and homes for the fishermen. There is little evidence of the remains of the village besides foundations, debris and depressions in the land. Zippel Bay State Park was established in 1959 to provide public access to Lake of the Woods and provide recreational opportunities in the area. Construction of the park did not get underway until 1963 and was completed in 1967. Ecology Zippel Bay State Park is home to a diverse population of jack pine, birch and quaking aspen trees. Other plants in the area include choke cherries, blueberries, cranberries, juneberries, pin cherries, strawberries and mushrooms. The plant life attracts herbivores like western moose and Dakota white-tailed deer. Other wildlife in the park include eastern black bears, northeastern coyotes, Hudson Bay minks, fishers, North American river otters and the rarely seen American marten. Eastern wolves have also been sighted in this park. The shoreline of Lake of the Woods attract a wide variety of shorebirds, water fowl and birds of prey. Sandhill cranes nest on the northern side of Zippel Bay. The bay is one of four known breeding areas for the rare piping plover. The plover is nearing extinction in the Great Lakes region of North America. Other birds found in the park include American white pelicans, Franklin's and Bonaparte's gulls, double-crested cormorants, and several species of terns. Ospreys and bald eagles nest within this park. Geology Zippel Bay State Park is in a part of Minnesota that was at one time park of a glacial lake, Lake Agassiz. Lake of the Woods is a remnant of the glacial lake. The glacial history of northern Minnesota created areas of peatlands and sandy mineral rich soil. The topography of the area is generally gently sloped with some abrupt slopes that are former beaches of Lake of the Woods. Several rock outcrops a scattered around the shores of the lake and the bay. Recreation Zippel Bay State Park is open for year-round recreation with fishing being the primary attraction. Lake of the Woods has an abundance of walleye and sauger which is a smaller relative of the walleye. Other fish caught in the lake at the park include perch, muskellunge and smallmouth bass. Lake sturgeon are rarely caught in the modern era, but they do play a role in the history of the park. Wilhelm Zippel built his fishing business on sturgeon. The sturgeon were caught for their valuable eggs,