Minnesota became an independent territory in 1849 after which
nine original counties were established, Benton, Dakotah,
Itasca, Mahkahta, Pembina, Ramsey, Wabashaw, Wahnahta, and
Washington. Seven other counties, Aitken, Anoka, Crow Wing,
Isanti, Mille Lacs, Morrison, and Sherburne were partly formed
from the original Benton County land. Mille Lacs County is a
medium-sized county located in east central Minnesota. The
county also includes the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation. The
largest industries are services, durable goods manufacturing,
and state and local government. The service industry was also
the fastest growing. Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota's second-largest
lake, spans 132,000 surface acres or slightly more than 200
square miles. Maximum depths barely exceed 40 feet, which much
of the main lake falls into the 20 to 38 foot depth ranges.
While the north half of Mille Lacs contains most of the lake's
mud flats, the southern portion of the lake offers more gravel
and rock bars. All sides of the lake offer s