Located on the Mississippi River in Wisconsin’s southwest corner, Cassville is probably best known as the retirement haven of the state’s first governor, Nelson Dewey. A Democrat, Dewey represented Grant County in the territorial legislature in the 1840s, and, as Robert C. Nesbit wrote in Wisconsin: A History, “had two unexceptional terms as governor during which he did nothing to advance his own career.” In 1851, after his second term ended, Dewey built a mansion on some Cassville farmland. Today the land is a state park.
Or you can enter Cassville from Iowa via the Cassville Car Ferry (608-725-5180), a service started in 1836, which transports people and cars across the Mississippi about every half hour from 9 AM to 9 PM, May through October. Rates for cars, vans, and pickups are $6. Motorcycles cost $3, bikes $2, and walk-ons $1. Be decisive; the nearest bridges north or south are at least 35 miles away.
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1924 along the river from Wabasha, Minnesota, to Cordova, Illinois, the entire refuge is 261 miles long and encompasses about 200,000 acres. It is home to 57 different species of mammals, 118 types of fish, and 292 species of birds, and annually attracts three million people intent on shooting them with either a camera or firearm. Expect a heavy fine and jail sentence if you attempt the latter. Cassville Bald Eagle Days (608-725-5374) are held the last weekend in January, when there’s a high concentration of bald eagles in the area. Much of the bordering Mississippi River remains ice free during winter, making the area prime realty for feasting eagles and, in turn, eagle watchers. During Bald Eagle Days viewing sites are set up at Cassville’s Riverside Park and Nelson Dewey State Park. There is also a candlelight hike. With nightlife rare as an eagle, it’s easy to wake up for the peak 8 AM viewing.
More intriguing is the Saint John Mine (608-763-2121), 18 miles east of Cassville in Potosi, cited by Ripley’s for having the longest street in the U.S. without an intersection. During the Civil War this region was known as the “Lead Bucket of the Nation.” The mine, taken from Native Americans by capitalist Willis Saint John, contributed much of the lead for the Yankees’ (and about 70 percent of the rebs’) muskets and cannonballs.
Wyalusing, established in 1917 and situated 500 feet above the confluence of the Wisconsin and Mississippi rivers, also has 14 miles of hiking trails ranging from a half mile to 3.6 miles, 132 year-round, handicapped-accessible campsites (32 with electricity), a boat landing, cross-country ski trails, ice fishing, canoe rentals, and guided hikes.
Plan ahead; most of these places request appointments; we were greeted at several stops only by chickens and house pets.
The Sand Bar Motel (1115 E. Bluff, 608-725-5300), owned by Jeff and Mary Glass, is one of those utilitarian roadside motels, with a sign boasting “We h ve cable” that you speed by on the way to the Ramada. It’s $27 for a single and $35 for a double, which includes two wonderfully squeaky twin beds, a 50s dresser with a mirror, lime green walls, and a television but no phone. A bowling alley and a pizza parlor are across the street. Train factor: nil.
