This is Throwback Thursday #81. In these, we look back into the past at ESCONI specifically and Earth Science in general. If you have any contributions, (science, pictures, stories, etc ...), please sent them to [email protected]. Thanks!
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For this week, we are looking back at a field trip to the Wisconsin Dells back on October 19th, 1952. It's always interesting to look back at a different time. For this one, the Wisconsin Dells were beautiful with Fall colors. There are some of the same attractions I remember as a kid... like the leaping dog at Stand Rock. Here is a modern picture.
The slides on the ESCONI DVD are dated to 1951, but after digging through the newsletters, the trip was actually in 1952. There are no collecting stops, but sounds like an interesting trip. The announcement appeared in the September 1952 newsletter.
ESCONI FIELD TRIP TO THE DELLS AND DEVILS LAKE, WISCONSIN
The present plans are that we will meet at 12:00 noon, Saturday, October 18, at the north end of Devil's Lake, and spend the afternoon in that region. Dr. William Powers, of Northwestern University, will be the trip leader. Saturday evening at the Hotel Hellend, in Wisconsin Dells, we will hear a lecture on the geology of the area, and then spend the night at the hotel. Sunday morning we will ride through the Dells in a launch. In the afternoon there will be a short trip to visit sections which were not accessible by boat. If there is any change in these plans, notification will be given by postal card.
This will be the outstanding field trip of the year, combining wonderful scenery, pictures, boat ride, geology, a restful change, and wonderful companionship. Don't miss it! Bring your friends, and your camera.
There was quite a bit of excitement about the trip. So much, that a preview of the trip was published in the October 1952 newsletter.
PREVIEW OF THE FIELD TRIP TO THE DELLS OF THE WISCONSIN RIVER
The Chicago Motor Club's "MOTOR NEWS" of September 1952 had the following article by Bellman Jones which is of especial interest because of the coming Field Trip to the Dells. It was titled, "Dells in Last Life Cycle".
"Better hurry if you want to see the Dells of the Wisconsin River. They may or may not last another 500,000,000 years even if, by chance, you do!!, according to E. Rowe Nelson, eminent midwestern geologist and curator of the Milwaukee public museum. Nelson recently led a museum geological expedition to this region to study the rock formation.
Disregarding the magnificent and bizarre formations that vacationers find so interesting, Nelson and the 4 men in his expedition discovered other intriguing things about the rock ledges, cliffs and bluffs that form the Dolls. He did this by literally and actually taking the rocks apart at least segments of them and studying them under a microscope.
He discovered for instance that the Dells actually began in the late Cambrian Era some 500,000,000 years ago. That was when the area was covered by a vast ocean and the sand began to be compressed into rock. Of course, the rocks were not formed. overnight, but actually took hundreds of millions of years to form, inch by inch, layer by layer. The ocean receded, then came back more than once. The rocks, according to Nelson, tell that story. He can tell because the grains of sand forming the rocks are water formed and polished".
Similarly, other grains of sand in other layers of rock show that this verdant land more than once a desert that would make the present day Sahara look like a tropical jungle. "ind formed" granules of sand in certain layers of rock prove this. Lack of fossils in the rocks show there was not a trace of plant or animal. life on that bygone desert.
While rocky "foundation" for the Dells began during the Cambrian Era, actual building did not begin until a mere million years ago with the advent of the glacier periods. Fortunately, the glaciers bypassed this area in all of their numerous excursions to the midwest up to about 10,000 years ago. If they had not, they would have flattened or swept aside the rocks as a bulldozer sweeps aside an ant hill.. But the glaciers did dam up the Wisconsin river to form a huge lake to the north of here. Waters from this lake, seeking escape, roared over the rocks and began cutting a rocky channel. in them, Inch by inch, and century by century, the river cut deeper into the rocks until the Dells of today were standing.
Nelson said the river would still be cutting into the rocks had not man brought the process to an abrupt end by erecting cams and turning it into a relatively mild mannered stream. However, he claims this condition is but temporary and should, measuring in the millions of years that make up the geological "hour", last only a mere fraction of a second of an eon. This is true, he says, even though the dam should last ten thousand years.
Barring a terrific natural upheaval, or several misdirected hydrogen bombs, the Dells should last for hundreds of million years yet. But another powerful glacier, rolling om from the north and over this region, could end them in a mere ten or twenty thousand years.
As far as the river itself is concerned, Nelson says it dates at least back to the Cambrian Period. It resumed its course after each period of ocean "Coverage" and the glaciers did very little to change its habit.
Editors Note: Better not miss the "Wisconsin Dells Field Trip". Details will be given later.
The customary field trip report appeared in December 1952.
AMONG OUR MEMOIRS THE WISCONSIN DELLS TRIP
With the wind whipping across Devil's Lake, and the sun shining brightly on the snow and autumn leaves, our hardy band of ESCONI's started off on the toughest hike they have make as a group. It was about 1:00 P.M. and ww had eaten lunch with the wind blowing the sandwiches off of the table so we were well fortified for the big climb!
Ascending the terminal moraine at the west end of the lake we were soon high up on Elephant rock listening to Dr. Powers explain the text book formation of Potsdam Sandstone, conglomerate, and quartzite base which is so beautifully exposed at that point.
From there we tramped along the ridge, taking pictures, studying the amazing pot-holes in the quartzite ledges, and trying to figure out how they were made. It is easy for us amateurs to theorize about this phenomena, but when the experts shrug their shoulders and say they don't know for sure it gives us something to think about. At the other end of the lake woe made a long descent through the great boulders and ledges, resting many times in the process, and even then we were really tired when we reached the bottom. (The drug store did a good trade in rubbing alcohol that evening)!
Then began the long trek through the beautiful woods with the sun shining through the gold and rod autumn leaves. It is a hike we will always remember, especially the last mile along the railroad track back to the cars. There we found our old friend Jim Montague, from Milwaukee, had been in the park looking for us, and had left a note of greeting.
In the gathering dusk the caravan wound its way to Rock Springs where we examined the well known Hoiss Rock consisting of metamorphosed shale on one side and of quartzite on the other. It was too dark to got any pictures.
We registered at the Wagner Hotel at Wisconsin Dells where we were warmly received, and when everyone was accounted for, we raided Ryan's restaurant much to their surprise. The food was very good, and it seems that there was some over-eating as some individual fell asleep and started to snore during the evening lecture by Dr. Powers in the Hotel dining room. Everyone was greatly sympathetic and it was only the very interesting lecture and good company that saved the day. At any rate, there was no night clubbing or carousing after the lecture. as everyone tumbled into bed as soon as they could sneak away. Did I say every one? Hmm, it seems there was some star gazing, involving Mars I believe!
Well, in the morning we all piled out and headed for the Riverside Boat Dock. Did we have a dandy trip up the river, into the canyons, around the islands, and into the storm tossed waters of the lake in front of Standing Rock, No break downs in the engine this time and a good thing because we left our engineer at home this trip, although we did have Harry Nelson and his pick (it was pretty dull this time!)
After a fine dinner we headed toward Portage making stops at quarries and Rhyolite beds en route. This wound up two beautiful days, and we certainly extend our greatest thanks and appreciation to Dr. Powers. A great deal was added to the enjoyment of our trip by the presence of Mrs. Thoron Wasson who answered many questions regarding plants and birds, and helped a great deal in bringing forth geological and mineralogical questions that would never have occurred to us amateurs.
A list of 20 questions to be answered by those who took this trip will be found on the following page!
Questions for those on the trip....
TWENTY QUESTIONS
To be answered by the Dells Field Trippers only.
1. Who used the rubbing alcohol?
2. Where did the Wisconsin River go when it wasn't going where it goes now?
3. Who fell asleep?
4. Who kept saying "I'm losing my hat?"
5. Why do the ravines widen at the cast in the Dells?
6. What is a pot hole?
7. Who wore the hardy, brave, sturdy souls who sat in the open on the boat, and why?
8. Did we have "Honeymooners" in the crowd?
9. Who said "Whose fault are the faults?"
10. Who worried about the amount of sand that it took to make 5000 feet of sandstone?
11. Who always came in last on the long hike?
12. Who was the coldest member of the crowd?
13. How do you know?
14. Who was the most patient when foolish questions were asked?
15. Who had what four legged animal named what?
16. Who dug out ripple marks that weren't ripple marks?
17. Who took the most pictures of people's backs?
18. Will you recognize rhyolite the next time that you see it?
19. Did you ever see more beautiful foliage?
20. Didn't we have a wonderful time?
21 ?? WHO WROTE THIS???
Here are pictures from the trip. Nice group shots!
