Near Leland in Sauk County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Natural Bridge State Park
The Bridge
⎯⎯⎯
The Rockshelter
Photographed by Keith L, June 7, 2009
1. Natural Bridge State Park Marker
The Bridge
This Natural Bridge of sandstone, 35 feet high, was carved by the uneven dissolving of mineral deposits holding the sand grains together. The result after many years of erosion by water, frost action, wind, and gravity is the largest natural arch in the state. It remains today because of its location in the Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin, a region that was not glaciated in the last Ice Age.
The Rockshelter
Beneath the Bridge is a natural rockshelter, which was excavated in 1957 by archeologists. They discovered charred wood believed to be from the fire pits of a people here possibly as long ago as 12,000 years, making this one of the oldest dated sites for human occupancy in northeastern North America. The people of thet far away time, called Paleo-Indians, may have hunted such animals as Mastodons and/or Wooly Mammoths in this area. The rockshelter at first was a seasonal and temporary refuge, later a permanent one. The Native Americans encountered here by the white settlers could be regarded as latter-day representatives of this ancient culture.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Indigenous Peoples and Communities • Natural Features. A significant historical year for this entry is 1957.
Location. 43° 20.876′ N, 89°
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in Greater Madison. It is also in the American Midwest, on the Great Lakes, in the Corn Belt, and in the Driftless Area Bluff Country. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Salem Church (approx. 5.6 miles away); White Mound Settlement (approx. 6.6 miles away); St. Annes Shrine (approx. 7.7 miles away); White Mound (approx. 8.3 miles away); MidContinent Railway Historical Society (approx. 8.3 miles away); Vodak Memorial Park (approx. 8.4 miles away); The Baraboo Range (approx. 8.8 miles away); Van Hise Rock (approx. 9.8 miles away).
Also see . . . Natural Bridge State Park (Wisconsin). Wikipedia entry. (Submitted on June 23, 2009.)
Photographed by Keith L, June 7, 2009
2. Natural Bridge State Park Marker
Photographed by Keith L, June 7, 2009
3. Natural Bridge and Rockshelter
Photographed by Keith L, June 7, 2009
4. Natural Bridge and Rockshelter
Credits. This page was last revised on November 20, 2020. It was originally submitted on June 23, 2009, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 1,321 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on June 23, 2009, by Keith L of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.
