Elroy Historical Society Museum

259 Main Street, Elroy WI 53929

Phone: 608-462-2409

Glacial Lake Wisconsin

About 18,000 years ago, the last great North American glacier crossed the Baraboo Hills at Devil's Lake and blocked an ancient riverbed with a giant earthen dam, creating "Glacial Lake Wisconsin." Glacier lake Wisconsin is a million-acre freshwater lake up to 150 feet deep, covering 1,800 square miles including all of Juneau County, and stretching from Stevens Point in the north and west to present-day Tomah.

About 14,000 years ago, the loose rock, sand, and earthen dam that created the Glacial Lake burst, generating a colossal flood that emptied the lake in about three days. The force of the rushing waters carried boulders weighing more than a ton, created a new course for the Wisconsin River, carved out the Dells, swung east around the Baraboo Hills and forever changed the landscape and the destiny of the land that was to become Wisconsin.

The land that had lain under the water for 4,000 years was level and sandy, studded with rocky outcroppings, towering buttes and bluffs of Cambrian sandstone that had once been islands protruding from the glacial lake. The water is gone, but the lake can still be seen from viewing platforms atop the sandstone spires throughout Juneau County. The top of Mill Bluff provides a matchless view of the great glacial lakebed, now covered with woodlands, scrub brush and prairies, strewn with rocky islands stretching as far as the eye can see.

The first white settler arrive, in Adams County about 1838 and the first county seat was located in the southern part of what is now the town of Quincy It remained at this point until 1848 when Adams County was officially formed.  The county seat was then moved to Friendship.  Up until that time Adams and Juneau Counties were a part of Portage County.  The county seat was at Plover.  In the late 1860's the portion west of the Wisconsin River was created as Juneau County. Rufus Dawes had just graduated from the UW at Madison and returned to his father's farm in the hills south of Mauston. He made the first 4th of July speech at Mauston after Juneau County was formed. In 1838 Jared Walswerth opened the first trading post near Big Spring and in 1845 a number of white families arrived. George Stowell was among the first to arrive in 1844. In 1843 the first white child was born in Adams County; Jared Pardee.

In the spring of 1861 William Dawes, town of Monroe and Mr. Niles, town of Quincy decided to recruit and form a company of soldier's to be know as the Adams County Rifle's. William E Dawes was captain and William D. Dawes their first lieutenant. In 1861 the families of the soldiers decided to make a flag in their honor. They sent an ox team and wagon to Necedah for material but found little of what they wanted so they continued to Mauston but then continued to Kilbourn City (now WI Dells) before they had enough but still not the kind they really wanted. They met at the Bassett home to make the flag and Pierz Bassett made the flag staff. This flag was floated for the first time on Decoration Day across from the Necedah Cemetery. The flag continued to be flown at Decoration Day programs, 4th of July celebrations and draped the caskets of company-E-members for many years. It hung on the walls of the Monroe Town Hall until around 1930 and is now on display at the Historical Museum in Mauston with the pictures of 103 enlisted men and their names. Dawes was promoted to Major January 8, 1862. During General Sherman's march to the sea he was in command of Co. E 16th WI Regiment. At the end of the war he returned to the town of Monroe. He and his wife then moved to Necedah and Major Dawes took part in civic affairs and was city treasurer. His wife died in 1868 and in 1876 he married Minerva Austen and moved to the Aberdeen, Dakota Territory. Major Dawes died in 1888 and was brought back to Necedah for burial. The funeral was led by the Necedah band and the Masonic Fraternities from New Lisbon, Mauston, Wonewoc and Warrens.

In 1855 the Homestead Act was passed and roads were laid out and section lines were run. The government began to sell land. The price of land was $1.25 per acre. The first ferry boat was put in operation on the Wisconsin River at Petenwell in 1852 constructed from a flat boat that had come to Necedah with saw mill parts. The ferry boat remained in operation until the 1890's when the Village of Necedah built a toll bridge. When Necedah had collected enough tolls to pay for the bridge it was turned over to Adams and Juneau County's as a free bridge. In 1918 the two counties' built a new bridge. Stage routes were begun with teams of mules. In 1857 another stage route was started at Portage which went by Necedah and crossed the Wisconsin River at Germantown and from there to Oxford, Plainfield and on to Stevens Point.

September 24, 1924 - General Charles Dawes special train will arrive in New Lisbon at noon on Saturday. General Dawes will make a short address from the rear of the train. This was a chance to hear the Republican candidate for Vice President.

These stories are compiled from notes and history compiled by several persons. Responsibility for accuracy is not assumed.