In the early eighteenth century, the race was on to locate the source of the Mississippi River. French fur traders, government surveyors, and explorers searched lakes and streams in this area, hoping to identify the headwaters. In 1832, Ojibwe guide Ozawindib brought explorer Henry Rowe Schoolcraft to the lake that Schoolcraft would name Itasca.

The headwaters were a source of tourist interest in Park Rapids from the earliest days of settlement. But when Itasca State Park was created in 1891, the same year the railroad arrived in Park Rapids, it cemented Park Rapids' status as "Gateway to Itasca."

Park Rapids' Great Northern Hotel boasted that it was a mere twenty-three miles from the door of the hotel to the park. The Itasca Stage regularly ferried visitors from Park Rapids to Itasca State Park. Later, tourists could travel on the Jefferson Highway (now U.S. Highway 71) through the center of Park Rapids, directly through Itasca State Park.

1204 Park Avenue South
Park Rapids, MN 56470

Open Site Location on Google Maps
46.91028306183892, -95.0575715918661