The Chippewa

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Biography of a Wisconsin Waterway

Richard D. Cornell

Take an epic river journey through the verdant landscape of the northern heartland and experience the stories of the people and communities that have lived in its valley for centuries.

240 pages, 5.5 x 8.5, 54 b&w photos
Paperback: $20.00 | ISBN: 978-0-87020-780-8
Ebook: $15.99 | ISBN: 978-0-87020-781-5
Publication Date: 6/16/2017

BUY

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Description

Wander the waters and legends of a northern river with paddler and memoirist Richard Cornell as he follows the history and stories of the Chippewa River from its two sources south of Ashland to where it joins the Mississippi. Inspired by August Derleth’s seminal book The Wisconsin, Cornell paddled the Chippewa over several decades, returning time and again in his red canoe to immerse himself in the stories of the river and to document its valley, from the Ojibwe people and early fur traders and lumbermen to the varied and hopeful communities of today.

Cornell shares tales of such historical figures as Ojibwe leader Chief Buffalo, wrestler Charlie Fisher, and supercomputer innovator Seymour Cray, along with the lesser-known stories of local luminaries such as Dr. John “Little Bird” Anderson. Cornell gathered firsthand stories from diners and dives, local museums and landmarks, quaint small-town newspaper offices, and the homes of old-timers and local historians. Through his wide-ranging wanderings and conversations with ordinary folks, Cornell brings to life an intimate history of the Chippewa as deep and fluid as the river itself.

Author Bio

Richard D. Cornell

Richard D. Cornell started writing and journaling at a young age as a way to reflect on life, and after retirement he began publishing his
work. He has written articles for the Wisconsin Magazine of History and self-published the memoir Finding My Father, about his quest to learn about his father, who was killed in World War II when Cornell was thirteen months old. He lives in Saint Paul, Minnesota.

Richard Cornell knows what all river-wanderers must: that the story of a river always transcends the waterline, and it’s the people back on shore who matter most. Tucked between the weeds and the cattails is a story as immersive as the river itself. Join him on his journey. Dip your paddle deep. The view from Cornell’s canoe is spectacular.

B. J. Hollars

Director of the Chippewa Valley Writers Guild and author of ‘Flock Together: A Love Affair with Extinct Birds’ and ‘Wisconsin for Kennedy'

“Beyond the geology or geography of a river, you have to consider the human history, the people, the way human-made dams have changed its course. This book pulls together those interrelated stories, with the Chippewa the common thread running through it all.”

—Adam Cahow, Professor Emeritus of Geography, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire

“Whether you’ve barely dipped your toes into it or you’ve lived along its banks for a lifetime, you’ll gain a fresh perspective on the Chippewa River from Richard Cornell. Like tributaries of a river, the streams of his narrative—part personal travelogue, part history lesson, and part celebration of the fascinating people of the Chippewa Valley, past and present—flow together to create something broader and deeper.”

—Tom Giffey, managing editor, Volume One magazine