Rainy River (Minnesota–Ontario)

The Rainy River (Template:Langx; Template:Langx) is a river, approximately Template:Convert long, forming part of the Canada–United States border separating Northwestern Ontario and northern Minnesota.<ref name=GNIS>Template:GNIS</ref>

History

A map of the river charted by an expedition in 1825<ref>Franklin, John. Route of the Expedition A. D. 1825, from Fort William to the Saskatchewan River [map]. Scale not given. In: John Franklin. Narrative of a Second Expedition to the Shores of the Polar Sea in the Years 1825, 1826, and 1827. London: John Murray, 1828.</ref>

The river issues from the west side of Rainy Lake (French: lac à la Pluie; Ojibwe: Gojiji-zaaga'igan) and flows generally west-northwest, between International Falls, Minnesota, and Fort Frances, Ontario, and between Baudette, Minnesota, and Rainy River, Ontario. The Couchiching First Nation (the Ojibwe name spelled in transliterated form) is associated with this river, where it had traditional territory.<ref name=GNIS /><ref name=Waters>Template:Cite book</ref>

The name of Koochiching County, Minnesota was derived from the Ojibwe term. Rainy Lake and the river were named by French colonists. These names were translated and adopted into English by British colonists. The town of Rainy River, Ontario was not developed until the late 19th century and not named until the early 20th century.<ref name=Waters />

The river enters the southern end of Lake of the Woods approximately Template:Convert northwest of the towns of Baudette and Rainy River. A dam at International Falls generates hydroelectricity from the river. The drainage basin of the river stretches east to the height of land about Template:Convert west of Lake Superior. It was the southeast corner of the huge tract of land granted in 1670 by the English Crown to the Hudson's Bay Company. The river ultimately drains through the Winnipeg River, Lake Winnipeg, and the Nelson River into Hudson Bay.<ref name=Waters />

The Baudette-Rainy River International Bridge and the Fort Frances-International Falls International Bridge both cross the Rainy River.<ref name=Waters />

The Ontario and Rainy River Railway, opened in 1901 and now part of Canadian National, follows the river on the Canadian side.

Rainy River flows west to Lake of the Woods (lower right) forming part of the Canada-U.S. border and ultimately drains through Nelson River to Hudson Bay in the north<ref name=Waters />

Notoriety

A white sucker weighing 6lb 8oz caught on the Rainy River near Loman, Minnesota stands as the IGFA all tackle world record.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

American author Tim O'Brien's novel The Things They Carried (1990), set during the Vietnam War, includes a chapter, "On the Rainy River," referring to this territory.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

See also

• Pigeon River
• Winnipeg River, for exploration and fur trade
• List of rivers of Minnesota
• List of longest streams of Minnesota
• List of international border rivers
• List of Ontario rivers
• Rainy Lake
• Lake sturgeon

External links

• State of Minnesota: Rainy River Basin