When the 13 colonies were developing on the eastern seaboard, French fur trade was thriving in the Jay Cooke area. The Dakota Indians and the French traded for many years. As westward expansion increased, the Ojibway drove the Dakota out to the plains.
Shortly after, disputes broke out between the French and the British over fur trapping rights. Eventually the fur trade died down and only a few small settlements remained.
Many years later, the railroads reached northern Minnesota.
The "iron horse" brought substantial numbers of immigrant farmers northward. Although much land surrounding the park was cleared, the rough terrain was never successfully cleared for farming
Jay Cooke State Park was established in 1915 when the St. Louis River Power Company donated 2,350 acres of land. In 1945, the state purchased additional land. Other sections have been added, giving Jay Cooke State Park its present size.
The Park is located ten miles west of Duluth, in the St. Louis River Valley. The Saint Louis River drops some 800 feet, from the Thomson Dam on the north end of the park
to the Fond-du-Lac Damand St. Louis Bay at the southern terminus.
The park is one of the most historic and unique geographical locations in Minnesota. The rugged land formations of Jay Cooke State Park enhance the beauty of the hardwood forests. The water-eroded gorge, steep valleys, and massive rock formations are seen throughout the park.
In some seasons, the waters of the St. Louis River thunder over slabs of ancient, exposed rock. At other times, they slow to a gentle trickle.
The geological make up of Jay Cooke State Park is one of slate, graywacke, and red clay.
Slate beds were formed from original deposits of mud which compacted into shale. Heat, pressure, and movement converted the deeply buried shale into slate. Underground movement caused the slate and graywacke beds to fold and fracture, now they are rarely horizontal, but dip to the north or south at various angles.
The St. Louis River Valley.
Part of the Portage Trail.
Along the Scenic Drive.
The promise of food and protection make Jay Cooke State Park an important wintering area for white-tail deer. Deer, black bear, timber wolf, and coyote are among the largest of 46 animal species in the park.
The Swinging Bridge
That was some park, wasn't it. Now let's head out for a more subdued area of Minnesota--the prairie.
