Town of Russell: History Part III
The area was originally covered with large white pine. Logging in the 1800s soon removed the white pine, which allowed hemlock and other hardwoods to develop. Hemlock logging and bark stripping became very important businesses in the early 1900s. Bark was used by tanneries for processing hides into leather. Hardwood trees flourished after the hemlock gave out.
The hardwoods provided an opportunity for maple sugar making. Several Red Cliff families had a steady business during the 1920’s producing syrup. Harvesting the hardwoods became the next venture. The Red Cliff saw mill operated for several years at the current site of the marina. After the hardwoods gave out and forest fires were controlled, poplar (aspen) provided a fourth round of logging activity that continues today.
The Red Cliff Tribal Governing Body adopted their constitution in June 1936. Red Cliff has developed into a business and population center within the Town and operates the Isle Vista Casino, bar and restaurant, a campground adjacent to the casino, boat launch and marina, and a Wilderness Campground at Pointe Detour.
The Apostle Islands National Lake Shore Park was formed in 1971. The park includes all but one of the Apostle Islands and all the lakeshore from Little Sand Bay west.
The Sand Bay School was rededicated in October 1999 as the Town of Russell Community Center after a major renovation and addition to the building. The building served as a school from 1922 to 1959 and as a Town Hall and community meeting place for many years. The building has also returned to being a school. The Apostle Islands Academy was operated by the Bayfield School District from 2002 to 2004.
County forests, a federal park, Wisconsin DNR lands and tribal lands shape the Town’s demography. The Town of Russell is sparsely populated by rural residences and second and/or vacation homes. Farming and commercial fishing have declined, while logging is the primary commercial activity within the Town. The Town of Russell has a unique rural character and relative solitude which attracts people.
