Byron Kilbourn bought the land from Eaton for a reduced price as everyone expected the railroad to cross at Newport. However, Kilbourn then went to Madison and lobbied the state to allow for the railroad right-of-way to be moved to cross at the point where he owned the land and greatly increased its value. Gradually, tourism became a large part of Kilbourn City. To make it easier for tourists to identify Kilbourn City with the natural landscape for which it was famous, the name of the city was changed to Wisconsin Dells in As the twentieth century progressed, new attractions began to draw even more tourists.
Because of the scenery provided by the dells of the Wisconsin River, Kilbourn City quickly became a popular travel destination in the Midwest. In , Leroy Gates began taking tourists on boat tours of the Wisconsin Dells.
These tours were given using wooden rowboats until when the first steamboat, the Modocawanda, was used. In , early landscape photographer H. Bennett established a studio in the city and took many photos of the sandstone formations in the dells, including stereoscopic views. Prints of these photographs were distributed across the United States, further enhancing the status of Kilbourn City as a destination for sightseers.
Taking advantage of this, Bennett began offering to take souvenir pictures of visitors to the dells, becoming one of the first to capitalize on the area's burgeoning tourist trade.
Today, the H. Bennett Studio is a historic site operated by the Wisconsin Historical Society. The Dells region remained primarily a place for sightseers to escape the bustle of the city for many decades.
By , distillate -powered tour boats began to be used. In , the Kilbourn Dam was installed by what is now Alliant Energy, over the protests of people such as H. Once tourists discovered the natural beauty of the area, logging was abandoned and small businesses sprouted around town to cater to the seasonal visitors who came off the steamboats in the thousands every year.
Once a dam was built on the river, that meant the end of logging altogether. Call us today to book your vacation home and know more about the great attractions this town has to offer. Wisconsin Dells History. Wisconsin Dells History Another bit of interesting Wisconsin Dells information is that before it was renamed Wisconsin Dells, the town was called Kilbourn City from until But this is important, because you have to look that far back to understand how Wisconsin Dells came to be what it is today.
During the Cambrian Period, this community was the sandy shore of an ancient sea. Over time, the sand was compacted, and percolating groundwater cemented the sand into rock. That rock went virtually untouched for millions of years. Are your eyes glazing over yet? Fast forward, way forward, to 19, years ago, when a glacier extended to within four miles east of the area, never touching the Dells. That glacier melted about 15, years ago and formed Glacial Lake Wisconsin, a lake about the size of Utah's Great Salt Lake and as deep as feet.
The last ice that held back the waters of Glacial Lake Wisconsin began to melt. The failed ice dam unleashed a catastrophic flood; the lake's depth dropped to 50 feet. The meltwaters cut deep, narrow gorges and unusual rock formations into the sandstone and formed the steep-sided canyons and bluffs you see today lining the Wisconsin River.
The flood most likely cut the gorges in the Dells in a matter of days or weeks as the swift water eroded away the soft sandstone. The area has been inhabited by native people for 2, years, and probably longer. You see their spirit in petroglyphs and pictographs carved and painted into local rock formations, and in ceremonial and burial mounds. While nearly all of the mounds have been destroyed by farming and floods, you can still find some examples of this ancient culture known as the "Effigy Mound Builders.
The history of the Ho-Chunk, the largest Native American Nation in Wisconsin Dells, once called Winnebago by the French fur traders, includes immense hardship and tremendous rebuilding. In , the U. Government began its infamous removal policy, stating that all Indians must be moved west of the Mississippi River. A series of deadly conflicts deeply scarred the culture. The Ho-Chunk were forced to leave their land and head to northwestern Iowa and south-central Minnesota.
They were again moved in to a desolate reservation in South Dakota. A priceless collection of prints, negatives, and antique equipment came along with it. Route 12 to create a bumper boat-ride and go-cart track. Just a partial list:.
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