[CHAPTER IV]
Wisconsin River Dells—Journey of Fascinating Scenery—Jefferson Davis—Belle Boyd, Rebel Spy
No portion of the Badger state is more widely known for scenic beauty than the Wisconsin River Dells. Each passing year thousands of persons revel in the charm of this region, often remaining throughout the summer enjoying the hospitality of the city of Kilbourn, which is picturesquely located on the bank of the river. Here the stream has cut a great gorge through the sandstone rocks leaving wonderful castellated crags standing high on either side and fascinating niches below through which the water bubbles and boils in caldrons of solid rock. Shaded pathways invite the visitor to explore fern-hung nooks that hold especial interest for the botanist and the vari-colored sands and rocks possess unusual attractions for those interested in unique geological formations.
The Way From Baraboo
From Baraboo to the Dells, the way is over Trunk Line No. 12. The road first climbs the north range of the Baraboo Bluffs, then crosses Webster's Prairie, the terminal moraine, relic of the ice epoch, forming the sky-line along the way, less than a mile to the east. This extensive prairie, a veritable flower garden in the days before the first plow-share disturbed the soil, is the outwash from a wall of glacial ice that, during the ice epoch, extended for miles in a northerly and southerly direction near the site of the present highway. It is now the center of a prosperous rural community.
The Marshall Farm
Some eight or nine miles distant from Baraboo, shortly before the road turns to the left, an interesting old residence is observed, The Elms, the home of the Marshall family, early residents of the Prairie. The place, which once included 1,476 acres, is owned by Judge R. D. Marshall of Madison, for many years a member of the supreme court of the state. The acreage has been somewhat reduced in recent years.
From the Marshall farm the road pursues a winding way, crossing Dell Creek and passing through the sequestered village of Delton where it turns abruptly to the right following an almost continuous avenue of pines into Kilbourn.
The Dells
The way to see the Dells is by boat. Throughout the entire length of the narrow passage a fanciful nomenclature adds to the romantic character of the objects and places. Before the great dam was built at Kilbourn a number of peculiarly interesting points, now buried by the whirling waters, were exposed to view. The erection of the dam, although destroying these particular features, has added to the uniqueness of others, resulting as a whole in increased attractiveness for the Dells.