This glazed cream stoneware jug was found in the Mississippi River near Belle Prairie, Minnesota, by a fisherman who was trolling for fish near Belle Prairie Park. The jug shows evidence of water damage but is in fairly good condition. The jug has no identifying markers. It may have been used for mineral water or moonshine.
Belle Prairie Park is north of Little Falls on the east side of the Mississippi River. Located in Belle Prairie Township, Belle Prairie was the seat of the Catholic church and school. In 1848, Rev. Frederick Ayer, a Congregational missionary from Massachusetts, settled in the area and established a school for Indian children. Belle Prairie Township originally extended from the Mississippi River to Mille Lacs County and contained 153,000 acres. The township was organized on March 25, 1859.