The Story of Pork Barrel Island
Do you ever wonder when you’re out cruising or fishing on The Chippewa Flowage, how the islands got their name?
Today, at Treeland’s the question was asked how Pork Barrel Island got its name…
As legend has it, before The Chippewa Flowage was formed, there was a trading post located at the current location that Pork Barrel Island is now. As the story goes, the LCO Native Americans traded their wild rice and other goods for products at this trading post, and one of their favorite items traded for was ‘pickled pork’, which was sold by the barrel!
At one time, the Native Americans got a barrel of tainted pork and all got very sick from it. After the lake was formed, and this old trading post area was above water, they named it, PORK BARREL ISLAND.
