— Once you have lived on the land, been a partner with its moods, secrets and seasons, you cannot leave. The living land remembers, touching you in unguarded moments, saying, I am here. You are a part of me. The Land Remembers — Ben Logan
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West Point By The River
The land in the Town of West Point has been a part of many peoples lives and they have been a part of it, even before the local governing body was separated from the voting precinct of Wisconsin Territory called Pleasant Valley, becoming part of the Town of Lodi. In 1850, another separation took place and the new town was given its present name of West Point. Until recently the town has been comprised mainly of farms except along the Wisconsin River, which forms its boundary with Sauk County.While the river was at times a barrier, it also has been a beacon. The indigenous tribes, early traders, loggers and settlers used it for transportation. Since 1914, when the dam north of Prairie du Sac went in forming Lake Wisconsin, usage has included power and tourism.
A free ferry has been transporting travelers across the Wisconsin River to Merrimac since 1849, while a bridge gives easy access to Prairie du Sac. Richmond Memorial Park of the Rocks of Gibraltar affords a spectacular view of the beautiful, rolling landscape with its wooded hills, fertile farmland and river, which were the features that first brought pioneers to the town. These features still hold great appeal. Homes rather than farms are on the increase, but the rural flavor of the community has been maintained, attracting new families to share and cherish this unique heritage.
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Where Is West Point?
Might say tis where Gibraltar Bluff
Points toward the heavens blue,
As if to bid good morrow
To the Hills of Baraboo.
Tis a point in fair Columbia
Extending to the west
On the shore of Lake Wisconsin, —
The place that I love best.
Adapted from N. G. Abbots original verse |