park Naturalist Program, Compilation of Historical Materials, Ben Thoma, June 1991. 2 folders.
			Photocopies of documents, reminiscences, and reports, covering the 1890s through circa 1972, detailing the development of naturalist interpretive programs in Minnesota state parks, especially Itasca and St. Croix, but including other parks as well. Sections include: early naturalists, 1890s-1930s (George B. Aiton and Jacob V. Brower); Report of Minnesota State Park Guide Service, Season 1941, by Mildred J. Ericson, Division of State Parks; Minnesota Museum of Natural History reports of Walter J. Breckenridge and Donald K. Lewis, 1947-1967, promoting park naturalist programs, specifically in Itasca; and James Ford Bell Museum of Natural History reports of Walter J. Breckenridge and Richard E. Barthelemy, 1968-1972, continuing the work of the 1947-1967 project.
		Summary of Minnesota CCC Work, 1933-1941.
		Temporary Volumes IV, April 1925-March 1935, and V, April 1935-May 1951. 5 folders.
			Labeled Creation of the Division of State Parks from the Minnesota Forest Service; correspondence, reports and related records (photocopies) of documents that appear to be records of the Minnesota Forest Service and the State Parks Division of the Conservation Department.
		Trunk Highway 61: Relocation, 1949-1951.
		Utilities: Miscellaneous, 1941, 1943, 1946, 1963.
		Utilities: Telephone, 1942-1962.
		Visitor Guides, 2001. 3 items in 1 folder.
			Contains Steeping Stones Visitor Guide, Itasca State Park, 2001; Bemidji Tourist Guide, 2001; and DNR Review, July 2001. The latter includes a story on the new visitor center].
Location
111.G.5.7B		Wilderness Drive: Itasca State Park, State Park Naturalist Meeting, June 2-4, 1987, May 1987. 1 volume.
			Compiled by Ben Thoma; compilation of specific topics relating to the Wilderness Drive, including brochures, maps, and published articles regarding the Landmark Interpretation Trail, forestry demonstration area (forestry v park management), Minnesota’s record white pine, the Itasca State Park Wilderness Area, the Itasca bison kill site, Minnesota’s record red pine, Chambers Creek, Elk Lake, and the Aiton Heights Observation Tower. Includes, among other publications: Issues Nos. 6 (bald eagle) and 7 (common loon) of the Discover Itasca series; Wilderness Drive Auto Tour Guide, Landmark Interpretive Trail (1985), and Forestry Demonstration Area (1986).
		Willard, E. V., Acting Commissioner of Conservation, 1933-1935.


		Jay Cooke, 1987-1989.


		Jay Cooke Trail correspondence, 1976-1978.


		Lake Bemidji, 1978-1979.


		Lake Bronson, 1978-1980.


		Lake Bronson Watershed—Water resources, 1980.


		Lake Carlos, 1978.


		Lake Louise, 1978-1979.


		Lake Maria, 1978-1980.


		Lake Minnetonka and Minnehaha Creek, 1930, 1934-1942. 1 folder and 1 volume.


		Lake Minnetonka and Minnehaha Creek, 1930, 1934-1942. 2 volumes.


		Lake of the Woods (Northwest Angle), 1937-1969. 5 folders and 1 volume.
			Includes photographs and maps.


		Lake Shetek, 1978-1980.


		Maplewood, 1978-1980.


		McCarthy Beach, 1957-1958, 1961, 1978-1979. 2 folders.
			Includes photographs.


		Mille Lacs Kathio, 1977-1980.
			Includes photographs.


		Minneopa, 1978-1979.


		Minnesota Point, 1935-1937.


		Minnesota River Valley, 1934-1938.
			Includes photographs.


		Minnesota Valley Project, circa 1934. 2 volumes.
			Includes photographs.


		Minnesota Valley Trail, 1979-1980.


Location
111.G.5.8F		Moose Lake, 1978-1980, 1989. 2 folders.


		Nerstrand Big Woods, 1978-1979.


Location
112.H.6.5B	Nerstrand Big Woods State Park: Harriet Mason Research files, 1840s-2002:
		Primarily photocopies of primary and secondary sources compiled by Mason for her 1994 University of Minnesota Ph.D dissertation, The Post-Settlement History of Vegetation in Nerstrand Big Woods State Park.
		Research files concerning the history of the park, undated, 1920s-1990s.
			Information concerning the park’s history, land acquisition, establishment and development. Primarily photocopies of primary and secondary sources, including those of the Minnesota Conservation Department and the Governor preserved in the State Archives; also of the National Park Service. Include newspaper clippings, reports, maps, correspondence and related documents.
			History of the park, including list of persons involved in establishing the park, undated.
			Park planning, 1990s.
			Research files arranged in chronological order by date of primary/secondary source:
				1920s-1938. 6 folders.
Location
104.E.1.7B				1939-1990s. 23 folders.
		Research files concerning land acquisition and vegetation of the park, undated, 1840s-2002.
			Primarily photocopies of documents received from the Minnesota Secretary of State, the Minnesota Conservation Department, and other sources.
			Aerial photographs, 1930s-1970s.
			Background information, undated.
			Fire and grasshoppers, 1870s-1980s.
			Forestry demonstration, 1983-1985.
			Index of names, undated.
			Land records: Parcel appraisals done by state appraisers J.C. Long and Raymond Stevens, 1941.
			Land survey notes and surveyor instructions. 3 folders.
			Maps, circa 1900-1998.
			Marking woodlot corners, 2001.
			Nerstrand soil and geological survey, 1880s-1970s.
Location
104.E.1.8F			Personal stories, 1930s-1980s.
			Sawmills, lumber companies, match sticks, 1940s-1980s.
			Sections 4, 8, 10, 15, 17, 2002.
			Research files arranged in chronological order by date of primary/secondary source, 1840s-1990s. 15 folders.
				[0.7 cubic feet, letter, empty]


Location
111.G.5.8F		O. L. Kipp, 1977-1980, 1989. 2 folders.


		Old Mill, 1978-1980.


		Oronoco, 1964.


		Pine Tree, 1968.


		Pomme de Terre State Recreational Reserve, undated.


		Rice Lake, 1978-1979.


		Sakatah Lake, 1977-1979.


		Savanna Portage, 1978-1979, 1986-1988. 2 folders.


		Savanna Portage State Park: An Archaeological Survey of Savanna Portage State Park, 1969.
			Includes photographs and maps.


		Scenic, 1935, 1978-1980. 1 folder and 1 volume.
			Monthly Progress Report, February and March 1935; includes photographs.


		Schoolcraft, 1977-1979.


		Sibley, 1935, 1978-1979. 1 folder and 1 volume.
			Fifth Period Progress Report, April-September 1935; includes photographs and maps.


		Sibley Environmental Learning Center, 1979-1980.


		Split Rock Creek, 1977-1980.


		Split Rock Creek Dam, 1978-1981.


		Split Rock Lighthouse, 1978-1979.


		St. Croix, 1978-1980.


	St. Croix Abstracts of Title, 1925-1943 [bulk 1936-1943].
		Records of the St. Croix River Recreational Demonstration Project, that apparently evolved to the St. Croix State Park. The records include abstracts of title, maps, assorted certificates, receipts, correspondence, affidavits, depositions, wills, and related documents. Arranged in numerical order by parcel number.
		Parcel Nos. 1-41. 11 folders.
Location
112.H.6.4F		Parcel Nos. 42-93. 15 folders.


		St. Croix Wild River, 1978-1980. 4 folders.


	Tettegouche:
		1979-1980. 2 folders.
		Camp photographs (negatives), 1989. 1 folder.
Location
112.H.6.5B		Camp photographs, 1989. 2 photograph boxes.


		Tower-Soudan, 1963-1984. 2 folders.


		Traverse des Sioux, 1978-1980.


		An Underground State Park: Feasibility Study, December 31, 1988.


		Upper Sioux, 1978-1979.


		Whitewater, 1978-1980, 1986, 1989. 7 folders.
			Includes a September 1986 flood warning system investigation.


		William O’Brien, 1979-1980, 1989. 2 folders.


		Zippel Bay, 1978-1980. 2 folders.

CATALOG HEADINGS

This collection is indexed under the following headings in the catalog of the Minnesota Historical Society. Researchers desiring materials about related topics, persons or places should search the catalog using these headings.

Topics:: Archaeological surveying -- Minnesota.; National monuments -- Minnesota.; Natural areas -- Minnesota.; Nature trails -- Minnesota -- Itasca State Park.; Pageants -- Minnesota -- Itasca State Park.; Park naturalists -- Minnesota.; Parks -- Minnesota -- Management.; Parks -- Minnesota -- Planning.; Parks -- Law and legislation -- Minnesota.; Parks -- Public relations -- Minnesota.; Parks -- Public use -- Minnesota.; Roadside rest areas -- Minnesota.; Vegetation mapping -- Minnesota -- Nerstrand Big Woods State Park.; Work camps -- Minnesota.

Persons:: Dobie, John, 1912-.; Mason, Harriet.

Organizations:: Civilian Conservation Corps (U.S.). Minnesota District -- History.; Lake Itasca Forestry and Biological Station (Minn.).; Minnesota. Department of Natural Resources.; Minnesota. Division of Parks and Recreation -- History.

Places:: Camden State Park (Minn.) -- Photographs.; Flandrau State Park (Minn.).; Grand Portage National Monument (Minn.) -- Photographs.; Itasca State Park (Minn.) -- Guidebooks.; Itasca State Park (Minn.) -- Photographs.; Itasca State Park (Minn.) -- History.; Lake of the Woods -- Photographs.; Minnehaha Creek Watershed (Minn.) -- Photographs.; Minnetonka, Lake (Minn.) -- Photographs.; Nerstrand Big Woods State Park (Minn.) -- History.; Northwest Angle (Minn.) -- Photographs.; Saint Croix State Park (Minn.).; Savanna Portage State Park (Minn.) -- Antiquities.; Scenic State Park (Minn.); Sibley State Park (Minn.).; United States Highway 92.

Document Types:: Maps -- Minnesota.; Photographs.

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NATURAL RESOURCES DEPARTMENT: PARKS AND RECREATION DIVISION:

OVERVIEW

SCOPE AND CONTENTS

ADMINISTRATIVE INFORMATION

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

CATALOG HEADINGS