History mystery

Reader Kim Ochocki was good enough to translate some of the copy we found in the Minneapolis newspaper, Echo de L’ouest, from February of 1918. We had hoped it would contain some clarification on the naming of the Cloquet River, and, subsequently, the city.

Alas, we merely get one of the theories that has survived the years. It’s an important find, as there are more than a few thoughts out there. Finding a source from more than 100 years ago helps narrow the field a bit.

Here is some of what Kim translated for us:

“Where does this name Cloquet come from? It is claimed that this name came from one of the pioneers of this region who called himself Cloutier. We pronounced this name Clouquier and we would have made it Cloquet which the Cloquetains pronounce Cloque.”

“For a long time the town of Cloquet was known as Knife Falls because of its falls.”

The article also says that the people who came before white settlement called the area on the St. Louis River that became Cloquet “Mocomaninegaming,” which means “Carrying the Falls of the Knife.” Cloquet had many names at one time, and Knife Falls was used just before incorporation in 1883.

Dunlap Island, the article says, was known as “Papascominitigung, which means treeless island.”

There is a humorous aside when it comes to the rowdy nature of business on the island: “For many years, this island had a certain reputation because it was there that Bacchus had his altars.”

So we didn’t solve the mystery. There is no known information out there on any old settler, fur trapper, or Rapid River inhabitant called Cloutier. Rapid River was the name of the Cloquet River before Nicollet came out with his map in 1843.

There are likely a lot of interesting history notes in the story that took up the entire front page of that issue of Echo de L’ouest. If you’d like a PDF copy, send an email requesting one to [email protected].

We’ll keep digging on the Cloquet naming thing.

— Mike Creger, Pine Knot News