Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1925-06-17
Know Wisconsin Better

OF mile and a half separated the
Wisconsin river, which flows into
the Mississippi, from the Fox river,
which flows into the Great Lakes
and eventually into the St. Law
renee. This route through the
heart Of Wisconsin was the key
note of the arch of French occu-
patton, and was an influential fac
tor in shaping not only the history
Of Wisconsin but the history of
the entire continent.
Although French suzerainty last
ed only 1877 years, for almost 200
years Wisconsin was distinctly a
French colony. Cordons of forts
were erected along the waterways
by the military commandments, and
Jesuit missionaries built bark chap
els at every settlement. 1t was a
day Of romance and adventure. To
these forts came the wandering
traders, the rollicking voyageurs,
dressed in buckskin and bedecked
with beads and ear rings, the cou-
rier du bois with his retainers, the
half-naked Indians and half breeds.
1t was devil-may-care adventur-
Gus life.
Admitted to Union 1913.
The defeat of the French by the
British under General Wolfe and
the surrender Of Quebec meant the
downfall Of New France, and Great
Britain became master on the
North American continent. Later
at the close of the Revolutionary
War, Wisconsin became American
territory. Until 1887 it was unor-
gained but in that year it be-
came part of the Northwest Terri
tory. From that year to 1918 it
was in turn made a part of the
Northwest Territory, Indiana Terri
tory and the Illinois Territory. In
1918 Wisconsin became a part Of
Michigan Territory.
In 1886 The Territory of Wiscon-
sin was created and in 1848 Wiscon-
sin was admitted to statehood 1t
may be noted, however that while
French jurisdiction ceased in 1861,
its influence remained practically
in control Of the population even
up to 1916 when American troops
took possession of Green Bay on
the east, and Prairie du Chen on
the Western boundary of the state.
What manner Of state, then, is
Wisconsin, which after 200 years of
conflict between two of the worlds
great empires had become part of
the A meri Commonwealth.
What is the character of it's sur
face, what are its natural resour-
ces, what have it's people done with
this setting and with their oppor-
tunities to build themselves a hap
by and prosperous estate?
A glimpse of the topography and
the geological story of Wisconsin
is interesting. The surface reveals
a striking diversity.
West of a line drawn to Madi-
Illinois boundary, north to Madi-
son, thence northwest to Eau Claire
lies the western upland" This is
a region with a general summit
elevation about 1900 to 1900 feet
above sea level. The tops of most
of the hills are mainly fairly hard
dolomite; the TANKS and the valley
bottoms are soft, cream-colored
and buff sandstone, mostly covered
with soil and hardwood forest. The
main streams have carved their
valleys four or five hundred feet
deep into this upland, and in this
process have developed scenery of
diversified and rugged beauty.
Patch Work on Hillsides.
The sleeper hiilsides are a varie-
gated picture of open, grassy
"sheep-path" terraced slopes dot
ted with creeping juniper and
clumps of flaming sumach-or of
dense forest growth of oak, wal
nut, Eastwood and poplar, with
here and there a dark evergreen to
stand out against the autumn col
ors; or of soft sandstone cliffs CHS
eled by the wind and nodded by the
rain into fantastic castellated
forms and crowned with lichen-cov-
cred gray dolomite.
The gently rolling upland, the
gentler slopes and the valley bot
toms make rich agricultural fields
and farm pastures. A view down
one Of these prosperous valleys,
dotted with well-kept homes, nest
ling in the shelter Of the spurs
from, tho main ridUnc ~, ont n, +ba