Town of the Week

Black River Falls, Wisconsin
January 8, 2000

In times of high water, the Black River pours over and past rugged and angular rocks, gurgles and bubbles and swirls and eddies and seeths and foams and rushes and roars, angrily, madly, tumultuously. The rapids can be most impressive. Especially so, if the river is filled with logs, improving the chances for a jam. That account in 1885 describes the 25 foot falls for which Black River Falls, WI gets its name. The river's dark color is caused by tannic acid from drainage over areas of oak and tamarac trees and sphagnum moss.

Black River Falls' permanent settlement came in 1839 when an expedition came to log the finest stand of white pine anywhere in the state. When Jackson County became a county, the community became the county seat.

Today, Black River Falls is a beautiful town of 3,600 people, and is also the home of the Ho Chunk nation's business headquarters, which with 3,500 employees is the area's largest employer by far. Many of those employees work at Majestic Pines Bingo and Casino four miles east of town. The Ho Chunk nation hosts a huge Pow Wow each Memorial Day to commemorate the memory of Native American veterans on the Red Cloud Memorial Winnebago Ceremonial Grounds. He fought and was injured in two separate occasions in World War 2, and fought and died a hero in the Korean War.

This area's best scuba diving is at the site of a former quarry, now called Wazee or Tall Pine Lake Recreation Area. Its found in West-central Wisconsin, next to our Town of the Week, Black River Falls, WI.

Take a trip to Black River Falls, Wisconsin; just listen in.

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