Message-ID: <627729.26688.qm@web56106.mail.re3.yahoo.com> Date: Fri, 31 Jul 2009 19:49:48 -0700 (PDT) From: Susan Wilkinson <swilkinson2002@yahoo.com> Subject: Re: Military trail
Marcie,
From the book Eagle River, Wisconsin Its History and People published in 20
07 by the Eagle River Historical Society:
The Military Road, located about eight miles east of Eagle River, wa
s constructed on contract for the federal government between the years 1864
-1872. It started at Fort Howard near Green Bay and ended at Fort Wilkin
s, near Copper Harbor, Michigan on Lake Superior. Part of this road was
also an old trail known by Native American, early explorer and trader as th
e Lake Superior Trail.
A summary of an article by Edmund C. Espeseth entitled "Oldtimer Det
ails Military Road" follows:
"Driving east of Eagle River on Highway 70, one comes upon a sign th
at reads Military Road. Investigation reveals that this link with the pa
st, while never one of military significance, helped to open up the frontie
rs of northeaster Wisconsin and Upper Michigan.
"The idea for the road was born when the North and South were locked
in the Civil War. Some members of Congress promoted the idea of buildin
g a road that would provide an overland route for moving armed forces north
ward to meet a British attack from the north. The threat of British inte
rvention on the side of the South was more imaginary than real. The move
ment, however, proceeded as planned. One writer of the time referred to
the road as just a ray of light through the forest.
"Proceeding northward, the road was laid out via Angelica, Bonduel a
nd Shawano, then along the Wolf River through the Menominee Indian Reservat
ion, northward to Langlade, Strauss and on to the vicinity of what is now t
he village of Three Lakes thence north to the eastern shore of North Twin L
ake, now Phelps. There the road merged with the Wausau and North State L
ine Road. From the North Twin area, the road headed north to the Thomas
Trading Post on the western shore of Lac Vieux Desert at the source of the
Wisconsin River and on to the Michigan line and northward to Fort Wilkins o
n Lake Superior.
"Finn Lawler is quoted from his written account on the Military Road
, 'Developments in the course of the war between the states played into the
hands of the promoters who made use of this propaganda to get their bill t
hrough Congress. The commissioners who let the contracts, awarded three
sections of timber lands for every mile of road built, and the selection co
uld be made anywhere along the route within three miles of the course of th
e road except where the road ran through the Menominee Indian Reservation.
As it turned out, the whole setup was a giant conspiracy and one of the
prize timber steals in American history.'
"...With the coming of the railroad in the 1880s, Military Road decl
ined as the principal access route to the North. It continued, however,
to be an important wagon route for many years. It is hoped that portions
of the original route may be preserved and properly marked as a part of th
e Wisconsin heritage."
Susan Wilkinson
--- On Fri, 7/31/09, Marcie Braski <cen95870@centurytel.net> wrote:
From: Marcie Braski <cen95870@centurytel.net>
Subject: Military trail
To: localhistory@listserve.uwec.edu
Date: Friday, July 31, 2009, 2:47 PM
Hi
Does anyone have knowledge about the Military Trail during the Civil War th
at went from Green Bay to Superior? The route was purported to bypass mo
re lakes than another route.The trail was made for Cavalry use to protect
the settlers from Indians.. Then there were no hostile Indians. A loc
al person related that he had read about it and it goes thru my property in
Price County. The ruts are still visible in places on nearby land. Anyone
have access to history books on this subject or location of the trail from
Price county to Superior?