"The Kickapoo Valley-Gem of Wisconsin" Republished by Kickapoo ReserveBy borges, Section Historical Perspectives
[New piece by Modibo...]
In about 1896, Gertrude Frazier and Rose Poff, two women from the Kickapoo Valley--one a minister's wife and the other a newspaper editor's wife (and editor herself) wrote a book about the Kickapoo Valley called "The Kickapoo Valley-Gem of Wisconsin". It has been a lost masterpiece in Wisconsin local history, available only in big libraries in Madison. But now, the Kickapoo Reserve has republished the book as the first of an upcoming series of local books to be published. More info in the full story...
They are using funds received from the Nuzum Trust of the University of Wisconsin. This money was left to the University by Ralph Nuzum, one time owner of the former Nuzum Lumberyards. Nuzum himself was the author of a couple of dozen small booklets which he had printed himself and were sold in numerous stores in downtown Viroqua and in all the Nuzum lumberyards. The Kickapoo Reserve is going to next turn their attention to these lost classics of historical lore, poetry, political musings covering a period of two or three decades. These things were familiar sights at checkout counters in Viroqua well into the 1970s.
This project was recently announced by Brad Steinmetz, Director of the Kickapoo Reserve, which incorporates land purchased by the Federal government in the 1960s for a canceled man made lake. It has been turned into a multi use park and wilderness area. The Frazier and Poff book was written to improve the reputation of the Kickapoo Valley in the public eye: "The Kickapoo Valley and its inhabitants have an established unsavory reputation extending throughout the state of Wisconsin and even beyond that it is a territory some fifty miles long, wild and undeveloped, inhabited by illiterate people who are designated timber thieves, horse thieves and desperadoes. That such statements are wholly false, we will prove by indisputable evidence herein. The engraving we present to the reader will give some idea of the development, enterprise, industry and progression of the inhabitants of this far famed and much abused Kickapoo region." The 100 page book contains thumbnail sketches of each settlement in the Kickapoo Valley, listing the businesses, mills, newspapers, and professionals of each. It describes the schools and churches and provides photographs of a number of them. It also highlights the new Kickapoo Valley and Northern railroad, which was at that time building its track north up the valley. At the time of the publication of the book the northern terminus was Readstown. Gertrude Frazier was the wife of the newspaper editor of the Viola" Intelligencer", which provided the facilities for the publication of the volume. Rose Poff was the wife of the minister of the Readstown Church of Christ, Dr. C.M. Poff. Not surprisingly, there are many opinions expressed about newspapers and religion, as well as the general character of the population: "As a whole the people may be classed as conservative but not stubbornly so. They are open to conviction. Many aggressive workers against sin and unrighteousness are to be found in every community." The recent influx of Norwegians is taken note of: "It is well known that Norwegians make as good citizens as any Europeans who come to our shores. They are thrifty, honest, patriotic, yielding cheerful obedience to our laws and not seeking to perpetuate their own language and customs in parochial schools". Brad Steinmetz, Chuck and Gwen Hatfield have been doing readings from the book to history clubs and community gatherings. |
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