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Riverway history worth reviewing

  • Bryan Stanley
  • Jan 26
  • 2 min read

Reading about the anniversary of the creation of the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway; that there was a great deal of conflict and resistance to that grand idea and how people of different persuasions came together for the good of the river and the citizens of Wisconsin. Look what we have today as a result of those efforts - a 95,000 acre chuck of semi-wilderness.


I see the same story today regarding the creation of The Driftless Rivers National Park. There is a positive group of support and negative side of opposition. To be honest, I can't understand why anyone would oppose the creation of this new great national park. Can you imagine the exquisite joy this new park will be? While at the same time preserving the land for future generations and creating a vibrant economy based upon a non-consumptive use of the resource.


However, people may like this message, but not the messenger. For people with these strong feelings towards me, I would ask them to put their personal feelings aside and do what is right and beneficial for our country and the Driftless Area. It has already happened a number of times that when people first hear of this project they respond very favorably to it, but then run away when they find out who is behind it all.


Also, in the history of the national park system, there have been times when citizens are almost dying to have a national park near their community. But, the resources did not measure up to the strict criteria to become a new national park. And, ironically, it happens too that there is a a land which meets all of the criteria but is opposed by the nearby communities. Usually, however, once the park is created the citizens grow to know and love "their park" dearly.


Obviously, there are many details to be worked out. But, non are insurmountable. If we work together, we can seize this moment and create the future. Plus, the park will mostly solve all of the ecological problems the area now has.


The time will come when we can look back at this park and can say "we did well." Much like today we can look back many years later when the Lower Wisconsin State Riverway was created and say "We did well."

 
 
 

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Art, History, Geography, and Culture come together in this new Wisconsin Book!

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Meet the Author

Brian Stanley

Bryan is a soil scientist.  He grew up in the Driftless Area, and eventually earned a bachelor's degree in Natural Resources from UW-Stevens Point.

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"The cultural aspects of the Driftless Area are fascinating," he notes.  "The significance of the people who have lived here or whose lives have intersected here is historically important and significant to the story of the creation of a national park."

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Stanley is donating all profits from the book to establish a new park in Crawford County which lies in the heart of the Driftless Area.

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DID YOU KNOW THAT...

  • Prairie du Chien is Wisconsin's second oldest community.  Green Bay was the first - both areas were established by the French.

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  • The first (and only), President of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis, was a U.S. Army officer stationed at Fort Crawford at Prairie du Chien.

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  • The term, "Driftless Area" means that no glacial drift is found in this region of deep valleys and high hills.

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  • Petroglyphs are rock engravings or sculptures while pictographs are drawings done with charcoal, paint, or other materials.

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  • To create a new National Park, the proposed area must be deemed nationally significant in at least one of these three areas:

    1. Natural​

    2. Historical

    3. High Recreation Potential

The Driftless Area has all three!​

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To purchase your spectacular Wisconsin book today, click here or you can contact Bryan at bryan@driftlessrivers.org

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