Review 24 February 2004

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Review 24 February 2004
People, land, and economy II. The story of the
cutover
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Guiding questions
How have history and nature shaped the geography
of the Cutover region? How and why did the
Menominee story differ from that of the rest of
the Cutover, and from the story of other Native
American nations? How were images of place
important to the story of the Cutover? How have
differing historical actors perceived the best
economic use of the Northwoods land? How might
this history influence our image of the
Northwoods today?
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The Cutover
Timbering from 1850s 1890s The story of the
Menominee reservation (established 1854, soon
after lumber treaties with Ojibwe and
Menominee) Promotion of agriculture
1880-1920 Recreation and tourism mid-19th century
present
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The Cutover Perceptions of the Northwoods
To most, the allure of the northwoods is that it
simply is what the city is not pristine, wild,
unspoiled, simple. But is it? What do we mean
by natural? --Bawden, p 451 Shaped and
reshaped by human action
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The Cutover Markets
Prairie homes and towns Chicago connected WI to
regional, national, global markets White pine
suited building styles and carpentry practices
(and it floats!)
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The Cutover Geography of production and
settlement waterways
River valleys cut first much poaching Sawmills
distributed based on waterways falls and rapids
versus flat water White pine suited to river
transport Supplies were expensive to bring in by
water
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The Cutover New transportation technologies
Rail (spur lines) opened new areas, made new
kinds of wood usable, and made the business less
seasonal Rail also brought supplies and labor in
at cheaper rates Rail provided new links between
labor, resources, and markets
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The Cutover A conservation tragedy
Belief in limitlessness of pineries Pine
harvest peaks in 1892, falls to almost nothing by
1900 Other species decline by 1920s
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Menominee timber Reservation created in
1854 Crops failed in early years Subsistence
resources inadequate Split between Christian
Metis group and traditionalist group BIA
initially denied right to harvest timber, brought
in timber barons
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Menominee timber Faced pressure, poaching from
public and private groups Established own mill,
sustainable harvest practices Today 93
forested, compared to 50 in surrounding areas
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Farming the Cutover, 1880s-1920s Interests
Lumber companies Railroad companies Land
speculators and colonization companies Local
newspapers, boosters, and merchants State of
WI University of WI
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Farming the Cutover, 1880s-1920s Stories about
core American values
Frederick Jackson Turner, Professor of History,
The Significance of the Frontier in American
History, 1893 (Frontier thesis) W. A. Henry,
Dean of the College of Agriculture, Northern
Wisconsin A Hand-book for the Homeseeker,
1895 With farms supplanting the forest, northern
Wisconsin will not revert to a wilderness with
the passing of the lumber industry, but will be
occupied by a thrifty class of farmers whose well
directed, intelligent efforts bring substantial,
satisfactory returns from fields, flocks and
herds.
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Difficulties of farming the Cutover

• Short growing season (as few as 90 days
  compared to S WIs 160) late start to plowing,
  early killing frosts
• Rocky and acidic soil
• White pine stumps rot slowly only good for
  pasture in first years

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• The Cutover hangover tax delinquency by
  township in the 1930s
• Overall, only 6 of land went into cultivation
  up to 1927
• In southern WI, 53 was in cultivation
• Prices plummeted after WWI

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The Cutover as recreation and tourism
area Seasonal home ownership is highest in the
counties of the Cutover (as percentage of all
housing units) Recreational land is highest in
the counties of the Cutover (in thousands of
acres per county) Forestry Commission established
1903