USA > Wisconsin > Wisconsin: comprising sketches of counties, towns, events, institutions, and persons, arranged in cyclopedic form: > Part 34
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CYCLOPEDIA OF WISCONSIN.
and Montreal rivers as described formed no accurate boundary, Gov. Doty in a message to the legislative assembly of Wisconsin territory, took the ground that the boundary question was still open and recommended proper action to secure to Wisconsin the upper peninsula which had been formerly by common consent con- ceded to it. This opened a controversy which brought out some interesting correspondence between the territorial legislature and congress, the legislature going so far as to threaten to establish a state "outside of the union." (See Nullification.) Fortunately congress paid little attention to the belligerent utterances of the legislature, and the enabling act passed in 1846, prior to the first constitutional convention fixed the northeast boundaries substan- tially as they were described in the erection of the territory, with the additional descriptions made necessary by the later surveys- and as they exist today.
The state boundaries described in the constitution are as follows : Beginning at the northeast corner of the state of Illinois, that is to say, at a point in the center of Lake Michigan, where the line of forty-two degrees and thirty minutes of north latitude crosses the same ; thence running with the boundary line of the state of Michi- gan through Lake Michigan, Green bay, to the mouth of the Me- nomonee river; thence up the channel of said river to the Brule river ; thence up said mentioned river to Lake Brule; thence along the southern shore of Lake Brule in a direct line to the centre of the channel between Middle and South Islands, in the Lake of the Desert; thence in a direct line to the head waters of the Montreal river, as marked upon the survey made by Captain Cram; thence down the main channel of the Montreal river to the middle of Lake Superior; thence through the center of Lake Superior to the mouth of the St. Louis river ; thence up the main channel of said river to the first rapids in the same, above the Indian village, according to Nicolet's map ; thence due south to the main branch of the river St. Croix; thence down the main channel of said river to the Mississippi ; thence down the centre of that river to the northwest corner of the state of Illinois; thence due east with the northern boundary of the state of Illinois to the place of beginning.
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Wisconsin, Geography of .- The state lies between the 42d and the 47th degrees of latitude. The northern boundary is Lake Su- perior, lying 600 feet above the level of the Atlantic ocean. On the east is the state of Michigan and Lake Michigan, 578 feet above the Atlantic, on the south is the state of Illinois and on the west is the Mississippi river and the state of Minnesota. Across Lake Michigan, 85 miles, is the state of Michigan and beyond the Missis- sippi river are the states of Towa and Minnesota. The length of the state from north to south :s about 285 miles and the breadth about 255 miles. The area is about 56,000 square miles, and de- ducting the rivers and inland lakes its contains 53,924 square miles or about 34,511,600 acres.
Wisconsin, Geology of .- It is the accepted theory of geologists that what is now the upper portion of Wisconsin, beginning about where Stevens Point is located and taking in practically all the northern part of the state, and the upper peninsula of Michigan, was once a great island, the only land visible in a great sea. This great island was forced above the shallow sea around it to a great height during the progress of an enormous pressure, attended by heat. This nucleus of Wisconsin emerged in a tropical climate, in which the rainfall was almost incessant, and in the course of time by a process of erosion this great island was lowered in height while its substance filled the surrounding sea, and enlarged the visible land. During the ages while this erosion and filling was taking place, volcanic action split and twisted the great rock mass, pouring from the internal fires molten masses of mineral ingredi- ents from which later chemical changes produced the mineral de- posits. These volcanic eruptions and upheavals turned up from beneath the waters the quartzite ranges of the Baraboo country, and the iron-bearing rocks of the Penokce district. While the pro- cess of erosion was filling the shallow sea, the sea itself full of ma- rine deposits was making its great lime formations, which later up- heavals brought high above the surface. After this came the ice age. One great glacier plowed out the bed of Lake Michigan ; an- other moving westward scooped ont Lake Superior ; another dug the bed of Green Bay, while still another known as the Chippewa
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glacier shaped the land in the upper central portion of the state so that it became the fountain head of numerous streams which later coursed to the south and southwest. The ice age was followed by a warmer period; the ice melted and in the greater and lesser in- dentations were left bodies of water. Vegetation succeeded, then higher forms of animal life, then came man.
Wisconsin Heights, Battle of .- See Black Hawk War.
Wisconsin, Naming of .- The territory took its name from the principal river within its boundaries but the precise origin of the river's name has not been traced. It is an Indian word signifying, according to one authority, "muskrat house"; but this same au- thority (Verwyst) says that he found no two Indians who agreed upon the meaning of the word. The more probable meaning, and the one that has been reached oftener than any other in the trac- ings, is "meeting of the waters," the Wisconsin river having so many tributary sources. The name was spelled by the French ex- plorers "Ouisconsin." The French pronunciation of the first sylla- ble (Wees) comes nearer the Indian pronunciation, it is claimed, than our "Wis." After the French spelling of the word was aban- doned it was generally spelled Wiskonsan, and Governor Doty with characteristic persistence continued to spell it that even after the territorial legislature had fixed the spelling "Wisconsin."
Wisconsin River is the largest river in the state wholly within it's boundaries. It rises in the northeast corner of Vilas county, flows south into Oneida county, passing through Rhinelander. From Oneida county it goes south into Lincoln, through Merrill, then south across Marathon, through Wausau, south into Portage through Stevens Point. From Stevens Point it turns southwest across a corner of Wood county, through Grand Rapids; then south and southeast, forming the boundary line between Juneau and Adams counties across the county line, where it flows south- east to make a boundary line between Columbia and Sauk. The river then turns almost due east, to Portage, where it turns south- west again, making the boundary line from Merrimac between Sauk, Richland and Crawford counties successively on its north
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and Columbia, Dane, Iowa and Grant on its south, until it empties into the Mississippi river a few miles south of Prairie du Chien.
Wisconsin River, Dells of the .- A section of the bed of the Wis- consin river famed for. its picturesqueness, the unique and fantas- tic shapes into which the water has worn the sand: tone, the beauty of the intersecting gorges, and the flora of the deep gulches. From the early days of the state's history the Dells have attracted vis- itors. Topographically and geologically speaking the Dells are a narrow passage cut by the Wisconsin river through high grounds, which after bounding its valley up stream for many miles gradu- ally approach, narrowing the bed of the stream. The total length of the gorge is about seven and one-half miles. At the upper end of this narrow waterway, the river suddenly narrows from a width of over one-third of mile to one of not more than 200 feet, and at one point it is not above 50 feet across. The water through the Dells is deep, although before it enters the gorge it is very shallow. The walls of the gorge vary in height from 15 to 80 feet. At a number of points deep gorges open from the main channel. These apparently were branch river channels at a time when the volume of water was much greater than now. The city of Kilbourn on the C., M. & St. P. Ry. is situated at the foot of the principal dells, which are called the Upper Dells. Down the river from Kilbourn the channel is gradually modified until the river again flows wide and shallow in an unconfined channel. The Dells are described geologically as a cut through a broad flat ridge of Cambrian sand- stone, eroded subsequently to the glacial epoch, the river finding a new channel because of a dam of glacial deposits which obstructed its old passage through the Baraboo quartzite range.
Wisconsin, Territory of .- On April 20, 1836, the territory of Wisconsin was created by congress by embracing all of what is now Wisconsin and westward to the Missouri river, thus including what now constitutes the state of Minnesota and much of the two Dakotas. (See Wisconsin Boundaries.) The act went into effect on July 4 following. It provided for a governor, a secretary of state, a legislature consisting of a territorial council and a house of representatives, and a judicial organization, consisting of a su-
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preme court, district courts, probate courts and justices of the peace.
Wisconsin, The Battleship, was built by the U. S. government at the San Francisco shipyards, and named Wisconsin by the navy department. The vessel was launched at San Francisco in No- vember 1898, Miss Elizabeth Stephenson of Marinette performing the act of christening. The state of Wisconsin gave the vessel a silver service, and had made a bronze badger of heroic size for the vessel's prow.
Wisconsin Veterans' Home, the postoffice at the Veterans' home near Waupaca.
Withee, an incorporated village of 406 population on the W. C. Ry. in Clark county, 29 miles north of Neillsville, the county seat. A weekly newspaper, the Sentinel, is published, and one bank is maintained.
Wittenberg, an incorporated village of Shawano county and a station on the C. & N. W. Ry., 40 miles northwest of Shawano, the county seat. It is the site of a U. S. Indian industrial school and also two orphan asylums. The population of 1,009 supports a bank and a weekly newspaper, the Enterprise.
Witwen, a country postoffice of Sauk county, 24 miles southwest of Baraboo, the county seat.
Wolf Creel:, a postoffice of 50 people on a creek of the same name in Polk county, 18 miles northwest of Balsam Lake, the county seat.
Wolf Lake, a discontinued postoffice in Fond du Lac county.
Wolf, The Prairie .- Beside the large timber or gray wolf which was frequently seen in the wood country of Wisconsin, an early traveler (1816) mentioned the prairie wolf "an animal less in size, of a gray color, and wanting in speed" which was seen in numbers in the vicinity of Green Bay.
Wolf River rises in Post lake, Langlade county ; flows southeast into Shawano county, turning east and then west into Oconto county and back through Shawano, south through northeast cor- ner of Waupaca and into Outagamie, turning directly west into Waupaca county again, passing through New London and turning
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south again into Winnebago county, where it empties into Lake Poygan.
Woman's Christian Temperance Union, The .- An organization of women whose purpose is "to educate the public as to the evils of the liquor traffic, and individuals against the use of all intoxi- cants ; to train the young in habits of sobriety and total abstinence; to save the inebriate; to rescue the erring; to secure legal prohibi- tion of the liquor traffic." The organization works through de- partments, paying special attention to lumbermen, railway em- ployes and men and women workers in cities, and among small children in all parts of the state. There are about 200 local unions actively at work in the state, every county being represented, and all of the larger cities. Officers are elected at the annual conven- tion in June.
Women's Clubs, State Federation of .- Organized in Milwaukee in November, 1895. Seventy women's clubs were represented at the first meeting and this number has been largely increased until substantially all women's clubs in the state are now represented at the annual meeting of the federation. The purpose of it is to more effectively promote the objects of culture and philanthropy for which the individual clubs exist.
Wonewoc, an incorporated village of Juneau county on the C. & N. W. Ry., 16 miles southwest of Mauston, the county seat. The Baraboo river flows through the village, which has a population of 687. There is a bank and a weekly newspaper, the Reporter, is published.
Woodboro, a postoffice of 150 people in Oneida county, on the M. St. P. & S. Ste. M. Ry., 8 miles southeast of Rhinelander, the county seat.
Wood County is in the central portion of the state. The Wis- consin river flows almost across it. Its population in 1905 was 30,380 and it covers 828 square miles. It derives its names from the Hon. Joseph Wood, a member of the legislature at the time of its organization, 1856. Grand Rapids is the county seat.
Woodford, a post village of 150 people on the I. C. Ry. in La Fayette county. Darlington, the county seat, is 16 miles distant.
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Woodhull, a discontinued postoffice in Fond du Lac county.
Wood Lake, a discontinued postoffice in Burnett county.
Woodland, a post village of 250 people in Dodge county, on the C., M. & St. P. Ry., 12 miles southeast of Juneau, the county seat.
Woodlawn, a country postoffice of Sauk county. Baraboo, the county seat, is 25 miles distant.
Woodman, a post village of 150 people at the intersection of the C., M. & St. P. and the C. & N. W. Rys. in Grant county, 28 miles northwest of Lancaster, the county seat.
Woodruff, a post village of 300 people at the junction of the C., M. & St. P. and the C. & N. W. Rys. in Vilas county, 20 miles west of Eagle river, the county seat.
Woodstock, a post town of 100 people on the west branch of the Pine river in Richland county, 15 miles northwest of Richland Cen- ter, the county seat.
Woodville, a post village of 300 people in St. Croix county, on the C., St. P., M. & O. Ry., 22 miles east of Hudson, the county seat. There is one bank in the village.
Woodward, Gilbert M., was born Dec. 25, 1835. He served three years in the Union army ; was district attorney for La Crosse county eight years (1866-73). In 1874-75 he was mayor of La Crosse and from 1876 to 1882 he was city attorney. He served as a democratic representative from Wisconsin in the 48th congress. In 1886 he was the democratic candidate for governor but was de- feated by General Rusk.
Woodworth, a country postoffice on the C. & N. W. Ry. in Keno- sha county, 10 miles southwest of Kenosha, the county seat.
Worcester, a country postoffice and a station on the W. C. Ry. in Price county, 8 miles southeast of Phillips, the county seat.
Worden, a country postoffice in Clark county. Neillsville, the county seat, is 50 miles to the southeast.
Worship, Freedom of .- "The right of every man to worship 'Almighty God according to the dictates of his own conscience" is guaranteed in Article I of the state constitution. (q. v.)
Worth, a country postoffice in Polk county. Balsam Lake, the county seat, is 25 miles to the southeast.
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Wrightstown, an incorporated village on the Fox river in Brown county and a station on the C. & N. W. Ry., 16 miles southwest of Green Bay, the county seat. It was first settled in 1830 and its population of 495 at present supports a bank.
Wuertsburg, a discontinued postoffice in Marathon county.
Wyalusing, a post town of Grant county, on the Mississippi river and the C., B. & Q. Ry., 23 miles northwest of Lancaster the county seat. It has a population of 150.
Wyeville, a postoffice of 25 people at the junction of the C. & N. W. and the C., St. P., M. & O. Rys. in Monroe county, 23 miles northeast of Sparta, the county seat. It is called Necedah junction by the railroads.
Wyocena, a post village of 300 people on the C., M. & St. P. Ry. in Columbia county, 10 miles southeast of Portage, the county seat.
Wyoming, a country postoffice of Iowa county. Dodgeville, the county seat, is 14 miles to the south.
Xavier, St. Francis, Central Mission of .- A chape!, the first in the Green Bay region, and the second on Wisconsin soil, was built in 1671, at Rapide des Peres (afterward Depere), by Father Claude Allonez and Father Louis Andre. A Sac village was located at this point. (See Jesuit Missions in Wisconsin, Early.)
Yahara River rises in northeast portion of Dane county, flowing south through the Four Lakes and into the Rock river in Rock county. It was formerly known as the Catfish river and is some- times called the Four Lakes river, being the outlet of the four lakes, Mendota, Monona, Waubesa and Kegonsa.
Yellow Banks, Battle of .- See Black Hawk War.
Yellow Lake, a country postoffice of Burnett county. Grants- burg, the county seat, is 24 miles to the southwest.
Yellow Lake is in Burnett county and is the headwater of the Yellow river. The nearest rail approach is Grantsburg.
Yellow River, one of three rivers of the same name. This rises in Yellow Lake, Burnett county, and flows northeast to join the St. Croix river. It is wholly within Burnett county.
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Yellow River, one of three rivers of the same name. It rises in Wood county and flows almost dne south into Juneau county, where it joins the Wisconsin river at Germantown.
Yellow River, one of three rivers of same name. This one rises in Taylor county and flows southeast into Chippewa county to join the Chippewa river at Liddell.
Yellowstone, a country postoffice of La Fayette county. Dar- lington, the county seat, is 15 miles to the southwest.
Y. M. C. A .- The work of this organization began in Wisconsin in 1870. At the first state convention held in Janesville in 1876, 13 local associations were represented and the state work was or- ganized. It was incorporated in 1894 with a state committee and state officials. The secretary's office is in Milwaukee. It has ac- tive work in every city of importance in the state and in a num- ber of cities has fine buildings.
Y. M. C. A., University .- This flourishing organization is man- aged by a cabinet of 16 students, a board of directors made up of members of the faculty and prominent citizens outside, and an ad- visory committee of seven, constituted similiar to the board of di- rectors. The organization was completed in 1905 and is now oc- cupying a beautiful four story structure on the lake shore just west of the University of Wisconsin armory and gymnasium. The building and grounds, now practically paid for by popular subscrip- tion, are valued at $100,000. Services are held in the hall of the building every Sunday afternoon, and other meetings are held dur- ing the week. Several floors of the new building are divided into sleeping rooms which are rented to student members of the or- ganization.
York, a postoffice of 20 people on Pigeon creek in Jackson county, 22 miles northwest of Black River Falls, the county seat.
Yorkville, a discontinued postoffice in Racine county.
Yuba, a post town of 150 people in Richland county, 19 miles north of Richland Center, the county seat.
Y. W. C. A., University, an organization with a membership of over 200, which holds its religious meetings cach Sunday afternoon
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in library hall on the University of Wisconsin campus. It is man- aged by a cabinet of ten students four of whom are officers.
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Zander, a country postoffice in Manitowoc county. Manitowoc, the county seat, is 18 miles distant.
Zanoni, a country postoffice in Juneau county, 14 miles north of Mauston, the county seat.
Zenda, a post town of 75 people on the C., M. & St. P. Ry. in Walworth county. Elkhorn, the county seat, is 16 miles distant.
Ziegler, a country postoffice of Marathon county. Wausau, the county seat, is 15 miles southeast.
Zion, a discontinued postoffice in Winnebago county ..
Zittau, a discontinued postoffice in Winnebago county. :
Zoldoske, Case of Rose .- Rose Zoldoske was convicted of poison- ; ing a Miss Ella Maly in Richland Center in 1891. Sentenced to life imprisonment at Waupun, she was pardoned by Governor Up- ham just before the close of his term in 1897. The case was probably. the most dramatic in the history of the Wisconsin courts. During the young woman's term in prison numerous efforts were made to secure her pardon. In the city of Richland Center, where the girl had lived, several fistic encounters took place between men hold- ing opposing views as to her guilt.
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