Lake Louise State Park
Encyclopedia
Lake Louise State Park is a Minnesota
state park just north of the Iowa
border near the small town of Le Roy
in Mower County, Minnesota
, directly south of Rochester
. It has a 25 acre
man-made lake
and 1168 acres (5 km²) of mixed prairie
and deciduous
forest. It is used for picnic
s, swimming, camping
, hiking
, horseback riding, and other outdoor recreation. It is noted for butterfly watching
, as some rare species have been seen. It features a picnic shelter which dates to the Public Works Administration
era.
on the Upper Iowa River
near the Old Village of Leroy. An earthen dam was later built on the river and Hambrecht's land sat along the small lake
that was created. Hambrecht set aside this part of land for recreation
and he later donated the land, then called Wildwood Park, to the city of Le Roy
with the stipulation
that it be used as a park
. The original dam was washed away and the citizens of Le Roy rebuilt it and named the body of water "Lake Louise" for Hambrecht's sister. In 1961 local advocates arranged a visit by state park officials, who agreed that Wildwood Park could be expanded into a state park. The land was transferred to the state of Minnesota
and in 1963 Lake Louise State Park was created by an act of the Minnesota Legislature
. At that time it contained only the lake and 636 acres (2.6 km²). The boundaries have been expanded since, but usage remains primarily local. A 1971 internal study recommended that the park be remanded to the county as a regional recreation area, but no such action was ever taken.
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
state park just north of the Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
border near the small town of Le Roy
Le Roy, Minnesota
Le Roy is a city in Mower County, Minnesota, United States, surrounded by Le Roy Township. The population was 929 at the 2010 census. Lake Louise State Park is just outside of the town.-Geography:...
in Mower County, Minnesota
Mower County, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 38,603 people, 15,582 households, and 10,315 families residing in the county. The population density was 54 people per square mile . There were 16,251 housing units at an average density of 23 per square mile...
, directly south of Rochester
Rochester, Minnesota
Rochester is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Olmsted County. Located on both banks of the Zumbro River, The city has a population of 106,769 according to the 2010 United States Census, making it Minnesota's third-largest city and the largest outside of the...
. It has a 25 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
man-made lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
and 1168 acres (5 km²) of mixed prairie
Prairie
Prairies are considered part of the temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands biome by ecologists, based on similar temperate climates, moderate rainfall, and grasses, herbs, and shrubs, rather than trees, as the dominant vegetation type...
and deciduous
Deciduous
Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe...
forest. It is used for picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
s, swimming, camping
Camping
Camping is an outdoor recreational activity. The participants leave urban areas, their home region, or civilization and enjoy nature while spending one or several nights outdoors, usually at a campsite. Camping may involve the use of a tent, caravan, motorhome, cabin, a primitive structure, or no...
, hiking
Hiking
Hiking is an outdoor activity which consists of walking in natural environments, often in mountainous or other scenic terrain. People often hike on hiking trails. It is such a popular activity that there are numerous hiking organizations worldwide. The health benefits of different types of hiking...
, horseback riding, and other outdoor recreation. It is noted for butterfly watching
Butterfly watching
Butterfly watching is a hobby concerned with the observation and study of butterflies. It also includes "catch and release" of butterflies...
, as some rare species have been seen. It features a picnic shelter which dates to the Public Works Administration
Public Works Administration
The Public Works Administration , part of the New Deal of 1933, was a large-scale public works construction agency in the United States headed by Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes. It was created by the National Industrial Recovery Act in June 1933 in response to the Great Depression...
era.
History
Sometime in the late 1850s or early 1860s, Conrad Hambrecht settled in section 21 of Le Roy TownshipLe Roy Township, Minnesota
Le Roy Township is a township in Mower County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 396 at the 2000 census. The town in the township with the largest population is Le Roy with 925 people. The township is also home to Lake Louise State Park, the only Minnesota State Park in Mower County...
on the Upper Iowa River
Upper Iowa River
The Upper Iowa River is a tributary of the Mississippi River in the upper Midwest of the United States.Its headwaters are in southeastern Minnesota, in Mower County near the border with Iowa. It then flows through the Iowa counties of Howard, Winneshiek, and Allamakee, and finally into the Upper...
near the Old Village of Leroy. An earthen dam was later built on the river and Hambrecht's land sat along the small lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
that was created. Hambrecht set aside this part of land for recreation
Recreation
Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasure and are considered to be "fun"...
and he later donated the land, then called Wildwood Park, to the city of Le Roy
Le Roy, Minnesota
Le Roy is a city in Mower County, Minnesota, United States, surrounded by Le Roy Township. The population was 929 at the 2010 census. Lake Louise State Park is just outside of the town.-Geography:...
with the stipulation
Stipulation
In the law of the United States, a stipulation is an agreement made between opposing parties prior to a pending hearing or trial. For example, both parties might stipulate to certain facts, and therefore not have to argue those facts in court. After the stipulation is entered into, it is...
that it be used as a park
Park
A park is a protected area, in its natural or semi-natural state, or planted, and set aside for human recreation and enjoyment, or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. It may consist of rocks, soil, water, flora and fauna and grass areas. Many parks are legally protected by...
. The original dam was washed away and the citizens of Le Roy rebuilt it and named the body of water "Lake Louise" for Hambrecht's sister. In 1961 local advocates arranged a visit by state park officials, who agreed that Wildwood Park could be expanded into a state park. The land was transferred to the state of Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and in 1963 Lake Louise State Park was created by an act of the Minnesota Legislature
Minnesota Legislature
The Minnesota Legislature is the legislative branch of government in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is a bicameral legislature located at the Minnesota Capitol in Saint Paul and it consists of two houses: the lower Minnesota House of Representatives and the Minnesota Senate...
. At that time it contained only the lake and 636 acres (2.6 km²). The boundaries have been expanded since, but usage remains primarily local. A 1971 internal study recommended that the park be remanded to the county as a regional recreation area, but no such action was ever taken.