slip of paper, and Mr. Schoolcraft struck out the first and 

 last three letters, and announced to Mr. Boutwell that 'Itasca 

 shall be the name.' As the information was secured direct 

 from Mr. Boutwell in person, at his home near Stillwater, 

 Minn., all questions concerning this unique name are forever 

 settled." 



So much for the name. All the arguments that have been 

 started over the impossibility of combining the two words, 

 'veritas' and 'caput,' etc., have been set at rest. The fact is 

 that they were combined whether or not it was permissible. 



Discovery in 1804. 



The real discovery of Itasca lake came in 1804 by one Wil- 

 liam Morrison, if records now in the possession of the his- 

 torical society are to be relied upon. Many claims have been 

 made that the lake in what is now known as the state park 

 was discovered before this time. The records are not suffi- 

 cient to wararnt these claims, however. Many of the early 

 explorers came near to the source of the Mississippi without 

 ever reaching it. David Thompson, for instance, in 1798 is 

 said to have come near to Itasca lake. According to the his- 

 torical society reports the records show that he made an 

 examination of the Mississippi river between Cass lake and 

 Sandy lake. 



It was in 1832 that Henry R. Schoolcraft and his party 

 reached Itasca lake. For a long time it was thought that 

 Schoolcraft and his party were the discoverers of the true 

 source of the Mississippi. This is now known to be untrue, a 

 letter written by William Morrison, producing records, prov- 

 ing that the latter was there in 1804. 



In 1836 Jean N. Nicollet made a canoe voyage to Itasca 

 lake. He discovered and explored Nicollet's Infant Missis- 

 sippi. 



Legislative History Begins. 



The legislature of 1891 passed a law creating a state park 

 around Lake Itasca. J. V. Brower was appointed as park 

 commissioner. Much of the land was then owned by lumber 



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