Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1915-11-25

IN the state, Penlneuta park, IN Door
county, Marquette park in Grant county
and Devils Lake park in Sank county
and Interstate park in Polk county. The
betterments will consist chiefly in max
ing permanent improvements in the
way Of roads and paths and the repair
of buildings. Most of the work will be
done in Peninsula and DEVILS Lake
parks, for which So, 900 each has been
set aside, according to plans of the con-
servation commission.
Total Area SAT- Acres
The four state parks cover an area
Of SAT- acres, or little more than
10 square miles, the largest being Pen
insua park with 5000 acres. Mar
quette park cover3 /, 67I acres, DEVILS
Lake park 1,05O acres and Interstate
park $50 acres. They are the play
grounds of the people, located in wide
Ily separated regions. They are visited
annually by thousands and the purpose
of the commission is to make their
beauties more easily available and
more inviting. Peninsula and Devil g
Lake parks are visited more as they are
in the resort region. In them are
found not only all the natural charms
of the wild woods, but beautiful land-
scapes resulting from bold configura-
ton of high bluffs and cliffs Old In
dian trails can be followed through
woodlands of birch and balsam with a
wealth of wild flowers and exquisite
fungi. When the betterments now
planned are completed the visitor can
reach the finest viewpoints by drives
and walks of easy ascent. All the
parks border on lake or river with op-
portunties for boating, bathing and
fishing and every effort is to be
made to give to the people of the state
the fullest possible use and enjoyment
of them.
In DEVILS Lake park work was
started last year. Underbrush has been
cleared away and house built for
care-taker. Plans for next summer in
Guide the building of road along the
south bluff and also to improve a por-
ton of the road from the northwes
corner of the lake to Baraboo. About
2 900 young pine trees will be planted
in the park.
Much work has been done in the
other parks.
Park Movement Began in 1899.
The state park movement in Wis
consin really began in 1899 although
there had been some legislation prior
to that time. In that year the legisla-
ture appropriated Sc, 500 for the pur-
chase of lands for Interstate park. In
1903 law was passed providing for
the appointment of an unsalaried COM
mission, and in 1907 that body con-
sisting of the late F. A. Hutchins of
Madison. E. M. Griffith of Madison and
A. C. Clas of Milwaukee, made a re-
port recommending the requirement of
|
that legislative committee be appoint
ed to investigate the matter.
In 1907 three laws were passed, one
creating the state park board, one to
investigate the Door county region al d
one instructing the state park board
to examine the site of the old terri
torisl capital in Lafayette county
Later report was made unfavorable
to the Lafayette county proposition
The state park board under this law
consisted of T. E. Birmingham of Mad
ison, W. H. Nc Fetridge of Bara-
boo and Edward E. Brown of Wau-
paca, now congressman. In 1909
it made a report which included re-
port by John Nolen, landscape archi
tect of Cambridge, Mass. 1t was up
on this report that the movement
/ for the present state park system
: is based.
The four state parks now represent
: an investment by the state of 1921, 571-
.23 as follows:
Interstate park .......... 500, Isl. so
Peninsula park. ........... SO, 1872 IL
DEVILS Lake park. .128, 49744
. Marquette park. ......... 46. 139. SO
Total ........ =. 1921, ST.. %
Marquette and Interstate parks are
| completed, but Peninsula and DEVILS
Lake parks are not. At the former
there is some 507 acres yet desired
which, it is estimated, will cost about
500, 900. At DEVILS Lake two unacquir-
ed tracts are now in process of condem-
. nation and the commission urges that
the American Refractories Co. track
also should be acquired The value of
these would have to be determined by
he courts.