La Pointe: Village Outpost on Madeline Island

by Hamilton Nelson Ross, Thomas Vennum Jr. (Contributor)

The Wisconsin Historical Society Press has republished a long-out-of-print classic of Wisconsin history, La Village Outpost , by Hamilton Nelson Ross (1889-1957). The book, which first appeared in 1960, provides a 300-year history of La Pointe, a community on Madeline Island, one of Lake Superior's Apostle Islands. With flair, humor, and solid scholarship, Ross tells the story of the region's evolution. Madeline Island served initially as a refuge for the local Ojibway from their enemy the Sioux before the arrival of French explorers in 1659, then an epicenter of the fur-trade era in the eighteenth century, and finally a summer vacation spot for businessmen and industrialists. Today the island attracts thousands of summer tourists who vastly outnumber the 200 or so year-round residents. Ross first visited Madeline Island from his native Beloit as an eight-year-old, returning again and again over his lifetime to the Ross family cabin in La Pointe. His years of careful study and observation served him well. Ross told the region's story so eloquently that his book helped persuade Congress and the President in 1970 to preserve the islands in perpetuity as the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.

Genres: History

224 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2000

Reviews

[Shawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

So glad that the Wisconsin Historical Society Press republished this 1957 history in 2000 after it had long been out of print. While it is of greatest interest to those who know Madeline Island and Western Lake Superior, it has much that will attract anyone interested in New France and the Upper Lakes generally. While the later (20th Century) history can be a little tiresome, the history of the Ojibway, the early French presence, and the influence of the fur trade are all excellent. Most people are probably unaware of the fact that the first European presence in the area dates to 1634 at latest, and that Etienne Brule probably visited in 1622, while it's virtually certain that unlicensed fur traders (coureurs des bois) visited at still earlier dates.

[Janie Panagopoulos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting but a bit boring. I expected more because I was researching this area in history. Well written, but not what I was looking for.

[Ty · Rating 4 out of 5]

The history of my favorite spot on earth!

[Colette! · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fascinating history of a seemingly sleepy place.