Father Hennepin State Park

Geobox|Protected area
name = Father Hennepin State Park
category = Minnesota State Park
category_iucn = V


image_caption =
etymology_type = Named for
etymology = Louis Hennepin
country = United States
country_

state = Minnesota
state_

state_type = State
region_type = County
region = Mille Lacs
city_type = City
city = Isle
lat_d = 46
lat_m = 8
lat_s = 41
lat_NS = N
long_d = 93
long_m = 29
long_s = 17
long_EW = W
area_unit = acre
area_imperial = 320
area_round = 1
established = 1941
map_locator = Minnesota


management_body = Minnesota Department of Natural Resources

Father Hennepin State Park is a 320 acre (1.3 km²) Minnesota state park located on the southeast corner of Mille Lacs Lake. The park is named after Father Louis Hennepin, a priest who visited the area with a French expedition in 1680. The park has 103 campsites and a sandy beach over one mile (1.6 km) long.

Cultural history

Father Louis Hennepin, a Franciscan priest of the Recollet order, was dispatched to explore western New France in 1680. Hennepin is not thought to have been in the exact location of the park, but the park is named after him because he was the first to write extensively about the Mille Lacs area. He called the area Louisiana in honor of King Louis XIV of France. In the spring of 1680 he and two companions encountered a group of Dakota Indians and were captured, about convert|15|mi|km from today's Father Hennepin State Park. Their release was negotiated eight months later by Daniel Greysolon, Sieur du Lhut. Throughout the experience, Father Hennepin kept a journal describing the lakes, rivers, landscapes, and the lifestyle of his hosts, the Mdewakanton Dakota. In 1683 his writings were published in the book "Description de la Louisiane".

Local advocates and Catholic groups were instrumental in getting the park established in the years before World War II. The Minnesota Legislature was reluctant to fund a new park, but when convert|129|acre|km2 of tax-forfeited land were acquired at little cost, Father Hennepin State Memorial Park was authorized in 1941. However a provision was inserted into the bill barring any state funds from supporting the park for the first five years. County and local funds only went so far, and the park remained largely undeveloped until 1953 when the Minnesota state park system instituted an entrance fee.

External links

* [http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/state_parks/father_hennepin/index.html Father Hennepin State Park]

References

*Meyer, Roy W. "Everyone's Country Estate: A History of Minnesota's State Parks". Minnesota Historical Society Press: St. Paul, 1991.
*Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2006. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Web Site (online).