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Last year, I had two simple questions. Where does the name of Tettegouche State Park come from? And what does it mean? Little did I know that I would have to mine the depths of the Internet to learn the answers. [Not the Dark Web, I assure you.]
From many sources, including a prior “Wondering 61” column, we all know the bare bones of the area’s history. A lumber camp cleared the old growth and then sold the land in 1910 to a group of Duluth businessmen called the Tettegouche Club; they lost interest in 1921. Clement Quinn, a club member, was so mad he bought the land and used it as private retreat until 1971 when it was sold to the deLaittre family. [The deLaittre family’s founder, John, came to Minnesota 1n 1865, pursued multiple businesses, was elected 10th mayor of Minneapolis in 1877, and founded substantial family wealth.] That family eventually sold it to the Nature Conservancy who sold it to the state in 1979.
The State Park’s web page gives no easy answer to those simple questions. Multiple articles and radio broadcasts cover the park but not its name. We found many reviews of the splendor of the park, but nothing about its name. Multiple search terms were tried with no luck until I arrived at about the 33rd page. And there it was, in the North Shore Visitor:
“In 1898, the Alger-Smith Lumber Company began cutting the virgin pine forests of Northeastern Minnesota. A logging camp was set up on the shores of a lake the loggers called Nipisiquit, an Indian name from a tribe in New Brunswick, Canada, the loggers’ native country. They took the Algonquin names for New Brunswick landmarks and gave them to the lakes in Tettegouche.” Another source added, “They’d spared a few red and white pines and called the spot ‘Tettegouche,’ Algonquin for ‘the retreat.’”
A later web search for “How did Tettegouche get its name?” brought the answer to the top. [So much for techie skills of some elderly writers.]
In seeking answers to those simple questions, I came across many facts that may interest you. [Either you didn’t know them, or you can preen because you knew them before the rest of us.]
—Conde Nast Traveler named Tettegouche the best state park in Minnesota. “When you catch a glimpse of its rocky cliffs, rushing waterfall, and amazing views of Lake Superior, you’ll soon see why.”
—A stone arch was destroyed by a 2010 storm. The remaining sea stack with a lone tree on top fell to the winter lake in 2019, much to photographers’ chagrin.
— When the glaciers came over the border into this area, there was no Lake Superior,”[Jim] Miller said. “What is now the middle of Lake Superior used to be a big wedge of sand.” (From MPR news staff, 2010.)
—You can knit a Tettegouche Tam from patterns here: www.etsy.com/ listing/817677124. One tam pattern uses five shades of Milarrochy Tweed, featuring a large floral motif. Perfect for leading the revolution with compassion and keeping your head warm while fighting the good fight. The tam is named for Tettegouche State Park, in Minnesota.
—Before I lucked out with the right question, I tried breaking the syllables down. “Tette” came back with “teat.” Or colloquial for a baby bottle.
—Gouche was defined in the Urban Dictionary as “the anatomical section posterior to the testis and anterior to the anus.” [More than I wanted to know.]
Another source rhapsodizes: “Come to Tettegouche for a great sense of the North Shore: the spectacular overlooks at Shovel Point; rocky, steep cliffs and inland bluffs; the cascading 60-foot High Falls of the Baptism River; and the historic Tettegouche Camp where visitors can stay the night. This is a hiker’s paradise with miles of trails that overlook the Sawtooth Mountains and wind down to inland lakes accessible only by foot. The Palisade Valley Unit features broad scenic vistas coupled with an expanse of multi-use, four-season trails. Two more trout lakes complement the fishing opportunities within the rest of the park. The park is also known for rock climbing opportunities and quality birdwatching in the spring, summer, and especially the fall.”
Forty species of animals and 140 of birds have been seen in the park. In fall, hawk migration along the shore of Lake Superior numbers in the tens of thousands. Winter is an excellent time to see northern owls, woodpeckers, finches, and unusual water birds. The park is home to peregrine falcons. [Happy twitching. learnthebirds.com/rules-of-twitching/]
Tettegouche State Park also manages the Eckbeck and Finland campground and day-use areas inside the Finland State Forest. For information on these units, please contact the Tettegouche State Park office at (218) 353-8800.
This is really not all things that are Tettegouche, but likely we have exhausted your attention span for today.
Steve Aldrich is a retired Hennepin County lawyer, mediator, and Judge, serving from 1997-2010. He and his wife moved here in 2016. He likes to remember that he was a Minnesota Super Lawyer before being elected to the bench. Now he is among the most vulnerable to viruses. Steve really enjoys doing weddings, the one thing a retired judge can do without appointment by the Chief Justice.
Copyright Stephen C. Aldrich and News Herald, 2022
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