Big River Magazine, January-February 2006 · 840135898949 01 $4.95 Exploring the Mississippi from the Twin Cities to the Quad Cities January-February 2006 Ice Spearfishing River Rescue

8 401358 98949

01

$4.95

Exploring the Mississippi from the Twin Cities to the Quad Cities

January-February 2006

www.big-river.comwww.big-river.com

Ice Spearfishing

River Rescueand Recovery

Who WasZeb Pike?

Eagle Watches

Ice Spearfishing

River Rescueand Recovery

Who WasZeb Pike?

Eagle Watches

Just Around the Bend . . . Just Around the Bend . . . K

ay S

haw

Kay

Sha

w

Kay

Sha

w

Wis

. D

ept.

of T

ouris

m

Wis

. D

ept.

of T

ouris

m

Wis

. D

ept.

of T

ouris

m

Wis

. D

ept.

of T

ouris

m

www.wigreatriverroad.org1•800•658•9424

Wisconsin’sGreat River Road

Wisconsin’sGreat River Road

TM

C O V E R I N G T H E U P P E R M I S S I S S I P P I S I N C E 1 9 9 3

F E A T U R E S12 River Rescue and Recovery: From the

Murky Depths to the Rocky BluffsThe Winona County Dive Rescue Team has spent alot of time in the murky depths and dangerouscurrents of the river.

By Julie Johnson

15 The A, B, C, D and Es of Managingthe Upper Miss RefugeAfter coming under fire from hunters andcampers, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service hasbacked off on some of its proposals for managingthe Upper Miss.

By Reggie McLeod

16 Spearing Fish Through the Ice Although it’s illegal on the river today, icespearfishing is one of the most traditional methodsfor harvesting fish during the winter.

By Ron Deiss

20 Zeb Pike: The Unlikely Adventurer Zebulon Montgomery Pike was only 26 when heexplored the Mississippi 200 years ago.

By Duke Addicks

D E P A R T M E N T S3 From the Riverbank

The river is a complicated animal.

By Reggie McLeod

5 River NewsHiggins-eye in the Wapsi, Pilot Knob preserved,Asian carp for dinner, Habitat barges to the Gulf.

30 Advertiser IndexWhere did I see that ad…?

34 River CalendarEagle watches, moonlight snowshoeing, boatshows, Alternative E open houses.

36 River PeopleTom Kelley: The River Belongs to Everybody

Cover: A stylish ice spearfisherman (Wisconsin Historical Society, WHi-2061)

Above: Storyteller Duke Addicks portrays Scottish fur trader James Aird.(Jeannette Bach)

January-February 2006

2 BIG RIVER MAGAZINE / January-February 2006

Watch Eagleswith Duke Addicks

and listen to him tellEagle and Thunderbird

Legends and LoreDuke Addicks combines the latest scientific knowledge about eagles with the

American Indian eagle and thunderbird stories that he tells on behalf of theMdewakanton Indian Community of Mendota.

• Make Duke’s presentation a part of your community’s eagle watchingevents and environmental education programs.

• Select an eagle watching location and meet Duke there with your group toview and learn about eagles and listen to his stories.

• Attend one of Duke’s programs at the National Eagle Center in Wabasha,Minn., (651) 565-4989.

• Ride along as Duke guides the regularly scheduled eagle watching van toursat the Minnesota Valley National Wildlife Refuge (November through March),or schedule your own eagle watching van tour at the Refuge with Duke foryour group. Reservations required, (952) 858-0740.

For more information about Duke and his River Talespresentations, and to view his schedule, visit his web site at

www.dukeaddicksstoryteller.com or call him at (651) 643-0622or email him at [email protected].

www.bird–song.comORDER ONLINE FOR

DELIVERY TO YOUR DOOR!

songbird products

Mon. thru Thurs. 9:00-5:00Fridays 9:00-6:00Saturdays 9:00-3:00Sundays 11:00-3:00

Retail Store: 1220 East Seventh, Winona, MN 507-454-6711866-273-7664

Retail store closed on major holidays

You can answer confidently with the new compre-hensive, portable versions of the Sibley FieldGuides to Birds of North America.

Eastern and Western editions are lavishly illustrat-ed and contain new text on nesting, behavior, foodand feeding, voice description, key identificationfeatures, and the latest range maps. A perfectcompanion to the Sibley Guide to Birds and theSibley Guide to Bird Life & Behavior.

Browse our wide selection birding books and CD'swhile in our store or on-line.

What bird is that?

January-February 2006 / BIG RIVER MAGAZINE 3

Big River™

Big River Magazine (ISSN 1070-8340) is pub-lished six times a year by Open River Presswith assistance from Riverwise, Inc., 70 1/2 E.Fourth St., PO Box 204, Winona, MN 55987;(507) 454-5949; fax: (507) 454-2133;email: [email protected];website: www.big-river.com

Reggie McLeod ........editor/publisher

Molly McGuire ........managing editor

Pamela Eyden ..........news/photo editor

Marc Hequet ............contributing editor, Twin Cities

Maureen J. Cooney ..office/sales

Kathy Delano ..........sales/design

Robert Copeland ......bookkeeping/subscriptions

Subscriptions are $27 for one year, $49 for twoyears or $4.95 per single issue. Send subscrip-tions, single-copy orders and change-of-addressrequests to Big River, PO Box 204, Winona,MN 55987.

Second-class postage paid at Winona, MN.

POSTMASTER: send change-of-addressrequests to Big River, PO Box 204, Winona,MN 55987.

Big River Magazine, Volume 14, Number 1,copyright January 2006. Reproduction in wholeor in part without written permission of thepublisher is prohibited. Printed on recycled pa-per.

From theRiverbank

The Mississippi River is a com-plicated animal. Pinch one end,and you may get bit by the oth-

er. Try to take too much from it, and itmay do some taking of its own.

Hurricane Katrina brought some ofthis to light, but the story starts in theUpper Midwest, where farmers areworking hard to grow lots of rowcrops — mainly corn and soybeans.They would probably grow less cornand soybeans if agricultural subsidiesdidn’t guarantee a minimum priceand if the subsidized lock-and-damsystem didn’t make it cheaper to shipthe grain to New Orleans, where it isloaded on ships for export.

A certain amount of soil erosion isnatural, even without farming. Erod-ed sand from northern Wisconsinheld back enough of the MississippiRiver to form Lake Pepin long beforeany plow opened up the earth there,and eroded soil built the MississippiDelta thousands of years before any-one planted cotton in the rich blackearth down there. However, growingrow crops greatly increases the rate oferosion, bringing more sand and siltinto rivers and streams and eventual-ly the Mississippi. Now, when it getsto the Mississippi, the dams and dikeshold the water back so a lot of thesand and silt settles out in the river,filling in the lush backwaters at therate of about an inch per year.

Downstream, the Gulf of Mexico istaking a bite out of Louisiana everyyear, because the delta depends on

the Mississippi delivering a big loadof midwestern soil every year. Now,instead of sustaining Louisiana, thatsilt is filling in the midwestern back-

waters. As the coastline recedes, NewOrleans gets closer to the Gulf ofMexico and the hurricanes.

So our farmers are losing more soilin order to ship grain to New Orleans,but we’re sending less soil downthere because of the lock-and-damsystem, whose purpose is to increasegrain shipping.

Look at a map of Louisiana. Noticethe little finger of land stretching outinto the gulf. That’s the end of theMississippi River channel. Note thedistance from the end of that finger toBaton Rouge, just upriver from NewOrleans. Now note the shortest dis-tance from Baton Rouge to the gulf —to the south southwest. There is a lotof water and marshy land along thatshortcut, leading one to wonder whythe Mississippi doesn’t just bypass

Reggie McLeodEditor/Publisher

Contacts (800) 303-8201. For information about stories, columns and River News, contact Reggie McLeod, Pamela Eyden orMolly McGuire ([email protected]). For calendar events, contact Kathy Delano or Molly McGuire ([email protected]).For information about placing an ad in Big River or for information about selling Big River magazines contact Kathy Delano orMaureen J. Cooney ([email protected]). We must receive calendar events by January 20 to get them into the March-April 2006magazine. We must receive ads by January 15.

COMING INMARCH-APRIL 2006

Boat Issue

Savanna, Ill., Struggles to Reinvent Itself

Peregrine Update

THE RIVER IS A COMPLICATED ANIMAL

(Riverbank continued on page 29)

So our farmers are losing

more soil in order to ship

grain to New Orleans, but

we’re sending less soil down

there because of the lock-

and-dam system, whose

purpose is to increase grain

shipping.


RIVERFRONT CENTRE314 Main Street, Red Wing, MNwww.riverfrontcentreshops.com

* Avalon’s Enchanted Journey* Carlson Wagonlit Travel* Good as Gold* Good Life Nutrition* Great River Nautical Art Gallery* Manson Insurance Agency* Red Wing Shoe Store & Museum* Shoe Box Deli* White Rock Bank

Free Parking... Outdoor patio... Juice and Smoothie bar...

Specialty stores... Historical Displays...

212 Main StreetMcGregor, Iowa 52157(563) [email protected]

The Twisted Chicken

“Beyond The Ordinary”❁ Fresh Fish Flown In❁ Organic & Locally Grown Produce❁ Locally Grass-Fed Lamb❁ Dry-Aged Beef❁ Berkshire Pork Pasture-Raised

❁ Eclectic DiningLunch & Dinner

❁ Art Gallery

❁ Coffee Bar

❁ Elegantly SpaciousSuites for OvernightGetaways

OO ff ff ee rr ii nn gg AA nn AA ll tt ee rr nn aa tt ii vv ee DD ii nn ii nn gg EE xx pp ee rr ii ee nn cc ee !!

Winter Hours:LUNCH

11 to 2 p.m.Wednesday – Saturday

DINNER5 to 9 p.m.

Wednesday & Thursday

5 to 10 p.m.Friday & Saturday

Closed Sunday, Monday& Tuesday

Experience the beauty of the Upper Mississippi River Valley.

See it in our wildlife and fine art prints!

•Local Artists •River Art•We Ship •Gift Ideas

We offer a wide selection of well-known artists, custom framing for your prints,

unique gifts and hand-forged damascus knives.

We are on Highway 61, 7 miles north of Winona. At mile marker 37.

1-800-501-4278 www.piccadillygallery.com

Box 247, Winona, MN55987. (507) [email protected]

Traveling

You arrive renewed. You are paddling a We.no.nah Canoe,and it has enhanc-ed your journey, not obstructed it. That is the essence of every We.no.nah… they are light, tough, respon-sive craft that travel with grace. We design each model care-fully, and build all to a superior level of quality from Kevlar® or Royalex.®To learn more, request our 44-page catalog or visit our web site: wenonah.com

Light!


Gambling Bluff?Springfield, Ill. — Illinois’ pro-posed ban on riverboat gamblingcaused small quakes in gamblingstocks when the Illinois General As-sembly voted 67 to 42 last Novemberto repeal the law that allows it. Stocksrecovered when the measure died inthe Senate, where senators suspectedthe proposal was either just politicalmaneuvering or an attempt to getmore money out of the gambling in-dustry.

Proponents of the bill said gam-bling profits go to investors, not citi-zens, and that the state should goback to the drawing board and startover.

Gambling backers countered thatthe state’s School Common Fund gets$700 to $800 million a year from gam-bling taxes, which have run as high as70 percent in some years.

When riverboat gambling was le-galized in Illinois in the early 1990s,its purpose was to help economicallydepressed communities along thestate’s rivers. Times have changed.The first riverboat gambling licenseswere sold for $25,000 each. Last yearthe Isle of Capri bid $518 million forthe license of bankrupt Emerald Casi-no.

Gambling accounts for 1.6 percentof Illinois state revenue.

(Rockford Register Star, 11-7-05, andThe Telegraph, 11-04-05)

Making EyesLinn County, Iowa — The first liveHiggins-eye mussel discovered in in-terior waters of Iowa in 80 years wasfound in the Wapsipinicon River lastsummer and confirmed by genetictesting last fall, according to the IowaDepartment of Natural Resources.

The three-inch mussel was found

during a mussel surveyof three rivers where biol-ogists have been trying tore-establish the rare mussel.

The Higgins-eye is consid-ered a bellwether of river habi-tat health. The U.S. Fish andWildlife Service, Army Corps ofEngineers and state departments ofnatural resources have been workingto re-introduce the mussels in theMississippi and its tributaries by plac-ing walleyes and smallmouth basswith Higgins-eye larvae attached totheir gills into target areas. After afew days or months the larvae dropoff the gills and develop slowly intoadults.

The Wapsipinicon River flows in-to the Mississippi near Princeton,Iowa.

Black Hawk OkayPrairie du Chien, Wis. — A larger-than-life-sized sculpture of BlackHawk, the Sauk and Fox Indianleader of the early 1800s, has been re-stored to its place in the new Missis-sippi River Sculpture Park on St. Feri-ole Island. The $75,000 bronze sculp-ture, the first at the site, was ceremo-niously unveiled in early October,then toppled just two weeks later by avandal who apparently pushed itover with a vehicle. The vandal madethe mistake of bragging about his featat a local bar, within earshot of art-loving patrons who quickly reportedhim.

Now he’s caught and Black Hawkis standing in the park again. The top-pling did little damage to the piece.

Artist Florence Bird has been plan-ning and promoting the idea of asculpture park for many years. Even-tually she hopes the park will includesculptures of 24 historic figures —people from prehistory and historywho lived in or near Prairie du Chien— and a fire circle, where people cangather for arts events, music and sto-rytelling.

MINNESOTA

WISCONSIN

IOWA

ILLINOIS

Bay City

Prescott

Albany

Diamond Bluff

Trempealeau

Harpers Ferry

McGregor

Savanna

Clinton

East Moline

Marquette

Lake City

WabashaKellogg

La Crescent

Brownsville

New Albin

Lansing

Guttenberg

Bellevue

Sabula

Camanche

LeClairePort Byron

FultonThomson

Galena

East Dubuque

PotosiCassville

Bagley

Reads Landing

Wyalusing

Glen Haven

Dickeyville

Clayton

Cordova

Hanover

Minneiska

Lynxville

Stoddard

North Buena Vista

Genoa

Onalaska

Alma

NelsonPepin

StockholmMaiden Rock

DesotoFerryville

Victory

Fountain CityBuffalo City

Red Wing

Winona

La Crosse

Prairie du Chien

Dubuque

Bettendorf

Rock Island

Davenport Moline

Quad Cities

Minneapolis

St. Paul

Hastings

Elizabeth

River News

Visit the Big River Home page(www.big-river.com) for links toinformation about stories markedwith the mouse��.


Diamond on the RiverLa Crosse, Wis. — Pulitzer-prize win-ning author and researcher Jared Dia-mond will be the keynote speaker atthe International Conference onRivers in La Crosse, on June 25 to 28,2006. Diamond, a professor of geogra-phy at the University of California-

Los Angeles, is the author of Collapse:How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed,and Guns, Germs and Steel, which wona Pulitzer Prize.

Prominent environmental historianDonald Worster, of the University ofKansas, is also scheduled to speak.

The conference will showcase mul-tidisciplinary perspectives on the riv-er, including literature and arts about

rivers, rivers in mythology and reli-gion, restoration of historical river-fronts, human influences on riverbasins, contemporary water resourceuse, and other topics. It is sponsoredby the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse, the National Mississippi RiverMuseum & Aquarium, and the Smith-sonian Institution.

The first International Conferenceon Rivers was held in 2002 in Dubna,Russia, which is on the Volga River.The second was at Assiut University,Egypt, on the Nile River in 2003.

Flea AntifreezeKingston, Ontario — The survival ofsnow fleas, tiny beetles so small theylook like fresh pepper grated on thesnow, has long been a mystery. Ascold-blooded creatures, theyshouldn’t be able to jump around atsub-freezing temperatures, yet theylive in temperate regions all over theworld, from the glaciers of Patagoniato the frozen Upper Mississippi. (SeeBig River, January-February 2005.)

Now scientists at Queen’s Universityhave discovered the snow fleas’ se-cret: a protein that lowers the freezingpoint of liquids by about 11 degreesFahrenheit.

The discovery may prove useful inorgan transplants. Today, donated or-gans have to be stored at or above 32degrees Fahrenheit to stay viable.Storage at lower temperatures couldprolong organ viability.

Although other creatures also pro-duce antifreeze proteins, the snowfleas’ proteins have an advantage foruse in organ transplantation: the pro-teins break down easily when theywarm up, so the substance would bequickly cleared from the organ.

Pilot Knob PreservedMendota Heights, Minn. — Eightand a half acres of a hill that was andstill is sacred to the Dakota Indianswill remain an undeveloped prairiewith a few trails running across it,now that the city of Mendota Heightsagreed to contribute $400,000 toward

We’ve got the river covered

From recreational boating to commercial rivertransportation. The Waterways Journal Inc. family of publications delivers news important to you.

Call (314) 241-7354 for more information.

www.waterwaysjournal.netwww.quimbyscruisingguide.comwww.heartlandboating.com

Visitor’s CenterOpen Year Round

Tuesday - Friday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.Saturday - Sunday 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Eagle Observation Deck24 hours a day, 365 days a year

Join us for Soar with the EaglesMarch 18-19

NATIONAL EAGLE CENTER152 Main Street, Wabasha, MN 55981

651-565-4989For National Eagle Center Photo Contest info

www.nationaleaglecenter.org

Jared Diamond will be the

keynote speaker at the

International Conference on

Rivers in La Crosse, on June

25 to 28, 2006.


the purchase of the $1.9 million site.Other funds will come from Dako-

ta County, the Minnesota Departmentof Natural Resources and the Trustfor Public Land, a nonprofit organiza-tion.

Overlooking the confluence of theMinnesota and Mississippi Rivers, thebluff was called “Oheyawahi,” or“the hill much visited” by the Dakota.It was a burial and meeting site. TheTreaty of 1851, in which the Indiansceded 35 million acres of land to theU.S. government, was signed there.

The bluff was a quiet place untilprivate developers proposed building157 luxury townhouses on it threeyears ago, which spurred a coalitionof Indians, preservationists and histo-rians to take action.

The remaining 91.5 acres on thehill is owned by Minnstar Builders,Inc., who may still try to develop it.Opponents say the issues they raisedapply to the whole area.

Big Fish, Big MoneyHastings, Minn. — Trout and otherresidents of the Vermillion River,which runs through some of thefastest-developing areas south of theTwin Cities and enters the Mississippibetween Hastings and Red Wing,Minn., should benefit from a $675,000grant from the U.S. EnvironmentalProtection Agency (EPA), awarded inNovember.

The money will go to the Vermil-lion River Watershed Joint PowersOrganization, which was formed in2002 as a two-county agency. The or-ganization will match the grant withits own $250,000.

The EPA praised the organizationfor being proactive in creating newland-use regulations and water runoffprotection in the early stages of a resi-dential housing boom.

The Vermillion has been growingsome big trout lately — up to 27 inch-es long, according to the Twin Cities

JANUARY14th and 15th21st and 22nd28th and 29th

P R E S E N T S

Come and celebrate the

BEST OF WINTER!

Ice Fest takes place at the Historic Ice Harbor, 350 East Third Street,

Port of Dubuque, Iowa.

Professional Ice Carvers and

Snow Sculptors

Live Animal Programs

Ice Harvesting and

Ice Safety Demonstrations

Museum & Aquarium admission is under $10.00, so bring the entire family! FREE year round admission for Members.

Inquire today!

Visit us at www.rivermuseum.com orphone us at 800.226.3369 to discover

our other great family activities.

While glancing through my newcopy of Big River magazine

this morning I was startled to learn ofyour enjoyment of the consequences ofglobal warming. I don’t need globalwarming to enjoy the river for 10extra days each autumn and spring.Are lilacs sweeter when they come 10days earlier? One could make aconvincing case to the contrary, thatthe long wait for the glories of Mayseem to intensify their joys. Is autumnbetter when the first flurries have beenforestalled for two weeks? I think not.In what way is being able to be inshirtsleeves deeper into the autumn animprovement on the experiences ofthat lonely, bittersweet season?

No, let them wear shirtsleeves allyear, as far as I’m concerned, in thosered southern states where I alwaysassumed the less vigorous weathermade for less vigorous constitutions.

Give me the bracing air of ablustery November wind any day, thetingling smell of snow on the edge ofthe wind, the cold crunching of leavesunderfoot while the honking geese flyoverhead. Give me the meteorologicalslap on the cheek and the return to thetruly warm hearth. Give me thedelayed gratification of lilacs in Mayin Minnesota, the sheer ecstasy of thereturning warmth, which we greetwith the drunken enthusiasm ofsailors returning to port after beingtoo long at sea.

Fie on global warming, I say! Fieon the softening of autumn and thequicker return to warm weather!That’s for pantywaists. I’ll take myOctobers edgy, thank you, and myNovembers blustery. I’ll take myJanuarys bone chilling and my Maysintoxicating!

Harpo KendrickMinneapolis

Letter to the Editor


Chapter of Trout Unlimited. New development standards will

let developers build on some desir-able sites in exchange for buildingponds and other water-holding areason property that is not so desirable.Such ponds and basins will collectrunoff waters and hold them longenough to cool off before seeping intothe river. Runoff that comes directlyfrom roads, roofs and driveways isnot just polluted, but it warms up thestream, destroying habitat for coldwater-loving trout.

Wild TrailHastings, Minn. — Dakota County isassembling land for a trail that willpass through a state-owned wild tractwith a stunning view of the Missis-sippi River.

The tract, Pine Bend Bluffs Scientif-ic and Natural Area, overlooks theMississippi at a great bend in the riv-er where viewers can see barge trafficand other vessels.

Minnesota’s scientific and natural

areas typically don’t have establishedtrails. The trail through Pine BendBluffs will be part of a regional trailsystem that runs throughout the TwinCities metropolitan area.

You’ll have to wait a while: DakotaCounty’s $881,600 grant is for 2010.“But we’re in the queue and we’vebeen approved for funding for thetrail,” said Steve Sullivan, DakotaCounty parks director. “It’s going tohappen.”

Most of the proposed MississippiRiver Regional Trail in Dakota Coun-ty is on existing public land, includ-ing right of way and parks, or isavailable via easements that won’ttake away from the tax base, said Sul-livan. Trails, he said, are “desirablecommunity assets” that raise proper-ty values.

Oak forests cover most of the 185-acre Pine Bend Bluffs Scientific andNatural Area in Inver Grove Heights,Minn., from riverbank to the tops ofits 200-foot bluffs. The area featuresprairie, native white pine and wild-

flowers, including hepatica, bloodrootand wild ginger.

More than 130 designated scientificand natural areas “preserve and per-petuate the ecological diversity ofMinnesota’s natural heritage,” ac-cording to the Department of NaturalResources.

Road to the PastCassville, Wis. — Historic StonefieldVillage, a state-operated agriculturalmuseum and reconstructed village ofthe early 1900s, has been named anofficial Great River Road museum bythe Mississippi River Parkway Com-mission. The honor will boost visibili-ty and marketing of the museum.

The site joins a network of 58 mu-seums and interpretive centers alongthe Great River Road, from the head-waters to the Gulf. Others include theGateway Arch in St. Louis; the Na-tional Mississippi River Museum &Aquarium in Dubuque, Iowa; and theDelta Blues Museum in Clarksdale,Miss.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Historical Society

Photo byKent Foster

Hwy 35 (306 Third Street)P.O. Box 269, Pepin, WI 54759

Museum open by appointment November - AprilLook for phone numbers in the museum window

or call 1-800-442-3011www.pepinwisconsin.com

We carry all of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books plus others,

including Little House in the Big Woods and Laura’s Album.

Laura Ingalls Wilder DaysSecond Full Weekend in SeptemberCelebrating the life and timesof the beloved “Little House”books author.

The Little House Wayside and Cabindepend solely on the profits from the Museum.


Stonefield Village includes 30 re-constructed buildings typical of a rur-al farm community of the early 1900s;an agricultural museum that hosts thestate’s largest collection of farm tools,models and machinery; and a re-stored summer home built in the1890s. It is also the site of a homebuilt by Wisconsin’s first governor,Nelson Dewey, in the late 1860s andearly 1870s.

Dewey was a lawyer who first set-tled in the area when steamboatswere the best and fastest mode oftravel. He pushed hard for Cassvilleto become the state capitol, a propos-al that lost to Madison by only onevote. In 1848, at the age of 35, he waselected governor and served twoterms, before returning to Cassville totake on a number of developmentprojects.

Let Them Eat CarpMoline, Ill. — An Illinois senator, in-tent on solving the problem of the in-vasive Asian carp, is suggesting it beturned into food for prisoners.

“We have to find an end use forthis fish,” said state Sen. Mike Jacobs,D-Moline. “I think that this is ahome-grown problem, and this is ahome-grown solution.”

In January, Jacobs will propose aprivate-public venture to create andfill a market for Asian carp.

Mike Schafer, owner of Thomson-based Schafer’s Fisheries Inc., theMidwest’s largest wholesale supplierof fish, is considering several options:a protein extraction plant, frozen fishpatties or vacuum-packed carp.

“It’s a very low-cost proteinsource,” Schafer said of Asian carp.Last year, his company shipped onemillion pounds of Asian carp, and heexpects to sell 50 percent more thisyear.

The Asian carp was first importedto the U.S. in the 1970s by private fish

farmers in Arkansas, said Ed Britton,U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services dis-trict manager in Savanna, Ill. In theearly 1980s, some escaped the fishfarms into the Mississippi River.

“When they got into the river andwere no longer confined, they begancompeting with the native species,”Britton said. “These Asian carp aremuch heartier than our nativespecies. They reproduce faster, eatmore, grow bigger. They can out-compete our native species. They cantolerate colder temperatures. They

Hawks ViewHawks ViewCottages & LodgeCottages & Lodge

Deluxe forest cottages high abovethe Mississippi, overlooking

historic Fountain City, Wisconsin

[email protected] US TOLL-FREE:1-866-293-0803

ALSO, ASK ABOUT OUR

4-BEDROOM BLUFFTOP LODGE

This summer residence on the grounds of Stonefield Village was built in 1893. Some of the outbuildingsremain from governor Nelson Dewey’s earlier residence. (Stonefield Village)

“I know this is an odd

political issue,” Jacobs said.

“This is not really a sexy issue,

but it is highly important.”

can tolerate higher currents.It’s an ecological disaster.”

In a sampling of the back-waters on the Illinois Riverseveral years ago, 98 percentof the fish were Asian carp,said Kevin Irons, a large-riverecologist with Illinois NaturalHistory, a division of the Illi-nois Department of NaturalResources in Havana. Com-mercial fishermen have toldhim they believe other fishspecies on the Illinois Riverare thinning, but Irons said hehasn’t seen a significant de-cline in other species yet.

“I know this is an odd po-litical issue,” Jacobs said.“This is not really a sexy issue,but it is highly important.”

Jacobs said he will also sup-port any effort to have theAsian carp listed as a “TitleThree” food source for human-itarian food aid world-wide.

aka HermanEast Carondelet, Ill. — The towboatHerman Pott, which gained more thanthe average towboat’s measure offame and recognition by appearing asRiver King in the television movie“The Rivermen” in 1974, has been re-named the Richard E. Waugh. Waughis a bank exec to whom Ingram BargeCompany apparently felt grateful orindebted, or both.

The 168-foot towboat was built in1973 and was a frequent traveler inthe Upper Miss.

Home DeliveryBaton Rouge, La. — Houses don’tusually float down the river, in bargesor outside of them, so media coveragewas abundant when Habitat for Hu-manity asked volunteers in severalriver cities to load house frames onbarges and send them downriver tohurricane-devastated areas in theGulf.


(River News continued on page 30)

A third-generation fisherman, Orion Briney, shows off twoAsian carp he caught on the Illinois River last summer duringa Living Lands & Waters educational workshop. When Brineyrevved his boat's engine the carp jumped out of the water —a spectacle one described as fireworks. (Abbie Reese)


Nate and Jeff returned with green heads after a hunt in the Weaver Bottoms, 11-25-2005. (Thisissue’s Readers’ Photo was sent in by Craig and Judy of Wabasha, Minn.)

Your Photos Wanted!

In this issue of Big River, we’re starting something new — a riverlovers’ photo contest that’s open to everyone, amateur and profes-sional alike. Send river photographs you think other readers would

like to see, and if we select your photo to print in these pages, we’llsend you five free copies of the magazine to share with your friends.

The photographs can be of anything river-related — kids on thebeach; boys returning from a hunt; lotus flowers; waterskiiers,campers, boaters, birders; an old cabin on a slough; or even a beaverdoing a headstand on a lodge. They don’t have to be seasonal. In otherwords, we may print summer pictures in the winter and vice versa.

Email a JPEG (.jpg) photo file from your digital camera —high reso-lution photos only, please — to [email protected], or send a print toPhoto Editor, Big River, P.O. Box 204, Winona, MN 55987. (We cannotreturn photographs, though.)

Send your name, address, a daytime phone number and a short de-scription of the photograph — who or what it is, when and where itwas taken, etc.

The deadline for the March-April issue is January 20, 2006.The deadline for May-June is March 20, 2006.


On the surface, the MississippiRiver changes color with themood of the sky. But under

the surface everything goes dark, visi-bility drops to near zero. A divinglight is practically useless, as its beamreflects off floating particles of sedi-ment, much as fog reflects car head-lights.

The Winona County Dive RescueTeam in Winona, Minn., has spent alot of time in the murky depths anddangerous currents of the river. Thechannels and backwaters of the Mis-sissippi are a sporting and spiritualwilderness for many, but they alsohave a deadly side. When people getin trouble and call for help withdrownings, driverless boats, a miss-ing skier, overdue hunters or childrenfallen off docks, the Dive RescueTeam responds.

The all-volunteer team formed in1983. Now 20 members strong, it con-sists of three women and 17 men,with an average of 10 years experi-ence each. The team combines bothwater rescue and recovery with spe-cialized high-angle cliff rescue skills.

Roy Hazelton, a team founder andowner of Hazelton Scuba Shop inWinona, said that he learned dive andrescue from the school of hardknocks. “Now, I‘d match these peo-ple‘s skills against any of the big-citydive operations,“ he said.

Founding volunteers may havelearned by trial and error, but they‘veachieved professional status by train-ing with the International Associationof Dive Rescue Specialists, and goingon to author their own surface diverescue course, which is approved bythe Professional Association of DivingInstructors.

The team‘s reputation has spread.It has been called to to neighboring

counties up, down and across the riv-er; to Grand Forks, N.D., during the“100 year flood;“ and to Cresco, Iowa,to help rescue a man trapped 165 feetinside a cave.

The team considers Winona a sis-ter city to La Crosse, Wis., andRochester, Minn., which also havedive teams. These three teams occa-sionally train together and offer eachother mutual aid.

Team members volunteer theirtime and are on call 24 hours a day,seven days a week, 365 days a year.They purchase their own diving andclimbing gear. Most team members

also pay for their initial training,back-up ham radios, climbing equip-ment and global positioning system(GPS) devices.

The team operates under the direc-tion of the Winona County Sheriff,but its budget relies on both publicand private donations. Big-ticketitems, such as the rescue vehicle andone boat, were privately donated. Thecounty provides maintenance, a heat-ed garage for gear, pagers and two-way radios.

Many team members began divingrecreationally with lessons at theY.M.C.A. or at a tropical resort. Theyparticipate in the team for at least tworeasons: to hone their skills and toserve the community.

“Most people on the team believeevery person needs to give one thingto their community, whether it‘s lead-ing scouts, hospital auxiliary or res-cue work,“ explained team leader,Russ Marsolek.

DARK WATERS

The divers agree that frequentdives in the river help them learn tomaintain their composure under wa-ter. In zero visibility, touch becomesthe primary sense. Divers often swimslowly along the bottom, feeling theirway through swirling sediment. JuddStanislawski, diver and team equip-ment manager, described a sand-pit

River Rescueand RecoveryFrom the Murky Depthsto the Rocky Bluffs

By Julie Johnson

The dark water can rattle a

diver‘s mind, especially if the

water tastes dirty, and you can‘t

hear anything but your own

breath.


lake bottom with aboutfour feet of visibility.For a while, he couldstill see sunlight above.As he swam deeper heapproached a silt linethat deepened and en-veloped him in a rollingcloud as black as copytoner. He remained inthe black cloud, search-ing shoulder deep inorganic matter on asweep across the basinof the lake.

The dark water canrattle a diver‘s mind,especially if the watertastes dirty, and youcan‘t hear anything butyour own breath.Sound travels well inwater, but divers oftenonly hear their ownbreathing or their ownconversations. Everydiver has his or herown technique for coping. Marsoleksings to himself. Instead of strainingto see through muddy water, whichhe can‘t, he often relaxes, closes his

eyes and completely feels his way.Stanislawski talks to himself.Josephine Dobson, a new diver, saysit‘s very surreal, yet special to be sus-pended in water. “I have a highamount of trust in the person control-ling my rope.“

Rescue diving depends on thebuddy system. The diver is alwaysconnected by a rope to a surface part-ner. Since a diver might have to goacross ice, under ice, in strong cur-rents and into complete darkness, therope is a literal life line. Although theteam has some face-mask communi-cation devices, they usually rely onthe simpler code of rope communica-tion.

One tug by the surface partnerasks, “Are you okay?“ One tug by the

diver answers, “I‘m okay.“ Two tugsmean, “Give me slack“ or “Take upslack.“ Three tugs mean, “Pull meup“ or I‘m pulling you up.“

“Everybody on the team has heldeverybody else‘s life in their hands inone way or another,“ said team mem-ber Gary Eddy.

A STEP TOO FAR

The rocky bluffs lining the river al-so beckon adventurers. When some-body, or some dog, takes a step toofar, the team is called on for “verticalrescues“ involving ropes and skilledclimbers.

Once, when team member BrianBuerck was about to rappel down toa barking dog stranded on a ledge be-low, he asked the owner what thedog‘s name was. The owner replied,“Chompers.“ Buerck rescued the doganyway.

An 80-foot blufftop knob of lime-stone in Winona called “Sugar Loaf“has proven irresistible and dangerousto numerous people over the yearsand has been the scene of many res-cues.

Once a group of teens climbed therock only to realize they didn‘t havethe skill to climb back down. The res-cue team climbed up and rappelledthem down‚ one by one.

Other climbers have fallen, suffer-ing broken limbs and serious injuries.In these cases, the team providesemergency medical services andevacuation.

SEARCHING IN THE DARK

When searching in the dark forsomething relatively small, like a per-son, any body of water seems vast,and the search can require countless,repeated sweeps and relocations. Afew times, Stanislawski said, he‘sgrabbed what he thought was a treebranch only to have a fish slither outof his hands. When surprised, hestops for a moment and calms hisbreathing. He has never recovered abody and wonders how he‘d main-tain his cool if he did.

Marsolek has recovered 13 bodies.At the end of these intense underwa-ter searches, his initial reaction hasbeen “Yes!” — a sense of relief to help

Above: Divers dredged up a bunch of bikes on training day off the Levee in Winona. (Julie Johnson)

Previous page: A diver’s light is only a glimmer in the Mississippi. (Russ Marsolek)

“Everybody on the team has

held everybody else‘s life in

their hands in one way or

another.“


provide closure for the survivors.“Honestly, out of 13, I‘ve never

looked at a face“ he admitted.While searching in dark water,

Marsolek has put his hand aroundwhat felt like an arm, only to findthat it was a tree branch. Now, if hefinds what could be an arm, he‘llwalk his way to the end of it. If it hasfingers, he‘ll put his arm around thewaist and tug three times on his rope.Once on shore, he releases the bodyand walks away.

Everybody deals with the stress ofrescue and recovery scenes in theirown way. Marsolek tends to be quiet

for about three days afterwards.Like other rescue professionals, the

team can receive confidential debrief-ing sessions from the Critical IncidentStress Management (CISM) Team, abranch of the Southeast MinnesotaEmergency Medical Services (EMS)organization. Sometimes the stressfrom rescue experiences leaves a last-ing impression and produces strongemotional reactions in EMS person-nel. Although these reactions are nor-mal, they can cause serious physicaland emotional side effects. An indi-vidual or group debriefing led by aCISM team can help rescue workerscope.

In addition to rescuing people andanimals, the team also leads educa-tional sessions for schools and organi-

zations in the Winona area. Theirmain water safety message: use lifejackets.

“With the exception of peopletrapped in a vehicle, every singledrowning the team has responded towould not have been a drowning ifthe person had worn a life jacket,“Marsolek said.

A bit of humor and playfulnesscounterbalances some of the dangerand seriousness of the Dive and Res-cue Team‘s work. A few divers enjoyupside-down scuba ice skiing. Onediver dons a dry suit, air tank and150-feet of rope, then drops through ahole in the ice and swims out to ex-

tend the length of the rope. Then thediver rotates feet-side-up and putssome air into the dry suit. Buoyancyholds the diver‘s feet to the bottomside of the ice. Three tugs on the ropesignals the surface buddy to pull theskier along the glassy underside ofthe ice until he or she pops up out ofthe hole. F

Julie Johnson is a writer who lives inthe Winona area. She is a First Respon-der and a regular contributor to RiverNews. Her last feature story was “TheTug-of-War Over Riverboat Gambling“May-June 2005.

Above: A rescue climber trains on the bluffs. (Russ Marsolek)

Left: A team member prepares for a night dive in Lake Winona. (Russ Marsolek)

Below: A winter search party gets assistance from the air. (Russ Marsolek)


After coming under fire fromhunters and campers, the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service

(FWS) has backed off on some of itsproposals for managing the UpperMississippi National Wildlife andFish Refuge for the next 15 years. Afew new electric motor areas and no-hunting zones may survive theprocess, but most proposed new re-strictions on hunting and campingwere dropped from the plan. A newproposal for seasonal no-wake areashas been added to the plan.

The planning process for the Com-prehensive Conservation Plan andEnvironmental Impact Statement be-gan in 2002 and is scheduled for com-pletion in 2006. Four proposals, la-

beled Alternative A, B, C and D, werehammered out at public meetings.They assumed four different goals: noaction; wildlife focus; public-use fo-cus; and integrated wildlife and pub-lic-use focus. Although the preferredPlan D was presented as a compro-mise, it was hit with opposition. At aseries of public meetings last springand summer, many hunters, airboatowners and campers pushed for noaction or less ambitious changes (see“Should We Change Our River?” BigRiver, July-August 2005). The FWStook the feedback from those meet-ings in addition to 2,438 written com-

ments and six petitions with morethan 3,000 signatures and went backto the drawing board. In early De-cember it released Alternative E.

The refuge stretches along 261miles of the river, encompassingabout 240,000 acres from Wabasha,Minn., (Pool 4) to Rock Island, Ill.,(Pool 15). Many of the boat landingsand most of the islands and sandbarson this stretch of the river are the re-sponsibility of the refuge, which ismanaged by the FWS.

The major changes from Alterna-tive D to Alternative E include:

• dropping three of the proposedsix new no-hunting zones near pub-lic-use facilities;

• changing the boundaries of sev-eral proposed waterfowl huntingclosed areas;

• dropping the proposed 25-shelldaily limit and 100-yard spacing forduck hunters;

• proposing six rather than 17 elec-tric-motor areas, but adding eightseasonal “slow, no-wake” areas whereairboats and hovercraft would also bebanned. However, restrictions on the“slow, no-wake” areas would be liftedfrom November 1 to March 16, dur-ing hunting and trapping seasons.

• loosening restrictions for “nofishing, no motors” areas to accom-modate late-season fishing;

• dropping camping area restric-tions and proposed alcohol and hu-man waste regulations;

• adding a ban on glass containers;and

• dropping a proposed launch feeat refuge managed boat ramps.

The hunting regulations aimed toprotect migrating ducks and reducehunting pressure in some areas, while

increasing the number of ducks andhunter success.

The six proposed “electric-motor”areas will be closed to other types ofmotors, but open to paddlers. Theseareas are generally in backwaters inthe upper end of pools, encompassinga total of 1,719 acres. They are intend-ed to protect wildlife and encouragesilent sports. There is currently onlyone electric-motor area, near a blueheron rookery across the Main Chan-nel from Winona, Minn.

Both alternative D and E would in-crease canoe trails, hiking trails andfishing piers in the refuge.

Some state officials objected to Al-ternative D, claiming that the federalgovernment was infringing on thepowers of the states to regulate hunt-ing, trapping, fishing and boating.Most of the challenged proposalswere changed in Alternative E, andnew language refers to “one-stop-shopping” for permits and cooperat-ing with states.

Nine open houses in January (see“River Calendar”) will give peoplethe opportunity to learn more aboutthe plan and to comment on it. The60-day comment period on the planends February 3, 2006. Written com-ments can be submitted at the planweb site or by mailing them to: Up-per Mississippi River NW&FR, Attn:CCP Comment, 51 E. Fourth St., Rm.101, Winona, MN 55987.

The entire plan is available on theRefuge web site, at public libraries inriver communities near the refuge, atthe refuge headquarters in Winona,and at district offices in La Crosse,Wis., McGregor, Iowa, and Savanna,Ill. F ��

At a series of public meetings

last spring and summer, many

hunters, airboat owners and

campers pushed for no action

or less ambitious changes.

Alternative EThe A, B, C, D and Es of Managingthe Upper Miss RefugeBy Reggie McLeod


An ice spearfisherman stands next to his tent-style darkhouse. (Courtesy of Murphy Library, University of Wisconsin - La Crosse)


Ice spearfishing is one of the old-est, most traditional methods forharvesting fish during the winter

months. Although it’s illegal on theriver today, it was practiced on theUpper Mississippi River for morethan 1,000 years.

It’s a simple pursuit. All that’s re-quired is a big hole in the ice (two tothree feet in diameter); a dark coverover the hole to keep the light out; afish-shaped decoy on a line; a sharpspear; hand-eye coordination and pa-tience.

Today, while ice spearfishing en-thusiasts go to the lakes of Minnesota,Wisconsin and Michigan to fish, his-torians and antique collectors huntfor old decoys and spears that wereonce made and used in an area of theriver known to fishermen as the LaCrosse Reach.

From Teepees to DarkhousesFor Indians in the Upper Missis-

sippi and Great Lakes regions, icespearfishing was an important sourceof fresh food in winter. Archeologistshave found approximately 40 decoysmade of mussel shells from archeo-logical sites within these major areas.Quite a few of them come from nearLa Crosse, Wis., and Harpers Ferry,Iowa, and are more than 1,000 yearsold.

French and British traders record-ed that many tribes of the UpperMidwest traditionally spearfished onthe ice within teepee-shaped shelters,using wooden spears and mussel-shell decoys.

Their tools changed when leadmining and smelting began along theUpper Mississippi River in the early1700s and the Winnebago, Fox, Sac,and Iowa learned these smelting arts.During the last half of the 18th centu-ry, the Indians stopped using theirtraditional shell decoys and started

using wooden decoys inlaid with leadballast. Throughout this period, Indi-ans traded lead, furs, tallow, and oth-er goods to Europeans in exchangefor iron tines and spears.

Settlers learned spearfishing fromthe Indians and it increased in popu-larity throughout the 1800s.

In an 1859 letter sent from therivertown of Red Wing, Minn., a pio-neer wrote: “We have a coy [decoy]fish fashioned of wood, tin fins. Welet it through a hole cut through theice with a string fastened. The realfish fancy they are going to have agood meal and make for the coy.Then we pick them out with thespear.”

In the late 1800s, a small, rectangu-lar, framed shelter called a darkhouse,named for its pitch-black interior, be-

Spearing FishThrough the Ice

This once-vital river fishing tradition centered on La Crosse.

All that’s left today are antique decoys and handcrafted tools.

This Northern Pike decoy, painted with Allis-Chalmers Tractor Manufacturing Company’s“Persian Orange” paint, dates from the yearsshortly after 1929. (Freyermuth)

This small minnow decoy has glass bead eyes,inked scales and multiple hangers. (Freyermuth)

Sporting mussel shell button eyes and tin fins, thissucker fish decoy is made of natural white pine.(Freyermuth)

“Of all the queer forms of

fishing — and there are

many of them — that of

“gigging,” which is being

practiced extensively about

La Crosse just at present, is

undoubtedly the funniest.”

This brown trout decoy sports gold glass beadeyes and three staple hangers. (Freyermuth)

By Ron Deiss


came popular. The darkhouse hadroom for a seat, a small heating stoveand spearing equipment, including asaw or spud, which is the basic toolfor chopping holes in ice, a chipper toshape the edges, and a skimmer to re-move floating debris.

The La Crosse ReachIce spearfishing was especially

popular in the area known as the LaCrosse Reach from the 19th centuryuntil it was prohibited in the late1930s. The La Crosse Reach encom-passes the western border of Wiscon-sin, and the eastern border of Min-nesota and Iowa, and consists of ap-proximately 200 miles of channelsand backwaters between the towns ofPrescott, Wis., and Cassville, Wis.

La Crosse, Wis., was the hub of icespearfishing activities in the Reach,possibly because of the record fishharvests there between 1895 and1899.

Town-dwellers enthusiasticallytook up ice spearfishing as a sport orcommercial venture. A photograph inthe Wisconsin Historical Societyarchives, dating from the 1880s, de-picts an ice spear fisherman fashion-ably dressed with his catch, spear,and decoy.

In 1895, the La Crosse Daily Pressprinted an article titled, “Gigging forFish: A Popular Pastime Among Menof Leisure Just Now.”

“Of all the queer forms of fishing— and there are many of them — thatof “gigging,” which is being practicedextensively about La Crosse just atpresent, is undoubtedly the funniest.No less than one hundred personsnow follow the sport hereabouts, andthe bulk of the fish monger’s stock atthis time is supplied from thatsource.... The fish are easily seen at adepth of fully ten feet, and, at thistime of the year, when food is scarce,they are easily decoyed to the hole inthe ice. In the night time, reflectorsare used to light up the water aboutthe holes.”

From the 1890s to the late 1930s,ice spearfishing evolved a distinctstyle in the La Crosse Reach, suited tothe area’s braided channels and com-plex backwaters full of seaps andsprings.

La Crosse Reach darkhouses weretypically small, which made themeasier to store, heat and carry onsmall sleds.

Spears, jigging sticks, and otherequipment were also small, on a scaleto suit the smaller darkhouses. Jig-ging sticks were fashioned frombranches, but many were turned,carved, and shaped to reflect personaltastes. Spear owners took pride in thehighly finished spears, spuds, andchippers with turned handles andbrass fittings, all made locally.

Before electric tools, all these toolswere made by hand and many showgreat care and art invested in theirmaking. This is especially true of thefish decoys, which are now recog-

nized as a form of folk art, attractingavid collectors.

Local Carving, Local ArtThere were approximately 60 de-

coy carvers in the La Crosse Reachwhose names are known. They madedecoys of basswood, cedar, andmaple, which grew in abundance inthe surrounding hills and valleys. De-coys were typically between four tosix inches long and realistic in ap-pearance.

Most have eyes made of commer-cial beads, hatpins and buttons. Glasstrade beads and mussel shell buttonstacked onto the decoy with smallnails or pins were most popular.Beads could be easily purchased, andmussel shell button factories firstbuilt in the late 19th century were lo-cated in nearly every river city, in-cluding La Crosse.

La Crosse Reach decoys are heavi-ly weighted. Bar, inchworm, pigtailand other types of ordinary fish lurehangers were used as weights to al-low for adjustments to decoy balancein changing water flows.

Decoy fins were cut from brass,copper, and steel.

Both straight (simple) and curved(complex) decoys were carved for dif-ferent swimming patterns and riverconditions. Simple decoys have astraight profile along the length andare jigged with the decoy facing intothe current. Since faster current usual-ly means turbid water, these decoyswere often painted silver, light grey,white to increase visibility in turbidwater.

Decoys with a curved profile alongthe length, allowing for a forwardspiral swimming pattern, were usedin the slow current of the backwaters.The decoys used in these translucent,tranquil back channels were paintedin more detailed and colorful paintschemes.

La Crosse carvers developed de-coys specially for the Mississippi Riv-er, which has current, unlike lakes.They are weighted down in front in away that makes them look likethey’re swimming in a circle as theysink and rise.

Stylistically, the decoys from the La

These jigging sticks in various shapes come fromthe La Crosse Reach area. (Deiss)

This decoy is of the straight,“simple,” form. Thelead weight on the top holds the bar. Note theheavily carved mouth and gills. A jigging stick isattached. (Freyermuth)

This minnow decoy from La Crosse, Wis., has a barhanger on the top, as well as fins of metal.(Freyermuth)


Crosse Reach exhibit excellent andprecise craftsmanship, attention to de-tail, and realistic carving of nearly allriver fish species. Many fish decoysare finely painted by blending,sponging, and stippling.

Local paints were from La Crosseindustries. For example, in 1901 theAllis-Chalmers tractor manufacturingcompany used dark green paint and afew decoys exhibit this color. In 1929the company switched to “PersianOrange” tractor paint and many de-coys followed suit.

Controversy and RegulationMeanwhile, by the 1870’s declining

fisheries resources became an impor-tant topic on the river, and in 1871,the office of the United States Com-missioners of Fish and Fisheries wasestablished to monitor this loss. In1874, the states of Iowa, Minnesota,and Wisconsin set up their first fishcommissions.

As the decline continued into thefirst decades of the 20th century, reg-ulation of ice spearfishing in the LaCrosse Reach was inevitable. Non-na-tive species, pollution, and river andrailroad improvements are nowknown to have been the real culprits,but at the time suspicions hoveredaround ice spearfishing.

During the Great Depression of the1930s, many unemployed people de-

pended on river fish for food andsmall profit, yet ice spearfishing con-tinued to be associated with over-har-vesting and commercial marketing.By 1937, the Minnesota and Wiscon-sin conservation commissionersadopted joint provisions declaring icespearfishing illegal in all boundarywaters, completely closing the LaCrosse Reach to one of its oldestmethods of harvesting fish.

(Jigging is simply a fishing tech-nique by which a lure is repeatedlyjerked up and down in the water. It isnot illegal.)

Although ice spearfishing is legalin Alaska, the Dakotas, Montana,Michigan and areas of Minnesota andWisconsin that are not boundary wa-ters, the controversy and oppositionto ice spearfishing continues through-out much of the Upper MidwesternGreat Lakes region. And it has neveragain been made legal on the UpperMississippi.

Since the mid-1980s enthusiastshave formed ice spearfishing associa-tions to support ice spearfishing, fa-cilitate fish decoy collecting, and pro-mote traditional and competitivecarving. Several popular publicationsfocus on spearfishing, spears, fish de-coys, carvers, trends, and regionalstyles.

In 1989, the Museum of AmericanFolk Art in New York opened the first

major show on early fish decoys. Thisexhibit was widely acclaimed at sev-en museums during its two-year tour.Although ice spearfishing has beenviewed with controversy, the lastdecades have seen a growing appreci-ation for its history and traditions. F

Ron Deiss is an archeologist with the ArmyCorps of Engineers, Rock Island District.He enjoys spearfishing where it’s legal andhe carves his own decoys, besides collectingantique decoys.

Curved,“complex,” decoys were used in the quietbackwaters of the river. (Freyermuth)

Straight,“simple,” decoys were used in the turbidMain Channel of the river. (Freyermuth)

Glass hatpin heads were used for the eyes of thissmall trout decoy. (Freyermuth)

Ice spearfishing has a different feel-ing from the feeling of angling.

You definitely think of the fish as arespected opponent.

With your decoy swimming in thewater below, you jig the decoy upand down to attract any curiousmuskies or northern pike that maybe swimming in the area. Decoysseem to be very attractive to the ag-gressive fish.

It’s a match of wits between youand the fish. Does your decoy lookconvincing? Can you move it in a

way that imitates a real fish? You wait and wait, and if the fish

lines up directly below your spear,you give a short jab, rather likespearing a pickle, and the spear de-scends swiftly through the water. Ifyou get the fish, there’s a great satis-faction. It’s not that easy to spear afish that may be six or seven or even10 feet below you and set at an an-gle. After you strike you pull up thespear, which is tied to a line, and ifyou’re lucky a fish comes with it.

Ice Spearfishing — A Match of WitsBy Ron Deiss

A sunfish decoy made in La Crosse, Wis., has afinely carved body, but no eyes. (Freyermuth)


Zeb Pike The Unlikely AdventurerBy Duke Addicks

Two hundred years ago, in 1805,two years after PresidentThomas Jefferson purchased

the Louisiana Territory fromNapoleon Bonaparte, a young lieu-tenant in the U.S. Army was orderedto do four things that would dramati-cally change the Upper MississippiRiver by preparing the way for itssettlement:

• go up the Mississippi River anddiscover its source;

• tell the British fur traders andthe American Indians in the area thatthey were now subject to the Ameri-can government;

• acquire land for at least twoforts; and

• make peace between the Ojibwaand the Sioux (Dakota), who hadbeen at war with each other fordecades.

He had nine months to accomplishall of this.

Zebulon Montgomery Pike wasjust 26 with only a few years’ school-ing. Since joining the army at age 15,his experience had been limited topurchasing and arranging for theshipping of goods by boat. He’d hadno experience at exploration. He did-n’t make friends easily, and spenthours by himself studying French,Spanish and mathematics. But he was

ambitious, performed his du-ties well and advanced throughthe ranks rapidly, becoming afirst lieutenant at age 21.

After Pike received his or-ders in late June of 1805, hewent to St. Louis, where hechose 20 soldiers to go withhim, and designed and hadbuilt a narrow, very sturdy, 70-

foot-long keelboat.A keelboat’s design is simple. It

has a flat bottom, with planks for thesides. It has no deck, but along thesides were walkways for the menwho poled the boat. Toward the backwas a shelter for supplies, where afew soldiers could go in bad weather.

The sail was mounted in the middle.When the wind was slack or from thewrong direction, the boat was rowedor poled.

Pike started upriver on August 9,not quite seven weeks after receivinghis orders. He kept a journal, and init recorded his daily mileage, what heexperienced, his encounters withtraders and Indians, and whateverelse he thought might be importantto the American government. Thepublication of this journal eventuallybrought him fame.

Pike was in a hurry. He assumedhe had to travel well over a thousandmiles up the river, and he wanted tofind the source of the Mississippi be-fore it froze and snow covered every-

thing. Frequent storms and unfavor-able winds slowed his progress. Theriver was low, so he and his men of-ten had to push or drag the heavykeelboat over sandbars separating thepools of water that were all that re-mained of the mighty Mississippi inthe autumn. Sometimes they sailed,sometimes they rowed, but most of-ten they poled the heavy keelboat up-river.

North of the mouth of the RockRiver, on the west side of the Missis-sippi just above present-day Daven-port, Iowa, Pike met British fur traderJames Aird. Aird suggested that Pikefind Aird’s brother-in-law, the DakotaChief Wapasha II, who was well re-spected by the Indians throughoutthe Upper Mississippi. Wapasha wasabout Pike’s age, and had succeededhis father, the Great Chief Wapasha,who had been a British general in theRevolutionary War.

At Prairie du Chien, Wis., wherethe Wisconsin River flowed into theMississippi and where fur tradersmet their suppliers at a rendezvousevery year, Pike established the sitesfor two forts, one on each side of theMississippi. One was at the Petit Grisabout three miles up the WisconsinRiver, near Bridgeport, and the otherwas the hilltop site of what is nowPike’s Peak Park, above McGregor,Iowa. Here he also hired two inter-preters and traded the heavy keelboatfor two lighter boats easier to use inshallow water.

Near the mouth of the Upper IowaRiver, Pike came to Chief Wapasha’svillage. In following Aird’s advice,Pike made the major decision that de-fined his journey: He stopped at the

Sometimes they sailed,

sometimes they rowed, but

most often they poled the

heavy keelboat upriver.


village, made friends with youngChief Wapasha and asked for hishelp.

Wapasha gave Pike his pipe, thesymbol of his authority, and told Piketo take it to Chief Little Crow and askfor the chief’s help. This Chief LittleCrow was Hunts SparrowhawksWalking, the third Dakota chief to becalled Little Crow.

Farther upriver, Pike came acrossone of James Aird’s partners, Mur-doch Cameron, who guided him toLittle Crow’s village, Kaposia, whichat that time was located on the eastside of the Mississippi near where theMinnesota River, then called the Ste.Pierre, joined it. When Pike met LittleCrow, they smoked Wapasha’s pipetogether. Because Pike seemed tohave Wapasha’s friendship, the chiefreluctantly agreed that the UnitedStates could have roughly 100,000acres at the mouth of the MinnesotaRiver for the location of a fort.

Having accomplished one of hismissions, Pike continued on up theMississippi to accomplish the otherthree. In early December, Pike built astockade near what is now LittleFalls, Minn., where he left the boatsand some of his men. He went aheadon foot, often falling into the partlyfrozen river, seldom going more thana few miles a day.

Pike visited traders’ posts to de-clare that this was American territorynow. At one post, he and his men,and some Ojibwa marksmen, shotdown the Union Jack and hoisted theU.S. flag. However, after Pike left, theU.S. flag was quietly lowered and theBritish flag flown again.

In mid-February, Pike smoked Wa-pasha’s pipe with the Ojibwa leadersof the Mississippi headwaters area,repeated the promise of Little Crowand other Dakota chiefs to cease war-fare with the Ojibwa, and receivedtheir promise to do the same.

After he explored several frozenlakes, the British traders and Indianspersuaded Pike that the source of theMississippi was Upper Red CedarLake, now called Cass Lake, whichwas about 80 miles downriver fromthe true source, Lake Itasca.

On February 28, 1806, Pike and

some of the Ojibwa chiefs startedback to the Minnesota River, on theway retrieving the soldiers he had leftat Little Falls. At the Minnesota River,the leaders of the Dakota and Ojibwamet and talked about peace. ThenPike and his men left for St. Louis,where they arrived on April 30.

Pike had traveled more than 2,000miles under some of the most ruggedconditions imaginable, and had man-aged to accomplish at least some ofhis goals.

He did make friends with the Indi-ans, and tried to get them to agree to

end their warfare, although the Ojib-wa and the Dakota remained at war.

He did determine the location forseveral forts, and acquired land fromthe Indians for one of them. Two ofthe forts were eventually built, FortCrawford at Prairie du Chien, andFort Snelling above Pike Island wherethe Mississippi and Minnesota join.

He did tell British traders and Indi-ans that the Upper Mississippi wasnow U.S. territory, although he pre-dicted that another war would haveto be fought to clearly establish Amer-ican dominance north of St. Louis.This war, known to us as the War of1812, did occur, and Pike fought in it.

Because the British misled him hefailed to locate the true source of theMississippi.

All of his men returned safely. The Army supported the publica-

tion of his journals about the explo-ration of the Upper Mississippi andthe Southwest. Pike became famous,not because he was an excellent sol-dier, which he was, but because of thestories he told about his adventures.His journal has been continuously inprint since it was first published al-

most 200 years ago.His journey up the Mississippi was

just the beginning of his story. Almostimmediately after returning to St.Louis, he was sent on another ex-ploratory trip, this time into the Span-ish-dominated country southwest ofSt. Louis. He and his men left St.Louis on July 15, 1806, and got as faras Colorado, where a peak is namedafter him (because of bad weather, hedidn’t climb all the way to its top).They were captured by the Spaniardsand taken to Mexico before they werereleased. When he returned in 1807,he resumed his career as a soldier,again advancing rapidly.

By the start of the War of 1812,Pike had become a full colonel. By thetime he led his troops in the decisivebattle for York (Toronto) in April 1813,he had been appointed one of theyoungest American brigadier-generalsbefore or since. As the British armyretreated from York and Pike led hissoldiers across the battlefield to takecommand of the city, a gunpowderstorage area exploded, killing him. Hewas 34.

His comrades preserved his bodyin whiskey until it could be buried onAmerican soil.

News of his death spread rapidly.The nation mourned. President JamesMadison read Pike’s eulogy before ajoint session of Congress. Only a fewtimes in the history of this nation hasan American president honoredsomeone in this way.

Had he lived, some historians be-lieve Pike would have eventuallybeen one of the leading contendersfor the office of President of the Unit-ed States. The Dakota and Ojibwamight have been treated quite differ-ently had their friend lived to becomePresident. F

Duke Addicks tells Mississippi RiverTales and is available to tell the fullstory of Zeb Pike during the bicentenni-al of his exploration of the Mississippi.

Portrait of Zebulon Pike by David Fox.It is part of the Captain William Bow-ell, Sr., Collection, which hangs in theNational Rivers Hall of Fame, on dis-play at the National Mississippi RiverMuseum & Aquarium.

Pike became famous, not

because he was an excellent

soldier, which he was, but

because of the stories he told

about his adventures. His journal

has been continuously in print

since it was first published

almost 200 years ago.



along the river.“Kelley was talking to me about

this 40 years ago,” he recalled.Mike Galvin, Jr., an attorney with

Briggs and Morgan, in St. Paul, oftenworked with the county or the St.Paul Port Authority on land acquisi-tions along the river, such as Lilydaleand Pickerel Lake,across the river andupstream fromdowntown St. Paul.

“Tom led thecharge,” Galvin said.“He was one of theearliest if not the ear-liest of the pioneersfocusing on the riv-er.”

He remembersthat Kelley had ahouseboat built withwheels on it so that it could be towedwithout a trailer.

“I had an old pontoon boat on theriver, so on weekends we’d bump in-to one another,” he said.

Before the state gave local govern-ments authority to raise money forrecreational land, a group of St. Paulbusinessmen used to buy up parcelsand hold them until the state couldcome up with the funds for them.Some of the land along the east bankof the river below Lock and Dam 1became park land through this

process. Galvin’s boss, Sam Morganwas part of that group and laterhelped found the nonprofit Parks andTrails Council of Minnesota, whichnow does similar work.

When Peter Gove chaired the new-ly formed Mississippi River CorridorCommission in the early 1980s, TomKelly was one of the more activecommissioners. The commission’swork led to the creation of the Mis-sissippi River National River andRecreation Area in 1988.

“He [Kelley] was one of the keypeople who led to the creation of theMississippi River National River andRecreation Area,” Gove said.

They worked closely with Con-gressman Bruce Vento and SenatorDave Durenberger to convince Con-gress to approve the designation.

MNRRA includes a 72-mile longsegment of the river,from Dayton to Hast-ings, Minn., with theTwin Cities in themiddle. It’s adminis-tered by the NationalPark Service.

Gove also foundedFriends of the Missis-sippi River (FMR), anonprofit advocacygroup concerned withthe stretch of the riverin MNRRA and is

currently on the its board. He recent-ly retired from his job as vice presi-dent of corporate relations for St.Jude Medical, Inc., in St. Paul. Along-time river activist, he headedthe Minnesota Pollution ControlAgency in the 1970s.

These days Kelley and his partnerKathy Stack have time to enjoy theparks and trails along the river. Theylive near the Mississippi River Boule-vard Trail and Hidden Falls Park,where they often go for picnics. Stackalso helped build the park system inSt. Paul; one of several jobs she heldfor the city was heading up the Com-munity Services Department, whichoversees the parks. They are bothmembers of FMR, and Kelley was aspeaker at the organization’s annualfundraiser last fall.

Kelley loves the gorge and the ur-ban river, but he also likes the stretchfrom Winona, Minn., to Prairie duChien, Wis., where he used to spendtime exploring on his houseboat.

“I was never much of a fisherman.I just enjoyed cruising.” he said. “Iwould keep going until it got darkand just anchor.”

“It’s one river. It belongs to every-body.” F

Photos courtesy of Tom Kelley.

A History ofWapasha’s Prairie

1660-1853By Myron A. Nilles

The story of the Dakota people who livedwhere Winona, Minn., now stands.

Second Edition 2005Winona County Historical Society,

in cooperation with Big River68 Pages

With artwork by Seth Eastman,historical photos, new maps

and index.

1-800-303-8201Big River

PO Box 204Winona, MN 55987

$9.95 + $2.50 postage(Minn. residents add

65 cents tax)

(Tom Kelley continued from page 36)

“Tom led the charge,” Galvin

said.“He was one of the earliest if

not the earliest of the pioneers

focusing on the river.”

Tom Kelley


Wed – Sat 12-5; Sun 12-3; or by appointment80 South 2nd Street • Lansing, IA 52151(563) 538-9285 • www.bigriverforge.com

Enjoy your visit to Lansing!We carry a wide selection of gift items –

Visit our 2nd Floor Antiques!Two floors of one-of-a-kind gifts, plus flowers& plants, Red Wingcrocks and much,much more.

563-538-4326417 Main, Lansing, IA

(3 short blocks from the Mississippi)

HOURS: M-F 9-5; Sat 9-4; Sun 10-3

River’s

Great View & Food • Fun! Docking AvailableOpen 6AM – 2AM Mon-Sat; 7AM – 2AM, Sun.

10 South Front Street Lansing, IA • 563-538-4497

©20

04 B

lack

haw

k B

ridge

pho

to b

y La

ura

Siit

ari c

/o R

iver

Roa

d G

alle

ry

Featuring:wrought-ironpieces, garden art,cabin decor, wallhangings and pa-tio fireplaces.

CU S TO M O R D E R S W E LC O M E.

SEE WHAT’S NEW AT

www.lansingiowa.com

Much More than Just Hardware238 Main Street Lansing, IA 563.538.4431

River’sE D G E

Serving Breakfast,Lunch & Dinner


203 Main, Lansing, IA www.mcgarritysinn.com563-538-9262

RED GERANIUMGifts & Floral

Located in the G. Kerndt Bros.historic grain elevator building right on the Mississippi!60 South Front St. Lansing, IAFREE local floral delivery.

563-538-3943Mon – Fri 10 a.m.– 5 p.m.

©A

ll ph

otos

by

Riv

erR

oad

Gal

lery

. All

right

s re

serv

ed.

SEE WHAT’S NEW ATwww.lansingiowa.com

1381 NORTH SECOND ST. (HWY 26)LANSING, IOWA 52151

608-386-9721; AFTER 6PM 563-538-4091

[email protected]

Relax in styleRelax in styleSpend a memorable night or week in one ofour four luxury suites restored with carefulattention to detail and your comfort!


Hwys 18 & 35 SouthPrairie du Chien . WI 53821

608-326-7799 www.windsorplaceinn.com

All rooms featurequeen or king size bedscable TV & data ports

Enjoy the indoor pool &whirlpool

Free Continental BreakfastWireless Highspeed Internet

Prairie du Chien

www.prairieduchien.org

Pra

irie

du C

hien

fro

m P

ikes

Pea

k ph

oto

by E

ric F

ryde

nlun

d

Historic Communityin Southwestern

Wisconsinon the Mighty

MississippiRiver

104 East Blackhawk Ave., Prairie du Chien, WI 53821Phone: 608-326-8899

Featuring a great mix of unique and classic toys, gamesand gifts for kids of all ages.

Smarty Pants is a neighborhood store with a keen eyefor the coolest toys and gifts around, located in historicdowntown Prairie du Chien.

Historic Communityin Southwestern

Wisconsinon the Mighty

MississippiRiver

"THE LANDING"Wyalusing, Wisconsin

Rent a quaint cottage along the Mississippi River

Year-Round Cottage for Rent

Beautiful Main Channel view

1 block to sandy beach

Minutes to boat launch

3 season enclosed porch overlooking river

Newly remodeled & completely furnished

New stove, refrigerator (ice maker), microwave,

VCR/DVD/stereo

Monthly, Weekly, Weekend Rates

www.thelandingcottage.com

[email protected] • (608) 444-3974


Specializing in outdoor & historic weddings amidthe Mississippi River bluff country in Cassville, Wis.

(608) 725-5022 [email protected]

www.outdoorandhistoricweddings.com

Cassville Tourism, P.O. Box 576, Cassville, WI 538061-877-891-8298 [email protected] www.cassville.org

117 W. Front St.Cassville,WI 53806

608-725-5895www.riverviewbb.com

River View Bed & Breakfast

Across the street from the car ferry

704 E. Amelia St.Cassville, WI 53806

Russel Nelson, owner

Great River Road Stop & Go

bait • food • fuel • tourism information

Visit our unique one of akind craft and gift shop.

Cassville bp Amoco-Piccadily316 Deniston StreetCassville, Wisconsin 608 / 725-5181

2 blocks from the Mississippi River

Automotiveand

Marine Supplies

Food - Sodas - Ice - Diesel

Bald Eagle Days, January 28 & 29Outdoor Viewing at Riverside Park

8 a.m - noonEducational Programs, Municipal Building,

100 West Amelia Street9 a.m. - 3 p.m.

The Cassville Car Ferrybegins their 2006 season on May 5

TREASURE ON THE MISSISSIPPI


kfai.org

ISLAND CITY HARBOROpen 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, closed Mondays

P.O. Box 10 • 305 South Ave.Sabula, IA 52070-0010

email:[email protected]:islandcityharbor.com

Phone (563) 687-2825 • Fax (563) 687-2229Mile 534.7 RDB • Upper Mississippi River

We Monitor Marine Channel 16An excellent place for wave runners, water skiing,

fishing, windsurfing on the lakes to the west of the marina.

Marine/Gift StoreFull Service Gas DockInside Winter Storage

30 Ton Travel Lift

Slip RentalHydraulic Trailer

Mechanical ServicesBoat Sales

Games, puppets, books and laminatedguides to teach your children aboutNature and their place in it.

14059 Spook Cave Road. McGregor, IA 52157w w w. o t t e r s i d e o f n a t u r e . c o m

563-873-2980 888-568-2798

Marquette & McGregor, IowaMarquette & McGregor, IowaEAGLESLANDINGBed & Breakfast

and Winery563-873-2509

82 & 127 North St. • Marquette, IAFree Wine Tasting 10-5 Daily

MARQUETTE MAID WINESOn the Mississippi River

www.halvorson.org/eagleslanding


New Orleans for an easier route. Ac-tually it probably would already havedone that if not for the industrious re-sistance of the Army Corps of Engi-

neers, which has built huge structuresto prevent that from happening. Ican’t say I understand all the reasonsfor doing this, but one of them is tokeep the port at New Orleans open.

Meanwhile, the city of New Or-leans is below sea level and evenmore below the river level and steadi-ly sinking. So, just as it takes more ef-fort every year to keep the Mississip-pi from bypassing New Orleans, it al-so takes more effort every year tokeep the streets of New Orleans dry.Meanwhile, the land between the cityand the gulf is disappearing. City res-idents have been lobbying the Corpsfor years to improve the dike systemprotecting the town, but the Corpshas been more enthusiastic about jus-tifying expansion of the lock-and-dam system up north so that mid-western grain can be shipped to NewOrleans a little more cheaply.

Off the coast of Louisiana, wherethe waters of the Mississippi minglewith the gulf, lies the “Dead Zone,”an area of water without enough oxy-gen to sustain life. The Dead Zone iscreated when nitrogen and phospho-rous in fertilizers applied to farmlandin the Upper Midwest washes intostreams and rivers and eventually in-to the Mississippi, all to support aneffort to grow grain and export itthrough New Orleans.

All of these circumstances are con-nected by the Mississippi River, butthey are not connected in our minds.Farmers do not grow corn in Illinoisto kill shrimp in Louisiana. TheCorps did not build the locks anddams to fill in the backwaters or de-stroy the Louisiana coast. New Or-leans grew up on the banks of a rivermuch different than the one we knowtoday.

I’m nowhere near smart enough toattach a moral to the story or offer asolution. I’d just like to share my fas-cination with the way we humanshave remodelled this river, from topto bottom, some of it deliberately, butmost of it as a result of doing some-thing else.

One question, “Where is this head-ed? What will this picture look like in50 years?”

River PeopleWe have launched a new series on

the last page of the magazine. “RiverPeople” will celebrate people whohave made their mark on the riverand who have also had their liveschanged by the river. Tom Kelley is agreat example to begin this serieswith.

We have run many stories aboutthe riverfront in the Twin Cities with-out tracing events back to Tom, butthat is where much of the credit be-longs. In fact, I owe credit to Tom andhis partner Kathy Stack for educatingme about the urban river and some ofthe history and politics that havebrought it to its present state.

We have been fortunate to knowTom and Kathy for a few years, butwe’re going to need your help discov-ering more river people for this newcolumn. Please send us a note aboutany river people who you think weshould include. Briefly tell us theirstories, especially how they have af-fected the river and been affected bythe river. F

VISIT WINONA AND THE WINONA COUNTY

HISTORICAL SOCIETY ARE LOCATED AT

160 JOHNSON ST., WINONA, MN 55987

UPCOMING EVENTSJAN. 14 BEN MUNISTERI DANCE

PROJECTS

JAN. 14-16 MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.CELEBRATION

JAN. 19-21 FROZEN RIVER FESTIVAL

FEB. 2 CHAVA ALBERSTEIN

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT MINNESOTA’SHISTORIC ISLAND CITY, AT

www.visitwinona.comCALL

800.657.4972 or 507.452.0735 for a free Visitors Guide

AND, THERE’S ALWAYS SOMETHING

NEW TO DISCOVER IN WINONA.

Journey Through Time ....AT THE WINONA COUNTY

HISTORICAL SOCIETY

IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE PAST IN

THE REGION’S LARGEST AND FINEST

HISTORICAL MUSEUM. ENJOY

AWARD-WINNING EXHIBITS.RESEARCH WINONA’S COLORFUL

PAST IN THE MUSEUM’S LIBRARY

AND ARCHIVES. VISIT THE MUSEUM

SHOP AND THE “PREVIOUSLY READ”BOOKSTORE.

Timeless Surroundings.

www.winonahistory.org507.454.2723

Open Monday - Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.Closed weekends in January and February

(Riverbank continued from page 3)

All of these circumstances

are connected by the

Mississippi River, but they

are not connected in our

minds. Farmers do not

grow corn in Illinois to kill

shrimp in Louisiana. The

Corps did not build the

locks and dams to fill in the

backwaters or destroy the

Louisiana coast.


Ancient IntegrationHanover, Ill. — A unique NativeAmerican settlement unearthed onthe Apple River south of Hanovermay become an archeological park, aprairie restoration site, a wildlifepark, or all three. At any rate, it willno longer be plowed or farmed; itwill be preserved.

The Archaeological Conservancyrecently purchased the 78 acres offarmland and will turn it over to lo-cal control by the Jo Daviess Conser-vation Foundation.

Galena native Phil Millhouse, anarchaeologist pursuing his Ph.D.from the University of Illinois, orga-nized an archaeological dig on thesite in 2003. U.I. students conductedthe excavation. The site is unique,Millhouse said, because it illustratesa 10- to 15-year period in which twovery different Native American soci-eties converged, intermarried and as-similated.

“We caught this moment whenthere’s this transformation. You neversee that in archaeology. Peoplechange their materials so quickly youcan’t catch it,” Millhouse said.

The site, dated circa 1050 A.D., re-vealed three distinct styles of potteryshards. One, made by the late Wood-land people who were already settledin this area, has a corded design anda lip, or collar, and was temperedwith grit. Another style was createdby people of the Mississippian Cul-ture, who were possibly politicalrefugees from Cahokia, shell-tem-pered their pottery, varnished andpolished it. The third type of shardsare a blending of the other two styles.

“Basically,” Millhouse said, “theywere becoming a new culture.” Up to300 people may have lived togetherat the site.

After the dig, when the landown-ers wanted to sell their property, theArchaeological Conservancy, a na-tional organization, arranged to pur-chase it. The sale was finalized evenas the Jo Daviess Conservation Foun-dation applied for a $200,000 grantfrom the Illinois Clean Energy Com-munity Foundation, to reimburse theConservancy.

The first houses in the “Rollin’ onthe River” project were loaded ontobarges in the Twin Cities on October23, under the watchful eye of NBC’s“Today Show,” and they began theirvoyage downriver, pushed by thetowboat Virginia Ingram, courtesy ofIngram Barge Company.

The tow reached St. Louis on No-vember 2, where volunteers got to-

gether under the Gateway Arch tobuild 10 more houseframes in a 40-hour blitz and load them onto thebarges.

The tow made its last pickup inMemphis on November 19 and ar-rived in Baton Rouge on November21, where the house frames werebolted onto waiting foundations.

Habitat plans to ship a total of 250to 300 house frames in containers tothe Gulf, as part of its OperationHome Delivery.

Living Lands and Waters, the EastMoline, Ill.-based river-cleanup orga-nization, also brought a crew downto New Orleans to assist in thecleanup.

(River News continued from page 10)

The Virginia Ingram pushes the Habitat for Humanity barge past Winona in November. (Pamela Eyden)

Habitat for Humanity plans

to ship a total of 250 to 300

house frames in containers to

the Gulf, as part of its

Operation Home Delivery.

Ad ve r t i s e r I n d exBest Western Quiet House & Suites . . . .back coverBird Song . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Blue Heron Coffeehouse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30Blufflands Alliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35BNOX Gold & Iron . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Cassville, Wis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27Duke Addicks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Edina Realty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Franciscan Spirituality Center . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Galena Cellars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Hawks View Cottages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Historic Bluff Country . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23History of Wapasha’s Prairie . . . . . . . . . . . . .23Island City Harbor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28KFAI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Lake City Lodging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Lansing, Iowa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8Marquette & McGregor, Iowa . . . . . . . . . . . . .28Minneapolis Boat Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Minnesota Fossil and Fossiliferous Rocks . . .31National Eagle Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6National Mississippi River Museum

& Aquarium . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7Northern Breezes Sailing School . . . . . . . . . . .8Pepin Valley Realtors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37Pepper Sprout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35Piccadilly Gallery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Prairie du Chien, Wis. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26Riverfront Centre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Signatures Restaurant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Smith Brothers Landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31Stoney Creek Inn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37Twisted Chicken, The . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Waterways Journal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6We-no-nah Canoe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Wildrose Timberworks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37Winona County Historical Society /

Visit Winona . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29Wisconsin Great River Road . . . .inside front cover

The grant requires the land be bothaccessible to the public and a wildlifehabitat.

Chris Kirkpatrick, a restorationecologist with the Jo Daviess Conser-vation Foundation in Elizabeth, ex-pected his agency to take possessionof the property by the end of 2005.

Sixty acres of the farmland hadbeen planted in soybeans, whichKirkpatrick said is great preparationfor a prairie restoration. Called theJohn Chapman site, it is less thanthree miles from the Mississippi Riv-er.

Seeping PesticidesHastings, Minn. — Is Hastings a ca-nary? All of this river town’s munici-pal wells have elevated nitrate levelsand farm chemicals, though at levelsconsidered too low to be a healththreat.

One well, however, has chemicalsfrom the pesticide Cyanazine, nolonger made or used in the UnitedStates. Cyanazine causes cancer andother ailments in lab rats.

Hastings, population 20,000, sitson sandy soil that allows faster seep-age of agricultural chemicals and oth-er pollutants. Isotope testing showsthat pollutants took 50 years to reachHastings’ aquifer. Cities on harder

soils may also find increasing quanti-ties of farm chemicals in their wellwater in the future.

To minimize seepage of pollutantsinto groundwater, Dakota County —which includes Hastings — will begincomprehensive septic-tank inspec-tions in 2006. Friends of the Missis-sippi River, a St. Paul-based river-ad-vocacy group, has also called fortreatment of storm water runoff fromparking lots, roads and rooftops; aminimum 100-foot buffer betweenstream banks and lawns or fields tofilter nitrates and pesticides; and agri-

cultural practices that prevent pesti-cide and nitrate runoff.

Ironically, Hastings will pay about$3 million to treat its contaminatedwells — although the pollution comesfrom farms outside the city and evenoutside Dakota County.

The Twin Cities can expect more ofthe same. “The bigger issue is thatthis type of contamination is poppingup all over the metro area and willcontinue until we find a way to man-age our land use in a way that pro-tects water quality,” said Dan Huff,watershed program director forFriends of the Mississippi River.“Even less sensitive aquifers will oneday be affected. It is only a matter oftime.” F ��River News by Pamela Eyden, MarcHequet and Abbie Reese


MINNESOTA FOSSILS AND FOSSILIFEROUS ROCKS

• How and where to find fossils.

• What their names are andwhat they mean.

218 pages, 671 fossils shown

$30 POST PAID (CASH OR CHECK)

Robert E. Sloan39072 Karen CourtWinona MN 55987

ORGANICALLY GROWNCOFFEES

TEA ESPRESSOSOUP • SALAD • SANDWICHES •

PASTRIES

Made from scratch using fresh,organically grown, local

ingredients, whenever possible

New location162 West 2nd Street

Winona, Minn.

507-452-7020

Isotope testing shows that

pollutants took 50 years to

reach Hastings’ aquifer.

Smith BrothersLanding

Decorative Metal Work

Perennials and Hosta SalesUnique Woodwork

Fused GlassCrafts

Open daily - call aheadfor item availability

200 East Marina Dr.(Next to Pickle Factory)

Pepin, WI 54759Phone: (715) 442-2248

[email protected]

Visit the Big River Home page(www.big-river.com) for links toinformation about stories markedwith the mouse��.

Upper Mississippi RiverProducts and Services

Place your business card here!Call (800) 303-8201

Iowa’s Oldest Bar and RestaurantLocated in scenic Balltown, Iowa

(563 Balltown Rd)Open 7 days a week

Family owned and operated since 1861Finest home-cooked food in the heartland

Phone (563) 552-2220 Fax (563) 552-2498Email: [email protected]

used

and

new

boo

ksthe HOURS

Tuesday - Saturday10 - 5

Sunday - by chance

161 Pembroke AvenueWabasha, MN 55981

[email protected]

book cliffs

Setzer Architectscommercial • residential

licensed in Minnesota and Wisconsin2000 W. Main St., Red Wing, MN 55066

651-385-2218; e-mail: [email protected]: www.setzerarchitects.com

Steven Setzer, AIA

(507) 454 -5949PO Box 204

Winona, MN 55987

Riverwisefor all your publicationand website needs

www.riverwise.com

A very cool cabin ‘where the buffalo roam’Honeymoon Lodging or All Season HideawayPictures & Information on web site

* RANCH TOURS by RESERVATION* Bison & Wild Boar Meat for sale* Buffalo Collectibles & Gift Packages* Corporate Retreats / Events

PRIMITIVE CAMPINGON MONEY CREEKHORSES ARE WELCOME

WWW.CODYSMERCANTILE.COM

507-896-CODY(2639) or 896-234532488 CODY DRIVE * HOUSTON, MN 56943

Mike Fogel,Valerie Shannon &CODY THE BUFFALOYYOOUURR HHOOSSTTSS

Eagle WatchesOngoing Through March

Eaglewatch, National Eagle Center, Wabasha,Minn., (651) 565-4989.

January7 Lock & Dam 13, Clinton, Iowa, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m. Pro-

grams at Clinton Community College, 10:30 a.m. -2 p.m., exhibits from 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Free busservice from the college to the outdoor viewingarea, (815) 259-3628.

7-8 Bald Eagle Days, special attractions, QCCA ExpoCenter, Rock Island, Ill., (309) 794-5338.

14 Lock & Dam 11, Dubuque, Iowa, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.Live eagle programs at Grand River Center, 10:30a.m. and 1 p.m., exhibits from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m.,(563) 556-4372.

14 Lock and Dam 16, Muscatine, Iowa, 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.Live raptor programs at Riverview Center, 9:30a.m. and 11 a.m, (563) 263-7913.

14, 21 & 28 Bald eagle bus tours, Galena, Ill., 8 a. m. -noon, depart from Stoney Creek Inn, reservation,(815) 594-2306.

14-15 Bald Eagle Watching Days, Prairie du Sac andSauk City, Wis., (800) 683-2453.

14-Feb. 19 weekends: Eagle watches and clock towertours, Mississippi River Visitor Center, Rock Island,Ill., 9:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m., reservations, (309)794-5338.

28-29 Lock and Dam 14, LeClaire, Iowa, Sat. 10 a.m. - 1p.m.; Sun. 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. Programs at MississippiValley Welcome Center, Sat. 10 and 11 a.m., noon;Sun. 1, 2 and 3 p.m., (563) 322-3911, ext.120.

28-29 Bald Eagle Days, Cassville, Wis., Riverside Parkand Nelson Dewey State Park, (608) 725-5855.

February4 Bald eagle appreciation day, Wisconsin Welcome

Center, Prairie du Chien, 9 a.m. - 3 p.m., live baldeagle program at 1 p.m. Exhibits, programs, out-door viewing and field trips, (800) 732-1673.


Big River Calendar

Special EventsJanuary

1 Whitewater River Valley Christmas bird count,morning & afternoon, Elba, Minn., (507) 932-3007.

7 Trout fishing, Whitewater State Park, Elba, Minn.,reservations, (507) 932-3007.

7-March 27 Film festival, Effigy Mounds NationalMonument, Harpers Ferry, Iowa, (563) 873-3491.

19-21 Frozen River Film Festival, Winona State Uni-versity, Winona, Minn., (507) 459-8090.

21 Ice fishing extravaganza, noon - 3 p.m., Gull Lake,Brainerd, Minn.

21 Golden Eagle count, blufflands and valleys nearWinona, MInn., (608) 248-2698.

22-29 Winter Rec-Fest, La Crosse, Wis., (608) 789-7533.

27-Feb.5 Winter Carnival, St. Paul.

28 Candlelight hike, Nelson Dewey State Park,Cassville, Wis.

February4 Winterfest, 10 a.m. - 3 p. m., Sherburne National

Wildlife Refuge, Zimmerman, Minn., (763) 389-3323 or (877) 721-4295.

4 B-rrry Scurry race, Clinton, Iowa, (563) 244-7050.

4 Brice Prairie Conservation Association fishing der-by, Lake Onalaska, Onalaska, Wis., (608) 781-9570.

10-12 International Eelpout Festival, Walker, Minn.

11 Moonlight snowshoeing, Whitewater State Park,Elba, Minn., reservations, (507) 932-3007.

13 Snowshoeing and owl watching, 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.,Carpenter Nature Center, Hastings,Minn., pre-reg-ister, (651) 437-4359.

18 Lions Club ice fishing derby, Lake Onalaska, On-alaska, Wis., (608) 781-9570 or (800) 873-1901.

25 Grumpy Old Men, Wabasha, Minn.

www.big-river.com

Check the Big River calendar on our web-site for additional contact information and

updated events throughout the month.

Open HousesComment on Alternative E forthe Upper Miss Refuge plan.

(507) 452-4232

January3 Stoddard American Legion Post 315, 414 Broad-

way St., Stoddard, Wis., 6 to 8 p.m.

5 La Crescent-Hokah Public Schools, 1301 LancerBlvd., La Crescent, Minn., 6 to 8 p.m.

7 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Resource Center, 555Lester Ave., Onalaska, Wis., 1 to 4 p.m.

9 Lansing, Iowa, 6 to 8 p.m.

10 Prairie du Chien, Wis., 6 to 8 p.m.

17 Savanna, Ill., 6 to 8 p.m.

18 Dubuque, Iowa, 6 to 8 p.m.

23 Winona, Minn., 6 to 8 p.m.

24 Wabasha, Minn., 6 to 8 p.m.

Boat ShowsJanuary

6-8 Iowa Boat and Vacation Show, UNI-Dome -Cedar Falls, Iowa.

11-15 Minnesota Sportsmen's Boat, Camping & Va-cation Show, RiverCentre, St. Paul, Minnesota.

11-15 Chicago Boat, RV & Outdoors Show, Mc-Cormick Place, (312) 946-6200.

13-15 Quad City Boat, RV & Vacation Show, RiverCenter, Davenport, Iowa.

18-22 Minneapolis Boat Show, Convention Center,(312) 946-6291.

27-29 Madison Boat Show, Madison, Wis.

February9-12 Minnesota Boat & Marine Products Show, River-

centre, St. Paul, (763) 755-8111.

9–12 La Crosse (Wis.) Boat, Sports and Travel Show.

17-19 St. Cloud (Minn.) Sportsmen's Show, CivicCenter, (763) 755-8111.

24-26 Madison (Wis.) Fishing Expo, Alliant Center,(608) 245-1040.F

The Book and the RiverCelebration of the Book 2006, Winona (Minn.) State University, (507) 457-5418

February8 Writing Immortal River, author Cal Fremling, 7 p.m., Science Lab Bldg. Auditorium.

22 The Book and the River in the 20th Century, Patrick Coleman, Minn. Historical Society Press, 7 p.m., Science LabBldg. Auditorium.

March1 The River We Have Written, John Anfinson, National Park Service, 7 p.m., Science Lab Bldg. Auditorium.

2 Writing the River, panel includes, John Anfinson, Cal Fremling, Reggie McLeod & Richie Swanson, 7 p.m.Winona County Historical Society.

8 Reading the River: How Science Gauges the Mississippi, panel of scientists from USGS, NOAA, Army Corps &WSU, 7 p.m., Science Lab Bldg. Auditorium.F


RIVER PEOPLE


(Tom Kelley continued on page 23)

Tom Kelley:The River Belongs to Everybody

By Reggie McLeod

Tom Kelley, 79, can look out thewindow of his apartment andwatch eagles soaring over the

Mississippi River gorge near the FordBridge in St. Paul. Actually, he’s beenkeeping an eye on the river for sever-al decades from many perspectives.His concern and work have helpedbring the eagles and the people backto the river in the Twin Cities.

After college the St. Paul nativeworked as a reporter in Chicago andWashington, D.C., before returningto Minnesota and then to a post atWCCO television in the Twin Cities.Then a turn on Hubert Humphrey’ssenate campaign led him to shift hiscareer to government, where heworked for the state, Ramsey Countyand St. Paul, where he served underMayor George Latimer as the city’sfirst city administrator.

After winning election to the Ram-sey County Auditor post in 1966 hesaw an opportunity.

“It’s the smallest county in thestate and was pretty fully devel-

oped,” Kelly recalled. “I saw the riveras a great recreational resource run-ning right through the middle oftown and not getting the proper at-tention.”

He helped convince the state legis-lature to allow the county to raise $16million to buy and make improve-ments on land for recreation, much ofit along the river. Purchases includedformer industrial land and floodprone land without much commercialvalue, but with potential value forwildlife and recreation.

The county bought land andswapped land to piece together con-tiguous strips of riverfront. Purchasesincluded land in Lilydale and what isnow the Bruce Vento Sanctuary. Nowparks and recreational trails linemuch of St. Paul’s riverfront.

Kelley also served on various com-mittees and commissions, where hegot to know David Durenberger be-fore he was elected to the U.S. Senate.

Since 1984 he has lived withinsight of the river, with the exceptionof three years when he lived on a sail-boat, mostly around the Bahamas and

Above: Tom Kelley’s houseboat, the Turtle,had wheels in the pontoons and a yoke onthe bow, so that it could be towed without atrailer.

Below: Kelley strolls Harriet Island.

Florida. He’s lived on Dayton’s Bluff,downtown St. Paul and on the gorge.For five or six years he spent thewarm months in his houseboat, theArchie L., on Harriet Island.

“It was great to get up in themorning and walk across the bridgeand be at work.”

When he retired in 1984, the citynamed Kelley’s Landing in his honor.

“Naming a place after someone isa big deal in St. Paul,” explainedGeorge Latimer, who served as may-or of St. Paul from 1976 to 1990.

Latimer first got involved in poli-tics working on Kelley’s campaignfor county auditor in the 1960s. Heremembers Kelley’s interest in pro-viding a corridor of public land

Documents

Big River Magazine, January-February 2006 · 840135898949 01 $4.95 Exploring the Mississippi from the Twin Cities to the Quad Cities January-February 2006 Ice Spearfishing River Rescue