The below essay was originally published in Agate, an online magazine focused on the environment and people of Minnesota and the surrounding Great Lakes region.

It was a hot and smoky afternoon when a small group gathered in Shafer, Minnesota for a trip down the St. Croix River in mid-July. We were there to experience the river and talk about its geographic history—its place in the world, its connections to the surrounding region, its intersections of land, water, and wildlife, the ways people have navigated it over time, the maps they’ve made. The occasion was a guided paddle I was leading with St. Croix Falls canoe and kayak outfitter Paddlefish Adventures.

The smoke from wildfires in forests far to the north lay heavily on the water, stifling any breeze, leaving the surface glassy enough to reflect the orange light of a sinking sun filtered through the haze. Hot and humid air contributed to the thick, soupy atmosphere.

Many have traveled this river before us. The St. Croix is a natural highway and part of a wide road network. It connects Lake Superior in the north to the Mississippi in the south, Lake Mille Lacs in the west to Lac Courte Oreilles on the east. It connects prairies and savanna to forest and bog. It connects people to places.

Stream of life

The first priority after getting on the river was to find a place to get in the river. The summer, which had not only been hot but dry, had caused low flow and water temperatures well into the 80s. We wanted to really cool off, so we headed for a spot where spring water came tumbling down a steep bank and splashed into the river, cooling it slightly.

The cold water only extended a few inches from shore. The warm river quickly absorbed it. I walked into the water up to my shoulders, let the current push against my body, talked with my companions.

The first time the St. Croix showed up on a map was 1688 by French cartographer Jean-Baptiste-Louis Franquelin. Its inclusion was probably based on reports from Daniel Greysolon, the first white person to travel the river in 1679. He passed this place with voyageurs and Native American guides on their journey south. In 1683, he built a trading post at the head of the St. Croix River, called Fort St. Croix, which appeared on Franquelin’s map five years later.

The St. Croix’s human history and its geography are intertwined. Since the first people ventured into this region in the wake of receding glaciers more than ten thousand years ago, the river and its tributaries have been the circulatory system of civilization.