The Bark River Chronicles

Stories from a Wisconsin Watershed

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Nature, Environment, Rivers, History, Americas, United States
Cover of the book The Bark River Chronicles by Milton J. Bates, Wisconsin Historical Society Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Milton J. Bates ISBN: 9780870206047
Publisher: Wisconsin Historical Society Press Publication: September 25, 2012
Imprint: Wisconsin Historical Society Press Language: English
Author: Milton J. Bates
ISBN: 9780870206047
Publisher: Wisconsin Historical Society Press
Publication: September 25, 2012
Imprint: Wisconsin Historical Society Press
Language: English

The Bark River valley in southeastern Wisconsin is a microcosm of the state's - indeed, of the Great Lakes region's - natural and human history. "The Bark River Chronicles" reports one couple's journey by canoe from the river's headwaters to its confluence with the Rock River and several miles farther downstream to Lake Koshkonong. Along the way, it tells the stories of Ice Age glaciation, the effigy mound builders, the Black Hawk War, early settlement and the development of waterpower sites, and recent efforts to remove old dams and mitigate the damage done by water pollution and invasive species.
Along with these big stories, the book recounts dozens of little stories associated with sites along the river. The winter ice harvest, grain milling technology, a key supreme court decision regarding toxic waste disposal, a small-town circus, a scheme to link the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River by canal, the murder of a Chicago mobster, controversies over race and social class in Waukesha County's lake country, community efforts to clean up the river and restore a marsh, visits to places associated with the work of important Wisconsin writers - these and many other stories belong to the Bark River chronicles.

For the two voyageurs who paddle the length of the Bark, it is a journey of rediscovery and exploration. As they glide through marshes, woods, farmland, and cities, they acquire not only historical and environmental knowledge but also a renewed sense of the place in which they live. Maps and historical photographs help the reader share their experience.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The Bark River valley in southeastern Wisconsin is a microcosm of the state's - indeed, of the Great Lakes region's - natural and human history. "The Bark River Chronicles" reports one couple's journey by canoe from the river's headwaters to its confluence with the Rock River and several miles farther downstream to Lake Koshkonong. Along the way, it tells the stories of Ice Age glaciation, the effigy mound builders, the Black Hawk War, early settlement and the development of waterpower sites, and recent efforts to remove old dams and mitigate the damage done by water pollution and invasive species.
Along with these big stories, the book recounts dozens of little stories associated with sites along the river. The winter ice harvest, grain milling technology, a key supreme court decision regarding toxic waste disposal, a small-town circus, a scheme to link the Great Lakes to the Mississippi River by canal, the murder of a Chicago mobster, controversies over race and social class in Waukesha County's lake country, community efforts to clean up the river and restore a marsh, visits to places associated with the work of important Wisconsin writers - these and many other stories belong to the Bark River chronicles.

For the two voyageurs who paddle the length of the Bark, it is a journey of rediscovery and exploration. As they glide through marshes, woods, farmland, and cities, they acquire not only historical and environmental knowledge but also a renewed sense of the place in which they live. Maps and historical photographs help the reader share their experience.

More books from Wisconsin Historical Society Press

Cover of the book Electa Quinney by Milton J. Bates
Cover of the book Green Bay Packers by Milton J. Bates
Cover of the book Vintage Wisconsin Gardens by Milton J. Bates
Cover of the book Roshara Journal by Milton J. Bates
Cover of the book Horse-Drawn Days by Milton J. Bates
Cover of the book The News from Lone Rock by Milton J. Bates
Cover of the book Wisconsin in the Civil War by Milton J. Bates
Cover of the book Walking Home Ground by Milton J. Bates
Cover of the book The Capital Times by Milton J. Bates
Cover of the book Studying Wisconsin by Milton J. Bates
Cover of the book James Madison by Milton J. Bates
Cover of the book Garden Wisdom by Milton J. Bates
Cover of the book One-Room Country Schools by Milton J. Bates
Cover of the book Urbanization & Industrialization 1873-1893 by Milton J. Bates
Cover of the book Third Down and a War to Go by Milton J. Bates
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy