Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1862-05-14
From the Oshkosh, Wis.) Northwestern.
THE ST. CROIX RIVER
AND
SOME SCENES AROUND IT.

miles from the Balize, where the "Father
of waters" pours his tribute into the
Gulf of Mexico, and forming natural
boundary to the States of Wisconsin and
Minnesota, the St. Croix empties into
the Mississippi the waters which have
followed its shallow and intricate channel
from the frozen regions of Lake Superior.
Its source is in the upper St. Croix
Lake. on the Southern slope of the great
metal-bsaring ridge, which divides the
tributaries of the Mississippi from those
of Lake Superior. From there, it follows
tortuous course of about 200 miles,
broken by falls and rapids, till at otlIl-
water, as if exhausted by its struggle with
the hard trap rocks, it spreads itself out
into a beautiful placid lake, some thirty
miles long and from one to two miles
wide, and SO. like an old man, worn oat
with the struggles of life, it passes away
quietly and almost imperceptibly, into
the Mississippi at Prescott. From Pres
colt it is navigable (or small boats) as
far up as the Falls Of St. Croix, dis
lance of about sixty miles, amid scenery
the most beautiful and varied to be found
in the Northwest.
Reader! gentle or otherwise, If you
have patience to wade through a few
pages of narrative of voyage and travel
accompany US, in fancy, on board yonder
small craft, which hes putting at the
levec at Prescott.
And here perhaps few words on the
history and prospects Of Prescott may
not be amiss.
Prescott, then, is situated at the juno
ton of the Mississippi and Lake ST.
Croix, in Pierce Co. Wis, 80 miles from
st. Paul aud l34 miles from La Crosse,
its nearest point of railroad comnunica-
ton with the East It's levee is one Of
the best on the river. and it commands q
beautiful view of the river, lake, and adj
joining country.
Back from the river, is n rich rolling
prairie, dotted over With farms, and Civ
ing evidence in its we'll to do looking
farm houses and other buildings, of the
fertility of the soil.
The city itself was started about ten
yeras ago, contains about 1900 iuhab-
Itants, and may safely be said to be in a
fiouI ishing condition. IL has good Saw
and FIGURING mills. grain warehouses,
churches, hotels, and all the usual accom-
paniments and appurtenances OF a West
ern city, and last but not least, an excel
lent paper-the JcURNAL-got up and
edited in good style by Lutte A. Taylor,
its proprietor.
Many have raised as an objection to
to Sc ,,ing here. the distance from a mar
ket for grain, DC, but this is a fallacy !;
wheat fetching here on the levee as good
and sometimes even better price, than
it will III the towns on the La Crosse
or Prairie du Chen Railroads; the com
petition between these two roads having
so reduced their freight tariffs to enable
them to command the business of the up
per Mississippi, that wheat is shipped
through from St. Paul and Intermediate
points on the river, at lower rates than
from towns on the line OF the railroads.
But the steamer is waiting. and lie
Captain looks impatient at oar delay, SO
let US 90 aboard and start for the upper
country without further gossip.
IT'S beautiful spring morning; the
NAPLES and Willows on the river banks
are just beginning to show their ten Ter
buds. and nature seems awaking froro
her long winter nap and stepping forth
clad in green. The lake, calm and peace
! ful, like child sleeping in its mothers
lap, reflects the shadows of the lofty
bluffs, with which it is bordered, with
wonderful distinctness, rock and tee,
! branch and flower, each and nil of them.
meeting with its counterpart in the lake
below. The smoke from the mills and
houses, rises straight into the air, and
hangs in light cloud over the city,
growing dim and indistinct in the dis
lance, as the fast revolving wheels of our
little steamer carry us farther aud farther
from our starting place.
And now we are fairly afoat on Lake
st. Croix, scarcely mile between its
wood covered banks, its shores diyersiti.
ed with bays and headIands. each with a
wild sweet beauty of its own, jutting out
boldly into she lake or retiring under the
| protection of the GROWING bluffs, as /
| seeking refuge from the advances of the