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.)
The road runs on the verge of a dry ravine, where an Indian effigy
mound reposes on the opposite bank, near the Baraboo River. Other
mounds were to the west and an Indian ford crossed the stream here.
About 1906 an Indian skeleton was unearthed on the bank of the gully,
nearly opposite the farmstead.
Garrisonville
In the region about the ravine, Mrs. Ann Garrison, in pioneer times,
laid out a paper city, much to the regret of lot purchasers in
Philadelphia and elsewhere. The sawmill, the pottery, the hotel, and
the "salted" gold mine are but memories now.
The gap where the river escapes from the valley into the lowland to the
north, has a geological history similar to that of Devil's Lake. No
talus covers the slopes, however, the loose stones having been swept
away when the ice sheet flowed slowly through in glacial times.
An Ancient Lava Bed
At seven localities about the outer margin of the quartzite region,
igneous rocks have been found--at Alloa, near the Devil's Nose, at
Baxter's Hollow, three near Denzer and the Lower Narrows.
By far the largest area, fully described by Professor Samuel Weidman in
"The Baraboo Iron-Bearing District," is found at the Lower Narrows,
distributed over the width of more than half a mile along the north
slope, to the east and west of the gap. At the bridge the road to the
left leads to a point less than a mile distant, here the igneous rock
or rhyolite comes boldly within a few feet of the highway. By climbing
upon the ledge one stands on a surface older than the Baraboo Hills,
older than any deposit in the whole region. As lava the rhyolite
flowed, then cooled and during the upheaval of the north range was
forced upon its edge, remaining so to this day. Upon this cooled lava
the whole later geologic formation of the region rests--to be upon it
is to be upon the floor of the world.
[Illustration: JEFFERSON DAVIS]
Road Hugs the Bluff
Eastward from the bridge over the Baraboo River, the highway hugs the
bluff. A few Indian mounds may be seen less than half a mile to the
north after passing the first farm house. To the east of these mounds
the skeletons of about sixty Indians were uncovered when one was
leveled a number of years ago. The Indian corpses had been seated in a
circle and buried in one heap of earth. Evidently there had been a
battle or pestilence amongst them.
[Illustration: FORT WINNEBAGO IN 1834]
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