Discover History

Located near the headwaters of the Mississippi River, the Chippewa National Forest manages 666,269 acres of forested lands spread over 1.6 million acres.  Most of the Leech Lake Reservation lies within the National Forest boundary.  The Forest also includes three of the state's largest lakes:  Lake Winnibigoshish, Leech and Cass, linked by the Mississippi River.  The area is rich in archaeological sites from all time periods.

The Chippewa National Forest Heritage Program began in the mid 1970's, with a mission of cultural resource management.  The Heritage Program focuses on compliance with federal and state preservation laws and regulations, and it provides opportunities and resources for research and public education.

Program Information:

About 2800 cultural resource sites have been identified within the Chippewa National Forest boundary with approximately 1600 of these located on National Forest System lands.  Most of these sites have been identified by cultural resource surveys.  The Chippewa National Forest averages 8000 to 10,000 acres of survey each year for 80 to 100 project areas.  Common projects requiring surveys include timber sales, creating wildlife openings, utility installations, gravel pit development and expansions, land exchanges, special use permit activities, prescribed burns, and recreation facility development or maintenance.

Cultural resource sites are usually excluded from the project area to avoid harming the site.  If this is not possible, the site must be evaluated to determine if it is significant enough to preserve, and meets the criteria for eligibility to the National Register of Historic Places.   Some cultural resources located beneath the soil are carefully examined to discover the nature and extent of items deposited there.  Sites eligible for the National Register may require more extensive excavation to recover archaeological data that would be lost once the project activity occurs.

Data recoveries have been relatively rare on the Chippewa National Forest, but site  evaluations involving excavation are more common. Over the last 20 years, valuable research has resulted from these   opportunities to examine ancient life in the Headwaters area.  Archaeological excavations and historic building restorations, such as those at Joyce Estate, Old Cut Foot Sioux Ranger Station and Rabideau CCC Camp also provide opportunities for individuals and organizations to participate and learn about the excavation process, preservation techniques, local history, and Forest Service management issues.

Some unique and representative cultural resource sites are interpreted and easily accessed by visitors to the Chippewa National Forest.  Educational resources are also available.

Discover History on the Chippewa National Forest and visit one of these historic sites:

National Historic Sites

• Camp Rabideau: This National Historic Landmark is one of three standing Civilian Conservation Corps camps in the country. A volunteer host leads tours inside the buildings during the summer.
• Joyce Estate: Hike, boat or ski to the Joyce Estate located along the shore of Trout Lake near Marcell, Minn. Visitors to this lumber baron’s estate will find remnants of an Adirondack-style resort from the early 1900s.
• Chippewa National Forest Supervisor’s Office:  Built in 1936, this three-story log lodge is a monument to the craftsmanship of the Civilian Conservation Corps. The office has remained as the headquarters of the Chippewa National Forest since it was first built. Tours are available upon request.
• Marcell Ranger Station: This renovated log lodge, originally built in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, is available to rent through the Edge of the Wilderness Discovery Center. It is one of several CCC buildings on the site, which also includes a fishing pier, visitor center and outdoor program amphitheater.
• Old Cut Foot Sioux Ranger Station: This small log cabin was the first ranger station east of the Mississippi River. The old ranger station was built in 1908. It is located on the shores of Little Cut Foot Sioux Lake along a historic portage.
• Star Island National Historic District: Star Island was incorporated into the Minnesota (Chippewa) National Forest in 1908. Three areas of the island were made available for summer homes in 1909 under the Forest Service permit program. These became the East Beach, Sandy Beach and Norway Bluff summer home groups. The summer home program played an important role in promoting tourism and recreation in the national forests, both nationally and in Minnesota.
• Other historic sites not to miss: Norway Beach Visitor Center, Shingobee Hills and Cut Foot Sioux CCC camp.