Rivers, Roads, & Rails: When the Midwest Was Still Young

A captivatig account of Midwest history, with focus on the ways people traveled during the pioneer days, when riverboats, stagecoaches, and steam locomotives whistled along streams and across the countryside. It was a fascinating time. Wisconsin was in its infancy, and although pioneer lifestyle seemed simpler, there was so much going on that shaped the coming years. Our nation was growing at a rapid pace as the population pushed its horizons westward, seeking new land and resources. New towns sprouted from logging camps and mining sites. Some flourished, becoming focal points of society and centers of commerce. Some sadly faded away, only to become forgotten and neglected memories. It's the kind of reading that many historians have overlooked, like the story of a Norwegian blacksmith who "hi-jacked" a ferryboat on the Chippewa River; log pirates at Two Rivers; how Strawberry Point, Iowa got its name; how the only war ever faught in Baraboo--the "Whiskey War"--began and ended in just a few short hours; how a persistent young boy saved his family from starvation by building a raft; how railroad construction to Ashland nearly ended in a bloody riot; how a mudslide created new real estate for a Minnesota lumber town. These and many other fascinating stories are sure to entertain any reader. Stories and pictures from more than 260 Upper Midwest locations emerge as you journey through this formative period. You might even want to use this book as a guide to visit many interesting historic places. Illustrated.

Born into a farm family in the late 1940s, J.L. Fredrick lived his youth in rural Western Wisconsin, a modest but comfortable life not far from the Mississippi River. His father was a farmer, and his mother, an elementary school teacher. He attended a one-room country school for his first seven years of education. Wisconsin has been home all his life, with exception of a few years in Minnesota and Florida. After college in La Crosse, Wisconsin and a stint with Uncle Sam during the Viet Nam era, the next few years were unsettled as he explored and experimented with life's options. He entered into the transportation industry in 1975, where he remained until retirement in 2012. Since 2001 he has twelve published novels to his credit, and one history volume, Rivers, Roads, & Rails. He was a featured author during Grand Excursion 2004. J.L. Fredrick currently resides at Poynette, Wisconsin.