Statehood The 32nd state May 11, 1858 Captial St. Paul State Motto The star of the north Origin of State Name The name comes from a Sioux word meaning "cloudy water" that was applied to the Minnesota River. State Nickname The Land of 10,000 Lakes The state's nickname is actually an understatement, because Minnesota has more than 15,000 lakes. Interesting Facts Between the 1860s and the early 1900s Minnesota was the leading lumber-producing state. The low rocky ridges, or ranges, of northern Minnesota that contain iron ore are located in the region known as the Superior Upland. Lake Itasca, the source of the Mississippi River, was discovered and named by Henry R. Schoolcraft in 1832. Minneapolis and Saint Paul became major cities partly thanks to French immigrant engineer Edmund La Croix, a resident of the area who perfected a device to purify white flour in the early 1870s.