Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-08-24

The following article was taken from
the Villas County hand book for the
Homeseekers.
Villas county is situated in the north
central part of the state and extends to
the Michigan line 1t contains nine
hundred and thirty-six square miles or
thirty-six full government townships.
The surface is generally level or slight
ly undulating with just sufficient fall
for good drainage purposes.
1t was formerly heavily timbered
with pine and hardwood but the lum-
bermen's axe, followed by extensive
forest fires which ragged in this section
a number of years ago played sad havoc
with it's extensive forests although
there are still large tracts covered with
pine and considerable hardwood still
left standing.
A glance at the map of the state will
show a number of rivers taking their
rise in this county. The Wisconsin
and Chippewa rivers which flow into
the Mississippi, the Wolf and Menom-
inee, whose waters ultimately reach
lake Michigan, and the Ontonagon and
Montreal of the Lake Superior system
all have thoir head waters in this coun
ty. A closer inspection of the map
will show this county dotted with in
Vulnerable lakes. There are, in fact,
four hundred and eighty-six meandered
lakes in the county which appear on
the government plats and there are
over two hundred smaller lakes
which do not appear on the plat, MAX
ing total of about seven hundred
lakes in the county, or an average of
nearly one to every section of land.
Some of these lakes are from one to two
miles long and from one-half to mile
wide so that there are but a very few
sections that do not contain or have a
lake touching them somewhere. These
lakes are either spring lakes or are fed
with streams and as it is to be expected
in a country containing so many lakes,
fresh water streams and brooks are to
be met with everywhere. No other
county in the state can begin to COM
pare with this in this respect and it is
an advantage that should appeal with
great force to the would-be settler in
search of location. Lack of water
has always been great drawback to
the successful settlement of the prair-
les of the west There the farmer
plants his crops in the spring without
any surety of having sufficient moisture
to make them grow There he is put
to great expense to dig wells to pro-
cure water for himself and stock and is
oft-times unsuccessful. While here he
has water in abundance at no expense,
and that too, pure spring water, as
good as the best.
The presence of it's innumerable lakes
of pure water exercises a great and
beneficial influence upon its
CLIMATE.
The question of climate is one of the
most important that comes before the
intending settler of new country.
Most men value health more than
money and pay very little attention to
the other advantages which country
offers until they are assured upon this
point.
The effect of the pure water in the
lakes and streams is to drive all mias
matte influences from the air and to
leave it pure and healthy. Malarial
fevers or fever and ague, the usual ac-
compartments of settlements in new
and timbered country are unheard of
here and epidemics entitely unknown.
On the contrary it has long been noted
for its healthfulness. For number OF
years invalids and sufferers from asth-
ma. hay fever and other diseases from
the southern part of the state, as we'll
as neighboring states, have been noted |
to make yearly pilgrimages here to re-
cuperate their systems and get relief
from their ailments. Owing to the
altitude and the directions of the winds,
the air is dry and freighted, as 1t IS,
with the fragrant incense thrown of
by the balsams and the pine, it acts as
a tonic and gives new lease of life to-
those bowed down by physical de bill
ity. One of the pleasant features OF
the climate of this locality are the cool
nights. No matter how warm the day
may have been, as soon as the sun sets
the cool breezes from the lakes dis
olaces the warm atmosphere and as
.,,nas the weary toiler comfortable