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Namekagon Portage

The most direct route continued southward down the St. Croix River to its junction with the Mississippi River near present day Hastings, Minnesota.

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In order to avoid potential problems with the Sioux Indians on the lower St. Croix River, travelers could alternatively reach the Mississippi by way of the Chippewa River watershed.

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The area was later visited by Henry Schoolcraft in 1831 who described the Namekagon Portage running from the Namekagon River to Lac Courte Oreilles by way of Windigo Lake (called by him Lac des Isles) and Grindstone Lake (called by him Lac du Gres).

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At this point, the route followed the Namekagon Portage across the divide between the St. Croix and Chippewa watersheds to Windigo Lake, through Grindstone Lake and Lac Courte Oreilles, and down the Couderay River to the Chippewa River which ultimately joined the Mississippi River at Lake Pepin.

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Explorer Jonathan Carver passed through the area in 1767 traveling north from the Mississippi River to Lake Superior by way of the Chippewa River.

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When using the Bois Brule River route from Lake Superior, the Namekagon Portage provided Indians and earlier traders and explorers with two major options for reaching the Mississippi River as described below.

see also