Your heritage adventure starts with a look backwards in time at the people and places of Juneau County. The first known inhabitants of the area were the people of the Woodland Culture. Paintings and carvings found in caves around New Lisbon date to 499 B.C. and effigy mounds located at Gee’s Slough outside of New Lisbon and in Armenia Township date from that period to 1200 A.D. Artifacts contained in the Harry Mortensen Collection housed in the New Lisbon Memorial Library date from 500 to 1200 A.D. These semi-nomadic people hunted, gathered and farmed this area after the draining of glacial Lake Wisconsin some 14,000 years ago. These early people raised corn, squash and beans and harvested wild blueberries, cranberries and other wild fruit for use during their winter camps. Others harvested wild rice, buffalo, deer, moose and other wild game.

The Native Americans who greeted the first White traders and
explorers in the 17th Century were predominately Ho-Chunk.  These people themselves migrated from the far west and were of Sioux origin. The famous trek of Jean Nicolet down the Fox and Wisconsin Rivers opened the area to fur trappers and traders and brought with it diseases such as small pox and measles that decimated the Native American people. The traders also brought social abuses such as alcoholism that further destroyed the Native American way of life.   The first known white settler of Juneau County was a fur trader named Frank Provonsal (also called Francis Charbonneau). His trading post on the Wisconsin River north of Petenwell Rock was established in 1828. Later trading posts were established at the head of the Lemonweir River in the 1830s and near Elroy on the Baraboo River in the 1850s.  The early history of the area includes Indian wars, broken treaties and gradual settlement of the area. About six miles east of Mauston on the south side of Hwy 12, you can see ‘Pollard’s Rock’ on Seven Mile Bluff. Here, Blackhawk, the chief of the Sauk tribe, hid after many of his people were slaughtered at the Battle of Bad Axe in what is today Vernon County. Two Ho-Chunk tribe members betrayed his presence and the United States Army captured him. His capture marked the end of armed Indian resistance east of the Mississippi River.

The rivers of Juneau County were the highways that allowed exploration. Rivers such as the Wisconsin, the Lemonweir, the Yellow and the Baraboo were used to harvest the abundant natural resources of the county and early settlements along those rivers included Mauston, New Lisbon, Necedah, Elroy and Wonewoc. After the period of early exploration, trading posts and sawmills sprang up to harvest the abundant pine timber that covered the county. Unwise harvesting practices soon exhausted these resources and as the land was stripped, agriculture took hold. Crops of summer wheat, tobacco, corn, sphagnum moss, hops, grains and cranberries were harvested, sold and traded by early farmers who survived brutal winters and the backbreaking task of eking a living out of the land. Much of the land, especially in the northern part of the county, was unsuitable for agriculture and the sandy, light soil of the Lemonweir River Valley blew away during the spring. Add to this the difficulty and cost of getting good land from the many speculators who bought huge chunks of the available land at government auctions and sold it for profit, and you begin to see the problems these early farmers faced. Even with these long odds, agriculture became the largest industry in the county and today still holds that position. The mix is different now than it was back then; dairy, hogs, sheep are more prevalent and wheat, hops and tobacco are no longer produced.

With the coming of the railroads in the mid-1800s, Juneau County’s geographical location midway between Chicago and Minneapolis made it an important part of rail history. The City of Elroy was on the main line of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway and Mauston, New Lisbon and Camp Douglas were regular stops on the old Milwaukee Road. The present Interstate system (I90-94) roughly parallels the Milwaukee Road as it cuts diagonally across the county. Necedah was served by the Chicago & Northwestern and served as an important rail point for access to northern and central Wisconsin. At one time, passenger service was available at many of these stops to connect Juneau County residents with the world. The Chicago & Northwestern Railroad beds around Elroy, Camp Douglas, Union Center and Wonewoc have been converted into bike trails including the Elroy-Sparta State Trail, the Omaha Trail and the ‘400’ Trail.

The rest of Juneau County’s story can be found in several publications available in many of the libraries around the county. Perhaps the best of these is “Juneau County: The First Hundred Years,” published by New Past Press of Friendship WI.

Listed below are just some of the many attractions and points of interest found in Juneau County. Good luck on your adventures and check back periodically for updates. We sure you'll find “We're worth a closer look.“

1. Wisconsin National Guard Library & Museum

 This fully restored 1896 log lodge features exhibits including uniforms, weapons and equipment, terrain maps and dioramas of famous battles. Military vehicles from years past and static displays of aircraft are found throughout the grounds.

Ph: 608-427-1280, 101 Independence Dr., Camp Douglas WI 54618

2. Cranberry Creek Archaeological District

Contained with the Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, the site contains effigy mounds of the Woodland Culture People dating from 499 B.C. to 1499 A.D. The Woodland Culture people were the ancestors of the Ho-Chunk. The site is on the National Register of Historical Places.

Necedah National Wildlife Refuge, Headquarters Rd., Necedah WI 54646, PH: 608-565-4412

3. Gee's Slough Effigy Mounds

The Woodland Culture people, ancestors of the Ho-Chunk, lived throughout this area from 499 B.C. to around 1500 A.D. Indian Mounds Park, just south of New Lisbon is the site of several effigy mounds including a rare flex-legged running panther. The park also includes a linear mound and several round or oval burial mounds that were used by the tribal nobility. The park is located on Indian Mound Road south of New Lisbon off Hwys 12 & 16 and is maintained by the New Lisbon Lions Club. The Effigy Mounds are listed on the National Register of Historical Places.

4. Harry A. Mortensen Collection

An impressive collection of artifacts from the Woodland Culture people. The collection represents the lifetime achievement of Harry A. Mortensen, a New Lisbon native. A portion of the collection can also be seen at Raabe's Pharmacy on Adams St in New Lisbon. The Mortensen Collection is listed on the National Register of Historical Places.

Harry A. Mortensen Collection, New Lisbon Memorial Library, 115 W Park St., New Lisbon WI 53950. PH: 608-562-3213

5. The Boorman House

This 1876 Victorian mansion was built by Benjamin C. Boorman, a native of England. In 1864, he bought the Mauston dam, mills and water rights from the estate of M. M. Maughs. After a fire that destroyed the mills, he rebuilt a mill on the northside of the Lemonweir River to produce flour and feed. Later he built a sawmill and a wool carding mill on the south side of the dam and began construction of the Boorman House in 1874. The home features a grand staircase, a drawing room and a widow's walk.

The Boorman House is now the home of the Juneau County Historical Society and showcases extensive collections of artifacts, records and research materials. Dr. McIntosh's medical office building is also preserved at the site and a building housing agricultural implements, wagons and workshops was recently completed. The Boorman House is open on weekends from Memorial Day to Labor Day and hosts a special Christmas Open House beginning around Thanksgiving. The house is listed on the National Register of Historical Places.

Boorman House, 211 N. Union St., Mauston WI 53948. PH: 608-847-2070

6. Lemonweir Glyphs

The Twin Bluffs, on Hwy A west of New Lisbon, are the site of prehistoric drawings and paintings (petroglyphs) dating back to 499 B. C. The work was done by the Woodland Culture people, the ancestors of the Ho-Chunk. The site is on private property and protected. The glyphs are listed on the National Register of Historical Places.

7. Sprague Bridge

This bridge spanning the Yellow River southeast of Finley WI in northern Juneau County has been listed on the National Register of Historical Places since 1995. Built in the early 1900s, the bridge is an excellent example of small bridge construction during that era.

8. Juneau County Courthouse

Originally built in 1925, the Juneau County Courthouse, with its marbled floors and richly paneled courtrooms, is listed on the National Register of Historical Places. It stands on a square in the center of Mauston, the county seat and hosts many community activities including a farmers market during the summer.

Juneau County Courthouse, 220 E. State St., Mauston WI 53948. PH: 608-847-9300.

9. Mauston Dam Site

This dam, built in 1842, powered a saw mill owned by M. M. Maughs. The lake formed behind the dam is Lake Decorah, named after a prominent Ho-Chunk family in the area. The mill was destroyed in a fire in 1864 and later rebuilt in another location by Benjamin Boorman.

10. Buckley Bridge and Mill

Drive out of New Lisbon on Hwy M past Kennedy County Park and you'll cross the Lemonweir River over the Buckley Bridge. The mill was built in 1850 and only its rock foundations can be seen today.

11. Marian Shrine

Over 50 years ago, a local farm woman claimed to have a vision of the Virgin Mary at this site. The followers of this group have built 14 grottoes to depict saints and events in the life of the Holy Family.

12. New Lisbon Civil War Memorial

A statue erected by the GAR in 1897 stands in Heritage Park on Adams St in New Lisbon. The statue and an authentic Civil War cannon honor the dead from the War Between the States. Also in the park is a restored horse trough that once sat at Adams and Bridge St in the center of town.

13. The Elroy Historical Society Museum

This quaint museum in downtown Elroy, steps into the city's past when it was a bustling railroad town. Photographs and memorabilia from that bygone era includes a working model railroad for the young at heart. The museum is open from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm on weekends from May 1 to September 30.