Baraboo, Dells, and Devil's Lake Region

By Harry Ellsworth Cole

Baraboo, Dells, And Devil's Lake Region is a book by Harry Ellsworth Cole. It depicts the geology, archeology, history and scenic beauty of the Baraboo, Dells, and Devil's Lake region in North Dakota.

• Language: English
• Publisher: DigiCat
• Release date: May 29, 2022
• ISBN: 8596547016892

Book preview

Harry Ellsworth Cole

Baraboo, Dells, and Devil's Lake Region

EAN 8596547016892

DigiCat, 2022

Contact: [e-mail]

Table of Contents

Foreword

Index

CHAPTER I Origin of Name and First Settlers at Baraboo—Museum—Where Ringlings First Pitched a Tent

Museum in Courthouse

The First Courthouse

The Al. Ringling Theatre

The Al. Ringling Residence

The First Church

An Early College

A Literary Atmosphere

Library Where a Church Stood

Home of the Gollmars

Where The Ringlings First Pitched a Tent

A Dream of Jugs

The Lincoln Elm

No Lions Now

Largest Mill This Side of Philadelphia

Lyons

An Early Home

The City Park

The First House in Baraboo

An Old Hop House

The First School

CHAPTER II Old Opera House—Cemetery on the Hill—Deserted Ringlingville—Bunn the Baker of Baraboo

Where Celebrities Were Heard

The Oldest Living Thing in Town

Church With Memorial Windows

A Giant of the Town

Relatives of a Movie Star

Other Ringling Homes

The Baraboo Cemetery

The Hull House

House With Many Gables

Church With Beautiful Windows

Deserted Ringlingville

A Pioneer Home

Bunn The Baker of Baraboo

Birds of Many Feathers

An Idea Makes a Million

CHAPTER III Devil's Lake State Park—Geology of the Baraboo Hills—The Glacial Epoch—Scenic Wonders

An Iron Mine

Entering the Park

Geological Wonder of the World

The Glacial Epoch

The Lake at Present

History

First Visited

Climbing the Mountain

Elephant Rock and Cave

The Tomahawk Rock

Devil's Doorway

Once a Waterfall

The West Bluff

Spring

The Indian Mounds

Much for the Beholder

CHAPTER IV Wisconsin River Dells—Journey of Fascinating Scenery—Jefferson Davis—Belle Boyd, Rebel Spy

The Way From Baraboo

The Marshall Farm

The Dells

Jefferson Davis at Dells

Other Attractions

Grave of Rebel Spy

Indian Mounds

Murder In the Highway

CHAPTER V Lower Dells—Site of a Deserted Village—Indian Earthwork—Where They Danced—Woodland Walk

A Deserted Village

Indian Earthwork

Where They Danced

A Woodland Walk

CHAPTER VI Mirror Lake, Retreat of a Circusman—Earlier Bed of Dell Creek—Congress Hall Near Village

Places of Interest

Retreat of Great Circusman

Congress Hall

CHAPTER VII Pewit's Nest Near Baraboo—Home of a Recluse—Skillet Falls—Graves of Napoleon Soldiers

A Queer Abode

Skillet Falls

Stream With Two Beds

Marched With Napoleon

Hirschinger Spring

CHAPTER VIII Man Mound, Famous Archeological Wonder—Why Indian Earthworks Were Built

A Deer Mound

The Man Mound.

Region Rich in Indian Mounds.

CHAPTER IX Stone Pillar of Chief Yellow Thunder and His Squaw, Situated a Few Miles North of Baraboo

Forcibly Removed

Pillar Erected

From Waubun

CHAPTER X Portage and Old Fort Winnebago—Cemetery Where Soldiers of Several Wars Are Buried—Waubun House

Roche Moutonnee

Garrisonville

An Ancient Lava Bed

Road Hugs the Bluff

Home of an Author

Scene of a Dark Deed

Monument to Discoverers

An Early Hostelry

Fort Winnebago

The Old Cemetery

Burial Place of Pauquette

CHAPTER XI Boyhood Haunts of John Muir, the Naturalist—Fountain Lake—Father a Disciple—the Muir Family

From Baraboo

The Lake

Father a Disciple

The Muir Family

CHAPTER XII Wisconsin Heights Battlefield—About a Mile From Sauk City—Another Napoleon Soldier Grave

A Paper Town

Approaching the Heights

Causes of the Battle

War Begins

A Day of Excitement

Allies of the Whites

An Unmarked Grave

Jefferson Davis in the Battle

Indians Pursued

Grave of a Napoleon Soldier

Natural Bridge

CHAPTER XIII Parfrey's Glen, Wildest of Them All, a Cool Retreat, Prodigal in Charm—Mill a Memory

Wildest of Them All

Mill, a Memory

CHAPTER XIV Durward's Glen—Short History of the Durward Family—Attractive Features of Interesting Place

Way to the Glen

Point Sauk

The Durwards

Wisconsin Was a Territory

The Children

Weeping Ledge

St. Mary's of the Pines

Freshet Is Disturbing

The Fountain

CHAPTER XV Spring Green, Helena Shot Tower, and Taliesin—Ableman and Reedsburg—Other Interesting Trips

Gibraltar Bluff

Pine Hollow

Reedsburg and Ableman

Merrimack to Prairie du Sac

Anacher Hill

Baxter Hollow

The Baraboo River

Merrimack Toward Portage

Leach Lake

Konkel's Mill

Lodde's Mill

Cemetery Group of Mounds

Other Little Journeys

Foreword

Table of Contents

The following pages are intended to give but a faint hint of the geology, archeology, history and scenic beauty of the Baraboo, Dells, and Devil's Lake region. If they add, even in a slight degree, to the pleasure of those who love the out-of-doors, and encourage the local resident as well as the visitor to inform himself concerning the numberless interesting and fascinating features of our countryside, the object for which they were written will have been accomplished.

As to geology, this is a rare field for the student. The igneous rocks, the various formations resting upon them, the drift covered and driftless areas, and the work of erosion through long periods of time have combined to make the region one to which many students are attracted annually.

The Indian earthworks, the village sites, and other relics of a race which once found delight in dwelling here, furnish a rich territory for those interested in the American aborigine.

As to local history, the annals of the white man reach back to 1673 when the first river voyagers went down the Wisconsin. The interesting story is continuous from the days when the region was on the outer rim of civilization to the present time.

Above all is this section rich in natural beauty. The hills and the numerous lakes and rivers have for years attracted tourists from every point of the compass. California and other localities boast greater elevations, larger lakes and more prominent streams, but for unique beauty there are few spots in this country that possess the attraction of the Dells, Mirror Lake, Devil's Lake, and the Baraboo Hills.

In the preparation of these pages valuable assistance in the making of the maps has been given by City Engineer H. E. French of Baraboo and Consulting Engineer W. G. Kirchoffer of Madison. To O. D. Brandenburg, editor of the Madison Democrat, Dr. M. M. Quaife and Miss Louise Phelps Kellogg of the staff of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, Charles E. Brown, secretary of the Wisconsin Archeological Society, and others the writer is also deeply indebted.

H. E. COLE.

June 1, 1920.

---

Index

Table of Contents

---

CHAPTER I

Origin of Name and First Settlers at Baraboo—Museum—Where Ringlings First Pitched a Tent

Table of Contents

Baraboo, the Gem City, is supposed to have been named for Jean Baribault (the spelling corrupted into Baraboo), a French trader and trapper who is said to have bartered with the Indians near the mouth of the stream which bears his name. First the river was called Baraboo, spelled in various ways, then the name was applied to the hills, to the city, and to the town.

The city of Baraboo is situated in a boat-shaped valley about twenty miles in length and of varying width. The north and south range of the Baraboo Bluffs enclose the valley, the river entering through a gap at the Upper Narrows and escaping through a similar opening at the eastern extremity of the depression.

The first families came to Baraboo about 1840, among them being those of Eben Peck, Wallace Rowin, and Abe Wood. The water power was the loadstone that attracted these first settlers, Peck laying claim to the land at the lower oxbow and the other two to the power site at the upper oxbow of the Baraboo river. Eben Peck was the first to erect a house in Madison, Mrs. Peck was the first white woman in the Baraboo valley, and their only daughter, Mrs. A. S. Hawley, the first white person born in Madison, now resides in the neighboring village