Saint Croix NSR: Historic Resource Study St. Croix Riverway Time and the River: A History of the Saint Croix TIME AND THE RIVER A History of the Saint Croix A Historic Resource Study of the Saint Croix National Scenic Riverway Eileen M. McMahon Theodore J. Karamanski 2002 Midwest Regional Office National Park Service United States Department of the Interior Omaha, Nebraska TABLE OF CONTENTS sacr/hrs/hrs.htm Last Updated: 17-Oct-2002 http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/sacr/hrs/hrs.htm[6/26/2012 12:45:19 PM] Saint Croix NSR: Historic Resource Study (Table of Contents) St. Croix Riverway Time and the River: A History of the Saint Croix TABLE OF CONTENTS Cover Acknowledgements Introduction — The St. Croix: River of Paradox Chapter 1 — Valley of Plenty, River of Conflict The Dakota and Their Neighbors French Fur Traders on the St. Croix The Origins of the Dakota-Chippewa War English Fur Traders on the St. Croix A Social History of the Fur Trader in the St. Croix Valley The Ecological Impact of the Fur Trader The American Fur Company Era Dakota-Chippewa Relations During the American Era6 The Treaties of 1837 Strangers on the Land: The St. Croix Indians in the Settlement Era Chapter 2 — River of Pine From Fur Trade to Fir Trade Frontier Logging: Life in the Forest Frontier Logging: The Importance of Waterpower The St. Croix Valley Industrial River The Log Drives A River Jammed with Logs Industrial Logging Corporate Control of the St. Croix The Failure of Government Regulation of the St. Croix Pinery Fire in the Forest The Last Days of the Lumber Frontier The Impact of Logging on the St. Croix Valley Chapter 3 — "The New Land": Settlement and the Development of Agriculture in the St. Croix Valley Dividing the Valley Farmers and the Repopulation of the Valley The Swedish Frontier Land Speculation and Growing Pains The Civil War Years in the St. Croix Valley http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/sacr/hrs/hrst.htm[6/26/2012 12:45:21 PM] Saint Croix NSR: Historic Resource Study (Table of Contents) The Farming Frontier Moves Up the Valley Railroads: Regional Rivalry and Growth From Wheat to Dairy Mining Illusions Settlement Spreads to the Upper St. Croix Valley Farms or Forest? The Cutover Debate Chapter 4 — Up North: The Development of Recreation in the St. Croix Valley Tourism in the Ante-Bellum Years Railroads Promote Tourism and the Resort Industry Hunting and Fishing for Sport Steamboat Excursions The Nineteenth Century Conservation Movement and Recreation Establishing the Interstate Parks Steamboat Excursions to the Interstate Parks Logging vs. Recreation: Rive Use Conflict Comes to a Head Logging's Demise, Recreation's Rise The First Efforts to "Save the St. Croix" Recreation Along the Upper St. Croix and Namekagon Rivers A New Deal for the St. Croix The Lost Tribe of the Chippewa Preserving the St. Croix River Bibliography Index (ommited from the on-line edition) LIST OF FIGURES Frontpiece. The St. Croix River watershed. Figure 1. A Chippewa family. Figure 2. Schoolcraft's map of the Dakota-Chippewa war zone. Figure 3. Chippewa craftsmanship. Figure 4. Little Crows village, 1848. Figure 5. Carver's map of the Upper Midwest, 1778. Figure 6. Michel Curot's journal, 1804. Figure 7. Map of Upper St. Croix Fur Trade Sites. Figure 8. Chippewa women gathering wild rice, 1857. Figure 9. William Warren. Figure 10. Lawrence Talliaferro. http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/sacr/hrs/hrst.htm[6/26/2012 12:45:21 PM] Saint Croix NSR: Historic Resource Study (Table of Contents) Figure 11. Dakota village. Figure 12. Map of Snake River valley Indian sites. Figure 13. Oxen hauling log, 1860. Figure 14. Lumber raft, 1860. Figure 15. Water powered sawmill. Figure 16. Wanigan, 1860. Figure 17. Clearing a tote road. Figure 18. Rafter dam, 1914. Figure 19. Lumber drive on the St. Croix, c.1880s. Figure 20. Dangers of a log drive, 1907. Figure 21. Map of lower St. Croix lumber sites. Figure 22. Map of upper St. Croix logging sites. Figure 23. Log jam at the Dalles, 1890. Figure 24. Bear-trap sluice gate, 1914. Figure 25. Map of St. Croix agricultural and timber lands. Figure 26. St. Croix Falls, 1848. Figure 27. Mouth of the St. Croix, 1848. Figure 28. Map of railroad construction in Wisconsin, 1850-1890. Figure 29. Gorge of the St. Croix, 1848. Figure 30. Steamboat, c.1850. Figure 31. Devil's Chair, 1890. Figure 32. Canoeists at Angle Rock, 1890. Figure 33. Logs on the St. Croix, c.1890. Figure 34. Pioneer Resorts of the Upper St. Croix-Namekagon. Figure 35. Kilkare Lodge promotional literature, c.1920. Figure 36. Soderbeck Ferry, c.1930. Figure 37. Bayport CCC camp, c.1935. <<< Previous <<< Contents >>> Next >>> http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/sacr/hrs/hrst.htm[6/26/2012 12:45:21 PM] Saint Croix NSR: Historic Resource Study (Table of Contents) sacr/hrs/hrst.htm Last Updated: 17-Oct-2002 http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/sacr/hrs/hrst.htm[6/26/2012 12:45:21 PM] Saint Croix NSR: Historic Resource Study (Acknowledgments) St. Croix Riverway Time and the River: A History of the Saint Croix ACKNOWLEDGMENTS River, take me along in your sunshine, Sing me your song ever moving, and winding and free, You rolling old river, you changing old river. Bill Stains, 1978 It has been a genuine pleasure to get to know this rolling old river. And like anyone else who has had the pleasure of canoeing its serene waters we would like to thank those people who are responsible for the protection and care of the St. Croix, from the Minnesota and Wisconsin Department's of National Resources, to the private citizens of the St. Croix River Association, to the staff of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Boundary Area Commission, but most importantly the women and men of the National Park Service. Among the staff of the St. Croix National Scenic Riverway we would particularly like to acknowledge the help of Jean M. Schaeppi, Supervisory Park Ranger for Interpretation, Michael Lindquist, Marshland District maintenance employee, and Tony Andersen, former Superintendent of the Riverway. Ms. Schaeppi in particular was a valuable partner in gathering historical site information regarding the Riverway. We are also grateful to Don Stevens of the Midwest Regional Office for helping to facilitate this project in many ways, most especially through his helpful and astute comments on the draft of this report. The research staffs of the Minnesota Historical Society and the State Historical Society of Wisconsin were extremely helpful, especially Harry Miller in Madison who likely knows more about the sources of Wisconsin history than any other living person. Joseph DeRose of the State Historic Preservation Office in Wisconsin played an important role in helping us to develop site specific information on the St. Croix valley. With marvelous state historical societies in both Wisconsin and Minnesota it was a pleasure to engage in this research project. Another wonderful resource for historical research were the numerous local historical societies and public libraries within the St. Croix valley. Let us single out the Taylor's Falls Historical Society, the Washington County Historical Society, the Prescott Area Historical Society, the Pierce County Historical Society, the History Network of Washington County, and the Burnett County Historical Society. The collections and publications of these wonderful grassroots organizations have kept alive the stories of the people who built the towns, mills, and farms of the St. Croix. We also would be remiss if we did not acknowledge the dean of all those who write about St. Croix history James Taylor Dunn whose love of the river lives on in his fine volume, The St. Croix: Midwest Border River. We gratefully acknowledge the careful research and insightful writing of Rachel Franklin Weekley of the National Park Service, who prepared an early draft of Chapter 4 and who served as co-author that section in this report. Christine Hiedenrich also played an http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/sacr/hrs/hrsa.htm[6/26/2012 12:45:22 PM] Saint Croix NSR: Historic Resource Study (Acknowledgments) important role in the completion of this project. Her work establishing the legal property history of a series of potential recreation related historical sites helped to advance the task of evaluating those properties for possible eligibility on the National Register of Historic Places. On a more personal level we would like to thank Thomas McMahon for generously volunteering his services as an unpaid research assistant and the use of his mobile research vehicle ( a.k.a Tom's camper) during our first research trip to the St. Croix valley. Finally, we would like to thank our friends and colleagues at Loyola University Chicago and Lewis University for their interest in and support for this research effort. <<< Previous <<< Contents >>> Next >>> sacr/hrs/hrsa.htm Last Updated: 17-Oct-2002 http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/sacr/hrs/hrsa.htm[6/26/2012 12:45:22 PM] Saint Croix NSR: Historic Resource Study (Introduction) St. Croix Riverway Time and the River: A History of the Saint Croix INTRODUCTION: The St. Croix: River of Paradox Rivers are symbols of hope and agents of change. The steady flow of bright water means renewed life for an entire valley. The constant current flowing of its course is a model of restless motion and ceaseless change. From Mark Twain to Norman MacClean rivers have served in American literature as an outlet for adventure and a place of retreat, symbols of the opportunities of an expanding nation and oasis of individual renewal.