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.)
As one swings along, occasional glimpses of the Baraboo River is
obtained; rounding a sharp curve a horse-shoe bend is traversed; and
two miles farther, at Ableman, the Upper Narrows of the Baraboo River
crowd the sky line. As with the gorge at Devil's Lake and the one at
the Lower Narrows, this was cut by a stream in ancient geological
times, filled with sandstone when the sea intruded, and later was again
eroded. Like the remnant of a drift of snow in the late spring, in the
gorge is a bed of sandstone deposited by the intruding sea. Along the
crest on the opposite side of the river as one rides along,
conglomerate may be seen, seeming almost ready to topple to the base
below. The cement pebbles tell of waves beating on a far-off shore. On
the right of the road, near the upper end of the gorge, stands a
picturesque rock resisting the elements, an attractive land mark,
carved by the eternal sculptor.
As Reedsburg is neared, fox farms are passed. The wily animals are
grown for their valuable pelts.
Just after crossing the Baraboo River in Reedsburg, swing to the left,
climb the winding road, coast down to the County Farm, turn to the
left, drive across Narrows Creek Valley, entering Ableman just after
passing through the gorgeous gorge which corresponds in geological
history with those of Devil's Lake and the Baraboo River.
Merrimack to Prairie du Sac
Take the launch at Merrimack for a river ride to the hydro-electric
plant at Prairie du Sac. Down this river went Joliet and Marquette, the
first white men in this region, in June, 1673. Duluth and Hennepin were
the first to come up the stream in 1680. Down the waterway went a
French force in 1727 to erect a Fort on the Mississippi, and along this
course retreated, in 1760, the last French garrison of Machinac,
seeking the Illinois country.
Other adventures and expeditions have disturbed these waters in times
past and in the middle of the last century a procession of rafts plowed
southward. Prior to the advent of the railroad a few river steamers
dodged the sandbars as often as they could, but today naught but small
craft course the stream.
The boatman may show you the location of Rosalietown, near where the
river bends southward, a pioneer hamlet of which nothing now remains.
The little cemetery has been eaten away by the river.
Anacher Hill
A vast and pleasing prospect is obtained from Anacher Hill in
Caledonia. From Baraboo the elevation may be reached by driving to the
Welch Church on Trunk Line Highway 33, going to the right about two
miles, to the left a mile and again to the left a mile. The place may
also be reached by driving past Pine Bluff or through Dog Hollow.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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