1119 



WISCONSIN. 



WISCONSIN. 



1160 



Surface, Hydrography, and Communicaiiow. The surface of thia 

 state ig for the most part gently undulating. No portion of it is 

 mountainous, but the northern and north-western parts are very much 

 broken, and some of the hills known as the Wisconsin Mountains 

 nttain a considerable elevation. The most northern part is a wild 

 rocky country containing immense forests of white pine and other 

 evergreen trees, from which vast quantities of lumber re annually 

 sent down the St. Croix River to the Mississippi This region is 

 wholly one of primitive rocks, and affords scenes of striking grandeur. 

 It is in this district that the extensive copper deposits of Wisconsin 

 are found. Along Lake Superior the cliffs are very steep and mostly 

 bare, or only covered with low bushes. In the immediate vicinity of 

 the lake forest trees rarely occur, except in the recesses of some of 

 the bays, or along the river bottoms. All the rivers in this northern 

 portion of the state are very rapid, and afford abundant water-power; 

 those which flow into Lake Superior generally have rapids 'or falls a 

 few miles above their mouths. 



Thnt portion of the state which borders on the Mississippi is 

 described under MISSISSIPPI RIVER. From the junction of the St. 

 Croix the Miasitsippi runs along a ' bottom,' which below Lake Pepin 

 widens from 3 to 10 or 12 miles. Thia bottom is uniformly bounded 

 by limestone cliff*, or ' bluffs,' which are generally abrupt and often 

 precipitous, rising to a height of from 300 to 500 or 600 feet, and 

 occasionally still higher; south of the Wisconsin River they sink 

 much lower. Within the bottom, especially in the vicinity of Lake 

 Pepin, isolated hills and knobs of considerable magnitude, based upon 

 horizontal strata of rock and towering to various heights, are frequently 

 met with. The valley consists of alternate prairie and woodlands. 

 The prairies are usually elevated above the reach of floods, and richly 

 covered with herbage and flowers; while the woodlands sustain a 

 heavy growth of tree?, but are inundated in flood-time. The high 

 lands bounding the river are intersected by deep and numerous rivers 

 and watercourses, which give to that part of the country a hilly and 

 broken aspect. At the back of them the country is diversified by 

 hills and valleys : the hills are high and rugged, and partly covered 

 with timber ; the valleys often present extensive flat*, abounding in 

 lakes, swamps, and ponds. The soil is sandy, and the vegetation not 

 vigorous ; the trees do not attain their full growth. This country is 

 d on the east, about 90 W. long., by a lofty range of hills 

 called the Ocooch and Smokey Mountains. la this hilly region origi- 

 nate the head-waters of a great number of rivers and numerous lakes. 

 The country east of this ridge, extending by Fox River to Green Bay, 

 is less broken and nigged ; the soil is less sandy, the vegetation more 

 luxuriant, and the forest-trees attain a more stately growth. A 

 large part of it consists of wide rolling prairies, and there are several 

 lakes and extensive swamps having an abundant growth of cranberries 

 ami wild rice. The forests in these parti consist chiefly of yellow-pine, 

 pitch-pine, and white-pine of excellent quality ; but white-birch, white- 

 cedar, spruce, and juniper are also common. 



The country between the southern boundary of the state and the 

 Wisconsin, where that river runs from cut to west, is an irregular 

 levated from 250 to 800 feet above the surface of the Missis- 

 i|>|ii, and consists of limestone which is often rent by deep and nearly 

 perpendicular chasms of considerable depth, but little width. On the 

 upper rariace of the plain are numerous single hill* rising from 200 

 to 600 feet above their bases, and from 600 to 1000 feet above the 

 watercourse* which run in the charms. The highest of these hills, 

 called Bine Mound, not far from the left bank of the Wisconsin, is 

 stated to be 1414 feet above the surface of the Mississippi at the 

 mouth of Wisconsin HIT. r. The greater part of this region is a prairie 

 destitute of wood, and generally covered with a good turf. There are 

 also many tracts overgrown with stunted oak and some other trees ; 

 but these woods have no underwood, and the single trees are generally 

 from 10 to 20 feet from one another. In a few places the forests are 

 Bore dense. The bottoms of the rivers run at a considerable depth 

 below the general level of the country, especially that of the Wis- 

 consin, which resembles the bottom of the Mississippi, but is only from 

 one mile to two miles wide. 



The country along the shores of Lake Michigan has a different 

 aspect. The southern part, as far north as the small bay into which 

 the river Milwaukee falls, is a portion of the great level and low plain 

 which surrounds the southern extremity of the lake, and extends 

 from St. Joseph's River to the Milwaukee. It is an extensive flat 

 embracing woodlands and prairies alternating with each other. Far- 

 ther north the shores of the lake are skirted by high sand-hills, which 

 sometimes extend inland, and are barren, but protect the more level 

 and fertile country which is traversed by the Milwaukee and Mana- 

 wakee rivers against the winds blowing from the lake. North of 44 

 N. lat , and up to Green Bay, the shores of the lake are Fomewbat 

 rocky, uneven, and partly wooded. The country farther inland along 

 ix River, and towards Winnebago Lake, has a considerable 

 degree of fertility. 



In tie southern part of the state are numerous very remarkable 

 remains of an unknown antiquity, tho only records of the ancient 

 inhabitants of the country. They consist of a series of tumuli, and 

 am locally known as the Mounds. They are scattered over a wide 

 ma, but are most numerous along Rock, Wisconsin, Fox, and Pishtaka 

 rivers, and in the vicinity of Lake Winnebago and tho Four Lakes. 



The most numerous of the mounds are of a circular and oblong form, 

 similar to the sepulchral mounds which have been met with all over 

 the globe; but besides these, and often placed without regard to 

 regularity among them, are numerous others wholly unlike what are 

 met with elsewhere. These are described as being of various sizes, 

 and constructed of various materials, but commonly of burnt clay. 

 They all assume definite shapes, and, though rudely fashioned, are 

 evidently intended to represent various quadrupeds, birds, reptiles, 

 and occasionally man. One, near Blue Mound, represents a man lying 

 down, with his head towards the west, his feet to the east, and hia legs 

 and arms extended. It is 120 feet long, and about 6 feet high. A 

 figure of a turtle is 56 feet long, and about 5 feet high. Some are 

 said to represent buffaloes, eagles, lizards, &c. ; and in a few instances 

 they occur arranged in au irregular line as though the animals were 

 following each other. At one spot, near the Four Lakes, about 100 of 

 these mounds occur ; those representing animals being placed among 

 the plain ones without any apparent order. Fragments of ancient 

 pottery are frequently found in the same neighbourhood. (' Sillimau's 

 Journal,' vols. xxxiv. and xliv.) 



The Mississippi, which forms the western boundary of the state 

 from the junction of the St. Croix, is noticed in a separate article. 

 [Mississippi, RIVER ] All the more important rivers of the state fall 

 into the Mississippi. The Wlscontin, from which the name of the 

 state is derived, flows from some lakes north of 45 N. lat., and runs 

 above 200 miles in a generally southern direction to Portage, when it 

 turns to the south-west and west, and, after a further course of 114 

 miles, falls into the Mississippi near Prairie du Chien. When swollen 

 by a freshet it affords an easy navigation for steam-boats of consider- 

 able burden up to Portage, and boats of light draft usually find 

 sufficient water. Above Portage are numerous rapids, which afford 

 water-power to a great number of saw-mills. At Portage is a depres- 

 sion, or portage, of one mile and a half, across a flat meadow, which 

 is occasionally subject to inundation, to the Fox River of Green 13ay, 

 thus affording a communication between Lake Michigan and the 

 Mississippi, through which boats have been known to pass. The 

 curn nt in the lower part of tho river is rapid, and like the Missis- 

 sippi it contains numerous islands : when the water is low, the naviga- 

 tion is obstructed by shoals and sand-bank". Works have been for 

 some time in progress for the purpose of improving the navigation of 

 the Wisconsin, and of rendering available its communication with 

 Lake Michigan. 



The river next to the Wisconsin in importance is the Fo.r, or 

 .VrenaA Hirer, whose head-waters lie to the east of the great bend of 

 the Wisconsin. From the portage above-noticed betweeu the two 

 rivers it runs northward to the Buffalo and Puckawa lakes, which 

 extend from west to east. Issuing from these lakes the Fux Hirer 

 runs north-west, until it is joined from the north by the largest of 

 its affluents, the Wolf River. The united river passes through a 

 small hike, called, from the tumuli which occur in its vicinity, the 

 . Grande Buttes des Morts Lake, into Winnebago Lake, which is 32 miles 

 long and nearly 10 miles across in the widest part. It leaves this 

 lake at its north-western extremity and soon afterwards forms a series 

 of rapids, which obstruct navigation. The remainder of its course 

 lies to the north-cast, and it falls into the most southern recess of 

 Green Bay. The rendering the rapids below Lake Winnebago passable 

 by steam-boats, in a part of the scheme for connecting the Mississippi 

 with Lake Michigan, noticed above. 



Of the other rivers we shall only mention three, which fall into 

 the Mississippi, the Black River, the Chippeway and St. Croix rivers. 

 Black Hirer rises ia the Ocooch Mountains near 44 20' N. Int., and 

 flows first south, and then south-west to its junction with the .'' 

 sippi, about 91 30' W. long. It drains a valley, in which the sur- 

 rounding hills are covered with fine forest trees ; and above 15,000,000 

 fei-t of pine lumber arc annually sent down the river to the Missis- 

 sippi. The Chippeway, the Ojibway of the Indians, rises near some 

 of the tributary streams of Lake Superior. The main stream is 

 formed by tho union of several small streams, which i-sue from 

 numerous lakes near the Michigan boundary. It flows in a generally 

 south-western direction to the Mississippi, which it enters near the 

 foot of Lake Pepin. It forms in its course numerous rapids, one 

 series of which extends for about 24 miles. Above 28,000,000 feot 

 of pine lumber are sent down this river annually. The St. Croix 

 itivi-r is noticed under Mississim RIVKK, vol. iiL col. 821. About 

 20,000,000 feet of pine lumber are annually sent down the St. Croix. 

 The other rivi rs of the state are very numerous, and though not of 

 much value for navigation, are of the greatest importance for 

 mechanical purposes. 



The number of lakes which are dispersed over the state between 

 the Mississippi River and Lake Superior is very great. In some parts 

 north of 46 N. lat., they cover more than half the surface, most of 

 them varying from 1 to 10 miles in circumference ; but there are also 

 several larger lakes. The larger are the Flambeau Lake and the 

 Tomahawk Lake, each of which sends its waters to the Chippeway 

 River ; in the same district are lakes Courtoreille, Chetac, Red Cedar, 

 Ac. The country south of 45 N. lat., contains comparatively few 

 lakes, with the exception of the low tract of country which lies 

 between the great bend of tho Wisconsin River and Green Bay, and 

 is drained by Fox River. This tract contains numerous lakes, among 



