Straight River

This river is inappropriately named since it's anything but “straight”. The river's name is a loose translation of “Owatonna,” a Dakota Indian word meaning morally strong or honest. The Straight river flows north from just south of Owatonna to Faribault, where it joins the Cannon River. During the 19th century the Straight River area was an important milling center. There was a large flourmill at Clinton Falls but only the flume where the wheel turned remains. The river is narrow ranging from 20 to 50 feet wide, with the upper stretch being quite narrow with the trees sometimes forming a canopy over the river. The river is shallow with depth ranging from a foot or less to 4 feet.