1909 was a critical year for Quetico Provincial Park and the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness: President Theodore Roosevelt signed a proclamation officially designating land in northern Minnesota as the Superior National Forest, and the ‘Quetico Forest and Game Reserve’ Order-in-Council was signed.
Now recognized as a cause for celebration, both occasions marked the beginning of a long and controversial debate over the best way to protect the region’s unique resources and serve the people that live there. What better way to honor the anniversary than by honoring the road that brought us here today?
Learn more about the region’s history on the Quetico Superior Foundation website, and while you’re there check out canoeist and author Rob Kesselring’s (Father Daughter Canoe and River Stories) reflection on the anniversary. A Spring 2007 Wilderness News article recently republished on Canoeing.com, The Quetico Superior Region – 100 Years of Stewardship Beyond Boundaries, also provides some good history.
