When Did Minnesota Get the Nickname "Land of 10,000 Lakes"?
The glaciers that covered most of the state during the last Ice Age did most of the work and when the ice receded we were actually left with MORE than 10,000 lakes - millions, in fact. But over the centuries, many of those have dried up and we now have 14,380 by the DNRs most recent count.
Or - maybe it was Paul Bunyan’s giant footsteps filling with water as he tromped across the state.
But where did that nice round number of 10,000 come from? Well, most memorable slogans are thanks to advertising and this one is no different.
The very first reference was in a speech by a professor at the Minnesota State Fair in 1874 - expounding on all of the bountiful blessings of our state.
Then In 1917, growing automobile ownership was leading to more road trips - which was leading to more camping and cabin stays.
More than 50 towns across Minnesota pooled their money to fund the Ten Thousand Lakes of Minnesota Association - which created promotional films, ads, pamphlets and postcards to be distributed nationwide - and they all featured the tagline - “Land of 10,0000 Lakes”.
In 1950, the state legislature added the phrase to our license plates.
So, maybe it’s not an entirely accurate number, but it’s better than being known as the land of 10 trillion mosquitoes!
