On Sunday, July 30th, the FOHC held their annual brat fry at the Zero to 60 Garage in Sherwood. It was their Car Show and Open House. Thank you to all the volunteers that made this a profitable event.



Our next food stand to raise money will be at the campground on October 21st. This is our annual Halloween Walk (4:00-8:00pm) for trick or treaters to enjoy the decorated campground sites. Our food stand will be near the bathroom house, selling from noon - 7:00 pm. Please come out and purchase dinner before all the sweets are gathered!

Plaque Sale to Aid Butterfly Pond Trail Sustenance: Only 10 Remain!

It's one of High Cliff State Park's very special features: an accessible double-loop paved path that winds through wetland, prairie, and forest ecosystems. The Butterfly Pond Trail, a Friends' project, was developed specifically to create a safe recreational area for pedestrians with mobility concerns. Bicycles and motorized vehicles are not allowed.

It's a favorite for those with mobility concerns, from those who use a wheelchair to others, perhaps recovering from surgery, who use a cane or walker. It's also popular with those who just enjoy a quiet and pleasant walk to observe nature or perhaps take photos.

Please show your support for this treasured attraction. The Friends group is selling 6-by 6- inch anodized aluminum plaques. The plaques will be installed alongside those of earlier project donors in the refurbished lexicon-fronted sign near the trail's footbridge.

You can have your plaque showcase your name, that of a loved one, your group, or your company as a trail supporter. Trail plaques are a good way to celebrate and memorialize special people or pets and would also make a nice gift. Others buying plaques thus far included the name of their organization, their family name, names of grandchildren, favorite quotes, and/or dates of life.

Money raised from the plaques sold thus far has been used to provide interpretive signs identifying the features of the trail, the removal of phragmites, an invasive species, seal coating, and continual tree removal, maintenance, and establishment. Ten plaques are still available. Contact Lorrie Formella:

lorrie.formella@gmail.com or Char Barribeau at 920-989-2676 to reserve yours today.

With a face only a mother (vulture) could love, the Turkey Vulture certainly will not win a prize for its beauty, but they make up for their frightening looks by their unique qualities. On these warm Fall days, look to the skies and perhaps you will see a number of Turkey Vultures circling above. You might mistake them for eagles. Native Americans call them "Peace Eagles".  They will meet up, stock up on food reserves and head to their winter homes in South America. 

What's really cool is that these strange birds nest in the escarpment right here at High Cliff State Park. If you take one of the many park trails, especially along the cliff, or by the marina, you may witness Turkey Vultures roosting in the sunshine with wings spread out.  Just as we love our coffee in the morning for that caffeine boost, Turkey Vultures gain energy from the sun. The sun's heat in the Vulture's feathers may kill or prevent parasites as well.

I mentioned that the Turkey Vultures have unique characteristics and here are just a few of their amazing and interesting attributes, but be forewarned, some of these features are rather stomach-turning:

+ On hot days, Turkey Vultures will urinate on themselves to cool off.

+ In self-defense, they can vomit their food, sending the vomit up to 10 feet away.

+ They don't kill their prey but prefer to dine on freshly dead animals.

+ Unlike most birds, Turkey Vultures have a terrific sense of smell - they have nostrils so big you can see right through them.

 + They don't have a voice box - no singing or calling just hissing.

 + And most important of all- Turkey Vultures are environmentalists - they dispose of carrion that may become breeding grounds for disease - they are nature's "clean-up crew."

 The more we get to know this fascinating bird, the more we can appreciate it for what it does for our environment. Their diet of decaying animal carcasses reduces the possibility of harmful bacteria and diseases from spreading, not just to humans, but to other animals as well.

 Now you know how important Turkey Vultures are for our environment. So, as you see them circle over High Cliff State Park this Fall, remember that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder." Contributor: Deb Cook, Sherwood

Stone Industry at High Cliff

The history of the stone industry at High Cliff is the most interesting of any site in this region. In 1859, there were a recorded four lime kilns at “Clifton” as High Cliff was first named. The report read that “large quantities of lime and rough stone are taken from Clifton and some layers dress tolerably well and have been used for caps and sills in the new College buildings (Lawrence University) at Appleton. The proximity of these quarries to the lake and the immense face exposed, renders their products very cheap”. Initially, stone used to make lime and building stone was obtained from blocks of Silurian dolomite that had slid downslope to the bottom of the Escarpment. It was further reported that early settlers, such as August Fiedler, hauled limestone from the side of the hill to the lakeshore where it was picked up and taken by boat to cities on the west side of the lake, such as Oshkosh, to be burned in kilns there. It has also been noted that rock from Clifton was also used at Appleton for flux in smelting Lake Superior iron ores. Apparently, the Silurian cliff at the top of the Escarpment was not quarried to any significant extent at least until after the mid-1870’s.

The mining company was acquired by Ossian Cook, RC Brown and FE Waite and became the Cook and Brown Lime Company in 1878. This company supplied lime, brick and building materials for the city of Oshkosh. Eventually, they built a kiln on the shore at High Cliff and opened a quarry at the top of the Escarpment to simplify operations and provide a better-quality stone for lime building. A railroad spur was built around 1890 to the “new” kilns higher on the Escarpment, and the remnants can be seen along the shaley slope of the Escarpment.

Written by Dr. Joanne Kluessendorf and Dr. Don Mikulic. It was presented at the Tri-State Geological Field Conference in October 2004. It is provided by Don and used with his permission.

Hickory Memories by Rob Zimmer

One of my favorite childhood memories is visiting the top of the bluff at High Cliff State Park as a young boy with my dad gathering bags full of hickory nuts in the quiet of the autumn evening. Harvesting hickory nuts from the large groves at the top of the bluff where the observation tower now stands was a tradition for many families in the Fox Cities. Long before the new, gentle sloping, long road to the top of the bluff was constructed, a narrow, nearly vertical, winding road to the top lead directly to the growth of hickories that still stands today. Large numbers of people visited High Cliff in the fall season to gather hickory nuts here beneath a shimmering canopy of golden leaves on beautiful autumn afternoons. Hickory nuts ripen during September and October, falling from the trees as the overloaded branches gave up their bounty. Some of the nuts were so ripe that they literally popped right out of their shells as they bounced upon the ground after tumbling from the trees. The humans came to beat the squirrels that also harvested the fallen nuts, storing them for the long winter ahead. My father and I would gather many paper grocery bags full of nuts, then take them home to allow them to dry for a month or so before cracking them open using a basement vice grip and enjoying their delicious and nutritious delight. I remember countless hours spent on my knees beneath these towering trees, gathering as many plump nuts as possible on these beautiful afternoon visits to the park after school. It’s amazing how vivid these memories become. The sights. The sounds. The feel of the nuts in the grasses beneath the trees. The woodiness of the shells, or husks. The sun sinking beneath the tree line, glowing across the open waters of Lake Winnebago. These afternoons are also some of the most vivid times spent with my father, who left when I was in the third grade. Though relatively close to home, visiting High Cliff felt like traveling to a faraway place. The memories still haunt and the sights and sounds still dance through my memories. An ode to the hickories of High Cliff.

Bumble Bee Brigade Programming at High Cliff State Park

By: Nathan Jacques, Park Ranger

In April 2023, Rusty Patched Bumble Bees (Bombus Affinis) were discovered at High Cliff State Park. Due to a 90% nationwide population decline over 10 years, this bee received federally endangered species status in 2017. Currently found in only 1% of their original range, Rusty Patched Bumble Bees are a keystone species that serve as a ‘canary in the coalmine’ indicating ecosystem health. 

Since the discovery of its presence, confirmed sightings of this endangered bumble bee increased dramatically in Calumet County. 2022 had only one confirmed sighting, but 2023 brought 50 verified sightings, over half from High Cliff. 

Park staff held 5 training sessions for the Wisconsin Bumble Bee Brigade, a state-wide citizen-based science effort to collect much needed data on native bumble bees. These classes cover an overview of bumble bee biology, lifecycles, important roles they serve in ecosystems, identification tips for Wisconsin’s 20 native bumblebee species, how to report sightings on the Bumble Bee Brigade website, and a 30-minute field ID exercise. 4 out of the 5 field ID sessions found Rusty Patch bees!

Bumble Bee Brigade programming will continue in early summer of 2024 as we encourage the public to learn about these pollinators and how to aid them as they face looming global extinction. Rusty Patched Bumblebees can be identified by a small rust colored patch in the center of the second abdomen segment, a tack shaped black marking on the thorax, with black furry faces and necks. For more information, visit the Wisconsin Bumble Bee Brigade website.

WELCOME!

Our Friends of Wisconsin State Parks Executive Director, Patricia Loosen, came to High Cliff State Park on July 28, 2023, to meet with several FOHC Board members. We discussed many important items. She was amazed at all the grants we had received along with our continual updates in the park. Patricia toured the park with Board Member, Char Barribeau, who spotlighted the new ADA Accessible playground and ADA Accessible Butterfly Pond Trail. Did you know our WI state parks are self-funded? Campground fees and daily/annual fees are the park’s only revenue. 

The FOHC will also be represented with several Board Members attending the State Friends Workshop on November 4th in Appleton. 

Early Settlers

Land records show that Henry L Baird bought the land around High Cliff from the US Government in September, 1835. In November of that year, future governor James Doty purchased the land from Baird. In 1850, Alex Hart purchased a small part of the land below the cliff. 

Hart saw an opportunity to profit from the old Indian trail which descended from the top of the cliff and was the easiest trail down the cliff. He asked the county government to pay him to widen the trail so wagons could use it. They paid him $200 and he made the wider path and included wooden planks for the wagons.

Settlers began to farm the land in the mid 1850’s. Wood, which was cut from the forests, brought the first people to the area and the first saw mills were built. Logs and lumber were carried by sail boat across Lake Winnebago to the Menasha Woodenware.

As the years went by, clay and limestone played important roles in the development of the village. Cook and Brown decided to construct the lime mill at High Cliff in large part due it’s proximity to the lake. It would have been difficult for wagons to transport all of the limestone and the lake made it possible to transport it by boat.

A post office was now necessary due to the business. And, with a post office, the area needed a name. It’s first name was Clifton.

The farmers also used the limestone to make a profit. They would work with wheelbarrows to transport the limestone to the lake where it was taken to Oshkosh by boats. Farmers also used the limestone for foundations for their buildings as well as for stone walls, which can still be seen on the upper cliff.

Contributor: Beth Braun

Next time: The Company Store and The Community by the Lake

For more information visit the new website: https://highcliffconnection.org/

The High Cliff Connection is a proposed trail connection that will extend the regional east/west trail corridor from the Miron Trestle Bridge in Menasha to High Cliff State Park. The connection will tie into the local Friendship Trail in Menasha, tie into the State's Friendship Trail, and extend to the High Cliff State Park. The FOHC Board has a representative, Donna Franczek, and the DNR has a representative, Kyle Pasch, attending the monthly meetings. Current successes include: DNR Jefferson Park Trail Rehab funds and the WisDOT TAP Municipal Certifications & Consultant selection for Feasibility Studies funds.

N7630 State Park Rd

Sherwood, WI 54169

920-989-1106