A few thousands years ago a glacier sheet measuring 20 miles long and 5 miles wide melted and created a lake named Glacier Lake Aitkin. This massive glacier lake has long since dried up, but it has left an indelible impression on what is now known and Aitkin County. Not only did it lay the foundation for the Mississippi River drainage system, but it also left behind a system of smaller lakes and rivers that has shaped the destiny of the area and the people living within it.
The Sioux Indians were one of the original inhabitants of the area and prized the land for its clear waters and prime hunting land. Unfortunately, the Ojibwe pushed the Sioux from their "rich hunting paradise" westward into southwestern Minnesota and the Dakotas after a long series of brutal and often bloody conflicts during the 1600s. It was during that time that French-Canadian explorers, known as the Voyagers, began trading furs and supplies with the natives as they explored the territory. Much like their Indian counterparts, the Europeans found the area to be quite hospitable, rich with natural resources and potential for settlement and changed hands as the French, British, and eventually the fledgling United States vied for control of the frontier.
The United States gained regional control from the British after the War of 1812. The American Fur Company picked up where their British counterparts left off and quickly moved to secure control of trade in the region. They moved their base of operation from Fond du Lac to the nearby Sandy Lake which put them firmly in control of the important Savannah Portage. This portage was the gateway between the Mississippi waterway network and Lake Superior. The man given credit for managing this bold move was William Anderson Aitkin, after which the county was officially organized and eventually named after in 1857.
Construction of the Northern Pacific Railroad in 1871 brought dramatic changes to the Aitkin area. The railroad stimulated the logging industry and commerce with the Village of Aitkin, becoming the first permanent white settlement in Aitkin County.
The Mississippi River also provided a flourishing means of travel and commerce from the mid 1880's to the early 1920's, giving the area a rich history of riverboats, railroading, logging, and immigrant life.
Aitkin County has always been a fine example of Northwoods living and thousand of travelers visit every season to experience the unique resources the area has to offer.
Big Sandy Lake is located approximately nine miles north of McGregor in Aitkin County. It has a maximum depth of 86 feet and is characterized as a large fertile walleye lake with several distinct habitat types. These include the open, windswept main basin, the deep cool eastern basin, Bill Horn Bay, the shallower and more isolated south basin, Webster Bay, and shallow bays containing dense rice beds on the south, east and northeast sides of the lake. The walleyes are most plentiful in the main basin. Crappie, Bluegill, Largemouth and Rock bass can also be caught here.
Lake Mille Lacs is one of the Top fishing lakes in Minnesota specializing in Walleye, Northern Pike and Rock Bass. Muskie, Bluegill, Small and Largemouth Bass also caught. With over 75 miles of shoreline and 132,516 acres, Lake Mille Lacs is Minnesota's second-largest lake. Its maximum depth is 42 feet, while much of the main lake falls into the 20 to 38 foot depth ranges. The northern half contains most of the lake's mud flats and the southern half of the lake has more gravel and rock bars. All sides of the lake offer some shallow reef-top fishing. Deep-water angling takes place on the southern deep gravel and rocks as well as on dozens of mud flats in the north half of the lake. Shoreline break fishing on varied bottom types occurs all around the lake.
Travel the Aitkin area and create a historic adventure on the Mississippi Crossings from Grand Rapids to Little Falls following the Great River Roadways. The Mississippi Crossings is named for its history as a crossway of transportation by river, by rail, and by road. The voyagers, fur traders, and loggers have traveled these crossways-and today vacationers follow the heritage. The river was the main highway for the Native people of Minnesota, followed by the fur traders and the loggers. Today, many of the 25 steamboat landings still are water access and established camping sites. Aitkin served as a Northern Pacific Railroad site. The area provides many opportunities to enjoy the local hospitality, fishing, swimming, boating, camping, and now golfing.
For Lakeshoredreams.com, the counties grouped in Aitkin/Mille Lacs MN include:
Aitkin County MN, Mille Lacs County MN, Kanabec County MN
