lands were logged off, it would rebound by springing “up a denser growth of poplar, oak and other deciduous trees.” Thus, rendered barren of merchantable forest products by lumbering tactics and unable to be converted into farming, much of the land had become useless. As for the area that was destined to become the Nicolet National Forest, the first lumber cut was pine around 1835. Kennel M. Elliot, author of the History of the Nicolet National Forrest 1928-1976, confirms that “a sawmill firm in Neenah took the first pines from the northern part of Oconto County and floated them down the Wolf River to the mill. In 1838, a water power mill was built at Peshtigo in Marinette County. Pine logs cut from the northern part of Oconto County were floated down the Peshtigo River to this mill. Several sawmills were built at Green Bay and Oconto between 1840 and 1860. Pine logs were driven down the waterways, from what is today the Nicolet National Forest’s Lakewood District, to supply these mills.” Conclusion As with most regions of the state of Wisconsin, the area to become the Nicolet Forest was heavily logged. Nearly all the “old growth” was removed during the lumber boom. Fortunately for the future Nicolet National Forest, the area proved unfeasible for conversion into farmsteads. For much of the early twentieth century, the land was considered unusable and much of it was left to sit. This would prove to be its salvation, though none would have known it at the time. In addition, the disastrous effects of the lumber industry could not go unnoticed. The belief that the natural resources went on forever was finally being recognized as false. The severe change in the landscape of Wisconsin, as an example, could not be ignored. Soon forest conservation, long the silent voice in the background of progress, would gain the upper hand. Even so, in the eyes of most, it was already ...
