Editing Itasca County, Minnesota (section)

==History==
The boundary of Itasca County was first formed in 1849, upon the creation of the [[Minnesota Territory]]. It was originally a much larger county, which covered many of today's northeastern [[Minnesota counties]]. The original Itasca County stretched over Cook, Lake, Saint Louis, Koochiching, eastern Lake of the Woods, eastern Beltrami, Itasca, northern Aitkin, and northern Carlton counties, today in Minnesota.

Itasca County was originally named for [[Lake Itasca]] (no longer in the county's present borders), which was determined to be the true source of the [[Mississippi River]]. After many disputes over finding the source of the Mississippi River, [[Henry Schoolcraft]] set out to find its true source in 1832. Once he came upon its true source, he decided to name this 'Lake Itasca.' The Mississippi River flows from its small beginnings at Lake Itasca, where it can be crossed on foot.<ref>[https://www.howderfamily.com/blog/itasca-mississippi-walk-across/ ''Walk Across the Mississippi River'' (accessed March 12, 2019)]</ref> It flows past [[Bemidji, Minnesota|Bemidji]], through Itasca County, and continues to the [[Gulf of Mexico]].