The Madison Area
Volkssport Association and the Greater Des Moines Volkssport Association are
hosting a weekend of walking that features the historic city of Prairie du Chien,
Wisconsin and two exceptional state parks: Pikes Peak State Park in Iowa and
Wyalusing State Park in Wisconsin. The weekend is all about the Mississippi and
Wisconsin Rivers. This area is rich in natural beauty and cultural history.
The two state parks lie across the Mississippi River from each other at the
confluence with the Wisconsin River.
Both parks offer
fantastic overlooks of the river valley below as well as their own historic
importance to the area. Pikes Peak State Park is named for Zebulon Pike who in
1805 was commissioned to explore the Mississippi valley and suggest locations
for forts to be built. Pike suggested the location that is now named after him,
but the government selected the prairies of Prairie du Chien
instead. Wyalusing State Park gets its name from the Munsee-Delaware Indian
word for "place where the holy man
dwells". It was from the bluffs in the
park where in 1673 Father Jacques Marquette and Louis Joliet were the first
Europeans to record seeing the confluence of what are now known as the
Mississippi and Wisconsin Rivers.
Prairie du Chien's
recorded history began in 1673, making
it Wisconsin's second oldest community. In the early years, fur trade was the
primary economic activity. By the early 1800s several forts had been built in
the area, among them was Fort Crawford. In 1832 Sauk warrior, Blackhawk,
surrendered to Colonel Zachary Taylor (future 12th president) at Fort Crawford
ending the four-month Blackhawk War. There is an abundance of historical sites
in the city, many of which will be included along the walk route.
