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Abstract
| Daines discuss the following topics: Born in 1921, Weister Creek, Wisconsin, parents H.C. Daines and Helma Daines, one brother and two sisters, lived in Weister Creek, Wisconsin until 1970—Daines family farm located at Pott’s Corner (County Road P and Wolfe Valley Road, La Farge, Wisconsin), south of Art Nelson’s garage, across from Scotch Pine (species of tree used as a geographic locater)—Daines describes classes of farm land his family owned, valley land, bench land, and rich land, land owned by family for over 100 years, in Pott’s Corner, La Farge, Wisconsin—Daines grandfather’s Dutch heritage, grandfather born in the United States, family estate broken into two lots, south side and north side, James Daines bought the south side, Brother Vaughn Daines bought north side on his return from U.S. Army—Crops that James Daines farmed, tobacco, corn, hay, and milked cows until he sold land ca. 1970—Daines first heard about the La Farge Dam Project ca. 1938, Lloyd Palmer (an original endorser of the project in Washington D.C.), remembers project taking long time to develop—Kickapoo Watershed (local group of small farmers trying to establish a series of small dams in the Kickapoo River Valley) members included family farms from Stark, Whitestown, Clinton, and Union townships, La Farge Dam Project, Wisconsin (1969-1975) stopped the construction of the small dams —Flooding on Daines’ land and in Weister Creek, Wisconsin—Businesses in Pott’s Corners (County Road P and Wolf Valley Road, La Farge, Wisconsin), cheese factory, Art Nelson’s garage, Jim Wadell’s store, saw mill, whey factory —Reasons why Daines was against proposed La Farge Dam Project in Wisconsin (1969-1975), unpopularity of the La Farge Dam Project —Businesses leaving Pott’s Corner, Wisconsin at time of La Farge Dam Project (1969-1975), many already gone or wanting to leave—Arrival of Sierra Club (est. 1892) activists in Weister Creek, Wisconsin, gave power to the opponents of the La Farge Dam Project (1969-1975), Sierra Club identified new species of flower and Mud Turtle to prevent further construction—How La Farge Dam Project, Wisconsin (1969-1975) workers from Rock Island, Illinois lied about purchase of land, buyers (unknown) claimed they would condemn land if Daines did not sell, Daines was payed $35,000 dollars for land, unfair price, estimated he lost $50,000 on transaction—Daines’ thoughts on La Farge Dam Project (1969-1975) ruining community in Pott’s Corner, Wisconsin —New house Daines built on ridge did not have enough water for cattle or family, government official (agency unknown) wanted to sue previous landowner for Daines, government regulations for relocation and water quality—Lake reservoir would have been created with La Farge Dam Project (1969-1975), Daines thought it would have been a good lake for fishing—Life in Pott’s Corner, Wisconsin community, many families attended the same church, La Farge Dam Project (1969-1975) split families because they had to find new farm land —Daines’ claims La Farge Dam Project (1969-1975) killed people, stress caused heart attacks and aneurysms—Land appraisers from Rock Island, Illinois surveyed land and were in charge of buying land, Daines’ land was not considered high quality (1969- ca. 1972)—Daines disagrees with Native American rights to the land (presumably Ho-Chunk), believes Chippewa were more entitled to Weister Creek area, Native American ancestry among community members in Pott’s Corner, Wisconsin—Black community in Cheyenne Valley, Wisconsin, Daines knew of Shivers (transcript spelling Sheafors) family —Vernon Country, Wisconsin areas that Daines was familiar with during youth, scared to cross Kickapoo River bridge, Daines family did not own a car, full day trip to La Farge, Wisconsin with wagon, parents raised turkeys and geese, brought them to Westby, Wisconsin to sell for school clothes—Weister Creek School, eighty-two students for first and second grade, school district started at Buckeye Ridge, Wisconsin, over twenty families lived in Weister Creek School District ca. 1928—Daines met wife Evelyn, at a community hall dance in Rockton, Wisconsin —Changes in land price since Daines was a child ca. 1920s-1930s —Daines attended one year of high school, stayed home from school after father’s injury in a line threader, rode a bicycle between Pott’s Corner and La Farge, Wisconsin to get to school ca. 1935—La Farge Dam Project (1969-1975) decreases Weister Creek School District’s enrollment and school funding—Daines wrote a letter to U.S. Senator William Proxmire (1957-1989), Senator Proxmire did not want Daines to stop progress of La Farge Dam Project (1969-1975)—Locals did not want people moving into Pott’s Corner, Wisconsin community, Daines’ thoughts on giving land to Native Americans, proposal for Native American casino rejected in La Crosse, Wisconsin in April 1995—Comparing damages faced by floods and damages caused by the U.S. Government, floods never hurt him too much, largest loss was half acre of tobacco, but gained new fertile dirt—Thought that in the 1970s one million dollars would have been sufficient to finish construction of the La Farge Dam (1969-1975), Daines opposition to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (est. 1802) — Daines’ thoughts on the Kickapoo Valley Reserve (est. 2000), need to get more local people on the Kickapoo Valley Reserve Board, Daines believes nothing good yet has come from La Farge Dam Project (1969-1975), possibility for Kickapoo Valley Reserve to become beautiful part of the U.S.—Kickapoo River Valley area overhunted, land and wildlife abused, Daines objects to hunting with dogs in Kickapoo River Valley, Wisconsin—Care of farm land, strip-farming, Weister Creek, Wisconsin had fertile soil —Lumber business not prevalent in Weister Creek, Wisconsin area, no market for logs—Cleo Fish’s sawmill in Fish Valley, Wisconsin, sawing logs for neighbors in spring time—Thoughts on U.S. Government renting out land to farmers, U.S. Government received more money than price they paid for land in 6 years, Daines upset because Sierra Club (est. 1892) activists stopped the dam project after it had already started ca. 1970s—Daines thinks environment is better now than it was forty years ago (ca. 1960s), U.S. Government stricter with chemicals, Atrazine-producing companies lied to farmers to sell more of their product, Atrazine-producing companies polluted soil, Weister Creek, Wisconsin waters are safe to drink—Daines thought La Farge Dam Project (1969-1975) was a waste of tax payer’s money—Diversified farming practices necessary for success in La Farge, Wisconsin area, Daines had tobacco amongst other crops, many farms had cows, chickens, pigs, very few people had car, fire, and home insurance, people lived simply— Daines wants Kickapoo Valley Reserve to turn into a park, Reserve Board can’t build on land until U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (est. 1802) leaves. |
| Content | 00:00:20—Born in 1921, Weister Creek, Wisconsin, parents H.C. Daines and Helma Daines, one brother and two sisters, lived in Weister Creek, Wisconsin until 1970 |
00:01:25—Daines family farm located at Pott’s Corner (County Road P and Wolfe Valley Road, La Farge, Wisconsin), south of Art Nelson’s garage, across from Scotch Pine (species of tree used as a geographic locater) |
00:02:03—Daines describes classes of farm land his family owned, valley land, bench land, and rich land, land owned by family for over 100 years, in Pott’s Corner, La Farge, Wisconsin |
00:03:06—Daines grandfather’s Dutch heritage, grandfather born in the United States, family estate broken into two lots, south side and north side, James Daines bought the south side, Brother Vaughn Daines bought north side on his return from U.S. Army |
00:04:06—Crops that James Daines farmed, tobacco, corn, hay, and milked cows until he sold land ca. 1970 |
00:04:35—Daines first heard about the La Farge Dam Project ca. 1938, Lloyd Palmer (an original endorser of the project in Washington D.C.), remembers project taking long time to develop |
00:05:40—Kickapoo Watershed (local group of small farmers trying to establish a series of small dams in the Kickapoo River Valley) members included family farms from Stark, Whitestown, Clinton, and Union townships, La Farge Dam Project, Wisconsin (1969-1975) stopped the construction of the small dams |
00:07:10—Flooding on Daines’ land and in Weister Creek, Wisconsin |
00:08:37—Businesses in Pott’s Corners (County Road P and Wolf Valley Road, La Farge, Wisconsin), cheese factory, Art Nelson’s garage, Jim Wadell’s store, saw mill, whey factory |
00:09:20—Reasons why Daines was against proposed La Farge Dam Project in Wisconsin (1969-1975), unpopularity of the La Farge Dam Project |
00:10:15—Businesses leaving Pott’s Corner, Wisconsin at time of La Farge Dam Project (1969-1975), many already gone or wanting to leave |
00:11:12—Arrival of Sierra Club (est. 1892) activists in Weister Creek, Wisconsin, gave power to the opponents of the La Farge Dam Project (1969-1975), Sierra Club identified new species of flower and Mud Turtle to prevent further construction |
00:12:05—How La Farge Dam Project, Wisconsin (1969-1975) workers from Rock Island, Illinois lied about purchase of land, buyers (unknown) claimed they would condemn land if Daines did not sell, Daines was payed $35,000 dollars for land, unfair price, estimated he lost $50,000 on transaction |
00:15:20—Daines’ thoughts on La Farge Dam Project (1969-1975) ruining community in Pott’s Corner, Wisconsin |
00:15:57—New house Daines built on ridge did not have enough water for cattle or family, government official (agency unknown) wanted to sue previous landowner for Daines, government regulations for relocation and water quality |
00:17:30—Lake reservoir would have been created with La Farge Dam Project (1969-1975), Daines thought it would have been a good lake for fishing |
00:18:30—Life in Pott’s Corner, Wisconsin community, many families attended the same church, La Farge Dam Project (1969-1975) split families because they had to find new farm land |
00:22:00—Daines’ claims La Farge Dam Project (1969-1975) killed people, stress caused heart attacks and aneurysms |
00:24:00—Land appraisers from Rock Island, Illinois surveyed land and were in charge of buying land, Daines’ land was not considered high quality (1969- ca. 1972) |
00:26:13—Daines disagrees with Native American rights to the land (presumably Ho-Chunk), believes Chippewa were more entitled to Weister Creek area, Native American ancestry among community members in Pott’s Corner, Wisconsin |
00:27:35—Black community in Cheyenne Valley, Wisconsin, Daines knew of Shivers (transcript spelling Sheafors) family |
00:28:00—Vernon Country, Wisconsin areas that Daines was familiar with during youth, scared to cross Kickapoo River bridge, Daines family did not own a car, full day trip to La Farge, Wisconsin with wagon, parents raised turkeys and geese, brought them to Westby, Wisconsin to sell for school clothes |
00:29:27—Weister Creek School, eighty-two students for first and second grade, school district started at Buckeye Ridge, Wisconsin, over twenty families lived in Weister Creek School District ca. 1928 |
00:31:47—Daines met wife Evelyn, at a community hall dance in Rockton, Wisconsin |
00:34:30—Changes in land price since Daines was a child ca. 1920s-1930s |
00:35:00—Daines attended one year of high school, stayed home from school after father’s injury in a line threader, rode a bicycle between Pott’s Corner and La Farge, Wisconsin to get to school ca. 1935 |
00:36:24—La Farge Dam Project (1969-1975) decreases Weister Creek School District’s enrollment and school funding |
00:37:30—Daines wrote a letter to U.S. Senator William Proxmire (1957-1989), Senator Proxmire did not want Daines to stop progress of La Farge Dam Project (1969-1975) |
00:39:00—Locals did not want people moving into Pott’s Corner, Wisconsin community, Daines’ thoughts on giving land to Native Americans, proposal for Native American casino rejected in La Crosse, Wisconsin in April 1995 |
00:42:23—Comparing damages faced by floods and damages caused by the U.S. Government, floods never hurt him too much, largest loss was half acre of tobacco, but gained new fertile dirt |
00:43:35—Thought that in the 1970s one million dollars would have been sufficient to finish construction of the La Farge Dam (1969-1975), Daines opposition to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (est. 1802) |
00:45:48— Daines’ thoughts on the Kickapoo Valley Reserve (est. 2000), need to get more local people on the Kickapoo Valley Reserve Board, Daines believes nothing good yet has come from La Farge Dam Project (1969-1975), possibility for Kickapoo Valley Reserve to become beautiful part of the U.S. |
00:47:33—Kickapoo River Valley area overhunted, land and wildlife abused, Daines objects to hunting with dogs in Kickapoo River Valley, Wisconsin |
00:48:53—Care of farm land, strip-farming, Weister Creek, Wisconsin had fertile soil |
00:49:43—Lumber business not prevalent in Weister Creek, Wisconsin area, no market for logs |
00:50:53—Cleo Fish’s sawmill in Fish Valley, Wisconsin, sawing logs for neighbors in spring time |
00:51:28—Thoughts on U.S. Government renting out land to farmers, U.S. Government received more money than price they paid for land in 6 years, Daines upset because Sierra Club (est. 1892) activists stopped the dam project after it had already started ca. 1970s |
00:55:15—Daines thinks environment is better now than it was forty years ago (ca. 1960s), U.S. Government stricter with chemicals, Atrazine-producing companies lied to farmers to sell more of their product, Atrazine-producing companies polluted soil, Weister Creek, Wisconsin waters are safe to drink |
00:57:38—Daines thought La Farge Dam Project (1969-1975) was a waste of tax payer’s money |
00:58:30—Diversified farming practices necessary for success in La Farge, Wisconsin area, Daines had tobacco amongst other crops, many farms had cows, chickens, pigs, very few people had car, fire, and home insurance, people lived simply |
00:59:55— Daines wants Kickapoo Valley Reserve to turn into a park, Reserve Board can’t build on land until U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (est. 1802) leaves |
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