Highlighting historical treasures in Chequamegon-Nicolet NF

May 31, 2023

Foreground: pink wildflowers growing among green grass; middle ground: A calm body of water; Background: Tall trees on the far end of the river frame a wodden structure (a loggin dam) in their midst. — *Round Lake Logging Dam in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. USDA Forest Service photo.*

WISCONSIN—Amid soaring 130-year-old white pine trees, a group of reporters and community partners toured the historic Round Lake Logging Dam and Smith Rapids Covered Bridge on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest earlier this month. Forest staff partnered with the Phillips Area chamber of commerce to provide tours as part of fishing opener weekend programs and festivities in Wisconsin.

Price County Historical Society board member John L. Berg and USDA Forest Service retirees Dave Campbell and Manny Stein provided information about the history and rehabilitation of the dam. Stein and Campbell supervised the dismantling and rebuilding of the dam in 1995. Berg and Stein co-authored The Pike Lake Chain: A Collection of Historical Accounts and Photographs. The book is a comprehensive history of the area and the logging dam.

Dozens of logging dams were constructed in the area during the historic logging boom in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Each spring, the dams were opened to help raise water levels to float logs—mostly white pine trees, known as “cork pine” trees because of their buoyancy—down to the Mississippi and Chippewa rivers and on to mills.

William T. Price’s logging crews constructed the dam in 1876. After official authorization in 1878, Henry Hewitt and Eric MacArthur reconstructed the dam. Historic timbers and original iron hardware were used to renovate the dam in 1995 through a cooperative partnership of local, state and federal agencies.

Three older men standing on a bridge, behind them a river can be seen, at each side (in the background) tall trees ris. — From left, Manny Stein, USDA Forest Service retiree, Price County Historical Society board member John L. Berg, and Dave Campbell, USDA Forest Service retiree, pose for photos after providing tours of the 1876 Round Lake Logging Dam in the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest near Fifield, Wisconsin. USDA Forest Service photo by Veronica Hinke.

Located in the 3,600-acre Round Lake Recreation Area, the Round Lake Logging Dam is one of the only dams of its kind that remain. It was included in the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

“When the community comes together like this to help highlight historical treasures of the public lands that we share, it sparks enthusiasm that inspires and benefits everyone,” said USDA Forest Service District Ranger Dan Eklund. “We are sincerely grateful to those who gathered to help celebrate the exciting opening of the 2023 fishing season by learning some new things about the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest. We are looking forward to the 2023 season.”

The nearby Smith Rapids Covered Bridge is one of only a few covered bridges in Wisconsin. The lattice style bridge was made into a covered bridge when it was constructed in 1991 so the bridge could be built of timber and support vehicle traffic. The bridge received an award for engineering in 1992.

The Smith Rapids bridge provides access across the south fork of the Flambeau River in Park Falls. It is part of the Smith Rapids Recreation Area, which is especially popular with paddlers, equestrians and campers.