The
early French explorers were financed by the fur merchants of
Montreal came here from the town of Three Rivers Quebec
normally accompanied by missionaries from France. Although the
names of many early explorers will never be known, we do honor
two of who records have been found. Jacques De Noyon
and Pierre La Verendrye.
A
young man of 23 we credit De Noyon with being the first white
man to see the Lake of the Woods accompanied by his indian guide
in 1688. He wandered through the maze of island and aptly named
this body of water "Lac aux Isles." or Lake
of Islands.
At
the time of De Noyon's discovery, La Verendrye was a boy of
only three. At 12 he joined the army and fought on both sides
of the Atlantic. On his return to Three Rivers he was assigned
to posts in Canada. While serving on Lake Nipigon he heard tales
of the "Great Sea to the West" and in 1731 he succeeded
with he and his three sons and a party of 50 travelled to Rainy
River and wintered their. In 1732 they established Fort St Charles
on the mainland of the inlet of the Northwest Angle. (now an
island - Magnusons Island.)
In
1735 Father jean Pierre Aulneau was assigned to Ft. St. Charles.
He along with La Verendrye's oldest son Jean Baptiste, and 19
others set out for Mackinac Island for supplies. On a small
island they were massacred. (now Massacre Island on Lake of
the Woods.)
