Big Sandy Lake
Encyclopedia
There is another Big Sandy Lake, crossed by U.S. Highway 80 in Big Sandy
, Texas
.
Big Sandy Lake is a lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota
, approximately nine miles north of McGregor
. The lake
is considered fertile walleye
ground with several habitat types, including the open main basin, the deep, cold eastern basin, and a shallow, more isolated south basin. Shallow bays containing dense beds of wild rice
are found on south, west, and northwest sides of the lake.
Public access is provided by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
at two locations, the first on the Sandy River north of the "Pier 65" bridge, and the second on the northeast side of the lake. Additional points of access are maintained by the Corps of Engineers
and by various municipalities.
built a dam on the Sandy River. When the dam was built it included a lock to allow boats to travel out to the Mississippi River
. The lock has since been shut down and the lock house has been turned into a small museum containing local artifacts. Big Sandy Lake has three major tributaries Sandy River, Prairie River, and Aitkin Lake Creek. Sandy River enters the lake from the south and empties back into itself after the Big Sandy Dam, on the northwest corner. Priaire River enters the lake from the east into Bell Horn Bay. Aitkin Creek enters the lake from the northwest, near the Big Sandy dam.
. In the Ojibwa language, the lake is known as Mitaawangaagamaa, meaning "Lake with flat, sandy beaches." The lake is home to the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa
who are now part of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
, but have been working on regaining their independent recognition restored by the Bureau of Indian Affairs
.
In 1798, North West Company
maintained a post on on the western side of the lake; in 1830, American Fur Company
established a post at the confluence of the Sandy River with the Mississippi River, a short distance west of the lake. Originally located on the north shore of Big Sandy Lake, the village of Gaa-mitaawangaagamaag
was the western terminus of the Northwest Trail
that connected the Mississippi River with the Saint Louis River
; Savanna Portage State Park
that commemorates this historic trail is located on the northeastern shore.
In 1850, the United States
attempted to remove the Ojibwa
population out of Michigan
and Wisconsin
to areas west of the Mississippi River, resulting in the Sandy Lake tragedy
. A memorial commemorating the Sandy Lake tragedy was established at the United States Army Corps of Engineers
Sandy Lake Dam Campgrounds. Along Minnesota State Highway 65
, a rest area with a view of Sandy Lake was established, enhanced with a Historical Marker plaque to further commemorate the Sandy Lake tragedy.
Big Sandy, Texas
Big Sandy is a town in Upshur County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the town's population was 1,288. A lake of the same name is cut nearly in half by U.S. Highway 80, the main thoroughfare of Big Sandy....
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Big Sandy Lake is a lake in Aitkin County, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
, approximately nine miles north of McGregor
McGregor, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 404 people, 182 households, and 105 families residing in the city. The population density was 205.5 people per square mile . There were 199 housing units at an average density of 101.2 per square mile...
. The lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
is considered fertile walleye
Walleye
Walleye is a freshwater perciform fish native to most of Canada and to the northern United States. It is a North American close relative of the European pikeperch...
ground with several habitat types, including the open main basin, the deep, cold eastern basin, and a shallow, more isolated south basin. Shallow bays containing dense beds of wild rice
Wild rice
Wild rice is four species of grasses forming the genus Zizania, and the grain which can be harvested from them. The grain was historically gathered and eaten in both North America and China...
are found on south, west, and northwest sides of the lake.
Public access is provided by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is the agency of the U.S. state of Minnesota charged with conserving and managing the state's natural resources. The agency maintains areas such as state parks, state forests, recreational trails, and recreation areas as well as managing minerals,...
at two locations, the first on the Sandy River north of the "Pier 65" bridge, and the second on the northeast side of the lake. Additional points of access are maintained by the Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
and by various municipalities.
Features
Big Sandy Lake is a reservoir and was created in 1859 when the United States Army Corps of EngineersUnited States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
built a dam on the Sandy River. When the dam was built it included a lock to allow boats to travel out to the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. The lock has since been shut down and the lock house has been turned into a small museum containing local artifacts. Big Sandy Lake has three major tributaries Sandy River, Prairie River, and Aitkin Lake Creek. Sandy River enters the lake from the south and empties back into itself after the Big Sandy Dam, on the northwest corner. Priaire River enters the lake from the east into Bell Horn Bay. Aitkin Creek enters the lake from the northwest, near the Big Sandy dam.
Culture
Big Sandy Lake was inhabited by the Dakota Sioux until they were removed by the OjibwaOjibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
. In the Ojibwa language, the lake is known as Mitaawangaagamaa, meaning "Lake with flat, sandy beaches." The lake is home to the Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa
Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa
Sandy Lake Band of Mississippi Chippewa are a historical Ojibwa tribe located in the upper Mississippi River basin, on and around Big Sandy Lake in what today is in Aitkin County, Minnesota...
who are now part of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe
The Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe , also known as the Mille Lacs Band of Chippewa Indians or the Mille Lacs Band of Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, is an Ojibwa tribe located in Minnesota. The tribe boasts 3,942 tribal members as of July, 2007...
, but have been working on regaining their independent recognition restored by the Bureau of Indian Affairs
Bureau of Indian Affairs
The Bureau of Indian Affairs is an agency of the federal government of the United States within the US Department of the Interior. It is responsible for the administration and management of of land held in trust by the United States for Native Americans in the United States, Native American...
.
In 1798, North West Company
North West Company
The North West Company was a fur trading business headquartered in Montreal from 1779 to 1821. It competed with increasing success against the Hudson's Bay Company in what was to become Western Canada...
maintained a post on on the western side of the lake; in 1830, American Fur Company
American Fur Company
The American Fur Company was founded by John Jacob Astor in 1808. The company grew to monopolize the fur trade in the United States by 1830, and became one of the largest businesses in the country. The company was one the first great trusts in American business...
established a post at the confluence of the Sandy River with the Mississippi River, a short distance west of the lake. Originally located on the north shore of Big Sandy Lake, the village of Gaa-mitaawangaagamaag
Sandy Lake, Minnesota
Sandy Lake is an unincorporated Native American village located in Turner Township, Aitkin County, Minnesota, United States. Its name in the Ojibwe language is Gaa-mitaawangaagamaag, meaning "Place of the Sandy-shored Lake"...
was the western terminus of the Northwest Trail
Northwest Trail
Northwest Trail is a 1945 American contemporary Northwestern film directed by Derwin Abrahams shot in Cinecolor at Lake Hemet, California. It stars Bob Steele, Joan Woodbury and Madge Bellamy making a comeback appearance in her final film.-Plot:...
that connected the Mississippi River with the Saint Louis River
Saint Louis River
The St. Louis River is a river in the U.S. states of Minnesota and Wisconsin that flows into Lake Superior. The largest U.S. river to flow into the lake, it is 179 miles in length and starts near Hoyt Lakes, Minnesota. The river's watershed is in area...
; Savanna Portage State Park
Savanna Portage State Park
Savanna Portage State Park is a state park of Minnesota, USA, established in 1961 to preserve the historic Savanna Portage, a difficult trail connecting the watersheds of the Mississippi River and Lake Superior...
that commemorates this historic trail is located on the northeastern shore.
In 1850, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
attempted to remove the Ojibwa
Ojibwa
The Ojibwe or Chippewa are among the largest groups of Native Americans–First Nations north of Mexico. They are divided between Canada and the United States. In Canada, they are the third-largest population among First Nations, surpassed only by Cree and Inuit...
population out of Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
and Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
to areas west of the Mississippi River, resulting in the Sandy Lake tragedy
Sandy Lake Tragedy
The Sandy Lake Tragedy was the culmination of a series of events centered in Sandy Lake, Minnesota, that resulted in the deaths in 1850 of several hundred Lake Superior Chippewa. Officials of the Zachary Taylor Administration and Minnesota Territory sought to relocate several bands of the tribe to...
. A memorial commemorating the Sandy Lake tragedy was established at the United States Army Corps of Engineers
United States Army Corps of Engineers
The United States Army Corps of Engineers is a federal agency and a major Army command made up of some 38,000 civilian and military personnel, making it the world's largest public engineering, design and construction management agency...
Sandy Lake Dam Campgrounds. Along Minnesota State Highway 65
Minnesota State Highway 65
Minnesota State Highway 65 is a highway in east-central and northeast Minnesota, which runs from its intersection with Washington Avenue at the north end of downtown Minneapolis and continues north to its northern terminus at its intersection with U.S...
, a rest area with a view of Sandy Lake was established, enhanced with a Historical Marker plaque to further commemorate the Sandy Lake tragedy.