Flambeau Trail – Gateway to the Flambeau Trail
Iron County Heritage Area
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 1700’s, 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.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration
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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. Marker 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.
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); Gogebic Iron Range (approx. 5½ miles away); Flambeau Trail – Flambeau Trail Crossing (approx. 12.7 miles away); Penokee Iron Range Trail - Plummer Mine (approx. 12.7 miles away); Penokee Iron Range Trail - Plummer Location (approx. 12.7 miles away); Penokee Iron Range Trail - Plummer Mine Geologic Layer Cake (approx. 12.7 miles away); Penokee Iron Range Trail – A Company Town (approx. 13.3 miles away); Penokee Iron Range Trail – Montreal Location (approx. 13.3 miles away).
Credits. This page was last revised on August 3, 2020. It was originally submitted on July 27, 2011, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 558 times since then and 26 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on July 27, 2011, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. 4. submitted on August 1, 2020, by Jim Schaettle of Madison, Wisconsin. 5. submitted on July 27, 2011, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.
