Long ago, white pine forests covered much of the
Northwoods of Wisconsin, and the expanses of what
could yield valuable lumber stretched well into
Michigan, Minnesota and Canada. The first white men
to travel through the area, early European explorers
and fur traders recounted tales of the extensive and
impressive pinery.
By the early 1800s, Europeans started to settle what would
become Wisconsin and the allure of the pinery called out,
waiting to be harvested. White pine was especially
exciting because softwoods could be floated down rivers
to bring them to market. Whereas the denser hardwoods
like walnut or hemlock that were also abundant, were
nearly impossible to move out of the Northwoods until
the railroads were built decades later.
Understandably, the Native American tribes who lived
in the region were not enthusiastic about lumbermen
arriving to cut down their forests. After the tragic human
cost of the Black Hawk War in the early 1830s, the U.S.
government set out to negotiate with the Sioux, Ojibwe
and Menominee tribes in Wisconsin to secure the right
to harvest the pineries.
In this area, the Chippewa (Ojibwe) and Menominee
tribes each held claims on the Wisconsin River Valley.
The Treaty of the Cedars of 1836 between the United States
and the Menominee Nation saw lumber interests gain the
harvest rights along the Wisconsin River from Portage up
to Brokaw. The following year, the Chippewa/Ojibwa people
agreed to give land to the United States that encompassed
the Wisconsin and Chippewa Valleys, called the Treaty of St.
Peters (or among many Americans, the White Pine Treaty).
With the lumbering rights secured (at least on paper),
American land agents arrived to survey the land in
preparation for logging expeditions. By the end of the
1930s, the lumberjacks were starting the lumber trade
that would dominate Wisconsin for the next 50 years.
Temporary logging sites from that time soon developed
into unique and proud communities along the Wisconsin
River to harvest the Great Pinery. Towns with names such
as Little Bull Falls, Big Bull Falls, and Jenny Falls became
the epicenter of this early logging industry.
Central Wisconsin’s unique geography and the power of
the Wisconsin River combined to create the lore, legends,
and myths of the lumberjacks and the Great Pinery.
Hello. Nice job on getting this waterway project started and your progress so far. I just visited one of the landings along the trail (Wisconsin River Forest Landing, Town of Texas), and saw one of those impressive signs you’ve installed. The signs name the landing where they are located, and also provide other valuable information to boaters and paddlers travelling the waterway.
The signs also include the text from the “History of the Great Pinery” essay, which I also found on your website. I would like to point out a couple of items that may need correcting. The history essay indicates that only softwoods could be floated down the river, which I believe to be correct, However, the essay also states that “the denser hardwoods like walnut and hemlock,” could not be floated down the river because their density caused them to sink. This is partially false. Hemlock is a softwood, and although it is one of the denser and more durable of the softwoods, it was floated down the river with the red pines, white pines, tamaracks and cedars. Hardwoods, such as walnut, oak, and maple, weren’t conveniently removed from the forest until the railroads came along in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s.
I’ve been fishing and exploring the river from the headwaters to Wausau for about 50 years. I love the fishing, but I have taken a particular interest in the old growth logs that I still commonly find on the riverbanks, and the history of those logs. I have found many old growth hemlock logs in the river. In fact, hemlock seems to be one of the most common logs that I find. Also, I am in possession of the text of a letter, dated May 9, 1901, that Barker Stewart Lumber submitted to the Wisconsin River Log Driving Association indicating that “The hemlock which we bought this past winter was sold to Mortenson & Stone, who will report on same. The markings on the logs are ///.” The text of this letter was provided to me by Wisconsin logging historian Paul Brenner of Boulder Junction, who has since passed on. He and I became acquainted towards the end of his life. He was a very kind and sweet man.
In addition, the “history” essay provided by The Great Pinery website states that “By the end of the 1930s, the lumberjacks were starting the lumber trade that would dominate Wisconsin for the next 50 years.” I’m wondering if this is a typo, and should instead name the time period as the end of the 1830’s. Maybe I’m wrong, but I’m not sure the decade of the 1930’s has much significance when talking about the old growth forests of the Wisconsin River Valley. I believe that by 1930, the timber of the original, old growth Great Pinery had been mostly depleted, and whatever trees were growing in the 1930’s were probably second growth.
Thanks again for the great work on the water trail.