Saxon Harbor in Iron County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
MISSING
SEE LOCATION SECTION
Flambeau Trail Gateway to the Flambeau Trail
Iron County Heritage Area
Photographed by Paul Fehrenbach, July 18, 2011
1. Flambeau Trail – Gateway to the Flambeau Trail Marker
Inscription.
Flambeau Trail Gateway to the Flambeau Trail. Iron County Heritage Area. The most popular gateway to the Flambeau Trail started here, on the shore of Oronto Bay. Also known as the “Montreal River Trail”, it was the only route inland into the dense virgin forest until the late 1880s.
The Trail was an ancient Indian trading and war route that connected LaPointe on Madeline Island to Lac du Flambeau, 90 miles to the south.
The first 45 miles of the Trail was a portage, an overland “bridge”, linking Lake Superior to navigable river ways to the south.
When a lively commerce in fur trading began in the late 1700s, to satisfy European demand for beaver fur hats, the Trail became the “highway” over which trade goods were exchanged for fur pelts.
On this shore, French Canadian voyagers transferred cloth, gunpowder, and other trade goods, brought by canoe from the trading post at LaPointe, into 80 pound tote packs. Each voyager carried packs over the difficult “120 pause” portage, so named for the number of times they stopped to rest – about every one-half mile.
In exchange, millions of dollars of beaver pelts from the Northwest Trading Company post at Lac du Flambeau were toted back to this point destined for LaPointe, Quebec and finally Europe.
The most popular gateway to the Flambeau Trail started here, on the shore of Oronto Bay. Also known as the “Montreal River Trail”, it was the only route inland into the dense virgin forest until the late 1880s.
The Trail was an ancient Indian trading and war route that connected LaPointe on Madeline Island to Lac du Flambeau, 90 miles to the south.
The first 45 miles of the Trail was a portage, an overland “bridge”, linking Lake Superior to navigable river ways to the south.
When a lively commerce in fur trading began in the late 1700s, to satisfy European demand for beaver fur hats, the Trail became the “highway” over which trade goods were exchanged for fur pelts.
On this shore, French Canadian voyagers transferred cloth, gunpowder, and other trade goods, brought by canoe from the trading post at LaPointe, into 80 pound tote packs. Each voyager carried packs over the difficult “120 pause” portage, so named for the number of times they stopped to rest – about every one-half mile.
In exchange, millions of dollars of beaver pelts from the Northwest Trading Company post at Lac du Flambeau were toted back to this point destined for LaPointe, Quebec and finally Europe.
Location. Marker is missing. It was located near 46° 33.722′ N, 90° 26.246′ W. Marker was in Saxon Harbor, Wisconsin, in Iron County. It could be reached from County Road A 2 miles north of State Route 122. Marker is located in Saxon Harbor County Park, in east parking lot. Touch for map. Marker was in this post office area: Saxon WI 54559, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker was in Wisconsin’s Copper Country and on the North Shore. It was also in the American Midwest, on the Great Lakes, and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it was in North America, the Great North Woods, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found 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 14 miles of this location, measured as the crow flies: Apostle Islands National Lakeshore (approx. 4.3 miles away);
Photographed by Paul Fehrenbach, July 18, 2011
2. Flambeau Trail – Gateway to the Flambeau Trail Marker
(Inset) “The Flambeau portage is narrow, full of overturned trees, obstacles, muskeg inhabited solely by owls because no other animal could find a living there.” - Francois Victor Malhoit, Clerk, Northwest Fur Trading Company, 1804
3. Flambeau Trail – Gateway to the Flambeau Trail Marker
in Saxon Harbor
Photographed by Jim Schaettle, July 26, 2020
4. Marker is missing.
Photographed by Paul Fehrenbach, July 18, 2011
5. Flambeau Trail – Gateway to the Flambeau Trail Marker
Looking north out toward Lake Superior
Credits. This page was last revised on August 3, 2020. It was originally submitted on July 27, 2011, by Paul Fehrenbach of Richfield, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 998 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on July 27, 2011, by Paul Fehrenbach of Richfield, Wisconsin. 4. submitted on August 1, 2020, by Jim Schaettle of Madison, Wisconsin. 5. submitted on July 27, 2011, by Paul Fehrenbach of Richfield, Wisconsin. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
