Editing Prairie Lake, Wisconsin (section)

==History==
Some of the early European Americans to walk the six mile square that would become Prairie Lake were the U.S. government's [[Surveying|surveyors]]. In 1852 they surveyed the outline of the [[survey township|township]] on foot with [[Gunter's chain|chain]] and compass. Then others returned in 1854 to survey all the [[Section (United States land surveying)|section lines]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Land Survey Information|url=http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/SurveyNotes/SurveyInfo.html|publisher=Board of Commissioner s of Public Lands|accessdate=March 10, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Field Notes for T33N R11W|url=https://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/SurveyNotes/SurveyNotes-idx?type=PLSS&twp=T033NR011W|work=Original Field Notes and Plat Maps, 1833-1866|publisher=Board of Commissioners of Public Lands|accessdate=August 23, 2023}}</ref>  When done, the deputy surveyor filed this general description:
<blockquote>''This Township the Surface of which is mostly level or slightly rolling contains Several [[Tamarack|Tamarac]] Swamps Some of which are of considerable extent and all unfit for cultivation. The Soil is principally 3rd rate being of a very Sandy barren nature producing but little vegeta?. The Timber on the North and East Part of the Township consists of Black  Yellow and [[Eastern white pine|White Pine]]. The White Pine is mostly of good quality and valuable for lumber. The SW part of the Township is Timbered principally with [[Quercus macrocarpa|Burr Oak]] [[Sugar maple|Sugar]] [[Populus tremuloides|Aspen]] [[Quercus_subg._Quercus#Section_Lobatae|Red Oak]] [[Elm]] [[Basswood|Linden]] White Pine and [[Ostrya virginiana|Ironwood]]. The west part of the Township is well watered by numerous Small Streams of pure water which flow in an Easterly direction until they lose themselves in [[Red Cedar River (Wisconsin)|Red Cedar river]] which enters the Township in Section 2 and runs in a Southerly direction until it leaves the Township in Section 34. The banks of the river are generally high water Clear(?) and pure. There is also a Stream Called Vermilion river which Enters The Township in Section 6 and runs in a SE direction until it Empties into Red Cedar river in Section 8. There is also a Lake Situated in Sections 1 2 3 11 12 and 13. This Lake produces [[wild Rice]] very abundantly which is gathered annually by the [[Native Americans in the United States|Indians]] and by them very highly prized as an article of food. There are no Settlers in the Township.''<ref>{{cite web|last=Daugherty|first=William E.|title=Interior Field Notes (Sept. 1854)|url=https://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/SurveyNotes/SurveyNotes-idx?type=turn&entity=SurveyNotesINT093W000107&issueid=SurveyNotes.INT093W03&isize=L&twp=T033NR011W|publisher=Board of Commissioners of Public Lands|accessdate=2023-08-23}}</ref></blockquote>