The following quotation from a "Rum" River historical marker located between Milaca and Onamia states that the "Rum" River name is thought to be a "mistranslation". Because of a historical document that can be found in a book published by the Minnesota Historical Society most people believe that the "Rum" River name is actually a "faulty translation", not a "mistranslation". This historical marker misinforms or covers up the full truth about how this river recieved its current profane name. However, it does present a (somewhat truthful) negative explanation of how this river recieved its current name.

"The Rum River history is as interesting as its name and thought to be a mistranslation of the Dakota Indian name, spirit, to Rum by white settlers.

The "Rum" River flows out of Mille Lacs Lake. And on the Minnesota DNR's website there is an article about Minnesota's geographic place names that are mistakes due to incorrect interpretations of non-English names as well as one deliberate misinterpretation of an American "Indian" name for a geographic place.

In respect to the deliberate misinterpretation of an American "Indian" name for a geographic place, a Minnesota DNR website article states: "Not so the name for the river flowing out of Mille Lacs. (The "Rum River" name is a deliberate misinterpretation name not an interpretation mistake name, as some other MN geographic place names are.) The lake was known to the Dakota as Mde Wakan, 'spirit lake.' They called the river by the same name. But traders made a pun with the name of the spirituous liquor that caused such misery and destruction during the fur trade."