Jay Cooke State Park - Early Canoe Route

Early Canoe Route

Minnesota geography is dominated by three major watersheds which carry off the surface waters of the state north to Hudson Bay, east to the Great Lakes, and south into the Mississippi River. The rivers, creeks, and associated lakes within these drainage basins essentially describe the route geography of the thoroughfares used by American Indians for centuries, and later by European explorers, missionaries, and fur traders. But water travel was subject to interruption caused by rapids, falls, or shallows, and not all of the major lakes and rivers were interconnected, making it necessary to portage from time to time. The term "portage" entered American English in the 17th century and has remained in common usage ever since, especially in northern Minnesota in the context of the historic fur trade and modern recreational canoeing. Etymologically, it is an Old French word borrowed from the Latin portare, "to carry." Used as a noun, it describes a "carrying place," i.e., a trail or pathway between two water bodies. As a verb it signifies the act of carrying boats and their cargoes. The portages were divided into a number of rest stops, termed "pauses" or "poses" (French).

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The earliest North American fur trading did not include long distance transportation of the furs after they were obtained by trade with the Indians; it started with trading near settlements or along the coast or waterways accessible by ship. But later, Coureur des bois achieved business advantages by traveling deeper into the wilderness and trading there. By 1681, the French authorities decided to control the traders. Also, as the trading process moved deeper into the wilderness, transportation of the furs (and the products to be traded for furs) became a larger part of the fur trading business process. The authorities began a process of issuing permits. Those travelers associated with the canoe transportation part of the licensed endeavor became known as voyageurs, a term which literally means "traveler" in French.

The 7-mile-long trail that bypassed the spectacular rocky gorge of the lower St. Louis River was called the Grand Portage. It was a rough trail of steep hills and swamps that began at the foot of the rapids above Fond du Lac ("head of the lake") and climbed some 450 feet (140 m) to the present village of Carlton. Above Carlton travelers proceeded upstream and continued on to Lake Vermillion and the Rainy River. Or they may have traveled southwest up the East Savanna River, portaged the grueling 6 mile long Savanna Portage (now a state park), and then paddled on to the Mississippi River.

The St. Louis River Grand Portage was divided into 19 pauses spaced one-third to one-half mile apart. To portage the freight, each voyageur carried two or three packs weighing up to 90 pounds each. These were supported by a portage strap, which passed around the voyageur's forehead and reached to the small of his back. Once he reached a pause with his load, the voyageur would jog back to the last stop for more packs. It took an average of three to five days for a crew to complete the Grand Portage, sometimes longer under bad conditions. It was backbreaking labor, and the voyageurs would be plastered with mud and covered with mosquito and fly bites.

The Grand Portage was still in use as late as 1870, but a new railroad meant the end of the old passage. Also, fur animals became less plentiful and the amount of North American fur trading declined. A portion of the trail has been renovated for hiking and information is available at the park shelter.

The Voyageurs article has a great deal of information on the daily life of the fur traders. Also see the "Exploration and Fur Trade (1650-1850)" section of the Duluth, Minnesota article for more information.