Sadly, I think many tragedies like this fade away in the memories of people as generations pass on. I hope this brings to light one such story of the hardships of pioneer life.
A lot of adults didn't have the time of day to sit and write. But some did later in the evening those were educated enough. But mostly it was the children just like Sarah Wilder, who wrote Little House on the Prairie. There's so many personal stories lost except to the imagination of many past and future writers
Thank you for watching. I was happy to see that they had fenced off the gravesites so cattle couldn't graze there any longer. They looked like they had pushed the graves over at one point.
One of the first white settlers in SE Minnesota stated that "the bravest man on the swiftest horse dares not attempt the darkest swamps at the height of summer" for one reason only... the mosquitoes.@@TopClips7777
Thanks again for keeping those poor souls plight for life and tragic end alive in our minds and hearts. Stories like this are forgotten with the passage of time.
Thank you for watching, I've known of this story since I was young, but never knew the exact spot it took place and many of the locals have even forgotten it happened.
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the video! I was reading the other day about a snowstorm in Southwestern Minnesota back in 1888 as I recall and 400+ people perished within a day.
For those curious about the veterans marker: David Wisel's brother, Ira Wisel, died during the Civil War at the Battle of Helena, Arkansas in 1863. That marker was placed there (apparently) as a memorial to him, because his body was actually buried at Memphis National Cemetery after the battle, and never reinterred. This was the closest the family could get to laying him to rest in a family plot. An all too common event in the years after the war.
Regarding the grave marker earlier in the video, the engraving looked newer, so I think it was just a marker someone left in the last 30 years or so and has no relation to the flood victims gravesites shown later in the video. Maybe it was a path they used to walk along together.
Great video! The flood was a tragedy, but I'm glad you shed some light on this specific incident. You have ensured that they won't be forgotten in the foreseeable future.
Thank you, I hope not! It was nice to see that they (I'm assuming the state did since it borders state land) had erected a new fence around the old iron fence where the gravesite was as it was getting overrun by grazing cattle.
Thanks for the kind words yeah we love it hear it gets a little too cold this time of year put it's not unbearable and you're right the BWCA is a beautiful place
Born and raised Minnesotan here. My friend and I took a seven day trip in the Boundary Waters in 1968 when we were 15. I remember it like it was yesterday. All we had was a map, no GPS or phone. Just backpacks and a canoe. We never saw anybody the whole trip until we were in the middle of a lake debating which way to go to find the next portage, A couple of canoes were in earshot of us, and they had a guide who said we should follow him. I was pretty sure he was wrong judging by the map. It looked to me like he was heading into a huge bay and we didn't follow him. We were right, and saved almost a whole day of paddling. It was a great adventure.
Grew up on a farm with three streams. Had multiple bad floods over two decades. Learned early in life the importance of high ground for safety and just how fast the water can rise.
Gorgeous site, and great video! Some people talk about "colonization" like Europeans waltzed into the country and instantly subjugated it. But as your video proves, creating infrastructure like mills, dams, roads, etc, often came at the cost of heartbreaking labor and even death. Taming the wild west was a heroic undertaking.
Liked and described - really enjoyed connecting with the old folks - beautifully told - Minnesota might as well be the moon to a southern boy - absolutely beautiful country, thanks again.
Quite a story. My ancestors were some of the first settlers of Lanesboro. The Scanlons. A forgotten time. From first settlers to donating land for city to expand. Owning a store and a bank. A banking story that would rival it's a wonderful life.
Very interesting to learn about ... thank you! For what it's worth, the soldier listed on the headstone was Ezra Wisel, who was a member of the 6th Minn Infantry during the Civil War. He died on November 18, 1864 (not 1860 as the stone lists) in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and is buried there. Ezra was a son of David and Jerusha.
Interesting place,I love stories of people of the past,truly makes one appreciate better times. It also gives you perspective since times are once again becoming hard and we are dealing with a new brand of savages. Commenters were talking quite a bit about wondering why they built their cabin so close to the water,not on a hill. Let me say this about that, water was then and is now essential to living. It's needed for drinking,cooking,washing body and clothes living on a hill unless there was a spring near by would mean you'd have to go down to the water and carry it uphill,quite la or intensive. Andddd think about it ,with no weatherman to tell you, who would guess it would rain that much so quickly,that was certainly a weather event. Unexpected , unusually and totally unprepared for. I hear a lot of talk these days from places like Yellowstone area,Washington state, California,earthquake preparedness,go bags and such,things can be se one by second in the best of circumstances,life is precious but also very vulnerable and that makes people nervous. We all need to be more mindful that everyday could be our last...care for one another,love one another and use the good sense God gave you. I really enjoyed the countryside and the hike the woods were quiet but that's great in a noisy world where sirens are often blaring. Minnesota looks beautiful.😊from KY.
Thank you for watching. You make some good points. I've noticed on old Plat maps it wasn't uncommon for people back in the pioneer days to build near water. Perhaps flooding wasn't as bad from where they immigrated from, that combined with clear cutting and lack of conservation methods when farming, flooding became more prevalent.
I will never understand why the local county does not take care of the burial sites. It is such a historical part of Minnesota history . This happens a lot where the people are forgotten. Thanks for sharing it was very interesting to see.
I will say, I believe it was the County (or the state), that put the recent modern fence around the old Iron Fence surrounding the gravestone. Up until about 10 years ago, it used to be just open cow pasture and the cows took a toll on that old iron fence.
I was thinking about the veteran's flag and marker at the grave site, there. If those were for David Wisel, and he died at age 56 in 1866, that's a bit too old to be in the Civil War....not impossible, but pretty old unless he was a very senior officer. There's a chance that he might have been a Mexican War veteran from 1846-1848.
I was wondering the same thing. Towards the bottom of the stone you can see "Ezra Wisel Son Of" so perhaps that is a son of David Wisels who didn't perish in the flood and served in a later war? I'll have to research it further.
Yep, or there could be another missing, broken grave stone, or the flag and star might have been moved.....Anyway, it was an interesting place, a harrowing story, and a really cool little valley, tucked down in there. That deep, green creek water cutting into the rocks was really pretty. Thanks for taking us along on a neat little adventure.
Thanks for sharing so much history just lying at our feet thank God for God the god of Mercy on all of those who believe in him our faith in Jesus Christ death burial and Resurrection means the difference between eternal life in heaven and not such a good Destiny for rejecting one opportunity to be redeemed of our inherited sin
I’m a 52 yr old who has lived in Minnesota my entire life and had never heard of this tragedy. Thank you for telling their story and speaking their names… now they will forever be remembered.
It's cool how God allows us to discover history. I had two tires blow out about 20 miles west of American falls Idaho in a blizzard one early spring. When I checked my GPS to see what was around me, I discovered Massacre Rocks State Park...thats where I broke down. Two wagon trains many years apart were ambushed there by native Americans in the late 1800's and early 1900's. One settler watched his wife and children murdered by the natives. Then, he went to Pocatello and requested the army outposts help. They sent a garrison to corral and take down those native Americans ambushing settlers traveling west for a better life. It made me feel not so frightened whole being broken down there. As I was easily driving across America in a car. Those settlers didn't have such a luxury...and had such an ordeal to contend with just to find a piece of land to call their own.
Thank you for watching and thank you for sharing your story! Pioneer life wasn't easy. I've found looking at Plat maps that a lot of the original settlers didn't stay long on their initial plot of land they settled on, often moving within a few years, whereas when you move up around 1900, they'd stay on the plots of land for decades, some even still in the family to this day!
fascinating story, some history is tragic as is this but should be told if possible. As a fellow American I appreciate your efforts to inform us of this tiny sliver in the grand scheme of our countries history it matters . Let's us all be connected.
@@StateTreasures do your research before eating any wild mushroom.. with puff balls as long as it’s white inside and not purple blue or black. It’s edible. But you still need to learn first…. There is a guy here on the tube called “ learn your land”. He is awesome for wild edible information. I also have a few informative videos on my channel but no where near of his level.
@@StateTreasures also. Medicinal value of mushrooms is huge.. Turkey tail is used to cure cancer and boost your immune system. I drink in in my tea daily.. I never even got Covid. 👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you for posting this. I am a lifelong state citizen and never heard of this tragedy. May the Lord grant all these good people rest and repose and may their memory be eternal. I would like to do this type of hiking for educational purposes but I am in my 60s and afraid to go into the woods alone. What if I break a leg or ankle or run into some evil person who means me harm? I do not have a firearm or a satellite phone for use. I'm sure a regular cellphone would not work up there. I think the woods can be dangerous in a spiritual and supernatural sense. God bless them.
You would love Old Ellicott City in Maryland. In 1868 a flood that was 30 ft high tore through the time. Washing away 3 mills. There’s a story of man watching his entire family perish on the banks of the raging river. As the flood waters got higher and higher they leaped frog from one house to another until there were no more houses to jump to. He watched his wife and 6 kids drown.
Really interesting. I've been on some stretches of the wisel around the bridge on county road 18 and the south fork of the Root behind Amherst. Sad story and repsectful story telling on your part.
We were randomly driving around, following creeks. Only was there once several years ago.the county historical society could probably tell you exactly where it was.
I know some people mistakenly think the marker near Chickentown was to honor them (its about 4 -5 feet tall and narrow rectangular shaped), but it wasn't, it was actually a marker to commemorate the old schoolhouse that used to be there. @nesavage9806
Lots of this looks like the north Saskatchewan River valley . Not the oak trees or the bedrock ( we have 400 feet of glacial till ) Driving past the abandoned farms , just fenced into the pasture. All the bush in the river and creek bottoms . Looks just like western Saskatchewan or eastern Alberta
States and local cities don't make historical areas available to state or city residents to learn about past events that show history. Partly because of vandalism and caretaking of many sites
Imagine, these are the stories that built America. In 1866 they must've been the ONLY people for miles and miles and miles. Now you can't even tell that people ever settled in that spot. I WILL AGREE with one thing, the woods are ominously quiet. That is eerie to be that quiet in a pretty patch of woods like that. Honestly when you brought it up, I wondered if it was like that before they settled that area, or only since then. But you are right, when it's so quiet that you notice it, it makes you feel weird, more alert to your surroundings. Im a hunter, and overly quiet woods have a BAD /TROUBLED PAST, and I DO NOT hang out, in, or around them. Odd things just seem to go on around them.
The lone survivor wrote that once the debris she was floating on got caught up in some trees, she then hiked a long distance just to find another cabin and when she found one, they didn't speak her language, which wasn't uncommon with the new immigrants here in Minnesota (German, Norwegian, French, Irish, Swedes etc).
I see it a lot on old Plat maps, around here, they would often build right up near these small streams, but as the lands became cleared of forest and overgrazed, these small streams would swell to raging rivers when it would rain.
Thanks for this interesting video. You mentioned you’d put a link to the woman’s account of the tragedy in the description but I’m not seeing it. Could you provide a link?
The link was a newspaper article that printed her entire account of the flood, but the paper was bought out a few years ago and I noticed the link went did. I'm going to have to get a copy from the new owner of the paper.
Ira Wisel, David Wisels wife who survived the flood, wrote an account of it shortly after. I had a link to her story as it was published in a local paper several years ago, but the link went dead. A couple paragraphs of what happened was also written in a Fillmore County History book. dated in the late 1800's.
Why would anyone build a cabin in a possible flood zone when there was higher ground to build on? I can't feel sorry for anyone that stupid, except for the kids because they are too young to know better.
Given it was 150 years ago, those Oaks would not have existed at the house site and the originals have came and went a long time ago. A best those are 2nd generation since then, maybe even 3rd. Beautiful location though, what a pretty stream.
It's possible as Oaks have a lifespan up to 400 years, so they could be original. The only way to know would be to take a core sample. I have looked at aerials from 1940 and the oaks were there then too.
Yes, it has been detected, nothing of significance was found, it's soft river deposit bottom land composed of mostly sand and silt, so here in Minnesota with our freezing, thawing and flooding, anything there long ago sunk or washed away.
@@stumpfarm3714 On old Plat maps, i've noticed it was a lot more common to build closer to the rivers and streams. Here in Minnesota back when the state was founded, clearing of the woods for farmland and overgrazing caused raging floods before conservation techniques had become a thing.
It was the Western Frontier at that time, any towns were just springing up. Farming, lumber and mining were some of the largest occupations. In this case, they ran a grain mill to mill the farmer's grain.
According to the movie Coco, you don't truly die until nobody remembers you. Now, these people will live on forever, thanks to your diligent detective work 💙
It's a good story, I like history. However, someone needs to troll you at least a little, so... The woods look creepy? What's looking back at me? (probably a squirrel) I'm not going in there? Really??? You need to get out more. That little "Blair Witch" moment should have been edited out and replaced by... I don't know, something which was true and added to the actual memory of those who were lost? Just sayin...
For me, those woods were creepy, it was a strange day, dead calm and dead silent. I grew up in the woods so I'm no stranger to them, thats for sure. I don't fear them, but I did once have a presumably rabid raccoon come charging out of a similar thicket that bordered a rural church I was mowing the lawn of!
For me, what I find most scary are humans, especially if they come charging out of a thicket. Animals, not so much as they belong and are somewhat predictable.
Careful with the "puff balls", they're psychedelic mushrooms. If you have a sore or broken skin and touch them, you may see those dead folks that passed away near there. haha
I can't imagine those spores would be good for the lungs either! Aren't some puffballs considered a delicacy when you harvest them when they first sprout?
@@StateTreasures I'm not sure, but they turn to dust when the sunlight hits them. You have to be crepuscular to harvest them. I've eaten them before. When I awoke, I thought I was a moose.
Sadly, I think many tragedies like this fade away in the memories of people as generations pass on. I hope this brings to light one such story of the hardships of pioneer life.
Our Heavenly Parents don't forget their children 🕊️🌿
A lot of adults didn't have the time of day to sit and write. But some did later in the evening those were educated enough. But mostly it was the children just like Sarah Wilder, who wrote Little House on the Prairie. There's so many personal stories lost except to the imagination of many past and future writers
Not sadly… were they the dumb people Who chose their own fates ?????? That’s why they fade they are duuuuuuum
@@eveadame1059idiot 😂
How terribly sad, almost an entire family destroyed. Thank you for sharing this video and shedding light on those forgotten.
Thank you for watching. I was happy to see that they had fenced off the gravesites so cattle couldn't graze there any longer. They looked like they had pushed the graves over at one point.
As scary as it was for you going up that trail, imagine how brave settlers were. No phones, no security, no gps. Nothing. The unknown.
Bears and Mountain Lions still inhabited this part of the state at that time too.
Only one known. Mosquitoes.
One of the first white settlers in SE Minnesota stated that "the bravest man on the swiftest horse dares not attempt the darkest swamps at the height of summer" for one reason only... the mosquitoes.@@TopClips7777
I live a couple of miles from here, and I've never heard this story. I'm definitely going to go check it out. Thanks for sharing.
Definitely, check it out!
Thanks again for keeping those poor souls plight for life and tragic end alive in our minds and hearts. Stories like this are forgotten with the passage of time.
Thank you for watching, I've known of this story since I was young, but never knew the exact spot it took place and many of the locals have even forgotten it happened.
Great job! I think its important to remember how difficult life was for our ancestors.
Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed the video! I was reading the other day about a snowstorm in Southwestern Minnesota back in 1888 as I recall and 400+ people perished within a day.
For those curious about the veterans marker: David Wisel's brother, Ira Wisel, died during the Civil War at the Battle of Helena, Arkansas in 1863. That marker was placed there (apparently) as a memorial to him, because his body was actually buried at Memphis National Cemetery after the battle, and never reinterred. This was the closest the family could get to laying him to rest in a family plot. An all too common event in the years after the war.
Thank you for the information!
Very interesting and sad story. Thank you for sharing it.
You're welcome and thank you for watching it!
Thank you for sharing!❤ These old forgotten cemeteries always make me sad. Yet happy. Bringing light to the forgotten.❤️🥰🙏🏽💐
They are sad, but I still love to visit them.
Regarding the grave marker earlier in the video, the engraving looked newer, so I think it was just a marker someone left in the last 30 years or so and has no relation to the flood victims gravesites shown later in the video. Maybe it was a path they used to walk along together.
That's great local history which will now never be forgotten due to this video. Fantastic work and thank you for the education.
Thank you. I'm glad a fence was erected around the old iron fence and gravestone to preserve it!
This was very interesting and even in the bareness of winter it looked like beautiful country.
Thank you, Southeast Minnesota is a unique part of the state with all its streams and valleys!
The Driftless region is absolutely beautiful. It encompasses SE Minnesota, NE Iowa, and SW Wisconsin.
@@Driftless-Ramblings I agree 100%!
Great video! The flood was a tragedy, but I'm glad you shed some light on this specific incident. You have ensured that they won't be forgotten in the foreseeable future.
Thank you, I hope not! It was nice to see that they (I'm assuming the state did since it borders state land) had erected a new fence around the old iron fence where the gravesite was as it was getting overrun by grazing cattle.
@@StateTreasures Respectful of the state to protect old graves.
really good story you uncovered. I love Minnesota. My cousins in Stillwater took us to Boundary Waters for an awesome 5 day canoe trip.
That'll be a trip to remember, beautiful area up in the Boundary Waters!
yes, we saw alot of bald eagles. awesome State@@StateTreasures
Thanks for the kind words yeah we love it hear it gets a little too cold this time of year put it's not unbearable and you're right the BWCA is a beautiful place
Born and raised Minnesotan here. My friend and I took a seven day trip in the Boundary Waters in 1968 when we were 15. I remember it like it was yesterday. All we had was a map, no GPS or phone. Just backpacks and a canoe. We never saw anybody the whole trip until we were in the middle of a lake debating which way to go to find the next portage, A couple of canoes were in earshot of us, and they had a guide who said we should follow him. I was pretty sure he was wrong judging by the map. It looked to me like he was heading into a huge bay and we didn't follow him. We were right, and saved almost a whole day of paddling. It was a great adventure.
so many great adventures in Minnesota. must come back!
Awesome story!❤
Liked & subscribed!
I'll be looking for more from you!
Thankyou! I already have a couple of projects lined up to film that are of the outdoor/history/exploration genre similar to this one.
Grew up on a farm with three streams. Had multiple bad floods over two decades. Learned early in life the importance of high ground for safety and just how fast the water can rise.
Yeah, they can turn into raging rivers in no time!
Gorgeous site, and great video!
Some people talk about "colonization" like Europeans waltzed into the country and instantly subjugated it. But as your video proves, creating infrastructure like mills, dams, roads, etc, often came at the cost of heartbreaking labor and even death. Taming the wild west was a heroic undertaking.
Thank you! Pioneer life wasn’t easy, that’s for sure! Probably did quite a bit of fishing for survival with the stream right there!
Liked and described - really enjoyed connecting with the old folks - beautifully told - Minnesota might as well be the moon to a southern boy - absolutely beautiful country, thanks again.
Thank you for watching! I find everywhere I go, no matter the state, there's always beautiful places to be found!
Being from south Texas, Minnesota looks so stunning!
Same goes for Texas, some very beautiful areas there too!
That’s southeastern Minnesota. Up north is completely different consisting of spruce, pine, birch, etc, along with thousands of lakes
I call it home. Now, some areas of the state are pretty blah, but there are areas that are truly remarkable! @@jellybeandakota6140
This looks to be the driftless section where the glaciers missed the region
Correct, it is what they call the "driftless region" missed by the last glaciers.@@jj-eo7bj
A true tragedy. Very tastefully done. Thank you.💔
Thank you.
Quite a story. My ancestors were some of the first settlers of Lanesboro. The Scanlons. A forgotten time. From first settlers to donating land for city to expand. Owning a store and a bank. A banking story that would rival it's a wonderful life.
No doubt about that, the Scanlons have a deep connection to Lanesboro! So much history in this area.
Very interesting to learn about ... thank you! For what it's worth, the soldier listed on the headstone was Ezra Wisel, who was a member of the 6th Minn Infantry during the Civil War. He died on November 18, 1864 (not 1860 as the stone lists) in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and is buried there. Ezra was a son of David and Jerusha.
Thank you so much for sharing that! I've been meaning to research it further so that really helps paint a better picture!
Interesting place,I love stories of people of the past,truly makes one appreciate better times. It also gives you perspective since times are once again becoming hard and we are dealing with a new brand of savages. Commenters were talking quite a bit about wondering why they built their cabin so close to the water,not on a hill. Let me say this about that, water was then and is now essential to living. It's needed for drinking,cooking,washing body and clothes living on a hill unless there was a spring near by would mean you'd have to go down to the water and carry it uphill,quite la or intensive. Andddd think about it ,with no weatherman to tell you, who would guess it would rain that much so quickly,that was certainly a weather event. Unexpected , unusually and totally unprepared for. I hear a lot of talk these days from places like Yellowstone area,Washington state, California,earthquake preparedness,go bags and such,things can be se one by second in the best of circumstances,life is precious but also very vulnerable and that makes people nervous. We all need to be more mindful that everyday could be our last...care for one another,love one another and use the good sense God gave you. I really enjoyed the countryside and the hike the woods were quiet but that's great in a noisy world where sirens are often blaring. Minnesota looks beautiful.😊from KY.
Thank you for watching. You make some good points. I've noticed on old Plat maps it wasn't uncommon for people back in the pioneer days to build near water. Perhaps flooding wasn't as bad from where they immigrated from, that combined with clear cutting and lack of conservation methods when farming, flooding became more prevalent.
Very interesting thank you ❤
Thank you for watching!
I will never understand why the local county does not take care of the burial sites. It is such a historical part of Minnesota history . This happens a lot where the people are forgotten. Thanks for sharing it was very interesting to see.
I will say, I believe it was the County (or the state), that put the recent modern fence around the old Iron Fence surrounding the gravestone. Up until about 10 years ago, it used to be just open cow pasture and the cows took a toll on that old iron fence.
Great video. Great presentation. Thank you.
Thank you, I appreciate it!
Thank you for sharing your experience with us ❤
Thank you for watching!
I just subscribed we need more stories like this we can't let history fade off like that
I agree with this!
That was excellent. I love those countess, often overlooked historical accounts like this. Tragic as it is...
Thank you, even around here locally, many of the people have never knew this happened.
Dang shame you don’t have more subscribers, you earned mine!
Thank you, I appreciate it!
I was thinking about the veteran's flag and marker at the grave site, there. If those were for David Wisel, and he died at age 56 in 1866, that's a bit too old to be in the Civil War....not impossible, but pretty old unless he was a very senior officer. There's a chance that he might have been a Mexican War veteran from 1846-1848.
I was wondering the same thing. Towards the bottom of the stone you can see "Ezra Wisel Son Of" so perhaps that is a son of David Wisels who didn't perish in the flood and served in a later war? I'll have to research it further.
Yep, or there could be another missing, broken grave stone, or the flag and star might have been moved.....Anyway, it was an interesting place, a harrowing story, and a really cool little valley, tucked down in there. That deep, green creek water cutting into the rocks was really pretty. Thanks for taking us along on a neat little adventure.
There used to be a set of graves by the railroad tracks where i live in a rural community. Someone took the headstones.
Where was this by? Did they just remove the stones and leave the deceased?
Did you find the bodies ?
Thanks for sharing so much history just lying at our feet thank God for God the god of Mercy on all of those who believe in him our faith in Jesus Christ death burial and Resurrection means the difference between eternal life in heaven and not such a good Destiny for rejecting one opportunity to be redeemed of our inherited sin
I’m a 52 yr old who has lived in Minnesota my entire life and had never heard of this tragedy. Thank you for telling their story and speaking their names… now they will forever be remembered.
The story has even faded (or the details changed) in the minds of the locals around here.
I really enjoyed this. You did a great job.
That waters beautiful
Isn't it though? It was an overcast day when I filmed it and the water reminded me of some green oceans I've seen!
Thanks for the state history lesson!
So much history fades away with time.
Excellent video! Thank you!
Thank you for watching!
It's cool how God allows us to discover history. I had two tires blow out about 20 miles west of American falls Idaho in a blizzard one early spring. When I checked my GPS to see what was around me, I discovered Massacre Rocks State Park...thats where I broke down. Two wagon trains many years apart were ambushed there by native Americans in the late 1800's and early 1900's. One settler watched his wife and children murdered by the natives. Then, he went to Pocatello and requested the army outposts help. They sent a garrison to corral and take down those native Americans ambushing settlers traveling west for a better life. It made me feel not so frightened whole being broken down there. As I was easily driving across America in a car. Those settlers didn't have such a luxury...and had such an ordeal to contend with just to find a piece of land to call their own.
Thank you for watching and thank you for sharing your story! Pioneer life wasn't easy. I've found looking at Plat maps that a lot of the original settlers didn't stay long on their initial plot of land they settled on, often moving within a few years, whereas when you move up around 1900, they'd stay on the plots of land for decades, some even still in the family to this day!
I Just Found Your Channel On CZcams's Home Page - I Have Subscribed & Clicked On Bell
fascinating story, some history is tragic as is this but should be told if possible. As a fellow American I appreciate your efforts to inform us of this tiny sliver in the grand scheme of our countries history it matters . Let's us all be connected.
Thank you for taking the time to watch it.
New subscriber liked this too ❤
Great job and wonderful content. Subscribed! Thank you for you time, dedication, education and entertainment. You deserve many, many more followers.
Thank you for the kind words!
Love puff balls!! Yum yum before they spore out like that!! Fall mushroom season is the best.
I've never tried them, maybe I should?!
@@StateTreasures do your research before eating any wild mushroom.. with puff balls as long as it’s white inside and not purple blue or black. It’s edible. But you still need to learn first…. There is a guy here on the tube called “ learn your land”. He is awesome for wild edible information. I also have a few informative videos on my channel but no where near of his level.
@@StateTreasures also. Medicinal value of mushrooms is huge.. Turkey tail is used to cure cancer and boost your immune system. I drink in in my tea daily.. I never even got Covid. 👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you for posting this. I am a lifelong state citizen and never heard of this tragedy. May the Lord grant all these good people rest and repose and may their memory be eternal. I would like to do this type of hiking for educational purposes but I am in my 60s and afraid to go into the woods alone. What if I break a leg or ankle or run into some evil person who means me harm? I do not have a firearm or a satellite phone for use. I'm sure a regular cellphone would not work up there. I think the woods can be dangerous in a spiritual and supernatural sense. God bless them.
I feel safest when I'm in the woods, like it's my protector.
You would love Old Ellicott City in Maryland. In 1868 a flood that was 30 ft high tore through the time. Washing away 3 mills. There’s a story of man watching his entire family perish on the banks of the raging river. As the flood waters got higher and higher they leaped frog from one house to another until there were no more houses to jump to. He watched his wife and 6 kids drown.
I wonder if this “storm” was the remnants of a hurricane that came up from the Gulf of Mexico that August?
I suppose it could be, or this front was the one that collided with the Atlantic front causing massive hurricanes in the Atlantic Ocean in 1866.
I doubt it. I live in the area (coulee country, driftless area)which has horrible flash flooding which has nothing to do with hurricanes.
Really interesting. I've been on some stretches of the wisel around the bridge on county road 18 and the south fork of the Root behind Amherst. Sad story and repsectful story telling on your part.
I trout fished there and there’s a marker regarding that tragedy. I’ll have to look for the gravesite next time.
Where is the marker located at?
We were randomly driving around, following creeks. Only was there once several years ago.the county historical society could probably tell you exactly where it was.
I know some people mistakenly think the marker near Chickentown was to honor them (its about 4 -5 feet tall and narrow rectangular shaped), but it wasn't, it was actually a marker to commemorate the old schoolhouse that used to be there. @nesavage9806
So that one left standing gets to represent all those who went before🌹🌹🌹🙏🌹🌹🌹🙏🌹🌹🌹🙏
Lots of this looks like the north Saskatchewan River valley . Not the oak trees or the bedrock ( we have 400 feet of glacial till )
Driving past the abandoned farms , just fenced into the pasture. All the bush in the river and creek bottoms . Looks just like western Saskatchewan or eastern Alberta
We're not too far away:-)
States and local cities don't make historical areas available to state or city residents to learn about past events that show history. Partly because of vandalism and caretaking of many sites
Yeah, that may be for the better in some cases.
It's hard to see a Veteran's grave in such a condition.
Imagine, these are the stories that built America. In 1866 they must've been the ONLY people for miles and miles and miles. Now you can't even tell that people ever settled in that spot. I WILL AGREE with one thing, the woods are ominously quiet. That is eerie to be that quiet in a pretty patch of woods like that. Honestly when you brought it up, I wondered if it was like that before they settled that area, or only since then. But you are right, when it's so quiet that you notice it, it makes you feel weird, more alert to your surroundings. Im a hunter, and overly quiet woods have a BAD /TROUBLED PAST, and I DO NOT hang out, in, or around them. Odd things just seem to go on around them.
The lone survivor wrote that once the debris she was floating on got caught up in some trees, she then hiked a long distance just to find another cabin and when she found one, they didn't speak her language, which wasn't uncommon with the new immigrants here in Minnesota (German, Norwegian, French, Irish, Swedes etc).
That whole area looks so much like the karst topography in Southern Indiana that I kept convincing myself that's where this was...
This video frightened AND depressed me.
It is a sad story, though I find a little bit of peace in remembering them.
Beautiful water
It's crazy how green it was. Kind of like some oceans.
River valleys are beautiful and bountiful, but they have one big drawback....
Very true.
Thanks for the post ,it is vey exciting to explore where is this located? Is it public land? I’d love to go
Yes, it is on State Forest Land in Southeast Minnesota.
Pretty scenery but WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE WE? A map showing location in the state would sure have been helpful.
Southeast MN, Fillmore County.
ya it looks like a gate
Where do you click to get a LIDAR overlay? Very interesting.
Search “Minnesota LIDAR”, they have the LiDAR maps for MN
That's a beautiful area up there. Not sure what comes to mind when I think of Minnesota but that wasn't it.
Extreme southeast Minnesota is a unique part of the state. Very beautiful area for sure!
I live within an hours drive. Really neat stuff I’d like to see first hand. Is this public land?
Yes, it's on state forest land.
there a reason Seafarers built their homes up on hills, away from the immediate shore. low lying areas. Something lost on many today
I see it a lot on old Plat maps, around here, they would often build right up near these small streams, but as the lands became cleared of forest and overgrazed, these small streams would swell to raging rivers when it would rain.
Thanks for this interesting video. You mentioned you’d put a link to the woman’s account of the tragedy in the description but I’m not seeing it. Could you provide a link?
The link was a newspaper article that printed her entire account of the flood, but the paper was bought out a few years ago and I noticed the link went did. I'm going to have to get a copy from the new owner of the paper.
the native americans knew to build their houses on top of ridges overlooking the river, never next to the river, especially at a river confluence.
Until you get a camera stabilizer, I highly recommend moving your camera much slower while transitioning from left to right and so on.
I agree and good advice. Working on slowing down my pans on my next video. A gimbal mounted camera would be nice too.
Great video. Maybe run the script at the end so that it doesn't obscure trying to read the headstone. Otherwise, I enjoyed watching.
The original cut did it just that way, then I panicked as the video was so long and cut it shorter, probably shouldn't have in hindsight!
Has anything ever been written up about this tragedy?
Ira Wisel, David Wisels wife who survived the flood, wrote an account of it shortly after. I had a link to her story as it was published in a local paper several years ago, but the link went dead. A couple paragraphs of what happened was also written in a Fillmore County History book. dated in the late 1800's.
Why would anyone build a cabin in a possible flood zone when there was higher ground to build on? I can't feel sorry for anyone that stupid, except for the kids because they are too young to know better.
Given it was 150 years ago, those Oaks would not have existed at the house site and the originals have came and went a long time ago. A best those are 2nd generation since then, maybe even 3rd. Beautiful location though, what a pretty stream.
It's possible as Oaks have a lifespan up to 400 years, so they could be original. The only way to know would be to take a core sample. I have looked at aerials from 1940 and the oaks were there then too.
got my like with those puffballs
Puffballs for the win!
I wish you had brought along a metal detector who knows what she might have found
Yes, it has been detected, nothing of significance was found, it's soft river deposit bottom land composed of mostly sand and silt, so here in Minnesota with our freezing, thawing and flooding, anything there long ago sunk or washed away.
Those streams are prone to rapid flooding
how long did they stay in the cabin before it was too late to cross to higher ground.... better to walk in the rain than drown in a flood
She said they heard logs hitting the cabin and that's what alerted them.
Couldn't even imagine my mattress floating down stream like a boat🤔
And in the pitch black of night too!
@@StateTreasures Exactly🤣
Where is this, I'd love to hike there.
South East Minnesota, South Fork Root River
Life goes on 😂😂😂😂
Horrific :-(
Life was certainly hard on the frontier.
Pretty niche but interesting, thanks.
Be nice if someone were to fix the fencing up and slow down the degradation of the site a little more.
It used to be open pasture which I think the cows really took their toll on the fencing.
Why would you build in a wash ?
You mean the side channel? If so, it diverted the river to run through the water powered grain mill.
Yeah. That whole area, before he walked to the cemetery, looked like a floodplain.
You don't, as can be seen it doesn't work well. Snow melt would be a big concern after a snowy winter.
People took chances to make a living.
SE Minnesota Driftless Area is prone to flash flooding during heavy rains. I need to visit the area next summer, maybe cast a line in Wesel Creek.
@@stumpfarm3714 On old Plat maps, i've noticed it was a lot more common to build closer to the rivers and streams. Here in Minnesota back when the state was founded, clearing of the woods for farmland and overgrazing caused raging floods before conservation techniques had become a thing.
Was this near Mabel, MN?
Yes it is.
Where is this?,,,, what state?
Southeast Minnesota
Don’t worry, the witches mostly come out at night… mostly.
Can someone please explain why families would settle and build a home in the middle of nowhere. No other humans around. What is the purpose of this?
It was the Western Frontier at that time, any towns were just springing up. Farming, lumber and mining were some of the largest occupations. In this case, they ran a grain mill to mill the farmer's grain.
According to the movie Coco, you don't truly die until nobody remembers you. Now, these people will live on forever, thanks to your diligent detective work 💙
That is a great perspective!
They also said it don’t work like that cuz they’re already dead
How did you get the Lidar map?
Search "Minnesota Lidar" for MN lidar maps
Where did you park to get there if you don’t mind me asking.
Park by the bridge on Hwy 12 and hike up the valley following the river.
Is the nearest town Lanesboro? Thanks
Lanesboro, Whalen, Canton and Mabel are all about the same distance from it.
Where is this located?
South East Minnesota.
Was that cemetery on private property?
It abuts state forest land.
Where did you find the LiDar map?
Search "Minnesota Lidar"
🙏❤️🩹🙏
It's a good story, I like history. However, someone needs to troll you at least a little, so...
The woods look creepy? What's looking back at me? (probably a squirrel) I'm not going in there? Really??? You need to get out more. That little "Blair Witch" moment should have been edited out and replaced by... I don't know, something which was true and added to the actual memory of those who were lost? Just sayin...
For me, those woods were creepy, it was a strange day, dead calm and dead silent. I grew up in the woods so I'm no stranger to them, thats for sure. I don't fear them, but I did once have a presumably rabid raccoon come charging out of a similar thicket that bordered a rural church I was mowing the lawn of!
What are you afraid of in the woods? Creepy? It’s Minnesota. It’s not like a giant grizzly bear is going to come running out at you.
For me, what I find most scary are humans, especially if they come charging out of a thicket. Animals, not so much as they belong and are somewhat predictable.
Thos puff balls My Mom said they are the Devil Snuff box
Fun to squeeze though!
Careful with the "puff balls", they're psychedelic mushrooms. If you have a sore or broken skin and touch them, you may see those dead folks that passed away near there. haha
I can't imagine those spores would be good for the lungs either! Aren't some puffballs considered a delicacy when you harvest them when they first sprout?
@@StateTreasures I'm not sure, but they turn to dust when the sunlight hits them. You have to be crepuscular to harvest them. I've eaten them before. When I awoke, I thought I was a moose.
I remember as a kid hiking and exploring we'd stomp on them to get them to explode. Brought back memories.
@@davidchosewood647 Same here!
@@DougCanney1Or maybe a pink elephant.
Rather silly building log cabins so near to rivers, obviously not from Scotland.