Editing Park Rapids, Minnesota (section)

==History==
[[File:Steam hauler, Park Rapids, Minnesota LCCN2012647883.jpg|thumb|left|Steam hauler moving logs along snow on skids]]The land that is now Park Rapids, was originally inhabited by Native American tribes, including the Ojibwe (Chippewa) people which still maintain a significant presence in the region.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gaa-waabaabiganikaag / White Earth Nation |url=https://mn.gov/indian-affairs/tribal-nations-in-minnesota/gaa-waabaabiganikaag-white-earth-nation.jsp |access-date=September 6, 2024 |website=Minnesota Indian Affairs Council / State of Minnesota}}</ref> Park Rapids became a city in 1882, and was named by Frank C. Rice after the park groves and [[prairie]]s beside the Fish Hook River rapids. These rapids have since been dammed.<ref name="Warren Upham 2008 pp. 244"/> Located at the convergence of prairie and pine forest, Park Rapids emerged as a supply depot by farmers and the lumber industry. Early on it served as a crucial hub for trappers, the local Ojibwa community, and timber cruisers to exchange goods, report, and replenished supplies. Later Park Rapids grew into a logging center, with numerous trails leading north for tote teams transporting goods. Its main street was designed unusually wide to accommodate the long, horse-drawn teams essential for the town's operations.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-06-06 |title=History {{!}} Downtown Park Rapids, MN |url=https://www.parkrapidsdowntown.com/history |access-date=2024-09-06 |website=Downtown Park Rapids, MN {{!}} Heartland Lakes Minnesota}}</ref>