New book spotlights Wisconsin’s river history

From logging to water skiing, rivers have always played a role in the Wisconsin’s story. Now a new book by a UW–Madison staff member brings the state’s rivers together in sharp detail.

Created as both a travel guide and a comprehensive history of Wisconsin’s waterways, “Explore Wisconsin Rivers” is the first book to tackle more than one river or river system.

Author Doris Green, a university relations specialist in the UW–Madison School of Human Ecology, had previously written two books on the outdoors, both dealing with caves, mines and tunnels. When Madison-based publisher Trails Books approached her, she says, she couldn’t refuse the opportunity to set the tone for a new series.

Like the early river explorers, Green relished the ability to set her own course. The essay style of the text provides a counterpoint to the often-terse snippets found in most guidebooks, stretching her research, organizational and writing skills.

After selecting which rivers to focus on (along with their major tributaries), the first step involved outlining a rough schedule of trips to different sections of the state, primarily over the course of two spring-summer-fall seasons. Over the next few years, she and her spouse explored 17 rivers by “driving, hiking, paddling — including one trip in a replica voyageur canoe — a river cruise on the Mississippi, a train trip along and across the St. Croix, and a helicopter ride over the Lower Wisconsin.”

Between trips further afield, she explored rivers close to home and engaged in interviews, library research and online queries to find out more.

Green’s day job involves a slightly less adventurous variety of tasks: creating press releases, editing materials for the dean and other SOHE units, managing alumni communications and a yearly almanac, and creating scripts and speeches for special events.

In both her personal and professional writing, she finds connections between people, places and history, providing a deeper context for readers who might not otherwise know what they’re missing.

For Green, the task isn’t much of a hardship: “This book gave me a perfect excuse to travel, explore and ask nosy questions in every corner of the state.”