Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-06-28

TO over nun0red feet back in the rocks
which was once inhabited bv a banG
of counterfeiters, but is the home o1
snakes and animals of the wood and
very few care to visit this secluded
spot.
| This river, with all its grandeur
years ago was the haunts Of the red
men, forming for them a water way
from the great Lakes to the MissiSs-
| iPpi. 1t was tribe of Chippawas
who gave it the name WeeSkonson
signiting. 'The gathering of the
waters" referring to the numerous
streams near its head concentrating
into one stream which runs for some
distance with but comparatively few
principal branches to swell its current.
The French voyagers called it Ouis-
consin this being nearer the Indian
than the English Wisconsin.
An attempt was made some years
ago to restore the original name but
this proved unpopular and the legis-
lature solemnly decreed that it should
be written as we write it today.
The honor of the discovery of the
river is given to Louis Joliet and
Father Marquette in 1873 two hundred
and thirty three years ago.
Joliet was French fur trader and
Marquette was priest. AS the
French thought it was as necessary to
convert the Indians as to develope
the fur trade no exploiting party was
complete without priest. Although
other French explorers haye been
thought to have been on the WiScon-
sin river, Joliet and Marquette were
the first to give written report of
their explorations. They started
from Strait Macinac came down Lake
Michigan and Green Bay up the Fox
to the village Of Moscotens near
where the city of Berlin now stands,
here they got two Indians to guide
them to Portage and help them oyer
the marshy swamp mile and a half
in width and let them embarked
upon the Wisconsin.
They padded down the Wisconsin
into the Mississippi as far as the
mouth of the Arkansas then returned
to report their discoveries to New
France by the Illinois and Chicago
rivers.
From this time on several trading
posts were established along the lower
portion of the river and in 100 when
lead was discovered in southwestern
Wisconsin and northern Illinois the
FOX wisconsin route as it was called
was very popular. But it was not
until 1904 when the English gained
control of the country that there was
much change in its condition. The
English were more successful In che
lead mines. The people flocked to the
west. They sent the lead down the
Mississippi to st. Louis and New
Orleans and up the Fox Wisconsin
route to eastern cities. The canal
was not built across the portage and
Federal government was induced tc
deepen the Fox which was very
shallow, an attempt was also made to
create Wisconsin. From that time on
a great deal of money was spent on
the Wisconsin to make it navigable.
The locks were put in at Portage and
numerous wing dams or jetties were
built on the river from Portage to it's
mouth, trying to force the water
through one channel to wash out the
sand bars. But as soon as the railroads
were built throughout the country
this water route became more and
more unpopular until now it is only
used by light crafts and tourists.
AS soon as lead mining was started
this called for lumber which brought
the people farther north as there was
no good pine along the southern part
of the river,
Crews of men came up in the central
part of the state, cut the timber in
the winter, and hauled it to the river
and in the spring fioated it down
stream to an eddy or place where they
could easily hold the logs. Here they
erected saw mill. These were the
old up and down saws run by water
power. About fifty years ago the
circle saw came into use, which was
later run by steam. 1t required great
skill among the rivermen to be able
to go out on log jam and loosen Just
the right log to allow the rest to move
on down stream. After the logs were
sawed into lumber il was taken by
raftS which were about sixteen feet
square and steered by a long oar
fastened at the back. Several of these
in feet managed by crew of sturdy
rafrsmen fiOated down the river and
Mississippi 20 ST. Louis the usual
lumber market. From here the early
raftsmen walked to their starting place
but later were taken back by stages.
Later came the railroads. which has
made the raft unnecessary.
The first saw mill located on the
river was built at South Grand Rapids
and the fathers of some of the oldest
settlers of this city were among the
first crews to run the river.
A story is told by one Of the old
settlers. who was born near the South
Side. of how his father took MIN when
little child with his mother and two
or three brothers and sisters ia a
canoe and padded down the Wisconsin
to Portage up the Fox to Green Bay
had him baptized and then returned
home. The last raft that went down
the river was run by Mr.. John DAILY
an old settler heIe who died few
years ago.