1. The northwest angle is the northern-most post office in the contiguous United States.
  2. The northwest angle came to be…because of a map drawing error. The boundary between Canada and the United States WAS to have been along a line through the great lakes to the source of the St. Lawrence River…instead, the line was drawn to the source of the Winnipeg River thus “chopping off” the northwest angle from Canada.
  3. Included in making the decision to include the NW Angle in the United States were Benjamin Franklin and John Adams.

NW ANGLE IMPORTANCE TO MINNESOTA

  1. The northwest Angle gives Minnesota “bragging rights” as being the northern most point of the contiguous United States. From the south shore of the NW Angle, people can look “south” past Canada and back to Minnesota.
  2. To reach the NW Angle by road, a traveler has to leave Minnesota, travel several miles on Canadian roads and re-enter Minnesota at the NW Angle. However, a person can leave the south shore of Lake of the Woods (Baudette area) and travel in Minnesota WATERS all the way to the NW Angle.
  3. The NW Angle and Lake of the Woods offers some of the best freshwater fishing in the United States.

ANGLE INLET SCHOOL

  1. The Angle Inlet School on the Northwest Angle is Minnesota’s last one-room school in existence.
  2. The school is the most northerly school in the contiguous United States.
  3. Students at the Angle Inlet School get to class in several ways. During winter travel may be by snowmobile, the fall and spring youngsters may arrive on bikes, golf carts and ATV’s. And in some cases in the summer, students are dropped of by parents in boats.
  4. Angle Inlet School also serves as a meeting place for community socials, local plays, 4-H club meetings and old fashioned potluck dinners.

Celeste Colson is the matriarch of a four generation resort at the Northwest Angle. She can be reached at 218/223-8181

Deb Kellerman is president of the N.W. Angle Chamber and a professor at St. Cloud State 218/223-8111