Starvation Point - Orono

No one knew his real name. The Native Americans who encountered him and the early settlers simply called him "Hairy faced man". One of the earliest white men to live by Minnetonka, he seasonally occupied a small log hut on the point now called "Bracket's Point". He was known for his fearlessness and justness. The date: 1840s.
He traded with a local fur company and lived alone for the many years.
One year he did not show up at the fur company with his usual store of skins and furs. The fur company sent out an agent, White Crow, to search for Hairy Faced Man. White Crow returned with the news that hairy faced man had died of starvation on the point. Later searchers turned up signs of delerium and long sickness.
News of his demise spread among the settlers and the point became known widely as "Starvation Point".

I think of the isolation and solitude of this early trapper/hunter. He left no written notes. Living alone with his thoughts until the end of his days. One could say he was one with nature with little desire to be anything else... but that is my speculation.
Today, is anyone willing be so alone with their thoughts and life experiences? One sees people walking along the lake in autumn while chatting on a cell phone. Shopping, biking, yes even running marathons, while holding on to cell phones, or listening to headsets.
Eager to share their experience...

Thoughts about Starvtion Point, now called Bracket's Point. The name change in took place in 1881.



No need for starvation today. Open 24 hours in nearby Wayzata.