Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1920-03-04
PART VIII
Pewit,s Nest

But g. trifle over three miles from
Baraboo, in the early 4Os queer'
enigmatical character secreted him.
self in the rocky recesses or PeWlt
Nest. To this wildering abode ne un-
expectedly came, lived for time, and
mysteriously disappeared like phan-
tom or will-o.the-wisp.
After rumbling over the bridge at
the Island Wooden mill, climbing
the curved incline, and rolling over
the viaduct above the railroad tracks,
the course to Pewit's Nest follows
the main highway which turns here
to the right for half mile and an
other half mile to the left. Leaving
the main road, No. IL, the road FOL
lows mile to the right climbing the
terminal moraine and crossing the
outwash plain-and still another nalf
mile to the left the Journey brings
the visitor to a little rural scnool-
building by the roadside, the place 10
abandon the car. Here Skillet creek
has cut a. widemouthed valley Or
pocket. .Pewit's Nest being quarter
of mile to the left of the main road.
Sward sided cellar holes are all
that remain of a few rude dwellings
built about primative mill. AT one
time the jaws at the mouth or the
Nest supported great iron shaft,
cumbersome overshot waterWneel
deliberately delivering the contents
of the creek, by means Of its buckets,
into the pool below. In the process
logs were converted into lumber,
a painfully tedious operation.
A Queer Abode
Before building the mill, however,
there dwelt In recess OF the sodlo
sandstone, an ingenious and eccentric
character whose presence and unusual
behavior gave the name to the place.
In his Outline Sketches" w H. Can
field, local historian, who located on
Skillet Creek In 1912, says the abode
of this individual was ten feet above
a deep pool of water, dug out by the
fall of the creek over the crest OF the
resisting formation. The approach to
this nearly secreted habitation was
either through trap-door in the root,
or a trap-door in the floor. IL one CHI
tered through the roof it was by
clam bering down the rocky wall to the
opening, and if through the floor 1t
was by means of floating bridge upon
the pool, a ladder at It's end leading
to the trap-door in the floor. .The
little shop could not be seen from the
mouth of the canyon, or from the top,
or from any direction but one, hence
bv the early settlers was dubbed the
"Pewee" or "Pewit's Nest"
Here the recluse repaired watches,
clocks, guns, and occasionally farming
utensils, even essaying to manufacture
the latter in a rude way. Lathes he
had for turning iron and wood, the
power for propelling being provided
from an old fashioned centrifugal
water wheel, itself as much of cur
iousity as it's owner. A large coffee
mill, likewise a grindstone, was al
ranged to operate by the water that
was forever collecting in the dpper
valley and pouring through the shady
dell. It is said that this hermit of
the hill could tell lively tale and dis
PEELED the COON of loneliness by play
ing upon violin At times. forsoouh,
he was persuaded to preach for the
Norman church, although his actiVi-
ties in this direction were never pro-
nounced. Among his other accomplish
ments, he posed as doctor and pre-
scribed as remedies the herbs and
shrubs growing in the valleys and on
the hills about.
His favorite place of abode seems
to have been the border of new
country and when the settlements
among the Baraboo Bluffs became toe
numerous, he quietly and mysterious
" disappeared from his queer home