Sunday, March 12, 2017

Knapp Stout Company and Indian Mounds Park

 Mounds Park
Rice Lake, WI

Rice Lake, WI is just a 20 minute drive from our home, and where we do the majority of our shopping. 

Most of the farms in our area were once part of the Knapp Stout Lumber Company holdings. In fact, we are only the second owners of our farm since it was part of Knapp Stout. Before that, it was owned by the State of Wisconsin, and before that, part of the NW Territory (1787) which included all the states now known as Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin, as well as the northeastern part of Minnesota. That territory covered 260,000 sq. miles.

From WisconsinHistory.org:

'Around 1867, John Knapp (1825-1888) bought acres of forest in the area that became part of property owned by the largest lumbering company in the world, Knapp, Stout & Co. The firm owned 115,000 acres and produced 90 million feet of cut lumber annually by 1880.

'By damming the Red Cedar River around 1870, the company created a lake for use as a holding pond. It also flooded the wild rice beds, which angered the Chippewa. To make amends, the lumber company agreed to bring them food, replacing their wild rice diet with one containing pork and flour.

'The village was platted in 1870, 1875 and 1884 by Knapp, Stout & Co. They left a 100-foot wide thoroughfare that became Rice Lake’s business district.'



 Indian Mounds Park
preserves 12 Native American burial mounds

As we were visiting Mounds Park last week, we were wondering if other burial mounds had been displaced by the street and by Lakeside Methodist Hospital, built in 1922, adjacent to the burial mounds pictured above. We'll never know, for that hospital was replaced and later torn down. Now, the land that the hospital and clinic sat on is empty.


 The Bayfield Hiking Trail
takes people near the ancient pipestone quarries,
old rice beds and rice storage pits.



 Skaters. Much of the lake was still frozen last week
when I took the photos.

 Walking on Hard Water

 What a difference four months makes!

Linking to Mosaic Monday

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Judy

23 comments:

  1. The lake is beautiful in every season, but around this time of year, I think we are all longing for spring colours! Interesting history.

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  2. The Indian burial mounds are so interesting. Ohio has them all over too. Rice Lake is lovely.

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  3. I enjoyed this bit of Wisconsin history.
    Interesting grounds of Indian Mounds Park.
    It made me remember other parks and towns in
    Wisconsin that also include the word Mounds . . .
    Like Cave of the Mounds, Blue Mounds . . .
    Being curious I Googled Wisconsin cities, parks with mounds in the title and
    found a great site about Native American Mounds in Wisconsin.
    No doubt you may have already seen it.
    I will send you the link . . .

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  4. So enjoyed learning about your area and sending your beautiful photographs.

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  5. And soon time to return to some warmth I hope... The pose you caught the goose in certainly makes it appear that he is skating, which is amusing. 🙂

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  6. Hello, it is neat learning the history of your land and the park. The lake and geese are pretty scenes and photos. Happy Monday, enjoy your new week!

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  7. I like those skating geese, amazing shots of them. I can see why they named it Mounds Park... they are beautiful. I have often thought that all homes built are probably on tope of graves. think about the way west and people they buried on the wagon trains trails and the cowboy trail rides, just buried there and built on top of. that is a lot of lumber to do way back then, and even then what we did to the land messed up other parts like the rice fields. and it is getting worse now

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  8. Isn't it fascinating to imagine the lives of those who inhabited the area around Rice Lake, it's good to know that some of the history has been preserved at Mounds Park.
    Glad to have you join us for Mosaic Monday again this week.

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  9. Your photos look like it's cold and waiting for spring color and warmth. But they still are beautiful and the history story is interesting.

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  10. Interesting history..thanks for sharing..Nice photos..Have a good week..

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  11. Thank you for sharing. That was interesting. We have some Indian Mounds not too far from where we live and I don't think I've been there since I was in school. Now you've made me want to go check them out sometime soon.

    Hope you have a great day!

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  12. The lake shots are simply gorgeous. We have an Indian mound near us in Helen GA.

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  13. I enjoyed your history lesson, Judy. The Indian Burial Mounds are so interesting. The photos of the geese on the ice are quite amusing. Have a nice evening. ♥

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  14. I already want to live where you do and now you sweeten the pot with curious history? Shame on you. ;)

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  15. Judy, Great photos and I love reading about the history of your area. . We have a park called ,Mounds' State Park . It's in Anderson , Indiana. I remember going there with our parents a couple times. Blessings, xoxo, Susie

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  16. Very interesting. The shot of the geese ice skating is fabulous! Hope you have a good week.

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  17. Lots of really neat history in this beautiful place. Love the geese! And you know the geese I posted on Instagram on the side of the road? Right after I posted it, I went home for lunch today and there they were again in the same place...except they were standing in the middle of it and I honked and honked to get them off! They are such beautiful creatures!

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  18. Lovely scenery, Judy, and interesting history. I've never heard the term 'platted' before and had to look it up. Shame about the wild rice, though.

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  19. LOVE the pic of the geese!! And every other gorgeous photo you have taken. Enjoy your week, dear Judy!

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  20. Hi Judy
    Such an interesting post today.
    I would love to walk the Bayfield Hiking Trial.
    Anywhere that involves bird life is worthwhile!
    The Skaters are beautiful and I can just imagine them skating along the ice and having the time of their life!!!!
    You live in a wonderful part of our world.
    Shane

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  21. I remember visiting some Indian burial mounds as a kiddo, but not sure if it was Rice Lake? It easily could have been as you're not that far. ;) Thanks for sharing the interesting info.

    Love the photos with the geese on the frozen water. But you know I REALLY LOVED the summer photos!! I'm so ready for warmth and green.

    Blessings Sweetie! xoxo

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  22. A very interesting history of your area Judy. That kind of old history and stories always intrigues me.

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  23. I remember visiting the burial mounds when I was a kid. Thanks for sharing this history. I'm a new follower.

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