The history of Columbia county, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, Part 71

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899, [from old catalog] ed; Western historical company, chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1104

USA > Wisconsin > Columbia County > The history of Columbia county, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement > Part 71

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Honey Bee Spring is on the left, just above. The rock is shaped like an eagle's beak.

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Arch Cove is a delightful place for picnic parties. It is here one can get the best view of the many islands at the head of the Dells, and of the river for a long distance. The Cove is a beautiful, shady recess, and contains an elegant spring of pure, fresh water. It is on the left- hand side of the river. Nearly opposite, on the right side of the river, at the upper jaws of the Dells, is the

Witches' Gulch .- At the head of the Dells, on the right, extending three-quarters of a mile from the shore, will be found this remarkable gulch. The precipitous rocks tower aloft on either side to the height of perhaps a hundred feet, their sides being worn smooth and their ragged edges rounded off by the long-continued action of the water. One can almost touch with outstretched arms both sides of this gloomy gorge, which surpasses in grandeur anything hitherto seen in the Dells. The rocks overhead are in many places shelving and rounded into immense scollops. The stream through this wild pass is in many places waist-deep. It contains many curious points-a miniature waterfall, Phantom Chamber, Fairy Grotto, and hundreds of other remarkable features.

The Islands .- From the head of the Dells, or " Upper Jaws," a fine view of the river, bluffs and islands is had for a long distance. This view is often compared to a similar scene in Lake George. Above the Dells the river "spreads itself" all over the country, as it werc, and is full one-half mile in width and very shallow, the water in summer being not over one or two feet in depth. About three-fourths of a mile above Witches' Gulch, are seen on the left bank, a num- ber of interesting points.

Hornets' Nest has the shape, and at a short distance the general appearance of an immense hornets' nest. It serves as a pillar in front of a natural portico, the rock having in the course of time been washed out, leaving a flat roof overhead, with the Hornets' Nest as its principal support. Passing through the archway formed by this singular rock, we ascend and follow the hillside for a few rods, and presently stand in

Luncheon Hall .- The waters have at some remote period swept through here with great force, wearing a passage through and under the rocks, and leaving the flat rocks which formerly stood at the "top of the heap," as a natural roof for the hall, which is of considerable extent. The roof has a single break, a few inches wide ; otherwise it is perfect ; and the rocks which support it furnish convenient seats and tables. Located on the top of a ridge, the hall presents a grand appearance to the spectator at a distance, and commands a fine view of the river. Once within its massive portals, awe gives place to curiosity, and the visitor finds pleasure in observ- ing the odd shapes which the rocks have assumed under the slow but persistent action of the cur- rent which once swept the Wisconsin Valley, leaving its impress on every hill, and cutting its way through the rocks until it formed the romantic channel through which the river now runs. A short distance from Luncheon Hall, is found the wonderful

Stand Rock .- To reach this, one must ascend the bank a short distance and follow along the edge of the ridge, coming to the rock upon the upper side. The top of the rock-a large sandstone slab-is nearly as level as a floor, and its superficial area is about eighteen by twenty- four feet. A pathway leads to the foot of it, and the view from below is more interesting than that from above. The water-rounded column which supports the super-poised tablet is of rather irregular shape and is sixty-two feet high. With the neighboring rock a sort of arch is formed. somewhat resembling the cavernous opening at Luncheon Hall. All around is a scene of beauty. The hills are covered with trees clothed with magnificent summer foliage ; a fine farm, trees and shrubs spread out up-riverward, and the glen is full of ferns and flowers in great profusion.

THE LOWER DELLS.

The river here is broader and the banks present a greater diversity of bluff and bottom than in the Upper Dells, but the character of the rock composing the banks is the same, and a similar, though varied, succession of curious and pleasing forms is presented. The rocks have been worn and hollowcd and rounded into every imaginable shape. In some places, great shelves, with stalwart young pines growing upon their very edges, overhang the

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dark waters; elsewhere, perpendicular walls loom up like the front of some vast fortifica- tion, and, a little further on, a similar wall is supplemented with coigns, bastions, projecting towers and covered archways; again, the rocks are rounded at their bases, so as to resem- ble the sterns of small vessels-much inferior in size and appearance to the ponderous hulks at the Navy Yard in the Dells above. Then the rocks slope gently downward to the green, grassy vale, where a pretty farm gives charming variety to the panorama, and on the opposite side to the broad bottom, where the village of Newport once stood in her pride, now inter- esting in her remarkable decay.

Farther down the river are more noted objects. The lofty banks here, as above the dam, are crowned with a luxuriant growth of trees, shrubs, plants and grass. The first attraction after leaving the dam, going down the river, is Taylor's Glen, on the left-a wild half cavern and half vale, which winds around and under the village of Kilbourn City.

Echo Point .- Standing upon the rocky cliff where the tunnel from Taylor's Glen comes out under the railroad, any unusual elevation of the voice brings a prompt and distinct response from the massive, smooth-faced cliff opposite, every word and tone being repeated with surprising clearness and accuracy. Persons curious in such matters (and who is not ?) may easily reach Echo Point by walking a few rods down the railway, to the river-bend, and descending the pathway to near the mouth of the tunnel, where the benches of the rock afford good standing-places.

Bear's Cave is on the same side, a few rods below, and is a hole in the rock, with a cleft extending out to the edge of the cliff, and thence downward to the water's edge, the cave forming a recess near the top.

Chimney Rock is a little further down, on the same side, and in size is less than the one up the river, but greatly resembling it in situation and appearance.

Then comes the Pulpit, standing near the water's edge, and shaped like the sacred desk in some sanctuaries. Below this on the river, but above it in height, is

Observation Point, standing upon which you can see a magnificent landscape. On the opposite side is

Stultz Rock, a terror to raftsmen, whose rafts are sometimes drawn into the eddy and whirled to destruction thereon. Steering clear of this treacherous place, and turning a point, we have in front of us

Signal Peak, upon which the red man, it is said, used to light his signal fires to warn his brethren up and down the river when there were enemies around. Swinging around the bend, we soon come to the

Sugar Bowl, which stands out in the stream, as cleverly molded as one could wish. The shape of this singular freak of nature is as true to its name as that of anything up the river, though it is hardly so striking as the interior view of the Devil's Jug.

The Inkstand next claims attention. At first view it seems a counterpart of the Sugar Bowl, but we soon perceive a difference. The rock, entire at the top, parts a little way down, and the passage, tapering gradually, is at the water wide enough to admit a small canoe. It bristles on top with small pines.

Lone Rock stands in massive majesty mid-river, smiling with its summer chaplet of verdure upon the tawny flood that washes its feet. It is a broad oval in shape. As we approach we find that its sides are perforated with caverns, into the largest of which, the

Cave of the Dark Waters, or, as the Indians called it, the place of the Nah-huh-nah, we push our boat and rest awhile. From the other side, a few straggling gleams of light reach us through

Reflection Arch. Nothing in this vicinity is more curious and wonderful than this rock, the outer walls and internal caverns of which show the abrading effects' of different currents and eddies of water. Leaving this romantic spot, we head up stream along the south side of the river, to

Grotto Rock. This is formed by an immense flat rock, and is supported by massive jambs of the same material. It is quite spacious, and is surmounted and surrounded by the luxuriant

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arborescence and verdure, which throw a graceful charm over all the scenery of this region, and form a lovely setting for many a striking or quaint and eurious pieture.

Places of interest in the Lower Dells besides those already mentioned, are Falls of the Dam, Coldwater Spring, Earle's Cave, The Ovens, Hawk's Bill, Bald Hill, Cobble Stone Cove, and many others.

THE DELLS IN 1858.

" Somewhere about two miles (as they measure them here, and that is with a ' woolen string') above Kilbonrn City, through a rough and unsettled opening country," said a writer in 1858, "is the-or are the, I do not know whether singular or plural-Dells, so much spoken of, so often written about. I availed myself of a 'lift' on one of the stages that left Kilbourn City in good season in the morning, to visit for the first time that truly wonderful place on the largest river in the State. As I neared the stream, and came in sight, I was struck with the wild, rough, but truly beautiful, and, I might say, sublime, scenery, appearing on every hand. The morning was anything but pleasant, a regular Scotch mist hung hovering about the trees, little spirts of rain fed a chilly wind, the country around was dull, not a bird to be seen, the trees were leafless, not even a bud or flower in sight ; the drab-colored bark of the white oaks, with their scraggy tops, the dead-looking black or pin oaks, all destitute of foliage, their tops cur- tained with the gossamer haze of the mist, that was borne along on the wind, that chilled the face and somewhat dimmed the eye, all looking dreary ; solitude seemed to be reigning. The only relief to the scene, before actually reaching the river, were the fine, handsome tops of the pines that, like cones of bright green, here and there, reared their heads tapering off to sharp points in many places, high above the oaks. appearing like so many green spots in the waste. Turning from the course I was 'steering,' for I had missed my way, I found the road that led to the Dells' bridge, that is stretched from rock to rock over the Dells, I believe about two miles from their mouth, or jaws (I prefer the latter term), where the water is now eighty feet deep.

" On the bridge is a fine view both up and down the current of a dirty, spiteful and wicked looking river (speaking nautically). Here a river of hundreds of miles in length, that has leaped cataracts and rushed almost unchecked over rapids, spreads at will over plains, and piled up in its playfulness sand-bars of acres in size, suddenly finds itself contracted ; high walls of rough rocks, built up layer upon layer, until they attain at some places fifty and even a hundred feet in height, have prescribed its limits. As if maddened beyond control, in the height of its anger, apparently, it dashes into the jaws of the rocky monster that appears to swallow it. Here the fun begins in earnest, and is kept up for, I suppose, about two and a half miles, when the river again expands and the rapidity of the current is lessened.

" Taking a good look at the stream from the top of the bridge, I crossed, and, proceeding for some distance up its side, I soon came in view of some rafts preparing to enter what to many a poor fellow has been the ' Valley of Death.' A request that I might have a passage was readily granted, and. in a few minutes, by some maneuvering, the raft was started, and on we went gliding gracefully down the stream. The current appeared to me to get swifter and swifter and swifter, until the whole raft of eribs of lumber pinned together seemed to tremble and twist and be determined to go to pieces just because I was on it. I have heard of a lake somewhere up here called Devil's Lake; the same name should be given to this part of the Wisconsin River, in my opinion. We are fairly afloat on the fierce, rolling, rushing tide, speeding on or rather down toward the turn above the bridge, where projecting into the stream is the dangerous rock, on the starboard hand of the river, ealled Notch Rock. Having sheered too much, or given too wide a berth to the eddy, or some whirl on the opposite side of the stream, we swung too far and came too near the Notch, passing within, it seemed to me, about four feet of the savage-looking point of the rock. On we went, the men plying their sweeps or oars with a vigor that appeared to denote a danger at hand. Looking up at the sides of the Dells when close to the bridge, 1 beheld a scene of which I have never seen the equal. In some places, the points of the massive masonry of rocks seemed ready to fall on the raft and crush it to atoms. Their upper points or promontories, that hung over and far above the

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stream, seemed held in their places only by the strong roots of some towering pines, whose points or apex seemed lost in the clouds, and the roots of which had grappled with the mon- strous stone or wall, running into every crevice, rift or fissure, as though the two had united their strength to resist the efforts of some hurricane that had sought to dislodge them. Upon the outward limbs of some of these Norway pine-trees, here and there was seen a bird resem- bling greatly the kingfisher, calmly looking down upon the swift water, that here, in its narrow- est limits, was maddened and infuriated, writhing, twisting, whirling, seething, foaming and boiling and bubbling, like some huge watery monster that was in an agony of pain as it forced itself through the craggy passage. Little birds were seen hopping about the crevices of the rocks with ease, picking up insects from the moss ; and pretty little shrubs could be seen snugly stowed away ' under the lee,' or in the crooks of the stony banks, safe from rain or harm from wind, as though they had

" 'Chosen the humble valley, and had rather Grow a safe shrub below, than dare the winds And be a cedar.'

Just as we passed the bridge, a hole or concave place appeared in sight, close ahead of the raft, looking as if some leviathan had suddenly sucked down a hollow in the water ; this place of hollow water seemed at least twenty feet across, and into this eddy the two forward cribs of the raft appeared to sink and to disappear, the water rushing upon the lumber and the whole raft feeling as if it was about to turn over with a twirl and go to the bottom of the vortex. I fancied I read in the faces of two of those belonging to the raft a sign of more than common danger ; and a rushing backward and forward with the sweeps as the men put out all their strength and activity, induced me to commence the process of taking off an overcoat, that under any circumstances, would have been an encumbrance in the water. This elicited a laugh from two of the "red shirts;" however, it was apparent to me that unless the craft speedily righted, it would soon be-" every man for himself and God for us all." This was the " Grand Eddy." I call it the Maelstrom, on a small scale, but large enough. How, or in what manner to account for it, I do not know. I have no doubt that men accustomed to running the Dells get blunted to the danger, but I fully believe that to the unfortunate who gets overboard in the Wisconsin near the Dells, death is certain ; no swimming would avail him a particle; a blown bladder would be sucked down in some of the numerous eddies and swirls. I have passed many years of my life on the sea, been tempest tossed in some of the worst gales that ever swept any ocean. I have seen the crested waves of Cape Horn kiss the topsail yard-arms of more than one good ship ; I was off Nantucket shores in that memorable equinoctial gale, that some eighteen years since hurled dozens of vessels upon the American coast, in which two pilot boats were lost, foundered off New York in a gale that sent hundreds of sailors to their ocean sepulcher. I have floated on and laughed at the Atlantic when in its wildest fury, when the good old liner, the Caledonia, of New York, reeled to and fro like a drunken man, and cries came up out of the deep; but never have I felt as I did when the raft dipped its forward end in the " Grand Eddy " below the Dells bridge, when I believed danger was really near ; when the vision of a wife and two bright blue-eyed little ones, flashed before my view ; perhaps it was not fear, but it was certainly a realizing sense of the fact that, had the raft broke up, and I got overboard, as I certainly should, death to me, who cannot swim a stroke, was certain. I tell the truth and say that I was thankful when we got into smooth water, and I found my feet on terra firma, at the Dells House, out of all danger."

A TOURIST'S IMPRESSION OF THE DELLS IN 1879.

"Onward and upward," says a recent writer, " we steamed, and such scenery as burst upon our startled vision! As we advanced, the river grew narrower and the rocks higher. Such immensity of rocks-rocks of all sizes and all shapes-rocks that rise in great masses, layer upon layer, to a perpendicular height of one hundred feet or more-projecting rocks that bang butting over an awful crag, looking as though they must instantly loosen their frail hold and come crushing down to seek a securer bed in the bottom of the flowing river !

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" The incessant action of the water has given to these rocks all sorts of shapes," continues the tourist, " and invention has been taxed to find them suitable names. In many instances, however, the artistic skill of the flood has wrought out forms that at once suggest what they ought to be called. In one place, about half-way up the rugged steep, from the foundation of a projecting ledge, towers a lofty pile, which has been christened 'Chimney Rock ;' and the shape it bears sufficiently indicates the propriety of the name. And then we have the 'Navy Yard,' a succession of immense rocks, each one of which is supposed to bear a resemblance to a ship. 'Steamboat Rock' is a huge pile, separated from the shore by a narrow channel of water, thus creating an island, in shape very much like a large steamer. As we struck a bend in the river and entered its narrowest point, the Captain with a bold sweep brought his obedient boat around so as to avoid contact with the rugged wall of perpendicular rock that hemmed us in on both sides. He remarked : 'The water is eighty feet deep here, and I have known it to be forty feet higher than it is now.'

" Some distance above, I observed an opening or gully on the right. pointing inland. We had made the shore and I was standing on a sandy beach. A walk of about forty rods along a well-trodden pathway, winding through brush, through briar, over bridge and around obstruct- ing bowlders, brought us face to face with a frowning pile of high towering rocks that rose up, away up into the blue sky, and here I supposed our further progress was stayed ; but suddenly our guide disappeared in a dark hole that opened before us, and we followed into this 'mouth of hell." We had entered the ' Witches' Gulch.' 'Prodigious,' was my first exclamation as I looked around and up. Onward through the dark gulch I followed my guide ; onward into the increas- ing gloom; onward between black walls of high-reaching rocks; the projecting summits of which sometimes came so near together as to leave but a narrow streak of gray light glimmering upon us ; onward, discovering new objects of interest, new sources of wonder at each step !

"All through this gulch there flows a tiny stream of water, which of course adds much to the romantic interest of the witching scene. About half-way up, we pause before an open basin in the rock, into which a spring pours its grateful tribute. Some thirsty Moses had smitten the rock and the generous water gushed forth ; and it has been 'gushing' ever since. A little further on, and the music of a miniature cataract greets our ears with a most enchanting sound, and soon after, our eyes are rewarded with the romantic sight of a little leaping cascade, tum- bling down a steep declivity of rocks a distance of several feet. Indeed, there are two of these tiny waterfalls, gilding the round pathway with their bright and foaming sprays. Up these ascents we must climb by a rather narrow stairway, and then, by a still rugged and slim path, we pursued our way until finally we suddenly issued forth from this Plutonian abode into the broad light of open day.

" On my way back to the steamer, I once more found myself in the dark passage of the ' Witches' Gulch.' I have now plenty of time, so I will proceed at leisure. I now come to the more deliberate conclusion that the ' Witches' Gulch' is an original, a unique, a wonderful, a big thing. It is one of those things which humorous nature built when in her most eccentric mood. I examined the rocks more carefully this time. Occasionally these mighty stone giants form a lofty arch over my head, with just enough of an opening to enable me to catch a glimpse of the blue sky above; then again they stand a perpendicular wall on either side of me, rising up a hundred feet, and so close together that I can touch their moss-covered sides with out- stretched hands as I move along the narrow pathway. And now, after descending two ladders, I stand once more at the foot of the rocky ledges down which rush the tiny cascades. Although the stream which forms these waterfalls is not more than a foot broad, its fall upon the hard rock below creates such a thundering sound in the vaulted room that we must lift our voices high in order to carry on intelligible conversation. But loud as is the noise, we would not part with such a musical roar-' such sweet thunder'-for even the softened tone with which gentle love breathes forth its most passionate story. There is something almost entrancing in the deep melody of these falling waters as they dash down the time-worn rocks. For some time, I stood in silence, enjoying the grateful scene and listening to the muffled roar of the

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waters. But I must close this account of my visit to the Dells, although I have omitted men- tioning many-very many-interesting scenes."

COUNTY STATISTICS.

The vote of Columbia County for Governor.at each gubernatorial election since the admis- sion of Wisconsin into the Union, was as follows :

1849-Alexander L. Collins, W., 432; Nelson Dewey, D., 410; Warren Chase, Ab., 16.

1851-Don A. J. Upham, D., 738; Leonard J. Farwell, W., 714 ; Allen Chaffee, 1.

1853-William A. Barstow, D., 816 ; Henry S. Baird, W., 206; Edward D. Holton, Ab., 706.

1855-William A. Barstow, D., 906; Coles Bashford, R., 1,585; scattering, 7.

1857-James B. Cross, D., 1,280 ; Alexander W. Randall, R., 1,731.

1859-Alexander W. Randall, R., 2,595; Harrison C. Hobart, D., 1,645; scattering, 1.

1861-Louis P. Harvey, R., 1,925; Benjamin Ferguson, D., 741.

1863-James T. Lewis, R., 2,896; Henry L. Palmer, D., 1,262.

1865-Lucius Fairchild, R., 2,021; Harrison C. Hobart, D., 1,087.

1867-Lucius Fairchild, R., 2,649; John J. Talmadge, D., 1,603; scattering, 1.

1869 -- Lucius Fairchild, R., 2,185; Charles D. Robinson, D., 1,342; Anthony Van Wyck, 1.

1871-Cadwallader C. Washburn, R., 2,248; James R. Doolittle, D., 1,579 ; scattering, 3. 1873-Cadwallader C. Washburn, R., 2,001; William R. Taylor, Reformer, 1,509.

1875-William R. Taylor, D., 1,618; Harrison Luddington, R., 2,413; C. F. Ham- mond, P., 31.

1877-William E. Smith, R., 2,048; James A. Mallory, D., 1,597 ; Edward P. Allis, G. B., 118 ; J. C. Hall, P., 14; C. M. Campbell, 2.

1879-William E. Smith, R., 2,862 ; James G. Jenkins, D., 1,673 ; Reuben May, G. B., 126; W. R. Bloomfield, 5.

The Presidential vote in Columbia County has been as follows:

1848-Zachary Taylor, W., 303; Martin Van Buren, F. S., 166 : Lewis Cass, D., 145. 1852-Franklin Pierce, D., 1,233; Winfield Scott, W., 1,111; John P. Hale, F. S., 31. 1856-John C. Fremont, R., 2,951; James Buchanan, D., 1,242 ; Millard Fillmore, A., 7. 1860-Abraham Lincoln, R., 3,386; Stephen A. Douglas, D., 1,614; John Bell, U., 4. 1864-Abraham Lincoln, R., 2,652; George B. McClellan, D., 1,483.

1868-Ulysses S. Grant, R., 3,867 ; Horatio Seymour, D., 1,893.

1872-Ulysses S. Grant, R., 3,070 ; Horace Greeley, L., 1,835; Charles O'Connor, D., 11. 1876-Rutherford B. Hayes, R., 3,532; Samuel J. Tilden, D., 2,494.

The distances from Portage to various points are (1) By wagon road to Baraboo, 17 miles ; Lodi, 20; Montello, 22; Kingston, 22; Oxford, 20; Poynette, 12; Pardeeville, 9 ; Briggsville, 12; Reedsburg, 30; Friendship, 42; Westfield, 30; Packwaukee, 20; Sauk City, 30; Merri- mac, 16; Devil's Lake, 21; Cambria, 20; Randolph, 24; Columbus, 30; Kilbourn City, 20; Rio. 15; Otsego, 20; Wyocena, 10.

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The history of Columbia county, Wisconsin, containing an account of its settlement, Part 71

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899, [from old catalog] ed; Western historical company, chicago, pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company Number of Pages: 1104

Author: Butterfield, Consul Willshire, 1824-1899, [from old catalog] ed; Western historical company, chicago, pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Chicago, Western historical company
Number of Pages: 1104