CHAPTER 1 THE LAND OF 10,000 LAKES Long before Minnesota had a hockey team called the North Stars the state was known as the Star of the North That motto shows the pride Minnesotans take in their state They feel the same way about the teams that represent it Long before Europeans arrived in Minnesota American Indian tribes called it home The first tribes settled in what is now Minnesota nearly 9,000 years ago Europeans arrived in the 1620s Minnesota welcomes more than 30 million tourists each year 5
Fur was an important resource for both groups Minnesota’s lakes rivers and forests were filled with wildlife French hunters and trappers could sell the fur of certain animals for large amounts of money Dakota and Ojibwa tribes lived in the area for generations French explorers came and went from the region It was not until 1819 that European-Americans settled in Minnesota permanently In 1837 the settlers signed a treaty with the native tribes This treaty gave the settlers land to develop Much of this territory was excellent farmland The settlers gained access to land along the Mississippi St Croix and Crow Wing Rivers American Indians had been farming these areas for centuries Their primary crops were corn potatoes turnips and pumpkins In contrast the 6
Minnesota’s largest city Minneapolis is located on the Mississippi River white settlers grew mostly potatoes and wheat They also raised cows to provide milk and fresh meat Rivers were hugely important in Minnesota’s history For example the Mississippi River flows all the way from Lake Itasca in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Louisiana This water highway allowed people in Minnesota to send their products to markets around the world 7
