The cultural resources found within the current boundaries of St. Croix National Scenic Riverway document evidence of past human activities occurring on or near the Riverway over an extended period of time.

 

Human occupation began as early as 10,000 years ago. Burial mounds, campsites, chipping stations, quarries, wild rice processing areas, rock art, and village sites offer evidence of the seasonal and complex nature of prehistoric life along the rivers.

 

Historic American Indian archeological sites are also present and evidence the coming of European people and culture. The St. Croix River/Brule River was a favored fur trade route from the Mississippi River to Lake Superior. Interaction took place between traders and Dakota and Ojibwe and other Indians as they traveled the rivers and traded.

 

In 1837 a treaty opened the area to settlement by Euro-Americans. Logging and early settlement occurred along the Riverway and is evidenced by the remains of logging dams and camps, the foundations of houses and farms, and the "trash" people left behind. More recent cultural resources are recreational homes, roadbeds and pine plantations.