•">•"' ///' Ann i-icili, ( i, iildilhf . No\.>inlHT, 1S!I1 
'I'ln' ^rcMt liviT li;i\ iiiLi' now 1k'*'1i ;ictii:illv iiiciiMin'il in its ciilirc 
«'li:iiiiicl IciiLitli li\ (•oiiiH'ctiiiL;' surveys, llu' <lisl;iiiccs liixcii. for 
tlu' first time, ww ccrtniniv iiioiv Mccurntf tlinii iiicrc irncss-worU. 
Siiici' the liivater nltinintc ivsiTVoii- is the cxtrciiK' limit of the 
.Mississippi Icisiii. and tlic larjicst. loiiucsl and most important 
stream aliovc Itasca lai<(' takes its rise therein as a peicnnial siir- 
faci' (Irainau'e. I have reportetl tiie same to the Historical Society 
as the ultimate source of the .Nlississippi. 
KI.K l..\KK ANI> lis IHSCOVKK'^'. 
In 1 s:!(> scientist and astronomer Nicollet laiil down KIk lake 
as an estuary of Itasca, iiiit since that t ime t he alluvial stratum 
at the outlet of Itasca has lieeu diminished liy the constant tlow 
of the water current until the latter lake has reci'cU'd from the 
formei' to a lower Icxcl. and the two lakes are now connected liy a 
short creek. The orijiinal discovery of this creek and of Klk 
lake must i»e awarded to .Julius ("hampers, who. on the ninth of 
.June. iSTl^. while encampeil on Schoolciaft island, explored the 
sliores of Itasca, passed up the channel of Klk creek in his canoe 
to Elk lake, crossed to the southern shore of the lake. and. mak- 
in<r a map of the lake, wrote: 
•lliM*'. then, is the source of the lon<>est river in the world in 
a small laki'. scarcely a ((uarter of a mile in diameter, in the 
midst of a lioatine- boo-, the fountains which u'i^e Mith to the 
Mississippi. ' lie found the lake uuich larjicr than he at first sup- 
l)osod. The world was notified by .Mr. Chambers of his discovery 
ill the columns of the New York Ui mid. pa<i.(' S. July (i. \X~'l. 
Mr. Chambers then j)assed down the .Nlississipi)i. from School- 
craft island to the <iulf of .Mexico, in his canoe. 
The next explorer to declare Klk lake the soiirci- was .V. II. 
Siegfried, who. on the thirt«'entli day of July. IST'J. reached the 
lake, and. taking- a photoirrajjli of the same, declared it to be the 
'•highest tributary to the .>lississippi. ' in the cDliinuis of the 
Louisville Cniiriir .Inn null . .\ugust. ISTM. 
The lake and creek wer*' also visited in 1 ST.") liy Kdwiii S. Hall, 
in ISSd iiy (). K. ( iariisoii. and in iss] by \\v\ . .1. .\. (Jillillaii. 
Whatever significance may attach to Klk lake as the source. .Mr. 
Chambers must be awarded the honor of a first and original dis- 
covery, to the exclusion of all o1 hers, except Indians, known in 
our history, and the name -Klk.' ollicially promulgated liy the 
authorities of the I'nited St.-iles. is the prr)per and legitimate 
