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Father Hennepin State Park

State park in Minnesota, United States

Field	Value
name	Father Hennepin State Park
photo	Father Hennepin MNSP Marsh.JPG
photo_caption	Marsh off of Mille Lacs Lake
map	USA Minnesota#USA
map_caption	Location of Father Hennepin State Park in Minnesota
relief	1
location	Mille Lacs, Minnesota, United States
coordinates
area_acre	320
elevation	1276 ft
established	1941
named_for	Louis Hennepin
governing_body	Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Father Hennepin State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, located on the southeast corner of Mille Lacs Lake. The park is named after Father Louis Hennepin, a priest who visited the area with a French expedition in 1680. The 320 acre park has 103 campsites and a sandy beach over one mile (1.6 km) long.

Wildlife

Hawks, ospreys, owls, and eagles are common raptors found in this park. Mammalian tracks of beaver, raccoon, mink and deer are often seen by visitors in the soft earth or snow. Northern pike, walleye, bluegills, sunfish and bass swim around this park's lake. The aspen stands and small clearings are set up for ruffed grouse. Squirrels and chipmunks thrive in maple and oak stands. The small ponds and streams provide homes for amphibians and insects, which in turn attract larger fish, birds and mammals.

Cultural history

Father Louis Hennepin, a Franciscan priest of the Recollet order, was dispatched to explore western New France in 1680. Hennepin is not thought to have been in the exact location of the park, but the park is named after him because he was the first to write extensively about the Mille Lacs area. He called the area Louisiana in honor of King Louis XIV of France. In the spring of 1680 he and two companions encountered a group of Dakota Native Americans and were captured, about 15 mi from today's Father Hennepin State Park. Their release was negotiated eight months later by Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut. Throughout the experience, Father Hennepin kept a journal describing the lakes, rivers, landscapes, and the lifestyle of his hosts, the Mdewakanton Dakota. In 1683 his writings were published in the book Description de la Louisiane.

Local advocates and Catholic groups were instrumental in getting the park established in the years before World War II. The Minnesota Legislature was reluctant to fund a new park, but when 129 acre of tax-forfeited land were acquired at little cost, Father Hennepin State Memorial Park was authorized in 1941. However a provision was inserted into the bill barring any state funds from supporting the park for the first five years. County and local funds only went so far, and the park remained largely undeveloped until 1953 when the Minnesota state park system instituted an entrance fee.

References

Meyer, Roy W. Everyone's Country Estate: A History of Minnesota's State Parks. Minnesota Historical Society Press: St. Paul, 1991.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2006. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Web Site (online).

References

(1980-01-11). "Father Hennepin State Park". [[United States Geological Survey]].

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

1941-establishments-in-minnesota protected-areas-established-in-1941 protected-areas-of-mille-lacs-county,-minnesota state-parks-of-minnesota

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