Kewaunee County and Buried Forests

Buried Alaskan forests made local news in Algoma's Record in 1902. Since the buried forests were in places where trees did not then exist, discussions followed theories on whether the Arctic might have once been tropical or semi-tropical. Buried forests had been found in Kewaunee County years earlier, but as primitive as communications were, such finds were not well known.

Walking the Lake Michigan beach today in southernmost Carlton Town, one sees what appears to be tree trunks and branches sticking out of the bluff. What is visible is a small part of the Two Creeks Buried Forest, a unit of the Ice Age National Scientific Reserve which has been a popular study site for North American geologists, botanists, glacial ecologists and climatologists. Designated a State Natural Area in 1967, the Two Creeks buried forest area is owned by the DNR and law prohibits the removal of any material. Googling Two Creeks Buried Forest will bring a wealth of information. A fascinating article in NPS Scientific Monograph No. 2 (online) tells us, “Few Pleistocene sites in the United States have gained more prominence in the recent literature than this forest bed.” In 1936 researcher Mr. Wilson found the same forest bed exposed near the lake in Section 35 of Carlton Township. The same article points out that Kewaunee County’s known buried forests were described much like researcher Mr. Goldthwaite described Two Creeks in 1905. 

The news about the State of Alaska seems to have prompted an article in the Enterprise. Over 100 years ago it ran an article pointing out that southern Casco and eastern Luxemburg towns were also built on buried forests, also reflecting periods of glaciations. Ordinary citizens knew little of such science, however at the same time - 1907 - publication of The Abandoned Shores-Lines of Eastern Wisconsin described the effects of glaciation the Lake Algonquin era and more.

As early as 1860 Dennis Shinnick suspected his property was sitting on top such a forest. Shinnick lived in what was then called Coryville (1869 postal site map, left) and was digging a well. Digging about 38’ down, he found a log that measured about 8” in diameter. As he kept digging, he came upon more of what appeared to be the same tree. Shinnick shared the find with Judge Abner Cory who told others. The somewhat porous and spongy wood was hard to identify. Shinnick said the first 10’ of his dig was through hard, yellow clay, but that the wood was found in muck. The feeling was that muck was the top of the soil at an earlier time.

1905 postcard

As unusual as Shinnick’s find was, it appears it never made real headlines. The fledgling Enterprize*  was the county’s only newspaper. In years that followed, here and there along the Kewaunee River, there were also evidences of a buried forest. Wenzel Pavlik was doing some digging about 1880 on his farm near Clyde and about 30’ down he found a well-preserved tree in a bed of solid clay. Intending to farm, Pavlik had been clearing much of the land over the area under which he found the specimen. Where did that tree come from? In the 1890s when railroad work was being accomplished at Clyde, the superintendent ordered a well be dug to provide water for the work crews. Digging just a bit west of the station, the crew came upon buried trees producing a smell that made them retch. Not risking water from the area, the hole that was about 20’ deep was filled in. The Shinnick, Pavlik and station sites were in the same general area.

Nearly 10 years after Shinnick’s find, Joseph Cmeyla had a similar experience in Pierce Town. Cmeyla didn’t come upon trees while digging his well, but he and those helping found ashes about 17’ down. Beneath that was vegetable matter consisting of cedars and so on, but just above that was sand and gravel.

Sturgeon Bay’s The Expositor began educating its readers about buried forests as early as 1876 when it wrote about such things in distant places such as New Jersey and London, England. The Expositor- Independent in 1879 described a find in Hesse Cassal, Germany, a description that could have been Shinnick’s or Pavlik’s. In 1890 the Advocate carried an article about buried cedar in Walworth County. Perhaps the area news didn’t travel or perhaps residents felt those kinds of things didn’t happen here. For whatever reason little was written about what was found in their own backyard.

According to Wisconsin Historical Markers website, the ancient forest near Two Creeks reflects a forested area of about 12,000 years ago. Parking is available for anyone wishing to walk the area and parking directions can be found on the site. Wisconsin income tax forms have a check-off for anyone wishing to donate to the protection of our endangered resources.

Notes: The Town of Coryville was organized by the Kewaunee County Board in November 1856  and named for Abner Cory. The town's July 27, 1860 census shows Coryville had 62 families living within its limits. Chapter 291 of the Laws of the State of Wisconsin in March 1867 changed the town's boundary lines and the Town of Coryville was dissolved. Some sections of the town went to Casco and others to Montpelier and the Town of Kewaunee.
Abner Cory was elected the first county judge in 1857 and served until 1865 when he was succeeded by C.G. Boalt of Ahnapee. Cory lived about a mile south of Clyde. He was Coryville’s first postmaster, appointed 10/16/1866. His office was in the NE quarter of Sec 4 in T23, R24.
*The Enterprize became Enterprise in 1865.

 

 Sources: Ahnapee Record, Algoma Record Herald, Kewaunee Enterprise, Sturgeon Bay Advocate, Expositor, Expositor-Independent; The Abandoned Shore-Lines of Eastern Wisconsin, c. 1907; Here Comes the Mail, Post Offices of Kewaunee County, c. 2010, Wikipedia, Wisconsin Historical Markers' website. Photos are from the blogger's collection.