great river road visitor center interpretive master plan€¦ · table of contents chapter 1: ......

April, 2005

Prepared for Cedar Corporation by:

Schmeeckle Reserve Interpreters

University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointStevens Point, WI 54481Phone: (715) 346-4992 / E-mail: [email protected]

Ron Zimmerman and Jim Buchholz

Great River Road Visitor Center

Interpretive MasterPlan


Freedom ParkPrescott, WisconsinFreedom ParkPrescott, Wisconsin

Great River Road Visitor CenterPrescott, Wisconsin

April, 2005

Prepared for Cedar Corporation by:

Schmeeckle Reserve Interpreters

University of Wisconsin-Stevens PointStevens Point, WI 54481Phone: (715) 346-4992 / E-mail: [email protected]

Ron Zimmerman and Jim Buchholz

Freedom Park


ii

Great River Road Visitor Center: Interpretive Master Plan

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Interpreting the Great River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2Purpose of this Document . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3

Chapter 2: The Planning Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

The Planning Triangle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Developing a Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Mission and Goals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10FHWA Nat. Scenic Byways Grant Program . . .10A “Visitor Center” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Defining the Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Community Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11Mission and Goals of the Visitor Center . . . . . .11

Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Primary Audiences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Tourists on the Great River Road . . . . . . . . . . . .13Types of Tourists . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15Prescott Residents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Site Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22The Mississippi River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Prescott: A River Town . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22America’s Byways: Treasured Roads . . . . . . . .23The Great River Road . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Communities and Interpretive Sites on the

Upper Mississippi Great River Road . . . . .25

Chapter 3: Themes and Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39

Themes and Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40Unifying Interpretive Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40Primary Theme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41

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Table of Contents

Sub-theme 1: “Ribbons of Life” and Messages . . .42Sub-theme 2: “History of Transportation”

and Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46Sub-theme 3: “Working Rivers” and Messages . . .52Sub-theme 4: “Prehistoric and Historic Cultures”

and Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54Sub-theme 5: “Mississippi River Towns” and

Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56Sub-theme 6: “People’s Influence on Rivers”

and Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58

Chapter 4: Building and Site Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61

Building and Site Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62Unifying Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .63

The Entrance: A Visitor’s First Perspective . . . . .64Entrance and Direction Signs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64Parking Lot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65Entrance Walkway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65

The Visitor Center: A Portal to the Site . . . . . . . . .66Bubble Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66Foldout: Overall Floor Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .66+Foldout: South Elevation Concept . . . . . . . . . . . . .66+Building Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67Indoor Vestibule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68Restrooms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69Lobby and Exhibit Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69Fireplace . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70Multi-purpose Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .70Office Space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71Viewing Deck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71

Freedom Park Site: Connecting to the Rivers . . .72Landscaping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72Foldout: Preliminary Site Plan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .72+Interpretive Trail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .73

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Group Viewing Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .74Picnic Shelter Pavilion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75Community Pavilion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .75

Chapter 5: Interpretive Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .77

Interpretive Media . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .78Unified Signage along the Great River Road . . .78Unified Design Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

Design Standards for Interpretive Panels . . . . . .81Foldout: Sample Interpretive Panel . . . . . . . . . . . .82+

Panel Fabrication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83Materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .83Frames and Support Bases . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Describing Media Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .85

Indoor Exhibits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86Foldout: Interior Exhibits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .86+Focal Point Exhibit: “A Delicate Balance” . . . .86“Traveling the Great River Road” Exhibits . . .88

Interactive Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88Touch-Screen Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .90

“A River of People” Exhibits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92Those Who Came Before . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .92Pike Poles and River Pigs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .94At the Pilot’s Wheel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .96Living With the River . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .98

“A Ribbon of Life” Wildlife Viewing Area . . . .100Prairie Restoration Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .100Wildlife Viewing Area Exhibits . . . . . . . . . .101

Exterior Exhibits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102Main Viewing Deck Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .102

Bald Eagles and Herons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .103Mixing of the Waters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104Floodplain Forest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104A Migration Corridor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104

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What Do You See? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .104Southeast Observation Deck Panels . . . . . . . . .105

Barges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .105Trains . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106Log Rafts and Steamboats . . . . . . . . . . . . . .106

Group Viewing Area Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .107Navigational Aids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108River Improvements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108Bridges . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .108

Community Gazebo Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109City of Prescott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109Freedom Park . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .109

Appendices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .111

Appendix 1: Scope of Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .112

Appendix 2: Mississippi River Byways—Interpretive Workshop: Great River Road Themes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .114

Appendix 3: Design Specifications: “Great River Road Network” Signs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .120

1

Introduction

Prescott is the northern gateway to the Great RiverRoad in Wisconsin. This document provides aframework for guiding the development of a GreatRiver Road Visitor Center in Prescott.

Chapter 1:

2


Traversing ten states, the Great River Roadis the nation’s longest scenic byway,paralleling the Mississippi from itsheadwaters in Minnesota to its delta inLouisiana. The byway crosses fromMinnesota to Wisconsin at Prescott, a citybuilt where the St. Croix River flows intothe Mississippi.

Prescott has always been an importantplace for people. Native American tribesgathered here to live and celebrate at themixing of the two rivers. Huge rafts oflogs and boards from the northern forestsof Wisconsin flowed into the Mississippi atthis site. The early town bustled with theenergy and excitement of steamboatscarrying goods and people.

Interpreting The GreatRiver Today, Prescott is the northern gateway of

the Great River Road in Wisconsin. Astravelers drive down the Mississippi River,Prescott is the first town they willexperience in the state. This providesPrescott with a unique opportunity tointroduce travelers to the many stories ofthe Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers, andencourage them to visit other sites alongthe Great River Road.

In 2001, recognizing their unique potential,the City of Prescott applied for a NationalScenic Byways Discretionary Grant todevelop a “Great River Road Scenic BywayLearning Center.” Over the course of threeyears, the city was awarded $1.4 million forthe planning, development, andconstruction of a center. Freedom Park,with its panoramic views of the confluenceof the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers, waschosen as the building site.

In the summer of 2004, Cedar Corporation,the architects hired to design and constructthe building, contracted with SchmeeckleReserve Interpreters to develop aConceptual Interpretive Master Plan thatwould guide the interpretive efforts of theproject.

According to the Scope of Work, theconsulting team would:

1. Inventory the site: Research andinventory the interpretive elementsof the site as they relate to thehistory of Prescott and theMississippi Corridor. This includesinvestigating other corridorinterpretive entities.

Prescott is the northern gateway to the GreatRiver Road in Wisconsin.

3

Chapter 1—Introduction

This document provides a conceptualframework to guide the development of aGreat River Road Visitor Center atFreedom Park in Prescott, Wisconsin. Thisplan is dynamic. As a working document,it is subject to revision and adjustments asvariables change and as the process isrefined and prioritized.

The conceptual plan had three primarypurposes:

1. It provides a record of the rationaleand parameters that guide thedevelopment of the Great RiverRoad Learning Center. It examinesthe municipal and state mission and

Purpose of this DocumentSunset over the Mississippi River from FreedomPark.

2. Analyze target audiences: Gatherquantitative and qualitative dataabout the audience from existingsources and through interviewtechniques. This includes meetingwith Prescott citizens.

3. Develop a comprehensive list ofthemes, messages, and interpretiveconcepts: Create a framework ofthemes and concepts that tell acohesive story of Prescott and itsrelationship to the greater rivercorridor and the National ScenicByway. This includesconceptualizing interpretive mediainside and outside the learningcenter.

The complete Scope of Work is included inAppendix 1. The product of the inventoryand analysis steps is this document.

goals for this project, examines thepublic needs, and identifies theresources to be interpreted.

2. It allows concerned people anopportunity to review and commenton the learning center developmentprocess before any constructionbegins. It is therefore acommunication tool.

3. It will guide future decision makersby documenting the vision of theoriginal planning team and willprovide resources to help future staffachieve the mission and goals of thefacility.

5

The PlanningProcess

Planning is the process of consensus development,of achieving a shared perspective by allstakeholders of why this facility is needed, who itwill serve, and what significant stories it will tell.

Chapter 2:

6


In this planning model, the visitor, agency, and site are interrelated andconsidered simultaneously. Some sites are mission driven (agency programcenters), some are customer driven (a community park or nature center), andothers are site driven (a unique cultural or natural site).

“A building structure is just one of the toolsused in implementing aprogram.”

—Ron Yeo, Architect

Planning is the process of consensusdevelopment, of achieving a sharedperspective by all stakeholders of

why this facility is needed, who it willserve, and what significant stories it willtell. Answering these three basic questions,“why, who, and what,” is the foundationfor developing a vision. The final building

The Planning Triangledesign must meet agency needs to ensureachievement of the mission. It must meetcustomer needs by offering programs andfacilities that will appeal to the targetedaudiences. It must consider site resourcesto ensure a harmonious design and optimaluse of interpretive opportunities.

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Chapter 2—The Planning Process

Developing a Center

Determine the facility mission and goals

Driving Questions: Why is thisinstitution creating an interpretive center?How will it help to serve its mission?What specific goals will building thiscenter help to achieve?

Mission and goals for the Great River RoadVisitor Center are analyzed in this chapter,pages 14-15.

Assess the visitor

Driving Questions: Who are the targetmarkets? What are they seeking?

Audience for the visitor center has beenassessed in this chapter, pages 16-25.

Analyze the resource

Driving Questions: What is significantabout this site? What is the Genius Loci (itsspirit of place)? What stories willilluminate its attributes?

The resources have been assessed generally inthis chapter, pages 26-28, and in more detailin Chapter 3: Themes & Messages.

Develop themes and messages

Themes and messages are the significantconcepts that are to be communicatedthrough all aspects of the interpretivefacility. They are based on the significanceof the resources, the mission and goals ofthe agency, and the interests of the visitor.They are a distillation of the visioningprocesses. They guide development anddesign.

Themes and messages have been developed inChapter 3: Themes & Messages.

Approve vision

A vision report is prepared for theapproval of stakeholders and decision-makers. This approval provides theconsensus needed to proceed to design.The report includes a comprehensiveexamination of the why, who, and whatand delineates the themes and messagesto be communicated.

A “Concepts Document” was presented to theCity of Prescott Parks Committee and theWisconsin DOT in October, 2004. The visionwas approved.

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Develop media and programs

The media and programs are the toolsthat best involve the visitor inexperiencing and comprehending thestory. The building serves the media andprograms, not vice-versa. Therefore, it isessential to develop media conceptsbefore designing the building. “Blackboxes,” blank spaces assigned to exhibitsor program space, are typical for museumdesigns but not appropriate forinterpretive centers. Architecture mustserve the interpretive messages andencourage a physical and experientialflow for visitors as they move frominterior to exterior spaces.

The planner must have a broadknowledge of the possibilities andlimitations of media. Various interpretivetools are prescribed to link the visitor tothe resource. The interpretive media mustengage the whole person includingdifferent ways of sensing and differinglearning styles. Planners distill purposesand objectives from the who, what, andwhy and then brainstorm, describe, andsketch each prescription.

Chapter 4: Building and Site Concepts detailsthe most effective design and renovations forenhancing the interpretive message.

Chapter 5: Interpretive Media describes theindoor visitor center exhibits and outdoorinterpretive panels that can effectively connectpeople with the stories of the site.

Concept phase

Developing the concept is a naturaloutcome of evaluating the why, who, andwhat. It is a wholistic and creativeprocess. It synchronizes:

• Themes and messages.• Visitor experience and flow through

a facility.• Media and programs that tell the

story and engage the visitor.• Landscape design.• The building design.

Developing the concept involvesinterpreters (storytellers), planningconsultants, architects, landscapearchitects, and exhibit designers - thedesign team. The team preparesalternative design solutions for thedecision-makers.

Chapters 1-3 of this document represent theconcept phase. Several meetings have takenplace between Cedar Corporation andSchmeeckle Reserve Interpreters to determinebuilding, site, and media alternatives.

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Conduct design analysis

The full design team gathers to define thedesign problems, explore and evaluatealternative solutions, and document andgive a rationale for the preferredalternative.

Often this meeting takes the form of acharrette. A charrette is an intensivebrainstorming session in which the designteam is gathered to apply form to thevision. In a creative interchange, the teamexplores the spatial dimensions thataddress the multi-faceted needs of thisfacility. Typically, bubble diagrams arecreated to explore relationships betweenfunctional spaces. Footprints for trails,parking lots, and structures are sketchedonto maps and aerial photographs. In thissession, the dimensions of design areconsidered.

Chapter 4: Building and Site Conceptsdescribes initial parameters for the buildingand site design, and the preferred alternativesas discussed between Cedar Corporation andSchmeeckle Reserve Interpreters.

Approve concept

The results of the design analysis,including media concepts, are preparedfor presentation to decision-makers andstakeholders. This report and presentationincludes maps, models, drawings, andsimulations to clearly represent thedevelopment in the landscape. Roughcost estimates are provided to aid thedecision-making process.

This document is a comprehensive report ofthe concepts for the Great River RoadLearning Center in Prescott. Once approved,the Design-Build phase will begin.

Design-build phase

The final design phase provides thedrawings and details necessary to initiateconstruction. Architectural, engineering,and landscape architectural constructiondrawings and specifications are prepared.Final cost estimates are set. This phaserequires that the project director maintainclose communications between allmembers of the design team and thedecision-makers.

Schmeeckle Reserve Interpreters will designseveral interpretive panels, and assist CedarCorporation in selecting a reputable exhibitfirm capable of fabricating and installingexhibits in a timely and professional manner.

10


A mission provides a clear purpose thatguides the development of interpretiveprograms, media, and facilities. It providesdirection in the early stages of planning,and sets parameters for what should orshould not be done. Setting clearly definedmission and goals is essential fordeveloping effective interpretation on theGreat River Road.

FHWA National Scenic Byways grantprogram

From 2001-2003, the National ScenicByways Discretionary Grants programawarded $1.4 million for the developmentof a “Great River Road Scenic BywayLearning Center” in Prescott. The grantswere distributed in 3 phases:

• Phase 1: Site improvements andfinal design for center ($368,440)

• Phase 2: Construction of thelearning center ($700,800)

• Phase 3: Center interiorimprovements ($343,440)

The total cost of the project is just over$1.75 million ($1,765,850). The grants cover80% of the total cost of the project. TheCity of Prescott is responsible for the extra20%, or about $350,000.

The City of Prescott is also responsible forstaffing the center and the ongoingmaintenance of the center grounds andbuilding (Resolution 08-01, February 12,2001).

The grant proposals establish several goalsand guidelines for the Freedom Park

Mission and Goalsproject.

The Freedom Park/Great River RoadLearning Center project consists of theconstruction of an educational facility,including both a building and groundsamenities that will serve to provide thetraveler with information and programsabout the Great River Road Scenic Bywayand the Mississippi River.

The redevelopment of Freedom Park as aLearning Center will fill a critical void inthe interpretation of the Great River Roadand the Mississippi River in Wisconsin.

A “Visitor Center”

Visitor centers are facilities that preparetravelers physically, mentally, andspiritually to experience a special place.

• They welcome travelers and providefor their physical comforts andneeds.

• They orient and inform.• They inspire and instill reverence

and awe for the features and eventsof that special place.

When planning an interpretive facility,terminology can often be confusing.According to the parameters set forth inthe grant proposals, the Freedom Parkbuilding better fits the definition of a“visitor center” than a “learning center”.The center will not only provideeducational opportunities for travelers, butalso provide orientation, information, andamenities for physical comforts and needs,as well as being a gateway to the GreatRiver Road.

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Defining the Scope

The National Scenic Byway grant proposalstates that the five themes of Environment,Transportation, People, Occupations, andArchitecture will be presented in the visitorcenter.

The five basic themes would be expanded toinclude [scenic], historical, cultural,scientific, and archeological elements of theentire length of the Great River Road ScenicByway and the Mississippi River fromsource to mouth with special emphasis onthe Wisconsin segment.

Interpretation is most effective when itdeals with objects, places, or events thatcan be seen or are in close proximity to avisitor’s location. Interpretation aboutLouisiana, for example, has little meaningto most visitors in Prescott, Wisconsin. TheFreedom Park Visitor Center should notinterpret the entire Great River Road indetail; instead, interpretation should focuson regional topics that represent the greaterMississippi corridor. By connecting visitorswith barges, eagles, limestone cliffs, trains,bridges, and other topics they can directlyexperience in Freedom Park, they will alsobe connected to the broader stories of theentire Great River Road.

Community Use

Through interviews and discussions withPrescott residents and city leaders, thecommunity has unwritten goals that arecompatible with those stated in the grantproposals. Freedom Park has always beena popular community park for Prescottresidents. Improvements to the grounds

and the development of the buildingshould enhance the site for travelers andresidents alike. Access to improved trails,viewing platforms, restrooms, and sheltersshould be available to residents even whenthe visitor center is closed.

Mission and Goals of the Visitor Center

Bringing together the National ScenicByway grant proposals and communityinsight has provided a basis for thefollowing mission and goals.

Mission:The Freedom Park Visitor Centerwill interpret the Great River Roadthrough stories of Prescott and thesurrounding region, provide fortraveler’s physical and informationalneeds, and enhance the FreedomPark site for the community.

Goals:• Welcome travelers on the Great

River Road and provide for theirphysical comforts and needs(restrooms, water fountain,furniture)

• Provide orientation andinformation for travelers (maps,brochures, guides).

• Serve as a portal to the panoramicvistas of Freedom Park.

• Invite and encourage travelers tovisit other nearby natural andcultural areas.

• Provide space for communitymeetings and events (smallmeeting room, kitchenette).

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Primary Audiences

Prescott has always responded to the needsof tourists. Before Freedom Park wasrenamed, it was known simply as TouristPark, serving visitors with a campground,restroom, shelters, and a spectacularoverlook of the Mississippi and St. CroixRivers. The Welcome and Heritage Centerin downtown Prescott provides travelerswith information about local and regionalevents, attractions, and accommodations.Housed in a 1885 brick bank, the centerinterprets the unique history of thecommunity.

AudienceFreedom Park is also an important part ofthe community. Neighborhood childrenuse the playground. Couples stroll alongthe paths. Families have picnics and playgames. Many celebrations, familyreunions, and other events take place at thepark.

Both community members and visitors onthe Great River Road will benefit from theFreedom Park Visitor Center andassociated park renovations.

Visitors and residents wave to spectators on shore during the Grand Excursion, July 2, 2004.

The Freedom Park Visitor Center willserve two primary audiences:

• Tourists on the Great River Road• Prescott residents

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Tourists on the Great River Road

The Great River Road attracts a diversity ofaudiences that have different motivationsfor driving the road and different needs foraccommodations.

The Wisconsin Department of Tourismconducted a four-season survey of travelerson the Great River Road (Four SeasonMississippi River Scenic Byway Survey,January 2004). The results provide aglimpse of the tourist audience that will beusing the visitor center.

Over 1,150 people were surveyed atlocations throughout the byway fromDecember, 2002 to November, 2003.

• 92.6% do not reside on MississippiRiver corridor. Interpretationshould not assume that localcommunities, sites, and riverterminology will be readilyunderstood by tourists.

• Recreational users have visited thecorridor 5.4 times during the past 12months. Repeat visitation iscommon on the byway. Changingand seasonal interpretation wouldenhance the experience.

• In summer and fall, over half (55%and 53%) spent at least 1 night inthe area. In winter and spring, lessthan half (37% and 33%) wereovernight recreational users.Accommodations for both day tripsand longer vacations should beprovided.

• Travel parties consist of 2-3 people,and only 17% have children under13 years of age. Most users of thebyway are 40 years and older (67%).

• Top 7 reasons for choosing the area• Shopping: 36%• Sightseeing: 18%• Visiting friends: 15%• Attending events: 14%• Relaxing: 13.5%• Dining at restaurants: 13%• Wildlife/nature viewing: 10%

A high percentage of tourists chosethe Great River Road for sightseeing,relaxing, and wildlife/natureviewing, ideal activities at FreedomPark. Shopping and dining at thetop of the list could increase profitsfor Prescott businesses.

Sightseeing and nature viewing are some of thetop activities on the Great River Road.

14


• Visitors were asked if they wereaware that the Great River Roadwas designated as a NationalScenic Byway.

• Unaware: 36%• Aware: 64%

Even though many tourists drive theGreat River Road, nearly 1/3 wereunaware that it is a National ScenicByway. Only 4% chose this areabecause it was a designated byway.Interpretation should reinforce thebyway status of the road, possiblythrough repetition of elements likethe pilot’s wheel logo.

• Top 5 attributes of the Great RiverRoad (1=poor to 10=excellent)

• Overall scenic views: 9.25• Views of the Mississippi: 9.09• Access to the Mississippi: 9.04• Good visiting experience: 9.02• Access to scenic overlooks: 8.83

The Freedom Park Visitor Centerwill continue to enhance the scenicviews of the Mississippi that touristscurrently rate as excellent.

• Visitor expenditures• Daytripper visitors spent an

average of $63.10 per personeach day of the trip.

• Overnight visitors spent anaverage of $91.27 per personeach day of the trip.

• Tourists generate 67% of theseexpenditures, while residentsgenerate 33%.

Prescott businesses could benefit byhaving more tourists stopping at thevisitor center and being guided toshops and restaurants in town.

The Minnesota Department ofTransportation also conducted travelersurveys on the Great River Road (GreatRiver Road Development Study, January 2000).The results confirm aspects of theWisconsin study and shed light on othertourist characteristics. The surveys wereconducted in late summer and early fall.

The total number of tourists that returnedviable questionnaires was 555.

• 84.4% described their Great RiverRoad visit as purely a pleasure trip.Most travelers are using the GreatRiver Road for pleasure rather thanbusiness.

• The median trip length was 3 days.Many travelers are spending at least1 night along the Great River Road.

• Nearly half (46.2%) had previouslytraveled to the area. The remaining53.8% were first-time visitors.Orientation for first-time visitors isimportant, as is providing varietyfor repeat visitors.

The top attributes of the Great River Road wereits overall scenic views and views of the river.

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• Top 5 recreational activities actuallyparticipated in.

• Pleasure driving: 68%• Hiking/walking: 42%• Scenic overlooks: 40%• Shopping/antiquing: 38%• Visiting friends/family: 38%

These results are very similar to theWisconsin findings. Freedom Parkis an ideal site for hiking and scenicoverlooks. Prescott businesses willbenefit from shopping.

• Visitor attitudes• Viewing wildlife in a natural

setting is an importantexperience for 75% of tourists.

• Interpretive signs provide auseful tool for learning aboutan area’s cultural and naturalhistory.

The attitude survey demonstrateshow the Freedom Park site andinterpretation will enhanceexperiences for travelers.

• Visitor expenditures• Visitors spent an average of

$72.50 per adult each day of thetrip.

• The top expenditures wereshopping, lodging, and food

In addition to local restaurants,motels, and stores, a small gift shopwith Great River Road souvenirs,and cultural/ natural historymerchandise in the visitor centercould also generate some funding.

• Great River Road sign• Only 25% of tourists could

correctly identify the GreatRiver Road sign.

Similar to the Wisconsin study, thereis a general lack of knowledge aboutthe Great River Road amongtourists. Interpretation shouldenhance this image.

In the Minnesota study, visitors valuedinterpretive signage for learning more about thearea. However, only a quarter of travelers couldcorrectly identify the Great River Road logo.

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Types of TouristsUnderstanding the diversity ofmotivations, transportation modes, andtrip structures help us plan a satisfactoryexperience for the majority of visitors. Thefollowing sections are adapted from theMinnesota DOT study (Great River RoadDevelopment Study, January 2000).

MotivationsTourists travel the Great River Road andvisit Prescott for a variety of reasons. Thefollowing categories are divided byprimary motivations for coming to an area.A single tourist group may fit into severalof these categories.

• Guests: Tourists that drive the roadto visit family and friends.

• Loungers: Tourists that come forrest and relaxation. They aretraveling the road to unwind and bepampered (Bed and Breakfasts,hotels, cabins, campgrounds)

• Active Outdoor Recreationists:Tourists that physically engage theenvironment, usually withspecialized equipment (golfing,canoeing, fishing, biking, hiking).

• Explorers: Tourists that want todiscover and be intellectuallyenriched by their experience.

• Spectators: Tourists that come to beentertained, often as an accessory toa major event. People drawn to theGrand Excursion, for example, alsouse the restaurants, theaters, andparks in a town.

• Pilgrims: Tourists that seekexperiences to change theirperception of life or inspire awe(military buffs, Great River Roadhistorians).

• Shoppers: Tourists that come toacquire goods and services(antiques, souvenirs, Amish goods)

The Star Cafe in Stockholm caters to touristsseeking unique dining and shopping.

Rieck’s Lake Park in Alma is a natural drawfor Explorer tourists.

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The Great River Road has historicallymarketed to the Explorers. Theinterpretation at the Freedom Park VisitorCenter will connect visitors intellectuallyand emotionally to the resources of Prescottand the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers.The dramatic view from the bluff may alsobe a draw to Pilgrims.

Although not directly related, the visitorcenter must also guide tourists withdifferent motivations to other servicesnearby. Active Outdoor Recreationists canfind fishing/boating opportunities at thePrescott marina and hiking/bikingactivities at nearby parks. Shoppers andSpectators can be led to unique stores andrestaurants in downtown Prescott.

Residents should feel comfortable bringingGuests to the park and visitor center. Thefacility can be a source of pride for thecommunity.

Transportation ModeThe way a tourist travels on the GreatRiver Road affects the pace and flexibilityof travel. To enhance the experience for alltravelers, the visitor center and relateddevelopments must accommodate alltransportation modes.

• Automobiles (cars, trucks, SUVs):Automobiles make up the majorityof traffic on the Great River Road.Handicap parking stalls should beincluded near the entrance walkway.

• Motorcycles: A large number ofmotorcyclists travel the undulatingroad in the Prescott area.

• Recreational Vehicles: Touriststraveling from one campground to

another will often take the scenicGreat River Road instead of otherhighways. Some parking stallsshould be enlarged to accommodatethe size of the vehicles.

• Buses: Tour buses that highlight thehistory of the Mississippi River, fallcolors, shopping, and other themedexperiences are becoming morecommon on the Great River Road.As part of educational programs,school buses will also be droppingstudents off at the site. The parkinglot needs to be large enough forbuses to drop off people and turnaround.

• Bicycles: Residents and peoplebiking the Great River Road willneed a place to lock their bikes.

Automobiles are the dominant form of trafficon the Great River Road.

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Trip StructureWhether tourists are part of organizedgroups or out on their own, the FreedomPark Visitor Center should cater todifferently structured trips.

• Group-structured Travel: A tourorganizer determines when, where,and what will be experienced.

• Self-structured Travel: The touristdecides on an itinerary and whetherto follow it or not.

• Unstructured Travel: Peoplespontaneously travel to a place andare open to any attractions oractivities.

• Semi-structured Travel: Oftenbusiness people combine astructured element of the trip(conference or meeting) withunstructured pleasure time.

Marketing to tour operators and providingsufficient space for parking and restroomsis important to serving group-structuredtravel.

For self-structured and semi-structuredtravelers, advertising on the Internet, totourism agencies, and in regionalmagazines and newspapers is important.

An eye-catching entrance sign to FreedomPark on the Great River Road is essential toattracting unstructured travelers, and alsoserves all travelers. The sign should reflectthe essence of the site and be an invitationto explore the unique area.

Tourists structure their trips individually or as part of an organizedgroup, like these scenic byway professionals at Tijeras Pueblo in NewMexico. Visitor centers should cater to different trip structures.

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Prescott Residents

The population of Prescott isapproximately 3,800 people. The numberof people continues to grow each year. By2020, the population is expected to reach4,834 (Wisconsin Department ofCommerce).

The total working force of Prescott is 2,848people. About 23.2% of this force areemployed in educational, health and socialservices. Another 20.4% work inmanufacturing. Retail trade employs13.5%. The average travel time to work is23.9 minutes, meaning that most people areemployed out of the city.

Several interviews were conducted withresidents of Prescott (July-August, 2004) todetermine attitudes and feelings towardthe Freedom Park project and how itwould impact the community. Thefollowing concerns and suggestions wereidentified by a number of residents.

• Freedom Park needs to remain acommunity park. Prescott residentsdo not mind sharing the park withtourists, but developments shouldbe made to enhance the park for thecommunity. Many residents referredto the old shelters as gatheringplaces for reunions, celebrations, andother events. New shelters shouldbe constructed. Grassy areas andthe playground should bemaintained for low impact gamesand sports. Restrooms, trails, andoverlooks should be available tocommunity members even when thevisitor center is closed.

• Many residents are worried aboutthe tax-burden that the visitorcenter would place on thecommunity. The city is responsiblefor staffing and maintaining thevisitor center. It must be designed tominimize the cost to the city. Thebuilding should be constructed withhigh-quality materials that requirelittle maintenance. Exhibits shouldbe made durable and low-tech.“Green” systems should beconsidered to lower energy costs.The building layout should allow fora single staff person to keep thefacility open. Exterior exhibitsshould be maximized so they areavailable all daylight hours.

In addition to serving the needs of tourists,Freedom Park must remain a community park.

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• Residents do not want the buildingto detract from the Freedom Parksite. Freedom Park is a small area,and a building constructed withoutmuch thought could dominate thesite. The building should beconstructed of indigenous materialslike limestone and wood to blendwith the natural landscape. Itshould also have a low profile so itdoesn’t compete with thespectacular view. Residents andtourists alike come to the park forthe scenic vista, so the building anddevelopments must respect andenhance the view. Large windowsin the visitor center can showcasethe vista. Decks with spottingscopes will be a natural draw.

• Residents with homes neighboringthe park are concerned about noiseand aesthetics. Neighbors to theFreedom Park project worry thatvehicle noises, especially buses,could detract from the quiet

neighborhood atmosphere. Theyalso do not want to see adeteriorating building and grounds.Vehicle and people traffic andfacility developments should beconsciously screened fromneighboring houses as much aspossible. Parking lots anddriveways should be planned tominimize traffic on neighborhoodstreets. A well planned building andnatural landscaping should enhancethe aesthetics of the area with littlemaintenance.

• The park should be enhanced forwildlife. Many Prescott residentsare avid bird and wildlife watchers.A wildlife garden with runningwater, plantings, and feeders wouldattract a diversity of species andprovide educational opportunities.

Visitor centers can be designed to gracefullyharmonize with a site, like this open air centerin Scotland.

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• The view at Freedom Park shouldbe enhanced and maintained.Several residents remembered thebluff at Freedom Park before thetrees grew high on the slope,providing a spectacular vista up anddown the river. Many suggestedthat trees should be cut to restorethis view. With the acquisition of

the railroad land on the bluff and thesewage treatment land to the north,the city should have authority to cuttrees and open the view. Theoffending trees are almost all fast-growing and and weedy species.

The greatest strength of the Freedom Park site is the scenic view of theMississippi and St. Croix Rivers. This view must be enhanced andmaintained through landscape management and visitor center design.

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The Mississippi River

The Mississippi River flows through theheart of the continent. It unites the countrygeographically, links the south and north,and divides the east from the west. It hasbeen a cultural thoroughfare for thousandsof years, flowing from the Great Lakes tothe Gulf of Mexico. It carries goods,inspires romantics, poems, music, andliterature. Mythology and legends havearisen from its history. The Great River is ametaphor for life and a symbol of what isAmerican.

The Algonquin tribes hadseveral names for theRiver, but one of

Site Resourcesthe tribes, the Anishinabe (Chippewa,Ojibwa) and their close relatives in thenorth, referred to it as “Misisipi.” “Misi”means “big” or “great” and “Sipi” meanssimply “river.” Since Marquette and Jolietentered the river in the north, their guidesspoke an Algonquin dialect, the river wasintroduced to the Europeans as Mississippi,“The Great River,” and the name hasendured.

Prescott: A River Town

Prescott is a product of the river. It wasborn of the river and its fortunes have

ebbed and flowed with changeson the waterways. The

town is linked both

“Prescott, Wis.,1885” photographed byHenry Peter Bosse

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physically and spiritually to the water.Like all river towns, the people of Prescotthave relied on the Mississippi fortransportation, goods, and work. It is theunique individual ways that Prescott hasrelated to the Upper Mississippi that isinherently interesting to travelers. It is anold Upper Mississippi River Town steepedin river traditions. In the late 1930s,Prescott had the highest percentage of menworking on the Mississippi—more thanany other river town in the 2,300 miles.Rivermen remember when there were atleast 9 river pilots heralding from Prescott.

Freedom Park is a superb location for aGreat River Road visitor center because ofits view of the rivers. The convergence ofthe Mississippi and the St. Croix can beseen dramatically from the elevated parksite. The muddy flow of the Mississippimixes slowly with the clearer waters of theSt. Croix. A distinct line of demarcationcan be seen from the park site. River trafficcan be monitored from the ridge, just as ithas been for centuries. Barges can beobserved, and dayboards, buoys, lights,and wingdams are clearly visible from thepark. Prescott Island serves as a referencepoint where barges, steamboats, andlumber rafts have been photographed for150 years.

The park is named for a rehabilitated baldeagle that was symbolically released hereafter it participated in ceremonies inWashington D.C. to welcome home the IranHostages during the Carter administration.Wild eagles can be watched from this riverbluff throughout the year. In winter,dozens can be heard and seen perched onPrescott Island or soaring over the openwater below the park. A heron rookery is

visible across the river from the park in thelarge bottomland forest on the Minnesotaside. Diving ducks and geese frequent thePrescott marina in winter. Songbirds areabundant in the park, and migrating birds,like warblers, move in waves along theridge in spring and fall.

The park offers a scenic vista of the classicUpper Mississippi River where limestonecliffs loom over rivers that flow in broad,running lakes, tangled sloughs, andwooded side channels. Fed by theMinnesota and St. Croix Rivers, theMississippi here is just gaining strengthand is bolstered downstream by theconfluence of the Chippewa and theWisconsin Rivers. The site offers abeautiful scenic view typical of the UpperRiver.

America’s Byways: Treasured Roads

The NationalScenic Byways(NSB) Programwas initiated bythe FederalHighway Administration in 1991 to create adistinctive collection of American roads,their stories and treasured places.

The mission of the NSB Program is toprovide resources to the byway communityin creating a unique travel experience andenhanced local quality of life throughefforts to preserve, protect, interpret, andpromote the intrinsic qualities ofdesignated byways.

Under this program, the U.S. Secretary ofTransportation recognizes certain roads asNational Scenic Byways or All-American

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Roads based on their archaeological,cultural, historic, natural, recreational, andscenic qualities. There are currently 96designated byways in 39 states.

The NSB Program is a voluntary, grassrootsprogram that recognizes and supportsoutstanding roads, and provides resourcesto help manage the intrinsic qualitieswithin the broader Byway corridor.America’s Byways is a unique collection ofroads that tell the natural and culturalstories of the country. They are roads tothe heart and soul of America.

The Great River Road

The Great River Road is the nation’slongest scenic byway at nearly 3,000 miles.It traverses ten states. It was designated aNational Scenic Byway on June 13, 2002.

When it was initiated in the 1930s, theobjective was to develop a MississippiRiver highway with roads that preservedthe unique qualities of the MississippiRiver Valley. Originally, it was to resemblethe Blue Ridge Parkway or the NatchezTrace Parkway, where roads wereconstructed specifically as a scenic byway.However, it was quickly determined thatexisting roads would have to be used.

In 1938, U.S. Secretary of Interior, HaroldIckes, met with representatives of each ofthe ten states to develop the Great RiverRoad concept. The Mississippi RiverParkway Planning Commission, laterknown simply as the Mississippi RiverParkway Commission (MRPC), wasestablished. Each state formed its ownParkway Commission and worked witheach other “to define issues and coordinate

the development, promotion, andmaintenance of the Great River Road andits amenities.”

The Federal Highway Act of 1954 followedup on the original feasibility study andappropriated $250,000 for the initialplanning phases for the Parkway. Eachstate was asked to designate one existingroute within its boundaries for theParkway. Between 1974 and 1989, morethan a billion dollars was spent on GreatRiver Road projects.

The ten states and the MRPC has beenpromoting and marketing the Great RiverRoad for over 60 years. In cooperationwith state tourism offices, the Commissionhas been developing marketing strategiesthat include travel shows, familiarizationtours, public relations events, andmagazine and newspaper articles.

The Great River Road is identified along itslength with a green and white pilot’s wheellogo marking the route. The routes leadtravelers to museums, interpretive centers,historic sites, and scenic overlooks. Tourbooks and brochures suggest itinerariesthrough each state.

A Great River Road logo sign in Prescott.

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Communities and Interpretive Sites onthe Upper Mississippi Great River Road

To be most effective, the visitor center inFreedom Park should focus interpretationon those communities and sites that arewithin easy driving distance of Prescott.People will be encouraged to visit thesenearby sites to experience different aspectsof the Great River Road stories.

As the northern gateway of the Great RiverRoad in Wisconsin, special emphasisshould be placed on communities and siteswithin the state. Travelers will also beencouraged to visit sites just across theriver in Minnesota and Iowa.

To limit the scope of interpretation andprovide a quality experience for travelers,we recommend interpreting communitiesand sites from Minneapolis, MN toDubuque, IA. The following is a list ofsignificant communities and sites fromnorth to south. This information has beencompiled from several sources, includingthe “Wisconsin Great River Road” website(www.wigreatriverroad.org) and SeeingHistory on Wisconsin’s Great River Road(Wisconsin Department of Tourism).

Wisconsin Inventory

Prescott, WIThe northern gateway ofthe Great River Road inWisconsin. Settled in 1840 where theSt. Croix and Mississippi Rivers meet,the community became a center forriver shipping, steamboattransportation, and milling. The PierceCounty Welcome & Heritage Centerinterprets the settlement of this area.

Lake PepinLake Pepin was formed 10,000 yearsago when the sandy delta of theChippewa River dammed theMississippi channel. Today the Lake is1 ½ to 2 miles wide and 22 miles long.The 400-500 foot high bluffs thatsurround Lake Pepin provide scenicbyway travelers panoramic views onboth sides of the river. This lake hasbeen the scene for many dramaticboating incidents. Steam boat races,storms, and thick ice have made it afocus of interest on the UpperMississippi. Commercial " clamming",Pearls, and button manufacturing weremajor industries here until the 1940's.

Lake Pepin

Prescott, WI

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Diamond Bluff, WIThe prominent limestone bluffssurrounding this old river town werelandmarks for early pilots. This wasthe site of the largest inland waterdisaster when the Sea Wing Riverboatcapsized on July 13, 1890. Ninety-eightpeople died, including 20 citizens fromDiamond Bluff and Trenton.

Mero Site ComplexDiamond Bluff, WI and Red Wing, MN

Between 600 and 1,100 years ago,Oneota Indians lived in this area andestablished numerous camps andvillages. This may have been thenorthern-most outpost for the extensivetrade network of the MississippianIndians. Over 500 earthen moundswere built, and a few were shaped likeanimals (effigy mounds). TheArchaeological Conservancy purchasedpart of this site in 1990.

Hager City, WIThis quiet city was founded in 1886 bythe Chicago, Burlington & NorthernRailroad. Everts Resort has providedrecreational opportunities on the riversince the early 1940s. A unique “bowand arrow” rock formation built on theside of a bluff is near the city. Theorigin dates back to before the area wassettled. A historic plaque just off of theroad provides information and a clearview of the formation.

Bay City, WIBay City is located at the head of LakePepin on the Mississippi River. Silicahas been mined from miles of tunnelsin the limestone bluffs for making glass.The Bay City Mine is now a State

Natural Area, and over 10,000 batshibernate in the tunnels every winter.Only research access to the mines isallowed. The scenic riverfront hasalways attracted tourists, and two smallresort cabins from the 1930s still stand.The village park has picnic facilitiesand a campground along the river.

Maiden Rock, WILocated at the confluence of theMississippi and Rush Rivers is MaidenRock, with scenic vistas of Lake Pepin.This community is named for aprominent 400-foot bluff where legendclaims a heartbroken young Indianmaiden jumped to her death. A historicmarker below the bluff tells the story.A lakeside campground, picnic area,and bed-and-breakfast facilities servetourists.

Maiden Rock, WI

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Stockholm, WIOne of the few Swedish immigrantsettlements in Wisconsin. Eric Petersonselected this site on Lake Pepin in theearly 1850s, and was soon joined byfriends and family. Several historicbuildings still stand. Stockholm isknown as a “Renaissance village,”home to artisans and professionalcraftspeople who moved to the area forinspiration.

Fort St. Antoine SiteBetween Stockholm, WI and Pepin, WI

A historic plaque marks the location ofan archeological site. This was longconsidered to be the place whereNicholas Perrot established Fort St.Antoine in 1686, the first of severalforts built on Lake Pepin. Recentresearch indicates it may be the site ofFort La Jonquiere built in 1750, the finaldecade of French rule.

Pepin, WILaura Ingalls Willder, author of the"Little House on the Prairie" books, wasborn on a farm near Pepin in 1867. TheLittle House Wayside, 7 milesnorthwest of Pepin, marks the author´sbirthplace with a replica of the "LittleHouse in the Big Woods" - the log cabin

Wilder describes in her childhoodmemories of the Pepin area. The Pepinvillage park is named for Wilder andhas a memorial to her. The DepotMuseum has exhibits about arealogging, steamboating and railroadinghistory. The Pepin Historical Museumfocuses on local history and the Wilderlegacy.

Nelson, WINelson is a small village set against abackdrop of high, rugged bluffs.Castleberg Park, beneath the twin bluffsat the south end of town, is a popularpicnic spot. North of Nelson is the12,500-acre Tiffany Bottoms WildlifeArea River. Hunting, fishing, trapping,nature photography, and wild berrypicking are popular activities. Primitivecamping available by permit only.

Beef SloughBetween Nelson, WI and Alma, WI

The slough was a sluggish branch ofthe Chippewa River that served as astorage pond for logs floateddownstream. A major loggingcompany formed here, and disputesbetween Beef Slough and Eau Clairesawmills occurred in 1868. A historicplaque provides more information.

Stockholm, WIDepot Museum,

Pepin, WI

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Alma, WIA quaint river town that wasestablished in 1848. There is apanoramic view from Buena Vista Park,perched atop a 500-foot bluff above thetown. Downtown Alma has many19th-century waterfront buildings listedon the National Register of HistoricPlaces. In the heart of the town is Lockand Dam No. 4 with observation areasthat provide close views of lockoperations. In fall, thousands ofTundra Swans and other waterfowl canbe seen at Rieck's Lake Park, which hasa viewing deck with scopes andinterpretive panels.

Buffalo City, WIUnlike most rivertowns, Buffalo City isoriented north-south and east-westinstead of facing toward the river.Shortly after the city was founded in1856, a flood caused the Mississippi´smain channel to jump to the Minnesotaside and steamboats could no longerreach the city. The first county jail wasbuilt here in 1861, and it is still standsin the city park. Located on the banks

of the backwaters of the MississippiRiver, it is popular for birding andfishing. The Foelsch River Side Parkhas a 1 mile nature trail.

Cochrane, WIThe Chicago, Burlington & NorthernRailroad founded Cochrane in 1886,bypassing Buffalo City. Cochrane is asmall river town with quiet scenicstreets and roads. “Cochrane Chert,” arare fine-grained chert used by Nativegroups, can be found on the bluff tops.The Prairie Moon Gardens andMuseum has a collection of folk art andAmericana. The grounds areornamented with fantastic concreteforms encrusted with shells, rocks, andshards of glass and pottery created byHerman Rusch. Stop at Goose LakeMemorial Park for a picnic or a swim inthe heated outdoor pool.

Fountain City, WISettled by German immigrants in 1919,Fountain City was the first permanentsettlement in Buffalo County. The citywas named for multiple natural springsin the area, which fostered severalbreweries. The panoramic view ofFountain City is highlighted by EagleBluff, which stands 550 feet above theriver, the highest point on theMississippi. Visitors can watch rivertraffic at Lock and Dam No. 5-A. TheFountain City Historical Societymuseum has one of the best collectionof Indian spearpoints and arrowheadsin the state.

Buena Vista Park, Alma, WI

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Merrick State ParkBox 127Fountain City, WI 54629

Located along the lazy MississippiRiver north of Fountain City. Enjoyfishing from or docking your boat atyour campsite. River waters are ahaven for summer and winter anglers.The marshy backwaters are home foregrets, herons, muskrats, and otters.

Centerville, WIThe town was named for its location atthe heart of the broad TrempealeauPrairie. The crossroads developed intoa small trading post for long-distancetravelers.

Trempealeau, WIThis community is named afterTrempealeau Mountain, a nearby bluffcompletely surrounded by theMississippi. The downtown originallyfaced the river. But after an 1888 fireswept through the city, business ownersmoved to Main Street. Six originalbuildings that survived the fire arelisted on the National Register ofHistoric Places. At the south edge ofthe village is Lock and Dam No. 6 withan observation platform offering closeviews of lock operations.

Perrot State Park and TrempealeauMountainBox 407Trempealeau, WI 54661

Two miles northwest of Trempealeau isPerrot State Park, named for fur traderNicolas Perrot, who wintered here in1685-86. The 1,400-acre park is nestledamong bluffs where the Trempealeauand Mississippi Rivers meet.

Trempealeau Mountain (“The mountainwhose foot is bathed by water”) is a500-foot bluff completely surroundedby the Mississippi River. Over 30archaeological sites in and around thepark demonstrate the importance ofthis area for Native Americans.Petroglyphs and mounds can be foundin the park. Visit the park interpretivecenter to learn about the people andartifacts.

Trempealeau National Wildlife RefugeW28488 Refuge RoadTrempealeau, WI 54661

This 6,200-acre wildlife refuge is anisolated backwater cut off from theMississippi and Trempealeau Rivers bydikes. It serves as an important restingand feeding area for waterfowl and

Trempealeau Mountainat Perrot State Park, WI

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other migrating birds on theMississippi flyway. Diverse habitatssupport bald eagles, osprey, andBlanding’s turtles. A self-guidedwildlife drive and two interpretivetrails describe this unique area.

Van Loon Wildlife Area (Seven BridgesArea)La Crosse DNR3550 Mormon Coulee Rd.Room 104, SOBLa Crosse, WI 54601

Located east of Trempealeau on theGreat River Road, this 4,000-acrewildlife area is a rich, hardwoodswamp in the bottomlands of the BlackRiver before it spills into theMississippi. Visitors can walk on thehistoric McGilvray Road with its sixsteel bowstring, arch-truss bridges nowbeing restored by the Wisconsin DNR.The bridges were built between 1905-1908 to improve the road through themarshy river bottom.

Holmen, WIHolmen is a young village incorporatedin 1946. Deer Wood Park is a 40-acrecommunity park with hiking trails, asledding hill, picnic areas, and playingfields.

Midway, WIMidway is a small community thathosts a Department of NaturalResources parking area for the GreatRiver State Trail, which also links withthe LaCrosse River State Trail. TheGreat River State Trail is a 24-mile railbed trail winds its way through theMississippi River bottom lands northfrom Onalaska through Trempealeau,

Perrot State Park, and the TrempealeauNational Wildlife Refuge.

Onalaska, WIOnalaska’s location near the junction ofthe Black and Mississippi Rivers madeit an important lumber town. The firstsawmill was established here in 1852,and within decades, 33 mills crowdedthe riverbank. Lake Onalaska (Pool #7on the Mississippi) is an excellent spotfor fishing and bird watching. Thehome of lumber baron Frank EugeneNichols, still overlooks the lake.Onalaska is also the trailhead for theGreat River State Trail.

La Crosse, WILa Crosse is Wisconsin's largestMississippi River city. Established atthe outlets of the Black and La CrosseRivers, it was in a prime locationduring the lumber era. The city alsobenefitted from being an early railroadhub in 1858. La Crosse offers a varietyof attractions. The 600-foot GrandadBluff overlooks the city of La Crosse,the Mississippi River Valley, and threestates (Wisconsin, Minnesota andIowa). The Riverside Museum hasexhibits that chronicle the history of LaCrosse, focusing on the MississippiRiver and its importance to the area.The Hixon House was owned by by alumber baron in 1860. Visitors can taketours through the Victorian style housewith original furnishings. Cruises arealso available on steamboats like theJulia Belle Swain and the La CrosseQueen Paddlewheeler. The La CrosseRiver Bike Trails are accessed here aswell.

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Stoddard, WIThis village became a river town in1937 when the pool created by theconstruction of Lock and Dam No. 8 inGenoa flooded 18,000 acres ofbottomland and brought the river to itsdoorstep. Stoddard Park features ariver beach, a marina and acampground.

Genoa, WIA small bay once filled the valleyattracting steamboats needing anovernight harbor. The village wasfounded in 1854 by Italian and Swissimmigrants relocated from the lead-mining community of Galena, Illinois.From the village, you can watchtowboats and barges "lock through" atLock and Dam No. 8. Scenic river

overlooks are located along the GreatRiver Road.

Victory, WIFive settlers laid out the village in 1852and named it "Victory" tocommemorate the final battle of theBlack Hawk War fought south of thevillage 20 years earlier. Victoryprospered during the wheat boom ofthe 1850´s and 60’s. However, the landwas quickly depleted.

De Soto, WIDeSoto is named for the daring Spanishexplorer who discovered theMississippi in 1541. During the BlackHawk War of 1832, heavy fighting tookplace between here and the mouth ofthe Bad Axe River. Many historicalmarkers detailing local Indian historyand the war´s end are found along thesection of Wisconsin´s Great RiverRoad. De Soto was established in 1854on the site of a small outpost of theAmerican Fur Company. By buildingwing dams in the Mississippi, thechannel was diverted and allowedsteamboats to reach the town.Blackhawk Park offers riverfrontcampsites, picnic areas, a fishing dock,a sand swimming beach and boat-launching facilities.

Ferryville, WIThis community was originally called"Humble Bush," but was renamedFerryville when platted in 1858. Thefounders hoped to establish ferryservice across the Mississippi toLansing, Iowa. When the ferry beganoperating several years later, ittransported grain, livestock, and other

Grandad Bluff overlookingLa Crosse, WI

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produce. Today, the village is knownfor its quilts, cheese outlet, and flowers.

Lynxville, WIBefore the lock and dam system,Lynxville was a popular landing forsteamboats due to the stable depth ofthe river. From 1850 to 1895, it was abusy port with warehouses full of fish,clam shells, and ice. In 1896, the largestlog raft on the Mississippi wasassembled here: 260 feet wide, 1,550feet long, and contained 2.25 millionboard feet of lumber. Today, visitorscan watch river traffic pass throughLock and Dam No. 9.

Prairie du Chien, WIAn Indian village that became a fur-trading center, Prairie du Chien is theoldest community on the UpperMississippi. Fur warehouses built bythe American Fur Trading Co. in the19th-century still survive on historic St.Feriole Island. The Fort CrawfordMuseum displays medical history andrelics of 19th century medicine. Thecity is built on an elongated valleydeposit, formed by glacial meltwater.At the south end of this prairie, theWisconsin River empties into theMississippi.

Villa Louis Historic Site, Prairie du ChienWisconsin Historical Society816 State StreetMadison, WI 53706

Located on St. Feriole Island, VillaLouis is the historic home of HerculesDousman, a 19th century fur trader andfrontier entrepreneur. Over 90% of thefurnishings are original to the house.The Fur Trade Museum and

Wisconsin’s only War of 1812 battlefieldare also located on the historic site.

Wyalusing State Park13081 State Park LaneBagley, WI 53801

One of Wisconsin’s oldest parks,Wyalusing is perched on bluffs 500-feetabove the confluence of the Wisconsinand Mississippi Rivers. In 1673, FatherJacques Marquette and Louis Jollietdiscovered the Upper Mississippi atthis confluence. The park featureshiking trails, canoe trails, Indian burialmounds, caves, waterfalls, nature trails,historic markers, camping, and wildlifewatching. Over 2,600 acres ofhardwood forests, pine plantations,springs, wetlands, and backwatersprovide a diverse habitat for manyspecies of wildlife.

Wyalusing, WIThe first Wyalusing was established in1843 north of its current location. Thevillage did not prosper, the land wassold, and the second Wyalusing wasestablished at its current location in1856. Steamboats delivered suppliesand a ferry service was established.

Wyalusing State Park, WI

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Competition from nearby Bridgeportand the railroads lead an early demiseof its commercial ventures. Today,visitors can enjoy a sand swimmingbeach along the river. A commemoratebridge on Cty. C was built by the stateof Wisconsin to honor The Great RiverRoad.

Bagley, WILaid out in a north-south axis, theMississippi River was not important tothe village founders. Bagley wasestablished in 1886, a year after theChicago, Burlington, and Northern raillines were laid here. Today, the quiettown offers two inviting campgrounds.The community is well known in thisarea as a "duck hunter's paradise"because of the national flyway leadingto and from Canada.

Glen Haven, WIIn the 1830’s, steamboats made thislocation a busy livestock shipping port.The community was founded in 1857.The Main Street reflects the importanceof the river, running from adjacentfarmland directly to the landing. In1884 when railroad tracks were laid, theshipping business moved to the traindepot. Today, trains still pass throughthe town every twenty minutes.Restaurants and Bed-and-Breakfastsserve visitors to the area.

Cassville, WIEarly Cassville boosters hoped it wouldbe chosen as the state’s capital.Steamboats were constantly arrivingfrom St. Louis and other river towns.However, the city was not selected, andland developers went bankrupt.

Historic brick homes are reminders ofthe early prosperity. Riverside Park hasplayground areas, picnic facilities, anda boat launch ramp. The narrowchannel makes it ideal for watchingriver traffic. The Cassville Car Ferry isthe only remaining ferry on the UpperMississippi River, and travels to TurkeyCreek, Iowa.

Stonefield and Nelson Dewey HomesiteP.O. Box 125Cassville, WI 53806

Wisconsin’s first governor, NelsonDewey, spent most of his adult life inCassville. He built a Gothic Revivalmansion on a large estate and called itStonefield. Today, visitors can visit themansion and a reconstructed turn-of-the-century community namedStonefield Village. A State AgriculturalMuseum and recreated early 1900sfarmhouse are also located on thegrounds.

Nelson Dewey State ParkBox 658Cassville, WI 53806

Perched on top of the bluffs, this parkoffers panoramic overlooks of theMississippi River and woodedcampsites with spectacular views.Several trails lead visitors throughnative prairie, near several Indianmounds, and through woodlands.

Potosi, WINative Americans were the first to minelead in this area. In 1827, Willis St. Johnturned a lead-filled cave into a mine,and miners swarmed to the site from

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Galena, Illinois. By the late 1800s, thesettlement expanded into a village.“Potosi” is a Spanish word that means“lead.” The long, winding streets wereinfluenced by the valley’s topography.In fact, Potosi has the longest mainstreet without an intersection in theworld (three miles). The St. John LeadMine, believed to be the oldest in thestate, is open for tours. The PassageThru Time Museum interprets the localhistory. The Potosi Brewery operatedcontinuously from 1852 to 1972,producing a legal “near beer” duringProhibition. The Brewery has recentlybeen awarded as the site of the newNational Brewery Museum & Library.The Grant River Recreation Area,designed and built by the Army Corpsof Engineers, has modern camp sitesand a picnic area on the banks of theMississippi.

Tennyson, WIThis village was originally called"Dutch Hollow" and was a settlementof mine workers of similar ethnicbackground. Later named Tennyson inhonor of poet Alfred Lloyd Tennyson, itwas one of a dozen communities thatgrew up in the mid-1800´s around themore than 10,000 hand-dug lead minesin the area. The region producedvirtually all of the lead shot for theNorthern forces of the Civil War.

Dickeyville, WIThis agricultural community wasfounded in the late 1840s by a settlernamed Dickey. The Dickeyville Grotto,built by Father Mathias Wernerus in the1920s, is famous throughout the region.The concrete shrine is decorated with

rocks, shells, and other materials fromaround the world.

Kieler, WIThe Immaculate Conception CatholicChurch serves as the focal point ofKieler, demonstrating its important rolein community life. The village wasfounded in 1855 by German Catholics.In 1859, a small wooden church wasconstructed. This was replaced by alarger stone building in 1869. GothicRevival detailing was applied to themain entrance and two stone towerswere added to the front of the church in1896.

An official Wisconsin TravelInformation Center is located here atthe intersection of Highways 11, 35, 61and 151. The center will become theSouthern Gateway to the WisconsinGreat River Road in the near future.Travelers can cross a bridge to connectwith The Iowa Great River Road.

Immaculate ConceptionCatholic Church in Kieler, WI

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Minnesota Inventory

Minneapolis, MNOriginally called St.Anthony for the 16-footwaterfall that powered the city’s rapidgrowth. Mills grew up on the falls, andthe city became the country’s largestflour producer in the 1890s.

Mill City Museum 704 South 2nd Street Minneapolis, MN 55414

Built in the ruins of the Washburn AMill, this museum dramatically tells thestory of the development ofMinneapolis and the importance offlour milling.

St. Anthony Falls Heritage Trail Minneapolis, MN

A two-mile loop trail that interprets therich history of Minneapolis’ historicflour-milling district. The trail providesviews of St. Anthony Falls, the onlywaterfall on the Mississippi. Visitorscan walk over the Stone Arch Bridge, abeautifully restored railroad bridgenow open to pedestrians.

St. Paul, MNThis community was settled bysquatters from Fort Snelling who hadbeen evicted. Originally called Pig’sEye after one of the community’sfounders, it was renamed St. Paul in1841 after a chapel was built.

Fort SnellingFort Snelling History Center Saint Paul, MN 55111

Costumed interpreters guide visitorsthrough a restored 1820s fortoverlooking the confluence of theMinnesota and Mississippi Rivers.Philander Prescott worked here as aninterpreter for the Dakota tribe.

Fort Snelling, MN

Mill CIty Museum, MN

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National Park Service Mississippi RiverVisitors CenterScience Museum of Minnesota120 West Kellogg Boulevard Saint Paul, MN 55102

Located just off the lobby of the ScienceMuseum of Minnesota, the center isstaffed by NPS rangers. Exhibitsinterpret the culture, landscape, andrecreational opportunities of the entireMississippi River Corridor.

Science Museum of Minnesota120 West Kellogg Boulevard Saint Paul, MN 55102

In the Mississippi River Gallery, visitorscan test their skills as a barge pilot, seelive Mississippi River fish, climbaboard an actual towboat, and fly downthe entire Mississippi from Lake Itascato the Gulf of Mexico. The museumoffers breath-taking views of theMississippi River.

Hastings, MNA scenic rivertown at the junction of theMississippi, St. Croix, and VermillionRivers. Settled in 1857, the city has aclassic Main Street downtown and an1871 County Courthouse.

Red Wing, MNLocal clay deposits supported potteryand pipe manufacturing here for manyyears. Today the renowned Red WingPottery Factory has been transformedinto offices, shops, and restaurants. Thehistoric Saint James hotel is a favoriteplace for meals and overnightaccommodations.

Wabasha, MNThis historic rivertown is a favoritedock and stop overfor river boats likethe Delta Queenand the MississippiQueen. In winter, itis a good locationto observe BaldEagles. This city isthe future home ofthe National EagleCenter.

La Crescent, MNDuring the spring blooming season, theHiawatha Apple Blossom Scenic Driveis a rewarding sightseeing trip.

Downtown Hastings, MN

Mississippi River Visitors Center at theScience Museum of Minnesota

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Iowa Inventory

Effigy Mounds NationalMonument151 Highway 76Harpers Ferry, IA 52146-7519

These unique effigy mounds wereconstructed about 500 BC to 1300 ADby the Eastern Woodland Culture.Twenty-nine of the 200 mounds are inthe shape of mammals, birds , andreptiles.

Yellow River Forest State Recreation Area729 State Forest RoadHarpers Ferry, IA 52146

This 8,000 acre forest is highlighted byscenic river bluffs and cold waterstreams. Hiking, horseback riding,camping, canoeing, hunting, andfishing are available here.

Pikes Peak State Park15316 Great River RoadMcGregor, IA 52157-8558

One of Iowa's highest MississippiRiver bluffs offers spectacular views ofthe river valley. Hiking, camping, andpicnicking are popular here.

Mines of Spain State Recreation Area8991 Bellevue HeightsDubuque, IA 52003

This natural area offers a variety ofriver related recreational activitiesincluding an extensive trail system,wildlife watching, and a nature center.

National Mississippi River Museum andAquarium3rd Road Street HbrDubuque, IA 52001

The large museum and aquarium focuson the natural and cultural history ofthe Mississippi River. The extensiveexhibits provide a good overview fortravelers on the Great River Road.

Effigy Mounds National Monument, IA

National Mississippi RiverMuseum and Aquarium, IA

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Themes & Messages

Themes are the important ideas that organize the storieswe wish to tell about Prescott and the Great River Road.They create a framework for planning and help placeresources and events into meaningful contexts for visitors.

Chapter 3:

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Themes are the important ideas thatorganize the stories we wish to tellabout Prescott and the Great River

Road. They create a framework forplanning and help place resources andevents into meaningful contexts forvisitors. Once these important concepts areidentified, we can make decisions aboutwhat site resources and media are mostappropriate to help us tell these stories.Compelling interpretive themes link atangible resource to the interests of visitors.The theme statement, which is the mainidea of an interpretive product, shouldalways contain a universal concept.

Universal concepts are intangiblemeanings that have significance to almosteveryone, but may not mean the samething to any two people. They are theideas, values, challenges, relationships,needs, and emotions that speak to thehuman condition.

Interpretation is most effective whenthemes and media allow visitors to graspmeanings and apply them to their ownlives. Visitors may not parrot the themeswe write– but if they are provoked,inspired, want to know more, or can applyit to something in their own lives, we havebeen successful. Themes are used todevelop ideas that say something powerfuland important, igniting the interests ofvisitors. Interpretation should provideopportunities for people to explore ideasand meanings about resources and eventsand to arrive at their own conclusions.

When used effectively, a theme provides a

Themes and Messages

focus that allows people to considermeanings and understand and appreciatethe resource in ways they might otherwisehave missed.

Unifying InterpretiveMessages

The themes selected for the Freedom ParkVisitor Center were adapted from theMississippi River Byways—InterpretiveWorkshop. Eleven themes were approvedby representatives from the MississippiRiver Parkway Commission (ten states),byway leaders from nationally designatedscenic byways, and resource people andinterpretive specialists from private andpublic organizations. These themes help“to unify and coordinate interpretativeefforts throughout the Great River Road.”A complete listing of the themes developedfrom the workshop is available inAppendix 2. Six of the eleven themesdirectly related to the unique characteristicsof the Prescottsite were used todevelop theinterpretivestories for theFreedom ParkVisitor Center.

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Chapter 3—Themes and Messages

The primary theme represents the mainidea we are hoping to communicate aboutPrescott and the Great River Road. Allinterpretation in the visitor center and onsite should relate to this overall theme.

Primary Theme

Prescott, a classic River Town and gateway to the GreatRiver Road, is a gathering place where rivers, wildlife,and people blend into a dynamic living community richin history and grand scenery.

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Sub-theme 1: Sub-themes split the primary theme intoseveral more specific and workableideas.

Messages break down the sub-themesfurther into very specific stories that canbe told with personal and non-personalinterpretation.

The Mississippi and St. CroixRivers are ribbons of life forpeople, plants, and animals.

Messages

The Great River1.1 The Mississippi River is the

longest and largest river in NorthAmerica, flowing 2,300 miles.

1.2 “Mississippi” is an Anishinabe(Chippewa, Ojibwa) word thatmeans “Great River” or“Gathering of Waters”

1.3 The watershed of the MississippiRiver stretches from the AlleghenyMountains in the east to the RockyMountains in the west, nearly 40%of the United States. This includes31 states and 2 Canadianprovinces.

1.4 Among the rivers of the world, theMississippi ranks third in length,and second in watershed area.

1.5 The largest continuous system ofwetlands in North America isfound adjacent to the Mississippi.

1.6 The Headwaters of the Mississippiflow from Lake Itasca in northernMinnesota to St. Anthony Falls inMinneapolis. The Mississippibegins as a small, clear stream, butthe water is gradually stainedbrown from bog vegetationtannins.

1.7 The Upper Mississippi flows 908miles from St. Anthony Falls inMinneapolis to the mouth of theOhio River at Cairo, Illinois. Theriver channel is more narrow thanthe southern stretches, and steepbluffs line the valley.

1.8 Lake Pepin formed about 9,500years ago when a delta of sandfrom the Chippewa River partiallyblocked the Mississippi Rivervalley. It is 1 to 2.5 miles wideand 22 miles long. It trapssediments and pollution,enhancing river qualitydownstream.

Overlook at Lake Pepin, formed by a delta ofsand from the Chippewa River.

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1.9 The Lower Mississippi River flowsfrom Cairo, Illinois to the Gulf ofMexico in southern Louisiana.The river channel is broad andshallow, with characteristicswamps and bottomlandhardwood forests.

1.10 The Lower Mississippi has notbeen dammed, but has beenchannelized and shortened by 140miles.

1.11 The dramatic Upper MississippiRiver channel was formed byglaciation. From 15,000-10,000years ago the melting Wisconsinglacier increased water flow in theMississippi. Two glacial rivers,the Warren (Minnesota River) andthe St. Croix fed the Mississippi’serosive powers, scouring thechannel to more than 800 feetdeep. When the glaciers melted toCanada, the river began fillingwith sand and gravel, a processwhich continues today.

1.12 The massive and steep bluffs ofthe Upper Mississippi are made ofmaterial formed by an ancient sea.From 600-300 million years ago,sediments from a rising andfalling sea formed thick layers ofshale, dolomite, limestone, andsandstone overlying granite.

1.13 The rugged bluffs of the UpperMississippi represent a karstlandscape, characterized bysinkholes, caves, springs, andstreams. In places, cliffs rise 500feet above the river.

The St. Croix1.14 The Upper St. Croix River was

designated a National Wild and

Scenic River in 1968, one of thefirst eight to be given thisdesignation. The Lower St. Croixwas added in 1972. It is one of themost pristine large riverecosystems in the Upper Midwest.

1.15 The St. Croix starts as a smallspring north of Gordon,Wisconsin, and flows 154 miles toPrescott where it joins theMississippi. It makes up 120 milesof the border between Wisconsinand Minnesota.

1.16 The last 25 miles of the St. CroixRiver is known as Lake St. Croix,likely formed from hydraulicdamming by the Mississippi. Itwas a major staging area forassembling log rafts for transportto sawmills downriver.

1.17 When the glaciers began meltingnearly 10,000 years ago, the St.Croix valley was a major drainagechannel for glacial meltwater fromLake Superior.

Wildlife1.18 The Upper Mississippi River

National Wildlife and Fish Refuge

A boat anchored in Lake St. Croix near PointDouglas.

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is the longest refuge in the UnitedStates, stretching 261 miles fromLake Pepin to Rock Island, Illinois.

1.19 The Mississippi is home to manyrare, threatened, and endangeredspecies, including the bald eagle,peregrine falcon, Massassaugarattle snake, pallid sturgeon, andtwo freshwater mollusks: Higginseye and fat pocketbook.

1.20 Bald eagles (Haliaeetusleucocephalus), attracted to theopen water of the Mississippi, area common sight from FreedomPark during the winter. The parkwas named after a rehabilitatedeagle released from the site in1982.

1.21 The wingspan of a bald eagle is 6-8 feet. They can fly at 65 mph inlevel flight, and up to 200 mph ina dive. Eagles need open waterfor eating fish and tall trees for

nesting. They are monogamousand add new material to nestsyear after year.

1.22 The bald eagle is the NationalEmblem of the United States,passed by the Second ContinentalCongress in 1782. It is the livingsymbol of freedom, spirit, andpursuit of happiness.

1.23 A heron rookery is also visiblefrom Freedom Park on theopposite side of the Mississippi.Great blue herons (Ardea herodias)are the largest herons in NorthAmerica with a wing-span of 4feet. Their nests are platforms ofloose sticks in the top of trees.

1.24 The Mississippi Flyway is amigration corridor for 40% ofNorth America’s waterfowl andshorebirds.

1.25 Freedom Park is listed in theAudubon Great River Birding Trailbrochure (Map Section 5 of 15). Itis an excellent place to watch thefall migrations of hawks andmigratory waterfowl.

1.26 At Prescott, the Mississippi RiverValley narrows to a one-mile widecorridor, creating a naturalbottleneck for migrating birds.

1.27 A bird count between Hastings,MN and Prescott from March 11 toApril 25, 2001 resulted in 100,332migrants. This included 75,584waterbirds, 5,315 raptors, and19,432 other birds, mostlypasserines. Some unique speciesincluded 500 common loons, 3,147American white pelicans, 4,147double-crested cormorants (arecord count for Minnesota), 2,188bald eagles, and 90 red-shouldered

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hawks (a species of SpecialConcern in Minnesota). [Bardon,Karl J. “The Hastings-PrescottBird Count.” The Loon 73:231-235(Winter 2001)]

1.28 Tundra swans rest and feed on thepools of the Upper MississippiRiver as they migrate to theirwintering grounds on ChesapeakeBay. They eat the starchy tubers ofplants like arrowhead and wildcelery.

1.29 Tundra swans can fly at speeds upto 100 mph with a tail wind.Some flocks reach an elevation of6,000 to 8,000 feet, high enough tobe hit by planes.

1.30 The observation platform atRieck’s Lake Park in Alma is oneof the best places to view tundraswans and other waterfowl up-close.

1.31 Across the river from FreedomPark is a large floodplain forestmanaged by the MinnesotaDepartment of Natural Resources.It includes parts of the Gores PoolWildlife Management Area andVermillion River Bottoms.

1.32 The Vermillion River Bottoms is17- mile by 2.5-mile floodplainforest nestled between theMississippi River and theVermillion River in Minnesota.This area represents the vastfloodplain forests that once spreadthroughout the Mississippi RiverValley. It provides critical habitatfor a variety of wildlife.

1.33 Using the power of advertising forthe first time in the service ofconservation, Wil Dilg and theIzaak Walton League mustered

widespread public support forpreserving the wetlands in theUpper Mississippi River Valley.

1.34 Hexagenia mayflies thrive inmany areas of the Mississippi.The population boomed after theconstruction of the 9-foot channel.The large hatches are a nuisance tomost people, but are excellentfood for fish.

1.35 Mayflies, for a few brief days,might be so abundant that theirbodies can build up on bridgeapproaches and sidewalksimpeding traffic. On the river,they can blot out navigation lightswith their mass or coverpilothouse windows.

Habitat1.36 Historically, the bluffs lining the

Upper Mississippi werepredominately grassy areas with afew scattered trees. Oak savanna(prairies with scattered oaks) and“goat prairies” (rocky and dryareas with prairie grasses andwildflowers) were common.

A large hatch of mayflies may be a nuisance topeople, but is an invaluable food source for fish.

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Sub-theme 2:

The history of the Mississippiand St. Croix Rivertransportation is a dramaticstory reflecting the river’seconomic and commercialimportance.

Messages

Early Transportation2.1 Mound builders developed

extensive trade routes on the riversystems. Goods, like Wisconsincopper, were traded as far away asFlorida and Mexico. Cahokia nearmodern-day St. Louis was a majorpopulation center for theMississippian culture.

Lumbering2.2 Lumber rafts were the dominant

vessel on the Upper Mississippiand St. Croix from 1860 to the1890s. The last lumber raft floatedpast Prescott in 1914.

2.3 Prescott was the headquarters forthe St. Paul Boom Company. Raftsof logs were assembled in Lake St.Croix in preparation for transportdown the Mississippi tolumbermills. Peak years werefrom 1875-1895.

2.4 Pine lumber, especially white pine,was ideal for rafting to sawmillsbecause it was lightweight, strong,grew straight, and was buoyant.

2.5 Sawdust and woodchips wereabundant river sediments from St.

Paul downriver from 1860-1900.2.6 Deforested watersheds at the turn

of the century resulted in extremeflood and drought conditions,which confounded rivernavigation and ironically madelumber rafting difficult.

2.7 By 1857, 3,000 men wereemployed in Wisconsinlumbering.

2.8 Logs were “stamped” by thelumber camp that cut them foridentification downriver at thesawmill.

2.9 Lumber companies used waterwagons to create ice roads to“skid” loads of logs to the rivers.

2.10 White pine was floated in raftsdownriver to mills and markets.The first rafts were made oflumber, but after 1843, whole logswere rafted in booms.

2.11 A large lumber raft wascomparable in area to the flightdeck of an aircraft carrier. Cutlumber was stacked into a 16’x32’crib. A Mississippi raft held 120-200 cribs.

A steamboat participating in the 2004 GrandExcursion.

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2.12 Slow moving rafts of logs oftenclogged the river and createdproblems for packet boats. Looselogs also created potentialdisasters for boats.

2.13 Skippers used smaller steamboatsattached by crosswire at the frontof the rafts to help steer. A largeboat at the rear pushed the raft.

2.14 By the 1880s, the Mississippi RiverBoom and Logging Company hadbecome the major financial poweron the river. Railroads had greatlydiminished steamboat commerce,leaving the lumber industry todominate river transportation.

Steamboats2.15 Prescott flourished during the

steamboat era. During low water,it was the northern terminus ofthe Mississippi River.

2.16 Steamboats were built andrepaired at Prescott. In 1856, thePrescott Dry Docks andShipbuilding Company wasformed.

2.17 Nowhere was steamboating moreimportant in the 1830s-50s than onthe waterways of the MississippiRiver Valley, where neither canalbarges or sailing ships couldcompete.

2.18 While eastern steamships usedlow-pressure engines for safety,the boats on the Mississippi usedhigh-pressure engines. Thesewere lighter and smaller, allowingmore room for cargo andpassengers. They were loud,vibrated excessively, and werequite susceptible to exploding.Boats were expected to last no

more than 5 years.2.19 The specializations and

adaptations of the steamboats tothe Mississippi River and theirimpact on economics and culturewere a notable achievement ofAmerica’s Industrial Age.

2.20 The sinking of the Sea Wing onLake Pepin on July 13, 1890 wasthe greatest steamboat disaster onthe Upper Mississippi. Ninety-eight people died. The smalltowns of Diamond Bluff andTrenton each lost 10 citizens. Mostothers were from Red Wing,Minnesota.

2.21 Early steamboats had prized bells.After 1845, steam whistlesreplaced the bells. People on theRiver could identify boats by theirwhistles.

2.22 Crews would constantly measurethe depth of water in the channelwith marked poles or lead lines.Lead lines had felt and leatherspliced into them, so even in thedark, a crew member could feelthe depth as it passed through hishands.

2.23 The river boat crews had theirown language and terms:• Levee: Place where steamboats

land• Slough: The water behind an

island separate from the mainchannel

• The Texas: The cabin on theroof that contained thecaptain’s stateroom

• Roosters: Deck hands• Floaters: The hands working on

rafts• Old Man: The Captain

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• Towing: Meant pushing, notpulling

2.24 At the height of steamboating’spopularity on the UpperMississippi in 1858, St. Paul hadmore than 1,000 boats dock in itsport.

2.25 In addition to goods, steamboatsbrought culture to river towns:tourists, immigrants, musicians,theater, and circuses.

2.26 For a brief period after the CivilWar, steamboats became quiteornate and elegant with carpetedstaterooms and food that rivaledeastern hotels.

2.27 Professional gamblers on theUpper Mississippi were satisfiedwith much smaller stakes andprofits than on the Lower Riverfrequented by wealthier plantationowners. Groups of 2 or 3gamblers often worked the boatstogether, and with the assistanceof the boat’s bartenders, woulduse marked cards to relievevictims of their money.

2.28 As steamboats evolved, theybecame more shallow, narrow, andlong. Many needed less than 18inches of water to float.

2.29 Twin smokestacks as high as 90feet above the water helped sparksto burn out before they fell ontothe boat deck. Bridges over theriver created the need to hinge thestacks.

2.30 Riverboats were designed withlong rakes on the bow to facilitatetying up without the need of awharf. A landing stage at the bowcould be swung from boat to shoreto load and unload freight and

passengers.2.31 Waste “fat” and pine knots would

be added to the steamboat’sfirebox to increase speed. Thispractice compromised safety asboilers were prone to explode.

Railroads2.32 Steamboats carrying freight were

replaced by railroads in the 1880s.Railroad companies bought up theremaining steamboat interests tokill competition.

2.33 By 1889, railroads had taken overall the freight shipment of theUpper Mississippi region and 75%of the passengers.

2.34 River traffic on the UpperMississippi was limited to theperiod between March and mid-November. Trains could run year-round.

2.35 During the river navigationseason, the trains transportedgoods at a loss, only to raise ratesin the winter when boats couldnot compete.

2.36 Railroads out-competed riverboatsfor freight and passengers. Thiscaused a virtual bankruptcy forriver navigation in the last half ofthe 19th century, until Congressauthorized 9-foot shippingchannels.

2.37 The first train in Prescott, ownedby the Winona, Alma, andNorthern Railroad, arrived onMay 30, 1886. The city had a day-long celebration.

2.38 Meeting the trains was a socialevent. Modern, stream-linedtrains like the Zephyr in the 1930sdrew crowds of viewers.

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2.39 The Prescott Depot wasconstructed in 1886 from precutwood shipped to the location.According to longtime railroader,O.P. Tronnier, the larger Prescottdepot was supposed to go toPepin, but ended up in Prescott bymistake. The smaller depot inPepin is still in use today as amuseum.

2.40 Due to the sharp curve of the railsin Prescott, prior to crossing the St.Croix bridge, old iron train wheelswould “squeal” as they turned thecorner.

2.41 Trains turning the sharp curve inPrescott needed to slow theirspeed. Hobos could easily get on

and off the trains. They oftensought shelter in a large concreteculvert.

2.42 Railroad builders sought theeasiest grades, and therefore builttracks along the river. In towns,the tracks usually separated MainStreet from the river in order to benear lumberyards, grain elevators,and warehouses. Multiple tracksblocked access to the river banks.

Barges2.43 Upper Mississippi River

transportation was revived after a1926 meeting in Minneapolis ofthe Upper Mississippi Barge LineCompany. The federalgovernment got involved andformed the Federal Barge Lines.

2.44 When the barge lines werecreated, it was necessary to revivethe old retired river captains andlumber raftsmen, because theyknew the river. They trainedothers who were often relativesand friends from theirhometowns.

2.45 Diesel towboats started to replacesteamboats in 1932. Diesels savedmoney because they could be shutoff in port, unlike steam that hadto be maintained.

2.46 Diesel boats are not required to beinspected by the U.S. governmentlike steamboats. There are nogovernment regulations aboutcrew sizes, so crews could be cutat least in half.

2.47 The standard tow on the UpperMississippi consists of 15 barges ina 3 wide/5 long configuration.This is the most efficient size to fit

A view of a train from the Prescott cemetery.

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the locks.2.48 The standard tow on the Lower

Mississippi is 35 barges in a 5wide/7 long configuration.

2.49 Over 3,000 towboats and 25,000barges operate on the MississippiRiver system.

2.50 One barge has the capacity tocarry 1,500 tons, 52,500 bushels, or453,600 gallons. One barge cancarry the equivalent of 15 jumbohopper railroad cars or 58 largesemi trucks.

2.51 Barges are ideal for movingcommodities in bulk. The cost ofmoving cargo on water is less thanrail or truck.

2.52 Whole grains are the most

common cargo shipped on barges(over 20% in 1990). The secondlargest commodity is coal,followed closely by refinedpetroleum, crude petroleum,fertilizers, and chemicals. Crudematerials, like rock and stone,sand and gravel, iron ore, andforest products are also commonlyshipped.

Bridges2.53 The first railroad bridge over the

Mississippi was built at RockIsland Rapids near Davenport,Iowa. Fifteen days after it opened,the Effie Afton sidewheelersmacked into the bridge piling,

A barge on the Mississippi from the MaidenRock overlook on the Great River Road.

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collapsing its smokestacks andburning to the waterline. Three-hundred oxen leapt into the water.No lives, human or oxen, werelost, but lawsuits and salvageoperations followed. AbrahamLincoln was the winning attorneyfor the railroads. James B. Eads,later famous for his steel bridgeover the river at St. Louis, was thesalvage operator

2.54 As a result of the Rock Islandwreck, Congress gave the ArmyCorps of Engineers authority toreview all bridges to ensure theirsafety for shipping.

2.55 In the later half of the 19thcentury, 1 out of every 4 bridgescollapsed.

2.56 The Prescott Bridge Company wasformed in 1920, and the first cartollbridge opened on June 22,1923. Toll prices were 25 cents fora car and 5 cents for eachpassenger up to 35 cents.Bicyclists, hitchhikers,motorcyclists, and wagon driversall paid the toll.

2.57 To avoid the Prescott bridge toll,some people hid on fenders awayfrom the toll collector to avoidpaying. Newspaper trucks fromMinnesota would drop thebundles of papers on theMinnesota side of the bridge toavoid paying the 25 cent toll.Paper boys from Prescott wouldpay 5 cents to walk across andcarry paper bundles back. Inwinter when Lake St. Croix frozesolid, cars would drive over theice to avoid the tolls.

2.58 Bridge tenders would often fishfrom the bridge during the slowtraffic of the 1920s.

2.59 Kids would swim out to thebridge piers, climb them, and diveinto the river.

2.60 A unique spiral bridge was builtin Hastings, Minnesota in 1895.The spiral allowed traffic to arriveand depart through the businessdistrict, whereas a standard designwould have brought traffic overand away from the developingdowntown. The bridge wasreplaced by a standard design in1951. Postcards and photos helpthe city remember the bridge, asdoes a replica on display at theLittle Log House Village, 10 milessouth of Hastings.

2.61 In the 1800s, Congress passed alaw that required any bridge thatcould not be opened to be highenough to provide a 52-footclearance at high water.

2.62 Approximately 170 bridges spanthe Mississippi River.

The Prescott railroad bridge spanning the St.Croix River.

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Sub-theme 3:

The Mississippi and St. Croixare working rivers that havesustained people’s livelihoodsthroughout history.

Messages

Freshwater Mussels: Buttons and Pearls3.1 In 1891, John Boepple opened a

button making factory inMuscatine, Iowa on theMississippi River. He discoveredthat the river mussels worked aswell as ocean, mother-of-pearlshells for making buttons.

3.2 By 1898, there were nearly 50button factories on the UpperMississippi.

3.3 Freshwater pearls were commonlyfound in the Upper Mississippi,and even served as legal tenderfor drinks in the bars of Winona,Minnesota.

3.4 By the late 1890’s, the buttonindustry had taken the place ofthe timber industry as the mostimportant business in river towns.At its peak, 20,000 people wereemployed.

3.5 From 1911 to 1921, James Atchisonfrom Prescott ran a clamboatcalled the St. Croix on theMississippi and St. Croix Rivers.The shells were opened to searchfor rare pearls, and then sent tobutton factories along theMississippi.

3.6 Mussels face upstream with theirsiphons open to receive oxygenand food. They snap shut onanything that touches them.

3.7 The “crowfoot” is a bar withhooks that collects mussels whendragged along the bottom of theriver.

3.8 Mussels grow slowly. A 4-inchshell takes 25 years to develop.

3.9 Mussels are sensitive to changes inwater temperature, flow, andsedimentation. Pollution, such assewage, pesticides, fertilizers, andagricultural runoff, impact them.Zebra mussels, introduced in the1990s, adversely affect them aswell.

3.10 It took more than a century todeplete the beaver, 50 years to cutall the Pineries, but less than 25years to exhaust the mussels in theMississippi River.

Clams and shell buttons from Evelyn Everts,Hager City.

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3.11 Lake Pepin was renowned forbeing rich with mussels. By thelate 1890s and early 1900s, morethan 500 clammers worked theLake.

Commercial Fishing3.12 Carp were introduced in 1872 by

Robert Poppe and by the U.S.Bureau of Fisheries in 1877. Nopreliminary studies of theirpotential effects were done.

3.13 Historically, Lake Pepin was anecological mix of the best lake andriver habitats. There werewalleyed pike, northern pike,pickerel, muskie, small and large-mouth bass, sauger, yellow perch,crappies, bluegills, rock bass,catfish, and sturgeons.

3.14 Before the dams were built,species of fish like skipjacksmigrated freely up and down theMississippi River.

3.15 Evelyn Everts, long-time HagerCity resident, describes herhusband Rolland’s work as acommercial fisherman in 1956. Hewould soak barley and spread itover cleared water to attract carpand sheephead for seining. Allfishermen dream of making a “bigcatch.” Rolland came home lateone day, and said, “We hit ‘em!”Evelyn called all the fish buyersand her husband unloaded thefish into trucks. They hauled allday and all night until 2 a.m.

3.16 Commercial fishing, sport fishing,and pleasure boating wererevolutionized by the power boat,which became common in the1950s.

3.17 Five to ten-million pounds of carp,buffalo, sheephead, and catfish areharvested each year on the UpperMississippi.

Recreation on the River3.18 Resorts, like the Everts Resort in

Hager City, have catered totourists’ recreational needs sincethe early 1940s.

3.19 Recreational boats evolved fromtin boats with flat bottoms andoars, to V-bottom boats withinboard motors, to modern boatswith outboard motors.

3.20 Fishing has always been animportant recreational activity onthe river. Visitors of the EvertsResort still remember the big fishfry and bonfire every Friday night.

3.21 The Upper Mississippi RiverNational Wildlife Refuge reports3.5 million visitors per year, morethan Yellowstone National Park.

3.22 Waterfowl hunting in theMississippi Flyway is valued at$58 million per year, and fishing isvalued at $100 million annually.

Rolland Everts hauling in fish from theMississippi. Photo courtesy of Evelyn Everts.

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Sub-theme 4:

The Mississippi River hasnurtured prehistoric andhistoric cultures.

Messages

Woodland and Mississippian cultures4.1 Prehistoric mounds overlooking

the Mississippi River were oncecommon on the Freedom ParkRidge. J.V. Brower in 1903 wrote,“Along the heights overlookingPrescott, Wisconsin, there is alarge group of mounds andembankments which have beennearly denuded by gardeners andothers.”

4.2 By 1920, only 5 prehistoricmounds remained. Most of thesewere destroyed in the 1930s.

4.3 Mounds were likely built bynative people of the Woodlandtradition (500 B.C. to 1000 A.D.)The culture fished, hunted deerand bison, and gathered nativegrains, corn, and beans for food.They also developed elaboratepottery.

4.4 The Mississippian (Oneota)culture thrived in the UpperMississippi River area from 900-1700 AD. They established severallarge mound and villagecomplexes on the terraces nearRed Wing. They also cultivatedfields of corn, beans, and squash.

4.5 The Mero Site near Diamond Bluffis a large mound group

surrounding several villages.Occupied from 1000-1300 AD,remnants of the Woodland (LateWoodland) and Missippian(Middle Mississippian andOneota) traditions were excavated.

Dakota and Chippewa tribes4.6 The Upper Mississippi and St.

Croix region was a land ofdynamic tension when Europeansbegan to arrive.

4.7 The eastern Dakota (Sioux) werestressed by new diseasesintroduced by Europeans, likesmallpox and malaria. At thesame time, the Chippewa wereexpanding westward intotraditional Sioux lands. Between1680 and 1805, the Dakota in theMississippi Valley may havedeclined by as much as 1/3.

4.8 Once the Indians began tradingwith whites, they were foreverentangled in the vast economicsystem of which they had littlepower to control.

4.9 The competition and excesses ofthe fur trade added to the

“Winona’s Leap. Lake Pepin, Miss. River”painted by Seth Eastman in 1848.

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disruption of social stability.Fighting between the Dakota andChippewa erupted over trappingterritories as game diminished.

4.10 As the fur trade increased, thegame animals became more scarce.The Indians became dependent onthe traders, missionaries, andfederal Indian agents for survival.

4.11 Starvation and dependency ongovernment rations reached itsbreaking point in the 1850s, andby 1862 the “Dakota Conflict”erupted.

4.12 Over 500 white settlers lost theirlives in the Dakota Conflict.Thirty-eight Dakota warriors werefound guilty and hung at FortSnelling in the largest masshanging in U.S. history. Hundredsof other Sioux were bargeddownriver to prisons. Still otherswere sent to a reservation ineastern Nebraska.

4.13 In the 1800s, Dakota elders werepressured by the Americangovernment to sign treatiesrelinquishing tribal lands forAmerican settlement.

4.14 Many early European settlers inthe Mississippi and St. CroixRivers region were very interestedin the Native Americans. Theylearned their language, paintedthem, wrote of their culture, andbecame members of their families.

4.15 After the 1862 Dakota Conflict andthe imprisonment and ejection ofthe Dakota to western reservationsin South Dakota, the ongoinggenerations did not forget theirhomeland and roots. Many nativepeople had little choice but to take

white names and assumeidentities as farmers.

4.16 Some Dakota people, such as the“Henry Paul” family, returnedfrom western reservations underthe assumed identity of Germanimmigrants to farm in the formerWisconsin hunting ground.

4.17 Other Dakota families carvedcanoes from cottonwood trees inSouth Dakota to float down theMissouri River to St. Louis, wherethey could paddle back home tothe Upper Mississippi.

4.18 Many Dakota from Prairie Islandwent across the river to Wisconsinand were coached by othersurvivors. A high percentage ofthe early settlers of Buffalo Countywere Indians passing as whites.

Line of conical mounds at Effigy MoundsNational Monument, Iowa

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Sub-theme 5:

Mississippi River towns, likePrescott, reflect mid-19thcentury life.

Messages

Philander Prescott5.1 Philander Prescott was the

personification of frontier life. Hislife and death reflected theturbulent history of the NorthwestTerritory.

5.2 Philander Prescott worked in thefur trading business out of FortSnelling. He had a closerelationship with the neighboringDakota tribes.

5.3 Henry Rowe Schoolcraft wrote ofPhilander Prescott in the 1850s...“allied to the Sioux (Dakota) tribe;of whom he records the customsand traditions, speaks theirlanguage fluently, and has livedmany years among them invarious situations and positions...”

5.4 In 1823, Philander married aDakota chief’s daughter namedSpirit in the Moon (Nag-he-no-Wenah in the Dakota language).She was later known as Mary. Sheand her family typified people onthe frontier who lived in multiplecultures.

5.5 Many white men took Indianwives, but mostly did not marryin a Christian church. Philanderand Mary Prescott eventually did.

5.6 In 1839, Philander and a few

soldiers from Fort Snelling went tothe mouth of the St. Croix to claimland. He and his family lived onthe claim with many hardshipsuntil 1843.

5.7 Philander accepted aninterpreter’s job at Fort Snelling in1843, and became thesuperintendent of Indian farmingin 1849. A friend of the Dakotatribes, he reported on how treatymoney was withheld or misspent.

5.8 Prescott’s death in the 1862 SiouxUprising is an ironic tragedy sincefew whites were more empatheticto the Dakota or dealt morehonestly with them than he.

5.9 Mrs. Prescott and the childrenwere taken prisoners and placedin a camp of captured women.Despite threats, they escaped from

Philander Prescott

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the camp and were not followed.Mrs. Prescott died in 1867 at herdaughter’s home in Shakopee,Virginia.

5.10 Philander translated a story of abattle between the Dakota andChippewa at the present site ofLake St. Croix in Prescott (FiftyYears in the Northwest, W.H.C.Folsom, 1888).

The Town of Prescott5.11 In 1851, Philander Prescott

obtained title to about 200 acres ofland at his original claim.

5.12 The area of Philander’s claim wasoriginally known as the Mouth ofthe St. Croix. By 1849, thecommunity was known asElizabeth, named after thedaughter of early settlers. In 1851,the name was changed to Prescott,and served as the Pierce Countyseat from 1853 to 1861.

5.13 When the first settlers arrived inthe 1840s and 50s, Prescott was awilderness. People used the riverfor transportation and water,footpaths to move around town,and cleared the land for farming.

Prescott and the Rivers5.14 Prescott was a frontier town on

the edge of wilderness. The clashof cultures reached a boiling pointin 1862 during the Sioux Uprising.Nearly 500 settlers were killed.

5.15 The town of Prescott depended onthe rivers for jobs and for contactwith the larger world.

5.16 Emigrants arrived by boat toPrescott from the East or fromEurope.

5.17 Children in Prescott grew upbeing very familiar with therivers. George Merrick tells of thedays when every boy couldidentify the boats that came toPrescott by the sounds of theirbells.

5.18 The convergence of theMississippi and St. Croix Riverscreated a natural landing at PointDouglas across from Prescott. Itwas also a logical location for aferry crossing and later, forbridges.

5.19 River towns, like Prescott, hadstreet grids that were oriented tothe Mississippi rather thannorth/south or east/west.

Tourist Park (Freedom Park)5.20 The old city “detention hospital,”

built in 1901, stood on the TouristPark property. The building hadhoused sick paupers and travelers.

5.21 The Prescott Scenic Tourist Parkopened in 1928, the culmination ofan intensive community effort toinvite travelers to enjoy theMississippi River Valley sceneryfrom the 300-foot bluff. The picnicpavilion and “comfort station”were built with communitysupport.

5.22 On October 22, 1982, Tourist Parkwas renamed Freedom Park tocommemorate the release of anAmerican bald eagle named“Freedom.” The injured bird wasrehabilitated at the University ofMinnesota Raptor Center and hadtaken part in the Washington D.C.ceremonies following the releaseof Americans held hostage in Iran.

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Sub-theme 6:

As rivers have influencedpeople, people have influencedthe rivers.

Messages

Multiple Uses6.1 There is a dynamic interplay

between the need to reestablishand maintain a healthy riverecosystem and a competitive rivereconomy.

Floods6.2 When a river overflows a broad

floodplain, its speed is slowed. Anarrow, channelized river is fasterand more destructive.

6.3 Manmade changes to theMississippi River from 1888 to1868 reduced the surface area ofthe river by 1/3, the island areasby 1/2, and the riverbed by 1/4.

6.4 Dams on the river’s side channelshave closed off other areas wherefloodwaters once flowed.

6.5 The removal of pine forests, thedraining of marshes, and the rapidrunoff of farm fields causesexaggerated flooding and droughtcycles.

6.6 Following logging, the deep 6”layer of organic duff on the forestfloor was burned byuncontrollable wildfires. Thelayer was an important “sponge”that absorbed and slowed waterrunoff.

6.7 The greatest floods on thenorthern reaches of the UpperMississippi occurred in 1952-53,1965, and 1969.

6.8 On the Lower Mississippi, theGreat Flood of 1927 was alandmark event that is consideredone of our largest nationaldisasters. The Flood of 1993 againrefocused national attention onhow we manage and live with theriver.

6.9 Much of the Upper Mississippi, inplaces like Prescott, is less affectedby flooding than the LowerMississippi, due to elevated banksand the reduced area of thefloodplain.

6.10 “The river is a living thing like us.Feed it bad things and it feels it...The floods used to clean thesystem.” Evelyn Everts, long-timeresident of Hager City.

Large floods on the Mississippi in the 1950sand 60s transformed roads into streams. Photocourtesy of Evelyn Everts.

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Navigation and River Improvements6.11 The Civil War, from 1861-1865,

disrupted shipping on the River,and deterred the development of anavigation system.

6.12 Prescott and St. Paul were iced infor up to five months each winter.The ice usually broke up last inLake Pepin.

6.13 Low water during drought yearswas a major limiting factor forshipping on the River. Waterdepth at Prescott prior to the lockand dam system was only 1-3 feet.Old-timers tell stories of herdingcattle across the river to graze. InJuly, 1863, the Journal noted thatfive Prescott ladies had forged theMississippi.

6.14 In 1878, under pressure from farmgroups, merchants, railroad critics,and lumber and milling interests,Congress authorized the ArmyCorps of Engineers to establishand maintain a 4.5-foot channel.Ships laden to the 4-foot markcould remain profitable andcompetitive with railroads.

6.15 Early Army Corps of Engineerswork on the Mississippi mainlyresulted in scraping sandbars andremoving snags, sunken boats,and overhanging trees.

6.16 After 1878, the Army Corps ofEngineers was very busy dredgingthe channel and constructing wingand closing dams.

6.17 Wing dams were built at rightangles to the river banks, causingthe river to concentrate its energyand scour a deeper channel. Theflow of current around the ends ofthe dam scoured the channel and

deposited mud, sand, andsawdust in eddies behind thedams.

6.18 Closing dams were built to divertwater from sloughs and sidechannels, and to concentrate lowwater in the main channel. In1878, work was begun on a closingdam at the head of Prescott Island.

6.19 River improvements increasedemployment in towns likePrescott. In 1881, Bob Wilson“was building nine barges forUncle Sam” at his Lake Streetboatyard.

6.20 By 1907, legislation called fordeeper, more expensive, andecologically damaging 6-footchannels.

6.21 By 1930, Congress authorized a 9-foot channel with a system of 29locks and dams.

6.22 The Mississippi River wasimportant to war mobilization,especially in World War II whenocean-going tankers were built inSavage, Minnesota. From 1943 to1946, 18 tankers were toweddownriver past Freedom Park.The boats were launched atSavage, but constructioncontinued as they were toweddownriver.

6.23 NUN buoys and CAN buoys markthe shipping channel pastFreedom Park. They are anchoredat the channel end of wing dams.

6.24 A red starboard-side crossingdaymark board can be seenupriver from Freedom Park.

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Building and Site Concepts

The purpose of the visitor center is to serve as a portal toFreedom Park and to focus visitor attention on the viewsand meanings of the Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers. It isintended to invite travelers to explore the Great River Road.

Chapter 4:

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The design of the visitor center andthe redevelopment of the FreedomPark site should be compatible with

and enhance the interpretive messages ofthe Great River Road. Schmeeckle ReserveInterpreters and Cedar Corporation haveworked closely to develop a building andsite plan that conveys the primary

Building and SiteConcepts

interpretive theme, blends into the naturallandscape, and serves the needs of Prescottresidents and byway travelers.

The following sections provide rationaleand recommendations for variouscomponents of the visitor center and site.

Freedom Park is an ideal site for the Great River Road Visitor Center, perched on a bluff overlooking theMississippi and St. Croix Rivers, Prescott Island, and the Vermillion River Bottoms.

Mississippi RiverMississippi River

Prescott IslandPrescott Island

City of PrescottCity of Prescott

St. Croix RiverSt. Croix River

Vermillion RiverBottoms

Vermillion RiverBottoms

Freedom ParkFreedom Park

Freedom ParkFreedom Park

Mississippi River

Prescott Island

Vermillion River Bottoms

Great

Rive

r Roa

d

Great

Rive

r Roa

d

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Chapter 4—Building and Site Concepts

Unifying FeaturesTo provide a cohesive and attractive site forvisitors, features like the visitor center,shelters, trails, overlooks, and parkingareas should be visually unified.

Limestone is a natural material that can beincorporated into different elements tovisually connect the site. The bluffs thatline the Upper Mississippi, including theridge Freedom Park is perched on, arecomposed of limestone. It is harmoniousand endemic to the region and ties this siteto other WisDOT waysides on the GreatRiver Road which have alreadyincorporated limestone.

Blocks of limestone bordering the parkingareas define the edges while serving as atransition to the interpretive experience.Limestone lining the entrance walkwayreassures visitors they are on the right pathand symbolizes bluffs along theMississippi. On the visitor center, thechimney, columns, and partial walls madeof limestone will be unified with similarfeatures on the shelter buildings.Limestone posts on overlooks and viewingareas will blend seamlessly with limestonewalls along the bluff trail.

Waysides along the Great River Road, like the“Bow and Arrow” Historical Marker, uselimestone to define and unify the site.

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Visitor expectations about Freedom Parkand the interpretive center are set early inthe experience. The moment they see asign for Freedom Park and turn off of theGreat River Road, they begin to develop aperspective about the site.

The signs, parking lot, and entry walkwayare components of the interpretive centerthat visitors will encounter first, and willtherefore make indelible impressions. Theentry must be carefully planned to beattractive to visitors and thematic with thestories of the site.

The Entrance: A Visitor’sFirst Perspective

Entrance and Direction Signs

• Signs should be professional anddurable.

• They should be thematic with thestories of the site.

• Materials like wood and limestonewould unify signage with thebuilding and provide a high-qualityappearance.

• The Great River Road and NationalScenic Byway logos should beincluded either on the sign face or onthe supports.

• Direction and entrance signs must belarge enough to attract attention andguide visitors to the site. A 4’x6’ signis recommended for the entrance.

• Signs should attract visitors on theGreat River Road who haveunstructured travel (no set plans, butare open to new experiences) andshould be located well in advance ofthe turnoff to Freedom Park. An inviting, thematic entrance sign to the visitor

center is essential for attracting travelers.

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Parking Lot

• The parking area should be bufferedwith islands of vegetation to avoid anexpedient commercial feel.

• The edge of the lot should bescreened with vegetation so it doesnot dominate views from the parkand building.

• Keep lighting to that needed forsafety; avoid light spillover.

• The parking lot should be screenedand buffered from residentialhousing as much as possible.

• The parking lot needs toaccommodate school and touristbuses with a turn-around.

• The parking area can be paved withporous materials that reducespotentially harmful run-off.

• The parking area should belandscaped with limestone.

• The parking lot should accommodateat least 25 cars.

• Handicap parking stalls should beincluded near to the entrancewalkway.

• Special parking for motorcycles andlarger recreational vehicles should beconsidered.

• Bike racks should be available forlong-distance bikers and localresidents.

• The walkway to the center should bevisible and clearly indicated. A viewof the visitor center is desirable.

Entrance Walkway

• The walkway to the building shouldserve as a transition from highway

driving to the more relaxed andnatural experience at Freedom Park.

• It should meander beneath thespreading oak trees, lined by lowlimestone walls; a metaphorical riverleading to the building.

• It should allow visitors access todecks, overlooks, trails, andrestrooms, even when the building isclosed.

• The walkway must be wide enoughto meet physical (ADA) needs andsatisfy social distance needs.

• The walkway should accommodateemergency and maintenance vehicles.

• The visitor center should be easilyvisible from the parking lot andentrance walkway, assuring visitorsthat they are in the right place.

• The walkway must be paved andnearly flat for universal accessibility.

• Low level lighting should be installedalong the trail for evening programs(perhaps embedded within thelimestone walls). Light spillovershould be avoided.

• Create a line-of-sight into the lobbyarea from outside.

The parking lot should be landscaped withlimestone and screened with vegetation to unifyit with other WisDOT waysides.

The visitor center and surrounding area isa gateway to the diverse stories of Prescottand the rivers.

Bubble Diagram

A bubble diagram shows the general sizesand relationships among variouscomponents of the visitor center, based onthe specifications outlined in this section.Architects use the diagram as a foundationfor developing an actual floorplan.

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The Visitor Center: APortal to the Site

The visitor center will serve as a portal toFreedom Park and the panoramic views ofthe Mississippi and St. Croix Rivers, whileinviting people to explore other sites alongthe upper Great River Road.

To be successful, the building must bedesigned in harmony with Freedom Parkand not detract from its natural character.It must serve the needs of both visitorstraveling the Great River Road and theresidents of Prescott.

Lobby/Exhibits

Multi-purposeRoom

WildlifeGarden

Deck

Visitor CenterBubble Diagram

Office

Restrooms

Vestibule

Storage

From Parking LotFrom Park

Bluff edgeBluff edge

TrailTrail

1,600 sq. feet

900 sq. feet

400 sq. feet

400-600sq. feet

100 sq.feet

80 sq. feet

Great River Road Visitor Center atFreedom Park, Prescott, WI

Overall Floor Plan

Multi-purposeRoomLobby and Exhibit

Area

IndoorVestibule

RestroomsRestrooms

OfficeReception/Information

Desk

Fireplace

Stairs toBasement

(non-public:storage andmechanical)

Storage

Storage

Kitchenette

Mississippi RiverViewing Windows

To ParkingLot

Catering door andemergency exit

Main entrance door

OutdoorObservation Deck


Front of Building (South Elevation)

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Building Design

• The building should not dominatethe view, but rather serve as aharmonious focal point along theedge of the bluff.

• Native building materials likelimestone and timbers blend wellwith the natural character of the siteand are inviting to visitors.

• Optimal building materials should beused that minimize long-term costsof maintenance.

• Allow for expansion. As theprograms grow in the future,additions to the building maybecome necessary. Future expansionshould be planned for.

• Use sustainable building techniquesthat are environmentally-friendly andeconomical wherever appropriate.These include building on disturbedsites, using renewable andindigenous materials, and findingclean alternatives for heating,

cooling, and electricity.• The building should reflect the

vernacular architecture of Prescottand the region.

• Large windows opening the buildingto the river will bathe the interior ofthe center with natural light andserve as a focal point to draw visitorsthrough the center.

• The interior of the building shouldfeel warm, cozy, and homey,providing visitors with a comfortableplace to relax and linger. Wood,carpeting, natural light, andcomfortable furniture should be usedto enhance this feeling.

• Limestone should not dominate theinterior of the building, since it canmake the building seem cold andgray and is expensive. However, itshould be incorporated into aspectsof the design (fireplace, informationdesk, pillars) to thematically tie theinterior to other site structures andlandscaping.

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Indoor Vestibule

• The indoor vestibule can provide 24-hour access to information fortravelers to the Great River Road.

• When the building is open, thevestibule leads into the lobby of thevisitor center. When the building isclosed, the doors between the lobbyand vestibule will be locked.

• A drinking fountain and vendingmachines will provide refreshmentfor travelers and park users in theentryway. Vending machines

• The doors leading into the vestibuleand into the lobby should be glass,providing views into the buildingand beyond that invite visitors toenter.

• A large map of the Great River Roadwith a “You are here” will orienttravelers. Folding maps andpublications directly related to theGreat River Road will be accessible inracks adjacent to the map.

• A general brochure rack will providetravelers with information about theregion: sites to visit, restaurants,hotels, and shops.

• A durable, low maintenance touch-screen computer will provide layeredinformation about the Great RiverRoad and sites to visit. Photographs,video, and sound can provide amultimedia experience.

• Lights inside the entryway should beon 24 hours or turned on by a motiondetector for security.

• A telephone will be provided foremergency use.

• A barrier-free, airlock entry will beinstalled with grates and floor mats.

• Approximate size: 80 sq. feet

Vendingmachines areimportantsources ofrefreshment forbyway travelersand revenue forthe visitor center.The machine canbe toned downand thematicwith photographsfrom the byway,like this one inMinnesota.

Durable touch-screencomputers, likethis one at theNationalMississippi RiverMuseum &Aquarium inDubuque, canprovide layeredinformation evenwhen thebuilding isclosed.

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Restrooms

• The restrooms can be accessible 24-hours, even when the building isclosed.

• Doors in the vestibule provide accessfor park users and visitors in thecenter.

• Stainless steel fixtures can beinstalled that are easy to maintainand resist vandalism.

• Approximate size: 200 sq. feet perrestroom. Three stalls in thewomen’s restroom, two stalls andtwo urinals in the men’s restroom.

Lobby and Exhibit Area

Lobby• Some features of the information

desk in the lobby should beconstructed of limestone to maintainthematic unity.

• The desk should have a space forsales items protected by a window.

• Part of the desk should be accessibleto people in wheelchairs andchildren.

• The information desk should bebrightly illuminated with natural anddirected lighting.

• The desk should be far enough fromthe entryway that it does notintimidate entering visitors.

• A volunteer or staff person workingthe front desk should have a clearview of the pathway leading to thebuilding through windows. Thishelps to prepare them for large orunannounced groups.

Exhibit Area (more details in Chapter 5)• The lobby and the exhibit area

should blend together seamlessly.• The focal point exhibit is a full-size

statue of an eagle in flight, lifting afish from the water. The eagle is adramatic symbol of Freedom Parkand of the ecological recovery of aMississippi River species. Eagles canbe viewed year-round from the park,but many casual visitors would notknow to look for them.

• Tactile objects such as eagle eggs,talons, prey species, and audiobuttons that emit eagle calls wouldbe located on the large exhibit standsurrounding the eagle statue.

• The room has a high ceiling withexposed beams and clerestorywindows that illuminate the eaglefrom above and give visitors a senseof spaciousness.

Approximate size of lobby/exhibit: 1,600 sq. ft.

Part of the front desk should be lower toaccommodate people in wheelchairs andchildren, like the left side of this desk atLebanon Hills Visitor Center in Minnesota.Sales items can be incorporated into the desk.

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• It provides a natural gathering areato view the wildlife gardens andfeeders.

• The fireplace should be constructedof limestone to maintain thematicunity.

• Approximate size: Shouldaccommodate 15 people.

Multi-Purpose Room

• The multi-purpose room will servethe needs of both visitors andPrescott residents. Visitors will beable to watch audio-visualpresentations about the Great RiverRoad, and attend interpretiveprograms there. The community canuse the room for meeting space andspecial events.

• The room should have an open andairy feeling. The ceiling should behigh and open to the rafters. Thisprovides a pleasant space formeetings and enough room forprojection equipment and largeviewing screens.

• A wall of windows overlooking theriver valley and park will providenatural lighting for meetings. High-quality shades should be installed toshield the sunlight for audio-visualprograms.

• No fixed seating should be installed.All tables and chairs should bemoveable to allow for maximumflexibility.

• A storage room adjacent to the multi-purpose room is essential for storingextra tables, chairs, tablets, and otheritems.

Fireplace

• Tucked away in one corner of thebuilding, a fireplace provides anintimate space for small groups (15people or less) to gather.

• Near the fireplace, windows provideviews of the river valley and thewildlife gardens.

• The fireplace adds to the warm,inviting, and comfortable feeling ofthe building’s interior. Especially infall and winter, it serves as a comfortstation from the cold, windy roadsand overlooks.

A fireplace is familiar, inviting, and comforting totravelers, like this one at the Mather Lodge inPetit Jean State Park, Arkansas.

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• A small kitchenette with a counter,sink, and small refrigerator would beuseful for potlucks and catered food.

• Approximate size: 900 sq. feet. Shouldaccommodate 30-40 people aroundtables

Office Space

• A small office behind the informationdesk will provide space forvolunteers or staff to work.

• Windows will provide naturallighting and make the office a morepleasant place to work.

• The space should accommodate adesk, chairs, and storage areas forfiles, books, and program equipment.

• Approximate size: 100 sq. feet

Viewing Deck

• The “real story” of Prescott and therivers is outside the walls of thevisitor center. The viewing deck onthe back of the center allows fordirect connections between storiesand what can be seen.

• The observation deck serves as afocal point for visitors inside thecenter. Large windows provide aview of the deck and the scenerybeyond. These visual cues arousevisitor’s curiosity and invites them toexplore.

• The deck should be built out over thebluff far enough to provide viewsboth up and down the MississippiRiver. The confluence of the St. Croixand Mississippi should be clearlyvisible.

• A roof should cover at least half ofthe deck, providing shade and shelter

from the elements.• The deck should be accessible 24-

hours, even when the building isclosed. It should be incorporatedinto the trail system.

• The deck needs to be fully accessibleto people of all physical abilities.

• Viewing scopes will provide visitorswith a magnified perspective ofboats, bridges, wildlife, buildings,and other scenery. Interpretivepanels describe what visitors areseeing. At least one viewing scopeshould be installed at a height thataccommodates children and peoplein wheelchairs.

• The viewing deck is a naturalgathering place for visitors andcommunity members. Seatingshould be built into the deck toencourage people to linger.

• Railings on the deck should meet allsafety standards, but should permitgood viewing by small people andpeople in wheelchairs.

• Approximate size: 400-600 sq. feet

A viewing deck tangibly connects visitors withthe stories of the Mississippi and St. Croixrivers.

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Since its founding in 1928, the FreedomPark site (called Tourist Park until 1982)has been a favorite place for tourists andcommunity members to gather togetherand view the dramatic river valley scenery.

Enhancements to the site will benefit bothtravelers on the Great River Road, visitorsto the Prescott area, and local residents.

Landscaping

• The area around the visitor centerand trails should be planted withprairie species. Historically, thebluffs bordering the Mississippi werewere open oak savannah habitat. Amixture of spreading oaks and prairiemaintains the park-like setting andtells a historic story.

• Limestone is a visual element thatlinks the building, overlooks, trails,shelters, parking lot, and otherfeatures of the site. It is harmoniousand endemic to the region and tiesthis site to other WisDOT waysideson the Great River Road which havealready incorporated limestone.

Freedom Park Site:Connecting to the Rivers

Oak savanna habitat once dominated the bluffsalong the Upper Mississippi.


Site Plan

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Interpretive Trail

• A trail should be constructed thatmeanders along the edge of the bluff,a natural path already heavily usedby visitors.

• The trail should be hard-surfaced andvisually assure safety to families withsmall children, people with mobilityimpairments, and people travelingalone.

• The trail will contain elements thatcreate a harmonious unity with otherpark landscaping and materials, suchas limestone walls, similar roofs andsupports, and high-qualityinterpretive panels with standardcolors and fonts.

• Interpretive panels will involvepeople with succinct dramaticmessages, with visuals like historicphotographs and paintings, and withtactile objects and audio effects.

• The trail should be designed toconnect visitors to the site. Theexperience should be relaxing,unique, and reveal meanings to thosewho are seeking to understand theregion and its history. It shouldprepare travelers for their journeyson the Great River Road.

• The pathway should offeropportunities to view the Mississippiand St. Croix Rivers in unique waysand from new perspectives.

• Semi-private areas with seatingshould allow people to linger andwatch the river drift by whileobserving wildlife and experiencingthe dynamics of weather.

• Trail panels should be arranged andclustered thematically to developstories and provide insights aboutwhat people are seeing.

• The northern overlook (groupviewing area) might interpretbridges, railroads, and the Prescottwaterfront that can be seen from thisview.

• The southern overlook mightinterpret navigation on theMississippi River since buoys, lights,day boards, wing dams, and bargescan be viewed here.

• The deck on the visitor center, withits spotting scopes and views ofeagles and the heron rookery acrossthe river, would be a logical site tointerpret wildlife.

Limestone walls unify the bluff edge trail withother elements on the site, while a hard surfaceaccommodates strollers and people in wheelchairs.

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Group Viewing Area

• A group viewing area would serve asa staging area for orienting andconducting programs for schoolclasses and other large groups ofvisitors.

• It should be constructed on thenorthwest bluff, that offers acommanding view of the convergingrivers.

• The group viewing area should bebuilt on the brow of the bluff to takeadvantage of the natural slope. Itwill be perched unobtrusively belowthe crest of the bluff, out of sightfrom the park.

• The group viewing area would be aseries of concrete benches thatcascade down the slope to a lowerdeck overlook. The deck serves as

the “stage area” where speakers canpresent.

• An “upper deck” area above thegroup viewing area seating providesa higher view of the Mississippi andSt. Croix Rivers. Steps and a rampprovide access to the concrete seatingand “lower deck.”

• Low limestone walls would visuallyunify the structure with the rest ofthe park landscaping. A pouredconcrete structure with bench seatingprevents erosion.

• The northwest orientation of thegroup viewing area minimizes sunglare in the audience faces andframes summer sunsets over theMississippi River banks.

• Approximate size: Shouldaccommodate 50 people (minimum)

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Picnic Shelter Pavilion

• A large pavilion is an ideal place fortourists to picnic out of the rain andfor community members to holdcelebrations and special events.

• The roof and supports of the sheltershould be unified with the visitorcenter design. Limestone andtimbers should dominate, and similarrooflines will make the structurescompatible.

• A limestone fireplace in the shelter isa natural gathering place, providingwarmth in the fall and winter.

• Freedom Park should be interpretedwith some photographic panelswithin the shelter building. Thepresent name and the historic nameof the park, as well as the history ofthe park should be shared with thecommunity at this site.

• Approximate size: Shouldaccommodate 60 people

Community Gazebo

• The roofed gazebo in the middle ofthe park would be a gateway tointroduce community visitors to thehistory of the park from its days as ashelter for sick travelers and poorpeople, to its days as a tourist park,

to its evolution as Freedom Park.• The pavilion should be unified with

the picnic shelter and visitor center.Native building materials and similarroof lines would ensure compatibility.

• Approximate size: Shouldaccommodate 6-8 people

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Interpretive Media

Interpretive media are non-personal forms ofcommunication that connect the meanings ofthe resource to the interests of the visitor.

Chapter 5:

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Interpretive media are non-personalforms of communication that connectthe meanings of resources to the

interests of people. At Freedom Park,media will be used to connect Prescottresidents, visitors, and scenic bywaytravelers to the significant stories of theMississippi River and region.

The primary modes of media includeexhibits inside the visitor center andinterpretive panels on the site.

Interpretive Media

Unified Signage Alongthe Great River Road

A standard “Great River Road Network”sign will be prominently displayed at theentry trail into the visitor center building.This panel will be consistent with others atall Great River Road interpretive facilities,and provides design unity throughout the2,400-mile corridor. The completespecifications for the sign have beenincluded in Appendix 3.

A “Great River Road Network” signwill be installed in Freedom Park tounify with other interpretive centersalong the corridor.

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Chapter 5—Interpretive Media

Typography

TypefaceEach typeface has its own uniquepersonality. Font styles used for theFreedom Park Visitor Center media shouldbe friendly, readable, and versatile.

For headlines and sub-headings, a stylizedfont like Maiandra GD adds character andevokes a sense of the river. The font isinformal, flowing, easy to read, andfriendly.

Although a stylized font works well forshort headings, it does take more time andenergy to read. Simpler standard fontshave less character, but can be read with

Colors

A standard set of colors helps to unifymedia and evoke feelings about theorganization. Colors chosen to representthe Freedom Park Visitor Center should bethematic with the river stories being toldand blend in with the landscape.

Unified Design StandardsTo enhance recognition and a provideholistic interpretive experience for visitors,all media should be graphically andvisually unified. Incorporating standardcolors, typography, and unifying elementswill tie together the different mediacomponents.

Recommended colors for Freedom Park VisitorCenter media

Pantone ProcessCoated DS 281-1 CCMYK=90-0-100-40

Pantone ProcessCoated DS 5-9 CCMYK=2.75-2.75-14.5-0

Pantone ProcessCoated DS 209-6 CCMYK=40-20-0-15

BlackCMYK=0-0-0-100

Dark green creates frames, bars,and boxes that command attentionon a panel while harmoniouslyblending with the landscape. Itprovides effective contrast whencombined with light beige forwords, represents land whencombined with light blue.

Light beige works well forheadlines and text in dark greenor light blue boxes. It also is idealfor a background color if an imageis not used. The light splash ofcolor is less glaring than purewhite.

Light blue complements the darkgreen coloration, and can be usedin conjunction with it to createattractive frames, bars, and boxes.It provides good contrast with lightbeige words. It represents waterwhen combined with dark green.

Black is the standard color formost text when placed on a lightbeige or light image background.People have an easier timereading black text on a lightbackground.

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little effort. The main text and captionsshould be a font like Helvetica. The type isa clean and neat sans-serif font thatprovides maximum readability and iswidely available.

SizeA hierarchy of text sizes emphasizes theimportance of different sections of text.Headlines are the largest, followed by maintext headings, main text, sub-text headings,sub-text, captions, and photo credits. Somevisitors will only spend a few secondslooking at a piece of media. They shouldbe able to grasp the main interpretivemessage just by looking at the headingsand graphics.

Media should be developed according tothe “3-30-3 rule.” Visitors can understandthe main message of the media in threeseconds, thirty seconds, or three minutes.

The typeface and size proportions shouldbe unified for all interpretive media.

Unifying Elements

Certain graphic elements can be replicatedon all media. The Great River Road logo,for example, should be clearly visible oninterpretive panels and some of the visitorcenter exhibits.

Other elements might be replicated onspecific types of media. A water-texturedbar coupled with an undulating green bluffshape on top creates a thematic headlinethat can standardize interpretive panelsthroughout the site. A green bar on thebottom of the panel visually frames theinterpretive stories.

Grid systems can also be designed for eachtype of media to unify text, graphic, andobject placement. By using templates, newmedia can be quickly and easily developed,and old media updated.The principles of unified design should beapplied to all types of media developed forthe Freedom Park Visitor Center. Exhibitfabrication companies will establish unifieddesign criteria for the various exhibitcomponents inside the visitor center.

For interpretive panels outside the visitorcenter, the following standards arerecommended to unify shape, color,typography, and other elements.

Headlines and sub-headings:

Maiandra GD

Main text and captions:

Helvetica

The Great RiverRoad logo is astandard elementon all media.

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Shape

Most visitors expect to see normalrectangle interpretive panels. However,modern panel fabrication techniques allowthicker signs to be cut into a variety ofshapes. An undulating shape on top of thesign can represent the limestone bluffs thatline the Mississippi River and are integralcomponents of the interpretive stories. Theunique shape has the potential to attractvisitors that might not look at a traditionalpanel, while thematically connecting withthe site.

Unifying Elements

Specific graphic elements will be repeatedon each interpretive panel to unify themthroughout the Freedom Park site. Theundulating green top (bluffs) andhorizontal water-textured box (river) formthe headline bar for each panel. The GreatRiver Road logo is placed on the left side ofthe headline bar. A thin green horizontalbox at the bottom of the panel matched theundulating green on top, and completes avisual frame for the sign. A drop capfocuses attention on the main message.One image is larger than the others andserves as a focal point for the panel to drawattention and create a visual flow. Animage might also break into the headlinebar to add interest and enhance the visualflow.

Headlines: Maiandra GD, regular, 130 pts

Main text: Helvetica, medium, 42 pts(Drop cap: Maiandra GD,regular, 135 pts)

Sub-textheadings:

Maiandra GD, demi bold, 32 pts

Sub-text: Helvetica, medium, 24 pts

Captions/PhotoCredits:

Helvetica, oblique, 18 pts

Design Standards forInterpretive Panels

Color

Dark green is used for the undulating topand rectangle bottom. Light blue with awater-texture overlay composes theheadline bar. The Great River Road logoand the headline are light beige to contrastwith the green and blue. The headline alsohas a shadow behind it to enhance contrast.The background is faded image maskedwith light beige. The main text, sub-textheadings, sub-text, and captions are blackfor readability.

Typography

The text must be large enough and have anappropriate level of contrast for maximumreadability.

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Recommended DesignStandards forInterpretive Panels

Headline:Maiandra GD,regular, 130 pts

Typography Color

Shape Unifying elements

Sub-text headings:Maiandra GD, demibold, 42 pts

Sub-text:Helvetica,medium, 24 pts

Dark GreenPantone ProcessCoated DS 281-1 C

Light BluePantone ProcessCoated DS 209-6 C

Light BeigePantone ProcessCoated DS 5-9 C

Black

Undulating top representsbluffs and attracts attention.

Great RiverRoad logo

“Bluff”headline bar“River”

headline bar

Focal pointgraphic

Light BeigePantone ProcessCoated DS 5-9 C

Main Text:Helvetica,medium, 42 pts

Bottomframing bar

Dark GreenPantone ProcessCoated DS 281-1 C

Concept Rendering: Sample Interpretive PanelGreat River Road Visitor Center at Freedom Park, Prescott, WI

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Materials

The most efficient and cost effectiveprocess for panel fabrication is high-pressure laminate. Digital layouts areprinted on special paper impregnated withmelamine resins, a harmless type of plasticthat cannot be melted or reshaped afterbeing molded once. The paper is thenpressed at high pressures and temperaturewith phenolic resin layers (another type ofplastic) and a UV-resistant overlaminate.This process fuses the layers into a strongand durable solid core, similar to acountertop.

The finished panel is resistant tovandalism, UV-fading, and other weatherconditions. Several nationally reputablecompanies offer this fabrication processand guarantee their products for at least 5-10 years.

Unlike many other fabrication techniques,high-pressure laminates can be producedin a variety of thicknesses. Panels 1/2”-thick or higher are rigid and durableenough to stand on their own and do notrequire metal frames. Without a frame,unique shapes can be cut around the edgesto increase the visual impact of the panel.Threaded inserts mounted into the back ofthe panel during fabrication makesinstallation quick and simple.

To reduce cost and provide options forpanel shape, we recommend that panelsdeveloped for the Great River Road VisitorCenter at Freedom Park are fabricated with3/4”-thick outdoor-grade laminate.

High-pressure laminate companies:

Folia Industries Inc.58 York StreetHuntingdon, QuebecJ0S 1H0 [email protected]

Fossil Graphics Corp.Mark DeCesare44 W. Jerfyn Blvd.Deer Park, NY [email protected]

iZoneScott McCallum2400 Wilson PlaceTemple, TX [email protected]

Panel Fabrication

High-pressure laminate is an inexpensive panelfabrication process that produces vividlycolored, high-resolution images and can be cutinto unique shapes.

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Frames and Support Bases

Panels that have a thickness of less than1/2” require frames to secure and protectthem. If panels are 1/2” thick or more, likethose recommended for Freedom Park,frames are not needed.

An inexpensive cast aluminum supportbase secures a thicker sign panel to thesubstrate, and consist of legs and backplatethat bolts to the back of the panel.

According to National Park Serviceguidelines, the panels should be installedat heights and angles favorable for viewingby most visitors, including those inwheelchairs. For cantilevered bases, thepanels should be at a 30° or 45° angle andat a height of 30-34” from the bottom ofthe panel to the finished grade. Verticalpanels should be 24-28” from the bottom ofthe panel to the finished grade.

Maintenance

Under normal conditions, high-pressurelaminate panels should last 5-10 yearswithout fading, blistering, or delaminating.General cleaning can be done with mildsoap and water. To prolong the life ofexterior panels, a coat of polymer-based carwax should be applied annually.

The panels are also very resistant to mosttypes of vandalism. The hard surfaceresists scratching. Nicks, blemishes, orsmall scratches can be concealed with apolymer-based car wax or surfacetreatment. Graffiti, including spray paint,lipstick, permanent markers, and crayons,can be removed with an organic solvent(non-abrasive citrus-based cleaner). Worsegraffiti may require mineral spirits and arinse with water.

If a determined vandal does scratch orbreak the panel in some way, it will notdeteriorate any further. High-pressurelaminate panels are inexpensive, and thequick turn-around time (4-6 weeks) makesthem easy to replace.

Support base companies:

Best-Ex, Inc.820 Industrial Ct.P.O. Box 454Baraboo, WI [email protected]

Hopewell Manufacturing, Inc.Paul Kramer11311 Hopewell RoadHagerstown, MD 21740301-582-2343

KVO IndustriesSteve Vandyk1825 Empire Industrial Ct., Suite ASanta Rosa, CA 95403800-657-6412

Support base fora 1/2”-thick orgreater high-pressure laminatepanel.

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Describing Media Concepts

The media described in this chapter areconceptual. The purpose is to achieveconsensus on the components needed toachieve the interpretive goals of the GreatRiver Road Visitor Center in Freedom Park.These concepts are a starting point forfuture design and fabrication.

Each media concept includes:

• Purpose: Why should this mediacomponent be developed? Thepurpose describes what we arehoping the media will accomplish.

• Messages: What stories will themedia tell? To ensure that the storiesare thematic, messages are listed ascodes from Chapter 3—Themes andMessages.

• Objectives: What will visitors learn,feel, and do? Successful mediaconnects with visitors in 3 domains:• Cognitive: What visitors will learn• Affective: What visitors will feel• Behavioral: What visitors will do

• Description: What is the mediaconcept? The description outlines thegeneral look of the exhibit and thevarious tactiles, interactives, models,photographs, text, stories, and othercomponents that will be integrated.

• Concept Rendering: What will themedia look like? The conceptrendering is an artistic impression ofwhat the exhibit might look likewhen completed. It is intendedmerely as visual concept; the actualdesign could vary significantly.

A variety of media, like these exhibits at RockyMountain National Park in Colorado, is used atinterpretive centers to engage different learningstyles, ages, and social groups.

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Exhibits that include artifacts, real objects,and interactive devices usually need extraprotection from the elements and potentialvandalism. The interior of the visitorcenter will be enriched with focal point andparticipatory exhibit components that tellthe story of the Great River Road atPrescott.

Focal Point Exhibit: “A Delicate Balance”

Purpose: To draw visitors into the exhibitarea with a dramatic soaring eagle model,and to tell the story of balancing humanuse and natural ecology on the Mississippirepresented by eagles.

Messages: 1.1, 1.4, 1.5, 1.18, 1.19, 1.20, 1.21,1.22, 1.33, 5.22, 6.1

Objectives:

Visitors will learn:• That eagles, like the one released in

1982 at Freedom Park, are commonresidents of the River.

• Eagle populations have beenincreasing due to human efforts toprotect the environment.

• Eagles have unique adaptations forliving with the River.

• The bald eagle story is representativeof the greater struggle betweenpreserving the natural history of theMississippi and developing iteconomically.

• About other sites and events in thearea that focus on eagles.

Interior Exhibits

“A Delicate Balance” is a focal point exhibithighlighted by an eagle statue in flight.Interactive components around the statue wouldfeature tactile skulls and talons, push-buttonaudio to hear an eagle call, and tactile light-upeggs to view the effects of DDT.


Concept Rendering: Interior Exhibits

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Visitors will feel:• Stimulated to explore the eagle

exhibit and to look for diving eaglesfrom the viewing deck over the river.

• Connections to the eagle as a symbolof patriotism, freedom, and spirit.

Visitors will do:• Touch a model eagle talon and skull,

press a button to hear an eagle call,touch an eagle egg to see the embryoinside.

• Use spotting scopes on the viewingdeck to look for live eagles.

• Visit other eagle viewing areas andevents in the region.

Description:

The bald eagle is a dramatic symbol for thevisitor center that effectively ties togetherthe stories of the Great River Road.Freedom Park was named for an eaglereleased from the site in 1982. Eagles arecommonly seen year-round from the bluffoverlooking the Mississippi River.Interpretively, an eagle serves as a tangibleicon that represents wildlife and peoplesharing the Mississippi Corridor.

The focal-point exhibit is a full-size statueof a bald eagle landing on a nest of twigs.The eagle is carrying a carp in its talons,and young chicks in the nest have theirmouths open ready for the morsel.Dramatic natural lighting from abovedraws visitors into the building andencourages them to explore the exhibit.

A stand around the nest would include thefollowing exhibit components:

• Tactile models of eagle talons andskull.

• A grip that could be squeezed todemonstrate the pressure of an eagletalon.

• A button that can be pressed to hearthe different calls of an eagle.

• A tactile eagle egg that lights up toreveal an embryo when touched.This would reflect the damagingeffects of DDT on past eaglepopulations.

• Photographs and descriptions of theconservation efforts that led to theprotection of the Upper Mississippi.

• A flip-up game with tactile modelsinterpreting different species of prey.

• Identify eagle viewing areas up anddown the Mississippi River.

Tactile components, like this alligator tail at theEverglades National Park, invite visitors toparticipate with exhibits and enhanceunderstanding.

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Traveling the Great River Road:Interactive Map

Purpose: To alert visitors to the existence ofthe Great River Road, and encourage themto visit other nearby communities and sitesin the corridor.

Messages: 1.2-1.9, 1.11-1.16, 1.30-1.32, 2.39,2.60, 3.11, 3.13, 4.4, 4.5

Objectives:

Visitors will learn:• About the importance of the

Mississippi River and how itcompares to other rivers of theworld.

• The Mississippi River is a thread thatties together diverse communitiesand stories

• About recreational opportunitiesalong the Upper Mississippi, such asmuseums, scenic overlooks, historicsites, nature centers, parks, andwildlife viewing areas.

• About different communities alongthe Upper Mississippi and whatmakes them unique.

Visitors will feel:• Interest in visiting other Great River

Road attractions.• Amazed at the diversity of stories

and places along the Great River.

Visitors will do:• Pull out the panels and drawers to

explore possible destinations andtouch topographic maps and modelartifacts.

• Visit other communities and sitesalong the Upper Mississippi.

Description:

A large satellite image of the UpperMississippi River will be placed on a wall.The Great River Road from Minneapolis toDubuque is highlighted on the exhibit.

Communities and sites along the road willbe interpreted through pull-out panels.Visitors can pull out a section of the mapfrom the wall (like a thin drawer) and viewphotographs and descriptions of eachcommunity. Tactile objects (like a relief ofDiamond Bluff) will also be included.

The dynamic map encourages visitors toexplore other nearby communities and sitesalong the Great River Road in Wisconsin,Minnesota, and Iowa.

Communities and sites that could beinterpreted are included in the resourcesection of Chapter 2—The PlanningProcess. The exhibit should focus onWisconsin opportunities, but also includeneighboring significant sites in Minnesotaand Iowa.

This interactive map exhibit and thefollowing touch-screen computer exhibitcould be fabricated at other Great RiverRoad visitor centers in Wisconsin.

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Concept Rendering:Interactive Map Exhibit

The interactive map exhibit would feature pull-out panels and drawers for visitors toexplore and access more detailed information. Three-dimensional topographic maps andartifact models engage and reward visitors.

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Traveling the Great River Road: Touch-screen Computer

Purpose: To provide visitors with specificinformation about communities, sites, andamenities along the Great River Road evenwhen the visitor center is closed or thereceptionist is busy with other guests.

Messages: 1.2-1.9, 1.11-1.16, 1.30-1.32, 2.39,2.60, 3.11, 3.13, 4.4, 4.5

Objectives:

Visitors will learn:• The Mississippi River is a thread that

ties together diverse communitiesand stories

• About recreational opportunitiesalong the Upper Mississippi, such asmuseums, scenic overlooks, historicsites, nature centers, parks, andwildlife viewing areas.

• About different communities alongthe Upper Mississippi and whatmakes them unique.

• About various amenities, festivals,and events in each community.

Visitors will feel:• Interest in visiting other Great River

Road attractions.• Amazed at the diversity of stories

and places along the Great River.

Visitors will do:• Touch the computer screen to

discover various levels ofinformation about the Great RiverRoad.

• Visit other communities and sitesalong the Upper Mississippi.

Description:

Travelers arriving at the visitor center after-hours will still require access toinformation about the Great River Road. Adurable, vandal-resistant, touch-screencomputer unit in the vestibule can providedetailed information in a small space.

Computers are ideal tools for providinginformation: visitors choose their ownpath, information can be layered so it is notoverwhelming, and information can beeasily updated. The interactive nature ofcomputers is attractive to many visitors.

A unique overhead moving illustration willallow visitors to “fly over” the UpperMississippi Great River Road. As varioussites and communities come into view,visitors can touch the screen for moreinformation. Each site will contain a briefhistory and how it thematically ties into theGreat River Road story. Large, colorfulphotographs visually tell the story. Visitorscan click on buttons to receive additionalinformation on specific facilities, amenities,events, festivals, contact information, orother stories. Clearnavigation buttonsallow visitors to go backto a previous screen orto the flyover menu.

Traditional brochures,pamphlets, and mapswill also be available inthe vestibule for visitorswho are not comfortableusing computers, ortravelers who want tobring information alongwith them.

Okefenokee NationalWildlife Refuge, Georgia

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The “Crowley’s RidgeParkway” kiosk program isan interactive tool tointerpret significant sitesalong a byway inArkansas. This type offormat is recommendedfor the Great River Road.

Visitors can fly forward orreverse over the parkwayby touching the arrowbuttons. When acommunity or featurecomes into view, a whitebox appears on the mapthat can be touched.

When a community orfeature is touched, a new

page opens with graphics,interpretation, and

specific information.

A large arrow makes iteasy to get back to the

original flyover map.

The Crowley’s RidgeParkway program was

designed by DavidSchaller of Educational

Web Adventures(www.eduweb.com), Theflyover map was created

with Keyhole Prosoftware.

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“A River of People” Exhibits

A parade of life-size people cutouts createdfrom historic photographs will stand onone side of the eagle exhibit. A DakotaIndian, a log rafter, a steamboat pilot, aclammer, and a fisherman representdifferent uses of the Mississippi River overtime. Each person cut-out will havethematic exhibit components that interprettheir unique relationship with the river.

The following series of exhibits willconnect visitors to the human history of theRiver through compelling personal storiesthat visitors can relate to their own lives.

Those Who Came Before

Purpose: To introduce visitors to the richNative American history on the UpperMississippi and to the dynamic period ofEuropean settlement and change.

Messages: 2.1, 4.1-4.18, 5.1-5.19

Objectives:

Visitors will learn:• Native Americans have lived on

these river banks for thousands ofyears, and tribes like the Dakota arestill a part of the river community.

• Philander Prescott founded thecommunity that would later bear hisname, and he worked closely withthe Dakota tribe.

• Trade and land rights caused majorconflicts between the Europeansettlers and Native American tribes.

Visitors will feel:• Empathy for the losses and

challenges that occur as culturesclash and merge.

• Excitement of the early community ofPrescott at the edge of wilderness.

Visitors will do:• Turn a crank to listen to the Dakota

language, lift lids of barrels andboxes to touch and view historictrade goods, and listen to the wordsof Philander Prescott describe a greatbattle that occurred here.

• Visit other sites along the UpperMississippi that are significant toearly Native American culture.

Description:

• Tactile trade goods (pelts, beads,hatchets, shovels, hoes, whiskey) willbe accessed by lifting the cover ofwooden boxes and barrels. Visitorswill determine the worth of differentgoods based on the number of pelts.

• A press-button audio will recount thegreat battle between the Iroquois andChippewa tribes that occurred nearthis site using the words of PhilanderPrescott.

• A crank can be turned one way tohear a Dakota person speaking in hisor her native language. When thecrank is turned the opposite way, thevisitor hears the Dakota personspeaking in English.

• A picture and description ofPhilander Prescott describes the close

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connections between the Dakotatribal members and the newEuropean settlers.

• A hologram shows a Dakota chief intraditional native clothing when

Concept Rendering: “River of People” “Those Who Came Before” exhibit

looking from one angle, and formalEuropean clothing at another angle.This interprets the Americangovernment’s policy to integrateDakota members into white society.

The “Those Who Came Before” exhibit interprets the clash between Native Americans andearly European settlers. Visitors can open wooden boxes and barrels to touch trade goods,listen to an account of a great battle, and crank a box to hear the Dakota language.

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Pike Poles and River Pigs

Purpose: To interpret the logging era whenlumber rafts dominated traffic on theMississippi and St. Croix Rivers.

Messages: 2.2-2.14

Objectives:

Visitors will learn:• For 30 years, buoyant white pine logs

were pushed by steamboatsdownriver to sawmills, where lumberbuild the Midwestern frontier.

• The life of a log rafter wasadventurous and treacherous.

• At the confluence of the St. Croix andMississippi, Prescott was a majorcenter of commerce for logging.

Visitors will feel:• A connection with historic events as

they view photographs of log raftspassing the very place where they arestanding.

• Appreciation of the dangers lografters faced.

Visitors will do:• “Stamp” lumber brands onto

simulated logs, smell the aroma ofpine sawdust, and walk on asimulated log raft.

Description:• Magnetic stamps that leave a dark

imprint on a clear surface that can beerased, similar to a Magna Doodle.This interprets the various stampsused on the end of logs to distinguishbetween different companies.

• A small box will emit the aroma ofpine saw dust when a button ispressed.

• A series of partially submerged“logs” will be embedded into aspringy floor, creating a sensationlike walking on a floating log raft.

• Photographs of steamboats pushinglogs downstream will connectvisitors to the Prescott site.

Exhibits, like thismagnetic logbrander, encouragevisitors to beinvolved. NorthMississippiRegional Park,Minneapolis.

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Concept Rendering: “River of People” “Pike Poles and River Pigs” exhibit

The “Pike Poles and River Pigs” exhibit interprets the exciting and dangerous lives oflumberjacks and log rafters. Visitors can stamp company brands onto simulate logs, smellthe aroma of saw dust, and step onto a spongy log raft.

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At the Pilot’s Wheel

Purpose: To introduce visitors to the briefbut exciting era of steamboating on theMississippi, when Prescott was often thenorthern-most port on the River.

Messages: 2.15-2.31, 5.15-5.17

Objectives:

Visitors will learn:• Steamboats were the exclusive means

of transportation between the 1830sand 1850s, defining culture andcommerce on the Mississippi.

• Bells and whistles were used forcommunication and to identifyindividual vessels.

• Prescott was often the northernterminus for steamboats, a bustlingcommunity filled with immigrantsand activity.

• Steamboat accidents were common,and major disasters like the sinkingof the Sea Wing occurred nearby.

Visitors will feel:• A sense of excitement over the boom

days of settlement on the dynamicfrontier.

• Adventurous stepping up to thepilot’s wheel and blowing a whistle.

• Remorse for the people who lost theirlives in steamboat accidents.

Visitors will do:• Ring bells and blow quiet steamboat

whistles, turn a pilot’s wheel to viewhistoric photographs, and watch aninterview with a longtime PrescottPilot on a video screen.

Description:• A large pilot’s wheel can be turned,

revealing pictures of differentsteamboats that have docked inPrescott.

• A quiet whistle can be blown and asmall bell can be rung to demonstratethe distinctive sounds of individualsteamboats

• A telescope can be looked through tosee a historic view of the river andwhat the river traffic was like duringthe steamboat era.

• The story of gambling will be toldthrough insightful and entertainingquotes.

• A rope with leather tied at differentintervals will interpret how tomeasure the depth of the river andthe term “Mark Twain.”

• The unique language of thesteamboat crews will be described ina durable booklet with turning pages.

• A small video screen will play aninterview with local Prescott resident“Popeye” talking about piloting asteamboat.

• Historic photographs of steamboatdisasters and quotes will interpret thedangers of the steamboat era.

• Newspaper accounts detail thesinking of the Sea Wing on LakePepin in 1890, the greatest steamboatdisaster on the Upper Mississippi.

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Concept Rendering: “River of People” “At the Pilot’s Wheel” exhibit

The “At the Pilot’s Wheel” exhibit interprets the brief but exciting era of steamboating.Visitors can spin a pilot’s wheel to view rotating historic photographs, blow a quiet whistleand ring a bell, watch a video of a long-time river pilot describe his experiences, open abook to discover the unique language of steamboat crews, and read newspaper accountsof the Sea Wing disaster.

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Living With the River

Purpose: To share the pleasures andchallenges of working and recreating onthe Mississippi River.

Messages: 3.1-3.22, 5.15, 5.19, 6.1-6.10

Objectives:

Visitors will learn:• The Mississippi and its tributaries

provide jobs and recreation formillions of people.

• The significance of clamming andcommercial fishing to the economy,culture, and ecology of the UpperMississippi.

• Major floods rejuvenate theMississippi ecosystem, but aredevastating to the residents of thevalley.

Visitors will feel:• Empathy with those who depend on

the river for their livelihood.• Surprised that buttons were once

made of Mississippi clamshells andthat huge hauls of fish were common.

Visitors will do:• Listen to firsthand stories of fishing,

floods, and clamming from a video ofa longtime river resident, touchrepresentative species of river fish,drag a “crowfoot bar” over asimulated river bottom and watchmagnetic clams “grab on” to thehooks.

• Visit other sites and participate inother recreational opportunities alongthe Great River Road.

Description:• The cut-out fisherman will be

Rolland Everts, the husband ofEvelyn Everts who still lives in HagerCity. Rolland worked as a clammer,commercial fisherman, and resortowner with Evelyn.

• A small video screen will play aninterview with Evelyn Everts,describing her life on the MississippiRiver, the flooding of her resort, andhow the river has sustained peopleover time.

• Artifacts such as pearls, buttons, andclam shells with holes will bedisplayed in a protected enclosure.

• Visitors can open up a clam shell toview a model and read the story ofthe “largest pearl found in this area”by Rolland Everts.

• Different Mississippi Rivercommercial fish species will berepresented by tactile models that fitinto the background cut-out.

• Photographs will interpret the manytypes of recreation that have beenpopular over the years, such asresorts, fishing, and boating.

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Concept Rendering: “River of People” “Living with the River” exhibit

The “Living With the River” exhibit interprets the commercial and recreational use of theriver. Visitors will watch a video of a long-time resident, see real buttons and shells fromMississippi clams, open a clam to find a pearl, and touch river fish models.

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“A Ribbon of Life” ExhibitsWildlife of the Mississippi Corridor

As visitors walk from the parking lot to thebuilding, they will be greeted by prairierestorations reminiscent of the vast oaksavannas that once dominated theMississippi River bluffs. Many wildlifespecies depend on these areas of grass,wildflowers, and scattered oaks

Inside the building, large windowsoverlooking a wildlife garden will attractvisitors to the Wildlife Viewing Area. TheMississippi River Corridor is a migrationroute for millions of birds annually. Theshelter, food, and water provided by thewildlife garden will attract a diversity ofanimals.

Purpose: To connect visitors with wildlifethat live in and migrate through the UpperMississippi River corridor.

Messages: 1.24-1.27

Objectives:

Visitors will learn:• A combination of food, water, and

shelter is ideal for attracting wildlife.• A great diversity of birds use the

Mississippi corridor as a migrationroute.

• Oak savanna dominated the historicbluff habitat along the UpperMississippi.

Visitors will feel:• Excited to see the behavior of live

birds and mammals eating at the birdfeeders and bathing in the water.

• A sense of connection to the greatdistances birds migrate both northand south.

Visitors will do:• Look through binoculars at wildlife,

listen to the sounds of birds singing,flip panels to discover the essentialcomponents of a wildlife garden.

• Open “bark doors” on a panel to seetraces of wildlife and view historicphotographs of the area when oaksavanna dominated.

• Visit the prairie plantings outside thecenter and other restored habitatareas along the Great River Road.

Several exhibit components will be directlyconnected to the prairie plantings and thewildlife viewing area.

Prairie Restoration panel• Prairie species planted around the

visitor center in conjunction with thespreading oaks already on the sitewill represent the oak savannahabitat that was once common alongthe Mississippi River bluffs.

• An interpretive panel installed near aprairie restoration area will interpretthe different types of prairie speciesand the wildlife they attract.

• Historic photographs will describethe open oak savanna habitat thatonce dominated the bluffs of theUpper Mississippi River, includingthe Prescott area.

• A picture of an oak tree will have“bark doors” that visitors can open todiscover the diversity of animals thatdepend on oaks for survival (squirreldens, woodpecker holes, scat andprints of deer and turkey on theground that had been scavenging foracorns).

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A Wildlife Viewing Area, like this one at Mount Magazine State Park in Arkansas, provides acomfortable opportunity to watch birds and small mammals year-round. A natural-lookingcreek, bird feeders, and special plantings outside the windows attract a diversity of animals.Binoculars, field guides, and audio units enhance the experience for visitors.

Wildlife Viewing Area exhibits• In front of the window, a rail will

hold several sets of binoculars andfield guides for identifying birds andsmall mammals.

• A microphone outside will send thesounds of birds into the buildingthrough a speaker system.

• A flip-panel game will invite visitorsto search for essential components of

a wildlife garden, including food(feeders, native plantings, aquaticinsects), water (stream and waterfall,heated birdbath), and shelter(wildlife houses, native plantings).

• A large map of the migration routesthrough North America will identifythe Mississippi River Corridor as amajor flyway for millions of birds.

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Exterior exhibits interpret the Great RiverRoad even when the visitor center isclosed. They connect people directly towhat can be seen, providing a powerfulexperience. Although exterior panels mustbe durable to resist damage from theelements and vandalism, tactile andinteractive components can beincorporated into their design.

Main Viewing Deck Panels

The main viewing deck will be attached tothe visitor center and partially covered by aroof. The deck is also accessible after thebuilding closes via the trail system. Thedeck extends out over the bluff, providingpanoramic views upstream anddownstream of the Mississippi River.Interpretation on the main deck will focuson the natural history of the Mississippi

Exterior Exhibits

Concept Rendering: Main Viewing Deck

The Main Viewing Deck, with spotting scopes and panoramic views of the river, is an ideal site forinterpreting the natural history of the Upper Mississippi.

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River. Two spotting scopes will givevisitors a closer look at eagles, waterfowl,boats, bridges, and other features of thecorridor.

Purpose: To interpret the natural history ofthe Upper Mississippi River, with specialfocus on wildlife and habitats that can beseen from the deck.

Messages: 1.5, 1.11-1.35

Objectives:

Visitors will learn:• The muddy Mississippi River and the

cleaner St. Croix River meet atPrescott.

• Bald eagles and great-blue herons arecommon residents of the area andhave unique adaptations for livingwith the rivers.

• Floodplain forests once dominatedthe Mississippi River Valley, but arebecoming scarce due to humandevelopment.

• The narrowing of the MississippiRiver Valley at this point funnels agreat number and diversity ofmigrating birds, including theendangered tundra swans.

• Other sites along the Great RiverRoad that offer wildlife viewing andnatural history interpretation.

Visitors will feel:• Intrigued by viewing the two

different colors of the St. Croix andMississippi Rivers mixing.

• Excited to see eagles soaring, heronshunting, and migrating birdstraveling through the valley.

• A sense that floodplain forests areimportant and worth protecting.

Visitors will do:• Look through viewing scopes at

wildlife species, Hastings structuresacross the river, and boat traffic.

• Feel tactile models of heron and eaglefeet and beaks.

• Visit other viewing areas and naturalsites along the Great River Road.

The following interpretive panels will beinstalled on the main viewing deck.

Bald Eagles and Herons:

A heron rookery is visible from FreedomPark during the winter. Great-blue heronsare a common sight on the Mississippiyear-round. The habits of herons will beinterpreted. Tactile heron feet and beakwill enhance the experience.

Great-blue heron

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For visitors who did not enter and see theeagle exhibit in the building, this panel willalso describe the habits of eagles and whythey are so numerous in this area. Tactiletalons and beaks will also be incorporated.

Mixing of the Waters:

The mixing of the muddy MississippiRiver and the clear St. Croix River isobvious from this location. Interpretationwill describe the similarities anddifferences between the rivers, and theimportance of this site in history.

Floodplain Forest:

The Vermillion River Bottoms and GoresPool Wildlife Management Area can beseen as an unbroken forest on the oppositeside of the river. The area represents thevast floodplain forests that once spreadthroughout the Mississippi River Valley.The panel will interpret the importance offloodplain forests to wildlife, and focus onthe unique characteristics of thecottonwood tree.

A Migration Corridor:

Over 100,000 birds migrate through thePrescott area in spring, including hawks,waterfowl, and tundra swans. Here, theMississippi River Valley narrows to a one-mile wide corridor, funneling birds nearthe Freedom Park site. The panel willinterpret some of the unique species ofbirds that migrate, and what they need tosurvive their journey.

What Do You See?:

Several buildings and bridges can be seenfrom the deck, most of them in nearbyHastings. The panel will point out theseunique features on a panoramic landscapephoto, and show a close-up picture of theactual structure.

Tundra swans

VermillionRiverBottoms

Mixing of the St. Croix andMississippi RiversMixing of the St. Croix andMississippi Rivers

Historic courthousein Hastings

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Southeast Observation Deck Panels

The observation deck on the southeast sideof the park provides an excellent view ofthe Mississippi River flowing downstream.The Mississippi is truly the “Great RiverRoad” for barges, trains, commercialfishing boats, and recreational boats.Interpretation on the southeast observationdeck will focus on river transportation andnavigation.

Purpose: To interpret transportation andnavigation on and along the river, focusingon modes of transportation that visitorswill likely see from the viewing deck.

Messages: 2.2-2.3, 2.32-2.42, 2.43-2.52, ,2.13-2.14

Objectives:

Visitors will learn:• Barges are the work horses of the

Mississippi, hauling incredibleamounts of cargo up and down theriver.

• Trains ushered in a new era oftransporting people and goods, andremain an important link forbusinesses along the river.

• Historically, log rafts and steamboatsdominated the river traffic, and gaverise to the economic use of theMississippi for transportation.

• Other sites along the Great RiverRoad that offer close-up views andinterpretation of barges, trains, andother transportation.

Visitors will feel:• Amazed by the number of barges

and trains that pass this site everyday.

• A connection between their lives andthe cargo that trains and barges carry.

• A connection to past rivertransportation with historicphotographs taken from the site.

Visitors will do:• Watch barges, trains, and recreational

boats on the river.• Feel tactile models of barges and see

small vials of actual cargo the bargesare hauling.

• Visit other sites along the Great RiverRoad that deal with transportation.

The following interpretive panels will beinstalled on the southeast observation deck.

Barges:

Many barges pass the Freedom Park areaeach day. Interpretation will focus onwhere the barges are going, what they arecarrying, and how people depend onbarges for everyday items. Tactile modelsof barges will show the 15 barges (3 wideand 5 long) being pushed by a towboat.Durable vials of whole grains, coal,petroleum, and rocks will demonstrate thecommon cargo shipped on barges.

Barge from FreedomPark overlook

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Trains:

Several trains rumble directly below theFreedom Park bluff every day. Anobservation deck over the bluff willprovide a unique top-view of the trains.Historic photographs will highlight thefirst train arriving in Prescott in 1886, thePrescott Depot, and hobos catching a rideas the trains slowed for the sharp curve.The panel will also interpret the modernrailroad line and the types of cargo beinghauled.

Log rafts and steamboats:

Historic transportation on the riverincluded long rafts of lumber and logs,often pushed by a steamboat. Steamboatscarried cargo and passengers up and downthe river. Historic photographs of log raftsand steamboats near Prescott Island willmake a direct connection with visitors.

Training crossingbridge at Prescott

The sternwheel steamboat B. Hershey pushes a raft of logs downriver just past the tip of Prescott Islandcirca 1880. The photograph was taken from the current site of Freedom Park.

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Group Viewing Area (Northwest Deck)Panels

The observation deck on the northwest sideof the park provides an excellent view upthe Mississippi River. The Prescott railroadbridge over the St. Croix River is visible, asare many navigational aids that boaters usewhile on the river. The interpretation onthis deck will focus on navigationalimprovements and structural changes thatpeople have made to the Mississippi.

Purpose: To interpret bridges, dams,navigational aids, and other changes thathumans have made to tame the mightyMississippi River, focusing on structuresthey can see from the group viewing area.

Messages: 2.53-2.62, 6.11-6.24

Objectives:

Visitors will learn:• Different colored buoys and markers

on the river are like street signs,aiding the navigation of boat traffic.

• Before dams were built, people couldsometimes walk across theMississippi when the water was low.

• Wing dams and the lock-and-damsystem were used to ensure a deepchannel for river traffic, but foreverchanged the ecology of theMississippi.

• Bridges across the Mississippi notonly aided pedestrians, trains, andlater cars to cross in a timely manner,but also generated money, like thetoll bridge in Prescott and spiralbridge in Hastings.

• Nearby locks and dams, and othersites along the Great River Road thatinterpret bridges and navigationalimprovements.

Visitors will feel:• Realization that the colorful buoys

and markers mean specific things toriver pilots.

• Awed by the man-made changes thathave turned the slow-moving,shallow waters of the river into adeep, quickly flowing channel.

• Nostalgia for the railroad bridgewhere generations of children playedand humor for the different wayspeople evaded the toll bridge.

Visitors will do:• View the Prescott railroad bridge,

buoys, and markers.• Look at historic photographs and

read accounts of the bridges in thisarea and what they meant in people’slives.

• Visit nearby locks-and-dams andother sites that deal with navigationalimprovements.

The following interpretive panels will beinstalled on the northwest group viewingarea deck.

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history of these river “improvements,” andtheir effects on the shipping business andthe ecology of the river.

Bridges:

The railroad bridge at Prescott can be seenfrom this point. A tollbridge in Prescottopened in 1923, and people discovered allsorts of ways to avoid paying. This panelwill tell the story of bridges on theMississippi, focusing on the local Prescottbridge and the unique spiral bridge inHastings.

Navigational Aids:

NUN buoys and CAN buoys mark theshipping channel past Freedom Park. Theyare anchored at the channel end of wingdams. A red starboard-side crossingdaymark board can also be seen. Anavigational map with close-up photos willdescribe these features and theirimportance to boaters.

River Improvements:

Before dams were constructed, people wereable to walk across the Mississippi River atPrescott during low water. Over the years,wing dams were installed to sour thechannel deeper. By 1930, a series of locksand dams were built to establish a 9-footchannel. This panel will interpret the

Starboard side NUNbuoy, with Freedom

Park in the background

A mooring/guide cell at the tip of PrescottIsland looks like a man standing. Thisnavigation aid should be interpreted.

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Community Gazebo Panels

The gazebo building in the middle of thepark will be used for family gatherings andcommunity events. The interpretivemessages here will focus on the history ofFreedom Park, from its days as a“detention hospital” in 1901, to itsdevelopment as a “Tourist Park” in the1920s, and finally to being named“Freedom Park” in 1982.

Purpose: To interpret the history of thePrescott community and Freedom Parkprimarily to residents who would be usingthe shelter.

Messages: 5.1-5.22

Objectives:

Visitors will learn:• Philander Prescott, the future

namesake of the community, was aninterpreter with the Dakota Indiansat Fort Snelling, and claimed land atthe mouth of the St. Croix in 1839.

• Prescott was a frontier town when itwas founded, and depended on theriver for jobs and contact with thelarger world.

• The site of Freedom Park oncehoused a detention hospital, but wasdeveloped as a “Tourist Park” in the1920s.

• Freedom Park was named after abald eagle released from the site in1982.

Visitors will feel:• A modern-day connection with past

events that shaped the community ofPrescott and Freedom Park.

Visitors will do:• View historic photographs of Prescott

and Freedom Park, and identify someof the old buildings and sites that stillexist.

The following interpretive panels will beinstalled in the community gazebo.

City of Prescott:

The panel will explain how the town wasnamed for Philander Prescott and describethe city’s cosmopolitan atmosphere when itwas the northern terminus of river traffic inthe 1850s. Historic photographs of the citywill allow residents to see how presentlocations have change from those of thepast.

Freedom Park:

The current city park has evolved over thelast 100 years from being the site of a“detention hospital” to the Gateway of theGreat River Road in Wisconsin. The panelwill interpret these changes.

The steamboat Capitol as seen from thePrescott levee in the early 1920s.

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Appendices

Appendix 1: Scope of WorkAppendix 2: Mississippi River

Byways—Interpretive Workshop:Great River Road Themes

Appendix 3: Design Specifications:“Great River Road Network” Signs

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Scope of Work

This contract between the CedarCorporation of Menominee, WI and RonZimmerman of the Schmeeckle ReserveInterpreters in Stevens Point, WI(Consultant Team) will result in aConceptual Interpretive Master Plan toguide the development of the PrescottInterpretive Center to be constructed on theGreat River Road National Scenic Byway inPrescott, WI. Deliverable outcomes andproducts are listed below.

Phase 1: Inventory and Analysis

1A. Site inventory

In consultation with the WisconsinDepartment of Transportation (WisDOT)and the city of Prescott, the ConsultantTeam will research and inventory theinterpretive elements of the site as theyrelate to the history of Prescott and theMississippi River Corridor. This willinclude investigating the goals,interpretive themes, and relationships ofother corridor interpretive entities suchas the National Park Service/St. CroixNational Scenic Riverway, the NationalMississippi River Museum andAquarium in Dubuque, IA, the NationalPark Service’s Mississippi NationalCenter at the Science Museum ofMinnesota in St. Paul, and other

Appendix 1: Scope of Work

pertinent efforts in the ten-state area. Aminimum of 14 days will be spent onsite.

1B. Market analysis of target audiences

The Consultant Team will gatherquantitative and qualitative data fromexisting sources such as WisDOT trafficcounts, U.S. census surveys, and similarattractions in the area and throughinterviews, focus groups sessions, andother techniques in the summer of 2004.This information will be used to helpdetermine appropriate themes andmessages as well as facility needs in thevisitor center. Meetings with Prescottcitizens will be scheduled as deemedappropriate by city officials and WisDOT.

1C. Comprehensive listing of theinterpretive concepts, messages, andthemes

The Consultant Team will develop aframework of concepts and themes thattell a cohesive story of the Prescott siteand its relationship to the greater rivercorridor and the National Scenic Byway.Themes and sub-themes will bedeveloped to unify the diverse storylinesinto a cohesive whole, so visitors canperceive the wholes through interpretivemedia.

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Appendix 1—Scope of Work

Phase 2: Deliverable Products

2A. Conceptual Interpretive Master Plan

A high-quality, full-color document willbe developed that can be used forarchitectural programming and forfuture fundraising by the community.Thirty copies of the plan will besubmitted to the client. The plan will:

• Outline and quantify functions ofthe building and specific conceptualneeds for the architectural team.

• Organize interpretive themes, sub-themes, and messages into a logicalframework for developing unifiedmedia.

• Prescribe and illustrate exhibits andother media through full-colordrawings and narratives.

The Consultant Team will share theirprincipal ideas and solutions with theCedar Corporation prior to documentpreparation and will incorporate thearchitectural team’s ideas into the plan.

2B. Wayside exhibit panels

Ten interpretive wayside exhibit panelswill be developed as unified prototypesfor the interpretive center using thethemes and messages set forth in theinterpretive plan. The signs will bedesigned in an electronic format suitable

for fabrication by an interpretive signproduction firm. The Consultant Teamwill provide the clients with panel files,graphics, fonts, and templates stored onCD-ROMs.

2C. Selection of exhibit firm

The Consultant Team will assist CedarCorporation and the clients in selecting areputable exhibit firm capable offabricating and installing exhibits in atimely and professional manner.

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On May 9-10, 2002, America’s BywaysResource Center, in cooperation with theMississippi River Parkway Commission(MRPC), sponsored a workshop in St.Louis to discuss interpretation along theten-state Great River Road corridor.Professors Michael Gross and RonZimmerman from the University ofWisconsin-Stevens Point facilitated theworkshop.

Attendees included representatives fromthe Mississippi River Parkway Commission(ten states), byway leaders from nationallydesignated scenic byways, and resourcepeople and interpretive specialists fromprivate and public organizations.

Workshop Outcomes

Vision:The plan will provide a unifyinginterpretive framework that will assist allpartners in telling the stories about theriver and its resources.

Goals:1. Provide a template/framework

outlining generalmethodology/guidance to develop andimplement Great River Roadinterpretation plan, including “howto’s” for developing:• A database• Themes

Appendix 2: Mississippi River Byways-Interpretive Workshop:Great River Road Themes

• Stories• Assessment of customers

. In addition, identify implementationstrategies for delivery.

2. Provide a quality visitor experiencethrough interpretation to increase visits,revenue, and return on investment(ROI) to specific Great River Roaddestinations.

3. Devise an active and well-recognizednetwork of well-connected Great RiverRoad interpretive centers.

4. Create unified marketing elements.5. Build interpretive partnerships between

local, state, and national organizationsand industries.

6. Develop local pride and visitorappreciation for the Great River Road’snatural, historic, and cultural resources.

7. Enhance the experience.8. Locate or create funding for

development of resources.9. Enhance preservation of the Mississippi

River Valley’s resources.10. Develop interpretive products and

services consistent with the managingcommunity’s needs.

11. Draw visitors to an experienceinvolving people and communities,occupations, environment, water, food,drink, entertainment, economics, andindustry.

12. Create a sense of place.

Primary Theme: The Mississippi River isthe flow of life shaping land and peoples

Theme 1: The Mississippi River is aribbon of life for people, plants, andanimals.

a. The Mississippi River system hostsvastly diverse habitats, including

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Appendix 2—Great River Road Themes

sloughs, side channels, and oxbowlakes, which support a wide variety ofplant and animal species compromisinga significant component of thecontinent’s bio-diversity. Congressrecognizes the Upper Mississippi as anationally significant ecosystem.

b. Prior to settlement by Europeans andhydrological modifications, theMississippi River floodedapproximately 21 million acres,depositing rich alluvial sediments thatsupported millions acres of forestwetland. Today fewer than 5 millionacres of these forests remain asimportant sources for timber andwildlife habitat. The rich alluvial soilssupport agricultural production.

c. The Mississippi River is home to manyrare, threatened, and endangeredspecies, including both state listed andfederally listed species. Federally listedspecies are bald eagle, peregrine falcon,Louisiana black bear, pallid sturgeon,Massasauga rattler, and two freshwatermollusks: Higgins eye and fatpocketbook.

d. The Mississippi River has internationalimportance as a migratory corridor formid-continent water-fowl populations.The river corridor is also important formaintenance, conservation, andpreservation of diverse mid-continentfish and wildlife populations.

e. Development and change in theMississippi River, during andimmediately after the last glacialadvance and retreat, have influencesthe location and character of thepresent river, including the deposits of“Ice Age” loess soil.

f. The Mississippi River is a dynamicsystem involving sedimentation,

erosion, channel changes, floods, anddroughts.

g. The Mississippi River’s watershed-about 1,250,000 square miles- extendsfrom the Allegheny Mountains anddrains parts of two Canadian provincesand 31 states.

h. The natural history of the Mississippi,including its geography, geology, flora,fauna, and ecology, is vital componentin the river’s importance andrelationship to the entire Untied States.

i. Human inhabitants of the MississippiRiver valley have adapted to its richbiotic resources; these adaptations,which involve hunting, fishing, andresource-gathering techniques, a greatvariety of water-craft and water-relatedmaterial culture, and centuries of foldwisdom, constitute an essential unit ofMississippi River ecological analysis.

j. The origin, character, and developmentof the river’s landforms affect humanuse of the river corridor.

k. The Mississippi River is a majorrecreational resource. The river’s easyaccess and diverse resources attractsmillions of people annually, but theincreasing number of people using theriver creates problems and concernsamong different user groups.

Theme 2: As the River has influencedpeople, people have influences the river.

a. Some local, state, and federal agenciesregulate, protect, preserve, and enhancenatural resources. State-of-the-artresource management and environmentand environmental engineeringapproaches in both the upper andlower Mississippi River restorewetlands. A large portion of the upper

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river corridor is a federally designatedrefuge.

b. Individuals and private andinteragency groups (such as the UpperMississippi River ConservationCommittee, the Izaak Walton League,GREAT, and EnvironmentalManagement Programs) have playedpioneering roles, especially on theupper river, in protecting the welfareand integrity of the river environmentfor future generations to enjoy.

c. Many areas along the river arerelatively pristine and isolated despitethe environmental transformationcaused by historic and contemporaryhuman activity.

d. Sedimentation alters fish and wildlifehabitats, impedes commercial andrecreational navigation, increases thefrequency of dredging, and cancontribute to degraded water qualityconditions. Historical erosion anddisplacement of rich topsoil of theMidwest has had negative effects onMidwest agricultural and way of life,but it helped create and maintain thedelta in Louisiana.

e. Exotic plant and animal species posesevere threats to the river’s naturalinhabitants and municipal, industrial,and recreational activities on the river.

f. Pollutants from a number of sources,including spills, continue to degradeMississippi River water quality. Thisresults in fish consumption advisories,nonattainment of water qualitystandards, algae blooms, nutrientenrichment, high turbidity, anddecreasing populations of intolerantaquatic species.

g. The cumulative effects of recent humanintervention in the Mississippi River

natural system are many: channelmodifications have altered erosioncycles, channel bed stability, andsediment loads.

Theme 3: The Mississippi River hasnurtured prehistoric and historic cultures.

a. A great diversity of cultures existed inpre-European times, beginning around12,000 years before the present (B.P.),with the Paleo-Indian hunters of themammoth and mastodon. Archaichunters and foragers of 9000 B.P.followed. Then the Woodland Moundbuilders of the Hopewell culture came.Later, the Mississippian and Oneontacultures with prosperous farmsflourished in the half-century before thetime of Columbus.

b. From the earliest settlement, patterns ofeconomic exchanges and alliancesfacilitated by the Mississippi Riversystem influenced culturaldevelopments in the Midwest and OldSouthwest that distinguished theseregions from their counterparts on theEast Coast.

c. The most sophisticated prehistoricIndian civilization north of Mexico,centered at Cahokia Mounds,established a regional center forMississippian culture at the primaryconfluences of the Mississippi,Missouri, Illinois, and Ohio Rivers.

Theme 4: The Mississippi River inspires avariety of folk like, literary, fine art, andmusical forms.

a. The indigenous music of theMississippi River includes folk, gospel,blues, jazz, country, and folk songs of

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traditional river people. Aninterweaving of Creole, Cajun, Anglo-Celtic, and African-American musicaltraditions inspired these uniquesounds.

b. The Mississippi River Valley nourisheda rich oral tradition that contributed toa distinctive regional literature andnurtured and disseminated regionallinguistic diversity.

c. The fluidity of populations in “goldenear” river town (before lock and dam)gave the settlements a diverse andboisterous character. Long lastingstereotypes of “river rat” behavior andcharacter emerged, furnishing never-ending fuel for literary imaginationsand contributing to the Americanfrontier mythology.

d. The Mississippi River has served as achannel for the movement of ideas, andthe dissemination and diffusion ofmaterials, folk, and popular culture canbe traced both east and west form theMississippi River, as well as along itsnorth-south course.

e. A wealth of intricate traditionalknowledge regarding the MississippiRiver survives among the few peoplewhose livelihoods still depend on theriver. While river people have adaptedthis knowledge to modern times, it stillshares much with what the pilots ofMark Twain’s time knew, connectingriver users through the ages.

f. The Mississippi River Valley has amulticultural history, with many ethnicpeoples playing significant roles andcontributing to the arts, letters, music,historic events, and traditional culture.

Theme 5: The Mississippi River hasprofoundly shaped American history.

a. The historical Mississippi River furtrade merged Indian and Europeancultures. Native people, trappers, andthe parent trading companies interactedto have an impact on Europeansettlement, regional economic growth,European American and AmericanIndian culture, and AmericanIndian/European Americanrelationships. As the fur trade movedup the Missouri River, the trans-Mississippi west opened to Americansettlement.

b. The central story of post-ColumbianAmerican Indian history in theMississippi River Valley is the processby which Europeans and Americansettlers displaced native tribes anddisrupted their cultural base.

c. The history of the Mississippi River issignificant not only to Americans but toEuropeans, as the river was animportant border zone between rivalcolonial powers and played a majorrole in opening the continents French,Spanish, British, and Americanexploration, trade, and settlement.

d. The Mississippi River system(including the Ohio and MissouriRivers) provided access to the interiorand southern outlet for surplus goods,linked the eastern states with the westinstead of with Europe, allowed forpolitical unity via Louisiana Purchase,supported the spread of the southerncotton economy and slavery-basedlabor system, and sustained a distinctAmerican culture.

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e. Slavery became a significant political,economic, and social issue in Americanhistory because of its expansion intothe Mississippi River Valley. The riverwas central to the operations of theplantation and creation of planting“aristocracy” in the antebellum South,which dominated political, economic,and social affairs in the lowerMississippi River Valley. The river alsoserved to transport enslaved peopledownriver and offered a route north tofreedom for escaping fugitives.

f. By providing growth and opportunity,the Mississippi River Valley supportedan American democracy composed ofindividuals with strong belief in socialideas, responsibility, and populistreform.

Theme 6: The strategic importance of theMississippi River has resulted in conflictbetween nations and peoples. a. The Mississippi has played a central

role in American Indian, American, andinternational military history. The riverwas a prize of war and a boundary intreaties. It also served as a home toCivil War presidents and generals, andbecame key to the Civil War’s outcome.Later, it supported mobilization inWorld War II.

Theme 7: The Mississippi Riverarchitecture reflects distinctive stylesaffected by cultural and natural resources. a. Architectural styles in Mississippi River

towns were affected by climate,topography, natural resources, ethnicculture, and construction dates.

b. Consistent architectural styles inMississippi River towns reflect rapidcommunication and flow of ideas along

the river, the rapidity with which theriver was settle, the culturalbackgrounds of the first immigrants tomake permanent settlements, and adeep cultural and communication gapbetween river people and inlandfarming people.

c. Vernacular architecture along theMississippi River reveals many ethnicinfluences.

d. Surviving river town architecturerepresents the boom years of wealthalong the river, wealth generatedthrough transportation and other river-based commercial activities.

e. The ethnic diversity if the small rivertowns provides international visitorswith shared architecture, language,cultural events, and history.

Theme 8: The Mississippi is one of theworld’s great rivers noted for its beauty,grandeur and diversity.

a. The richness and beauty of much of theMississippi River corridor remain oneof the nation’s “best-kept secrets.”Scenic resources along the MississippiRiver are many and varied, offeringmajestic bluff vistas as well as tranquil,low-lying views.

Theme 9: The history of Mississippi Rivertransportation is a dramatic storyreflecting the river’s economic andcommercial importance.

a. The Mississippi River is a vitalinterstate trade route linking North andSouth, and through its tributaries, theMissouri, Illinois, Ohio, and Arkansasrivers, linking East and West.

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b. Mississippi navigation has evolvedfrom the transportation of good indugouts, pirogues, rafts, bateaux,flatboats, and keelboats to the heydayof the steamboat era to establishment ofthe present inland waterway systemwith its towboats and barges.

c. Eastern attempts to reach theMississippi, the interior river ifcommerce, resulted in internalimprovements such as canals,turnpikes, bridges, and railroads.

d. Evidence of historic river transportationis preserved in the numerousdocumented and undocumentedshipwrecks that are recorded for theMississippi River channels and itsbackwaters.

e. The Mississippi River plays animportant role in bulk commoditytransportation and world trade andprovides the nation’s most inexpensivemeans of transportation.

f. The Mississippi River System is afederally designed navigation channel,providing economic benefits to rivercommunities and the region.

Theme 10: Mississippi River towns and

cities reflect mid-19th century like.

a. For most towns, the river was thelocation and site factor in economicdevelopment before the 1870s. Onlylimited, capital-intensive conventionaleconomic development has ensued, butthe river now offers importantopportunities for tourism development.

b. The physical layout of river townsprovides access to the river and toadjacent lands, securing an economicand cultural advantage over inlandtowns.

c. Navigation and flood controlimprovements on the Mississippi havechanged the river’s landscape to suchan extent that both the upper and lowerMississippi River today differsmarkedly from the natural river viewsby Indians, explorers, and early settlers.

Theme 11: The Mississippi River is aworking river sustaining many industries.

a. Many industries depend on the riverfor water power and transportation anduse the river for its natural resources.

b. Historic river-based industries,including commercial fishing, pearlbutton, ice, lead, and timber, havegiven way to the present-day oil,cement, limestone, grain, and coalindustries. Other industries, includingmilling and hydroelectric generation,have spanned the decades.

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The following specifications for thestandard “Great River Road Network”signs that will be installed at allinterpretive centers were developed by:

Mission Creative140 East 9th StreetDubuque, IA 52001(563) 583-0853www.missioncreative.biz

Appendix 3: Design Specifications:“Great River RoadNetwork” Signs

November 9, 2004SPECIFICATION FORM / Great RiverRoad Signs

Job Number: 04045315MC Contact: Tom Culbertson

Furnish (47) single faced Great RiverRoad signs per attached sketch.

Posts: SignComp Series Round post#1007, 10‘ long each

Caps: SignComp #3 1/4’’ round #5254

Post Finish: Sprayed Matthews AcrylicPolyurethane Brushed AluminumMetallic

Sign Panel: .080 Aluminum

Panel Finish: Sprayed Matthews AcrylicPolyurethane White

Graphic: 3M Scotchprint with clear costfinish. File for each sign will beprovided by Mission Creative.

Packing: Packing for shipment included

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Appendix 3—Design Specifications for “GRR Network” Signs

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