Early Agriculture Within the Boundaries of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore
Alanen AR. 1985. Early Agriculture Within the Boundaries of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Cultural Landscape Report. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Landscape Architecture, School of Natural Resources. Madison, Wisconsin
This report provides an overview of early Apostle Island agriculture, expanding upon an earlier study to include the agricultural history of additional islands. An effort has been made to provide background information on an early farmstead that was built on what is now a part of the Apostle Islands mainland unit. From the 1850s and well into the 1900s, the Lake Superior region was widely promoted for its agricultural potential. The Homestead Act of 1862 further attracted new settlers to the region. As settlers cleared the land for the purpose of farming, the landscape on the islands transitioned from wilderness to cultivated fields and clearings. Agriculture was profitable, although it also required considerable effort to clear the land and remove stumps and roots. The report also notes uses of the land prior to the agricultural activity of this period, name changes for individual islands, and the individuals and activities associated with the attempts to establish homesteads on the islands. Notes on sources are included.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Alanen, Arnold
- Date of Issue
- 1985-06
- Publisher
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Landscape Architecture, School of Natural Resources
- Units
- APIS , MWR
- Keywords
- agricultural history, agriculture, Basswood Island, Bear Island, farming, farmstead, homestead, Homestead Act of 1862, horticulture, Ironwood Island, Lake Superior, lighthouse, Michigan Island, newspaper, nursery, Oak Island, orchard, Otter Island, Raspberry Island, Rocky Island, settlement, South Twin Island, Stockton Island, surveyor map, trading post