Baraboo, Dells, and Devil's Lake Region — John Shaqi
Baraboo, Dells, and Devil's Lake RegionCole, Harry Ellsworth
History
Baraboo, Dells, and Devil's Lake Region
Cole, Harry Ellsworth
Baraboo (Wis.); Dells of the Wisconsin (Wis.); Devil's Lake (Wis.); Sauk County (Wis.)
Echo Point is where Taylor's Glen is crossed by the railroad and,
standing at the mouth of the tunnel, one may hear his voice come back
as a boomerang out of space.
Bear's Cave is a recess a little lower on the same side of the river.
Chimney Rock much resembles the one in the Upper Dells, except for
size, and is located just below Bear's Cave.
Pulpit Rock is at the water's edge hard by.
Observation Point gives a view of a magnificent landscape.
Stultz Rock, on the opposite side of the stream, was a terror to
raftsmen, their craft often being whirled to destruction at this
treacherous location.
The Hawk's Bill boldly exposes itself to view, the point being known
for many years as Signal Peak.
The Sugar Bowl, Inkstand, and Lone Rock stand amid the swirling waters
of the stream, boldly battling with the forces of erosion. They are
hard cores which have been left as the river cut its way to the present
level.
The Cave of the Dark Waters, called by the Indians, Nah-huh-nah, is an
interesting place for the boat to pause.
Grotto Rock and other places of interest will be pointed out by the
boatman as the craft glides along.
A Deserted Village
Newport, once a noisy, busy place, boasting of two thousand
frontiersmen, and now a deserted village site with but a few cellar
holes to recall its past glory, was located where the highway,
extending east from Delton, joins the Wisconsin River road. The pioneer
village was at the head of navigation, this being given as the excuse
for its appearance, and after an ephemeral existence of but a few
years, passed so completely from view that little remains but a ghostly
recollection of the place.
Here the rivermen found a breathing place when they re-assembled their
rafts after running the cribs through the gauntlet of the Dells, here
the river steamers halted to unburden their cargoes and assume new
responsibilities for the downward trips; and here the overland stages
drew up at the great Steele tavern to enable the passengers to set foot
on the new El Dorado. There was first a limited village plat which
included a few blocks, but as the excitement grew, divisions and
sub-divisions were added until there was danger of engulfing the
village of Delton and even the cemetery two or three miles away. Those
with a speculative turn, far and near, purchased lots and blocks in the
upstart town, only to have the castle of disappointment fall about
their ears.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account