Lake Itasca (/aɪˈtæskə/eye-TASS-kə)[1] is a small glacial lake, approximately 1.8 square miles (470 hectares; 1,200 acres) in area. It is located in Itasca State Park, in south-eastern Clearwater County, in the Headwaters area of north-central Minnesota, and is notable for being the headwater of the Mississippi River. It has an average depth of 20 to 35 feet (5 to 10 m) and is 1,475 feet (450 m) above sea level.
The Ojibwe name for the lake is Omashkoozo-zaaga'igan (Elk Lake). The first European explorers in the area were French Canadian and they named the lake Lac labiche (Doe Lake, often mistranslated as Elk Lake).[2] The name was later changed by Henry Schoolcraft to "Itasca", coined from a combination of the Latin phrase veritas caput ("true head [of the Mississippi]").[3][4] It is one of several examples of pseudo-Native American place names created by Schoolcraft.
^"Minnesota Pronunciation Guide". Associated Press. Archived from the original on July 22, 2011. Retrieved July 4, 2011.
^Winchell, N. H. (1887). "The Geological and Natural History Survey of Minnesota. The fifteenth annual report for the year 1886". Minnesota Geological Survey. hdl:11299/56247. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
^Bright, William (2004). Native American Placenames of the United States. University of Oklahoma Press. p. 188. ISBN 978-0-8061-3598-4. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
^Upham, Warren. "Itasca County". Minnesota Place Names: A Geographical Encyclopedia. Minnesota Historical Society. Archived from the original on January 8, 2011. Retrieved August 14, 2007.
LakeItasca (/aɪˈtæskə/ eye-TASS-kə) is a small glacial lake, approximately 1.8 square miles (470 hectares; 1,200 acres) in area. It is located in Itasca...
States, behind Niagara Falls State Park. Henry Schoolcraft determined LakeItasca as the river's source in 1832. It was named as a National Natural Landmark...
drainage basin in the United States. From its traditional source of LakeItasca in northern Minnesota, it flows generally south for 2,340 miles (3,766 km)...
Itasca is a word coined by Henry Schoolcraft and may refer to: LakeItasca, the source of the Mississippi River Itasca County, Minnesota Itasca Township...
on the north shore of Lake Winnibigoshish, in Itasca County, Minnesota, was named after this lake. William J. Kubiak (Great Lakes Indians) Grand Rapids:...
lake in Oakland County Deer Lake, Minnesota, an unorganized territory in Itasca County Deer Lake (Itasca County, Minnesota), a lake located in Itasca...
The Upper Mississippi River spans around 1,250 miles (2,010 km) from LakeItasca in Minnesota to Cairo, Illinois. Most of the Upper Mississippi goes through...
Elk Lake in Clearwater County, Minnesota, headwaters of the Mississippi River, south of LakeItasca Elk Lake (Douglas County, Minnesota), a lake in Douglas...
would be, and most MRPC publications denote the route as beginning at LakeItasca in Minnesota and ending in Louisiana. The Great River Road is not a single...
a census-designated place Bass Lake, Michigan, an unincorporated community in Grand Traverse County Bass Lake, Itasca County, Minnesota, an unincorporated...
a historical site. The village of Ozaawindib, Schoolcraft's guide to LakeItasca, was located on the island. The Ojibwe people flourished in the area...
This is a list of lakes of Minnesota. Although promoted as the "Land of 10,000 Lakes", Minnesota has 11,842 lakes of 10 acres (4.05 ha) or more. The 1968...
expedition, he was able to take advantage of higher water to navigate to LakeItasca. Schoolcraft met his first wife Jane Johnston soon after being assigned...
Minnesota) Horseshoe Lake (Isanti County, Minnesota) Murphy Lake (Itasca County, Minnesota) or Horseshoe Lake Horseshoe Lake, a lake in Le Sueur County...
000 km). The Mississippi River begins its journey from its headwaters at LakeItasca and crosses the Iowa border 680 miles (1,090 km) downstream. It is joined...
Deming Lake is a lake in Hubbard County and Clearwater County, Minnesota, in the United States. It is within Itasca State Park. Deming Lake was initially...
Minnesota Balsam Lake (Itasca County, Minnesota) New York Balsam Lake (New York), a man-made lake in Chenango County Balsam Lake Mountain, part of the...
third-largest lakes entirely within Minnesota. The Mississippi River winds extensively through the region from its source at LakeItasca. Area high school...
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