Minnesota

One of the northern central States. Its area is 84,286 sq. m. The surface presents little relief. The n. part is lacustrine and covered with dense forests, the s. largely prairie. The principal rivers are the Red, on the w. boundary, the M., and the Mi isippi, which forms part of the e. boundary. The geological structure is simple. Running diagonally acro the State n.e. and s.w. is an area of Archæan formations, and bordering it upon the s.e. are Cam brian rocks. The s.e. portion is mainly Silurian, while the n.w. quarter, including a large part of the lacustrine region and the valley of Red River, is Quarter nary, having been formerly part of the ancient lake Aga iz. The agricultural interests are very large, consisting mainly of the culture of the cereals. The value of farms. 1890, was $340,059,470, and of farm products, 1889, $71,238,230. About 1,000,000,000 ft. of pine lumber was cut in 1892. The State has considerable mineral wealth, as yet imperfectly developed. It has a large and rapidly increasing railroad system. The earliest accounts of the native tribes and natural features appear in the writings of the Jesuits. For a century the territory was visited only for fur-trading purposes, except by a few mi ionaries. The first extensive exploration of the territory was made 1817-23 by Major S. H. Long of the U. S. Engineer corps. In 1849 M. was organized as a Territory, the w. boundary being fixed at the Mi ouri. A constitution was adopted 1857, and in 1858 the Territory was admitted as a State. The population was then little more than 150,000. During the Civil War the State supplied to the Union army more than 25,000 men, ab. a seventh of its entire population. Its recent growth, especially in its principal cities, Minneapolis and St. Paul, has been enormous. The Sioux War occurred 1862-63. Capital, St. Paul. Pop., 1890, 1,301,826. (See Map, p. 74.)