Madison in Dane County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
The Lewis Nine Springs E-Way ⎯⎯⎯ Philip and Elizabeth Lewis
Photographed by Christopher Archuleta
1. The Lewis Nine Springs E-Way Marker
Inscription.
The Lewis Nine Springs E-Way, also, Philip and Elizabeth Lewis. .
The Lewis Nine Springs E-Way. The original vision for the Nine Springs E-Way began in 1970 as a demonstration project funded by the National Endowment of the Arts. In 1971, Dane County adopted the "Environmental Loop Plan". After a series of parcels were acquired by the County, the E-Way officially opened to the public in 1987. The seven-mile corridor currently extends from the shore of Lake Waubesa westerly to Dunn's Marsh and includes multiple springs that give rise to Nine Springs Creek. The E-Way ("E" represents educational, environmental, esthetic, and ecological) was designed to encompass and protect many significant natural and cultural features including wetlands, prairies, forests, and Native American mound sites. The Lewis Nine Springs E-Way was the first of its kind and helped foster environmental corridor planning as a land use tool worldwide.,
Philip and Elizabeth Lewis. Philip and Elizabeth Lewis were the dynamic couple most responsible for the creation of the Nine Springs E-Way. Professor Philip H. Lewis, Jr., taught landscape architecture at UW-Madison from 1965 until 1995, chaired the department and became founder and director of the Environmental Awareness Center. Recruited by Governor Gaylord Nelson. Lewis's new environmental corridor concept was included in the Wisconsin State Recreation Plan., Phil married Elizabeth (Libby) Thompson in 1953. They shared a passion for environmental causes throughout their 58-year marriage. While also raising a family, Libby earned her master's degree in plant ecology at UW-Madison. She served on the County's Park Commission for 26 years. Dane County dedicated the Nine Springs E-Way to Phil and Libby in 2013 in recognition of their many contributions to the Dane County park system.
The Lewis Nine Springs E-Way
The original vision for the Nine Springs E-Way began in 1970 as a demonstration project funded by the National Endowment of the Arts. In 1971, Dane County adopted the "Environmental Loop Plan". After a series of parcels were acquired by the County, the E-Way officially opened to the public in 1987. The seven-mile corridor currently extends from the shore of Lake Waubesa westerly to Dunn's Marsh and includes multiple springs that give rise to Nine Springs Creek. The E-Way ("E" represents educational, environmental, esthetic, and ecological) was designed to encompass and protect many significant natural and cultural features including wetlands, prairies, forests, and Native American mound sites. The Lewis Nine Springs E-Way was the first of its kind and helped foster environmental corridor planning as a land use tool worldwide.
Philip and Elizabeth Lewis
Philip and Elizabeth Lewis were the
dynamic couple most responsible for
the creation of the Nine Springs E-Way.
Professor Philip H. Lewis, Jr., taught
landscape architecture at UW-Madison from
1965 until 1995, chaired the department
and became founder and director of
the Environmental Awareness Center.
Recruited by Governor Gaylord Nelson.
Lewis's new environmental corridor concept
was
Click or scan to see this page online
included in the Wisconsin State
Recreation Plan.
Phil married Elizabeth (Libby) Thompson
in 1953. They shared a passion for
environmental causes throughout their
58-year marriage. While also raising a
family, Libby earned her master's degree in
plant ecology at UW-Madison. She served on
the County's Park Commission for 26 years.
Dane County dedicated the Nine Springs
E-Way to Phil and Libby in 2013 in recognition of their many contributions to the Dane County park system.
Location. 43° 1.884′ N, 89° 20.946′ W. Marker is in Madison, Wisconsin, in Dane County. It is on Moorland Road 0.3 miles east of Raywood Road, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 1947 Capital City Trl, Madison WI 53713, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Wisconsin. It is also in the American Midwest, on the Great Lakes, and in the Corn Belt. 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.
3. The Lewis Nine Springs E-Way / Philip and Elizabeth Lewis Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on June 26, 2025. It was originally submitted on April 13, 2022, by Christopher Archuleta of Madison, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 716 times since then and 64 times this year. Last updated on June 26, 2025, by Michelle Richardson of Madison, Wisconsin. Photos:1. submitted on April 19, 2022, by Christopher Archuleta of Madison, Wisconsin. 2. submitted on April 19, 2022, by J. Makali Bruton of Washington, District of Columbia. 3. submitted on April 19, 2022. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
