Lester River
Encyclopedia
The Lester River, is a short tributary
of Lake Superior
, about 15 mi (24 km) long, in northeastern Minnesota
in the United States
. It drains an area of 58 sq mi (150 km²).
. It rises in Gnesen Township
and flows generally southeastwardly through Rice Lake
and Lakewood
Townships, turning southward as it nears Lake Superior. It flows into the lake in eastern Duluth
.
Lester River is known as Basaabikaa-ziibi in Ojibwe, meaning "Rocky Canyon River", though Joseph Gilfillan
translated its name as "River that comes through a worn hollow place in the rock," as the river passes through a canyon between Lester Park, where Amity Creek joins Lester River, and the mouth of the river.
Along the Lester River are two structures listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. They are:
Tributary
A tributary or affluent is a stream or river that flows into a main stem river or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean...
of Lake Superior
Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the largest of the five traditionally-demarcated Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded to the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of Minnesota, and to the south by the U.S. states of Wisconsin and Michigan. It is the largest freshwater lake in the...
, about 15 mi (24 km) long, in northeastern 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...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It drains an area of 58 sq mi (150 km²).
Course
The Lester River flows for its entire length in southern St. Louis CountySt. Louis County, Minnesota
St. Louis County is a county located in the U.S. state of Minnesota. As of 2010, the population was 200,226. Its county seat is Duluth. It is the largest county by total area in Minnesota, and the second largest in the United States east of the Mississippi River; in land area alone, after Aroostook...
. It rises in Gnesen Township
Gnesen Township, Minnesota
Gnesen Township is a township in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,683 at the 2010 census.Rice Lake Road serves as a main arterial route in the township.-Geography:...
and flows generally southeastwardly through Rice Lake
Rice Lake Township, Minnesota
Rice Lake Township is a township in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,095 at the 2010 census.Rice Lake Road and Martin Road are two of the main arterial routes in the township.-Geography:...
and Lakewood
Lakewood Township, St. Louis County, Minnesota
Lakewood Township is a township in Saint Louis County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,190 as recorded at the 2010 census.Jean Duluth Road, West Tischer Road, North Tischer Road, Lakewood Road, and Strand Road are five of the main arterial routes in the township.-Geography:According...
Townships, turning southward as it nears Lake Superior. It flows into the lake in eastern Duluth
Duluth, Minnesota
Duluth is a port city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and is the county seat of Saint Louis County. The fourth largest city in Minnesota, Duluth had a total population of 86,265 in the 2010 census. Duluth is also the second largest city that is located on Lake Superior after Thunder Bay, Ontario,...
.
Lester River is known as Basaabikaa-ziibi in Ojibwe, meaning "Rocky Canyon River", though Joseph Gilfillan
Joseph Gilfillan
Joseph Alexander Gilfillan was an Episcopal missionary to Native Americans of the Ojibwa Tribe on White Earth Reservation in northern Minnesota during 35 years from 1873 until 1908.-Biography:...
translated its name as "River that comes through a worn hollow place in the rock," as the river passes through a canyon between Lester Park, where Amity Creek joins Lester River, and the mouth of the river.
Historical structures
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. They are:
- Lester River Bridge-Bridge No. 5772
- US Fisheries Station, Duluth—Built in 1882, the complex is located at the mouth of the Lester River. It is owned by University of Minnesota DuluthUniversity of Minnesota DuluthThe University of Minnesota Duluth is a regional branch of the University of Minnesota system located in Duluth, Minnesota, USA. As Duluth's public research university, UMD offers 13 bachelor's degrees in 74 majors, graduate programs in 24 different fields, a two-year program at the School of...
and temporarily housed the Great Lakes AquariumGreat Lakes AquariumGreat Lakes Aquarium is one of few aquariums in the United States that focuses on freshwater exhibits . It is housed in a three-story building in Duluth, Minnesota on the shores of Lake Superior and has numerous large and smaller satellite tanks that comprise the 120,000 gallon facility...
administrative offices at the beginning of the aquarium's operations. The complex consists of the Hatchery/Bunk-room Building, Boat House, Pump House, Supervisor's Cabin on the south side of Congdon Boulevard, and a Superintendent's House on the north side of Congdon Boulevard.