Wisconsin / Environment / U.S. History


The Wisconsin River
An Odyssey through Time and Space
Richard D. Durbin


A chronicle of people, places, and events along the Wisconsin River in the nineteenth century

Written for history buffs, boaters, and outdoor enthusiasts alike, this engaging narrative history includes twenty-five vignettes—"Rafting Lumber, " "Early Travelers," and "Steamboats"—that highlight the people, places, and events associated with the Wisconsin River in the nineteenth century. Illustrated with thirty-five historic photographs, the book includes maps showing the locations of dams, portages, access points, mileage markers, and communities. Author Richard D. Durbin has also compiled, for the first time, a list of all the rapids that once punctuated the river's course (only one remains today) and short histories of the dams presently on the river. The extensive bibliography and index are a trove for those exploring the history of the river that is so central to Wisconsin, both geographically and culturally.

Richard D. Durbin, professor emeritus of plant pathology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, spent fourteen years researching this book, following the Wisconsin River from its source to the Mississippi.

Media & bookseller inquiries regarding review copies, events, and interviews can be directed to the publicity department at publicity@uwpress.wisc.edu or (608) 263-0734. (If you want to examine a book for possible course use, please see our Course Books page. If you want to examine a book for possible rights licensing, please see Rights & Permissions.)


  The cover of The Wisconsin River is a brown background, featuring a black and white historical photograph of a bridge on the Wisconsin River.

December 1997
256 pp. 35 b/w illus., 12 maps 8 1/2 x 11
ISBN-10: 0-9658559-0-2
ISBN-13: 978-0-9658559-0-7
Cloth $27.50 t


Add this book to cart
Review cart contents
Secure checkout

Add titles to your shopping cart by clicking on the "Add this book to cart" link above. You can submit your order electronically, paying for it with your credit card.
Click here for a further explanation of the shopping cart feature

Never ordered from us before?
Read this first.

Home | Books | Journals | Events | Textbooks | Authors | Related | Search | Order | Contact

If you have trouble accessing any page in this web site, contact our Web manager.
E-mail: webmaster@uwpress.wisc.edu.

Updated June 9, 2009

© 2009, The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System