The Driftless is defined by its unique geological history
The Driftless is a refuge for communities
Just as the coulees and valleys are a refuge for plants and animals, they are a place where small communities can thrive far from the madding crowd. Here are a few examples of such communities:
Saint Paul the Apostle Orthodox Monastery - Just north of Boscobel, they share the Athonite monastic tradition with Christians using the English language. Focused on prayer and repentance, they support themselves by selling icons at their store or on the Internet.
St Francis Hermitage - A community of sedevacantist Catholics who are members of the Fraternite de Notre Dame. They have missions in Chicago, San Francisco, France, Haiti and ... Gays Mills. In addition to their charitable works, they also run a French restaurant and organic patisserie.
The Cheyenne Valley area near Hillsboro was Wisconsin’s largest rural African American settlement in the 19th century. Two men from the community served in the Iron Brigade. Black Joy on the Prairie, African American Heritage in Vernon County, Driving Tour, Shivers Family Presentation.
Pleasant Ridge, just south of Lancaster, was home to a community of the formerly enslaved, founded in 1848. Like the Cheyenne Valley, it featured integrated schools. Wisconsin Historical Society, Grant County Historical Society. Aaron Cooley on Pleasant Ridge.
In 1844, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints settled in what is still name Mormon Coulee, just east of La Crosse. Sadly, they left the area in 1845.
The Driftless is home to some unusual enterprises
The valleys and coulees also house some unusual businesses. We mean that in the nicest way, since residents value the wide range of experiences hidden away in the Driftless. Here are a sample:
The House on the Rock. One of the most eccentric places on the planet. Built on a bluff near Spring Green, the House of the Rock nearly hallucinogenic in its excess. Neil Gaiman (who lived in the northern Driftless for a while) used it as an example of a gateway between dimensions in American Gods.
American Players Theatre. World class plays presented outdoors, from Shakespeare to August Wilson. The unique hillside theater is a gem. Also near Spring Green.
Wisconsin Big Cat Rescue. Rock Springs is the unlikely home to lions and tigers.
European Settlement
European settlement changed the Driftless, from the explorers to the miners to the railroads to the farmers.
About The Driftless
The Driftless is a platform dedicated to celebrating the wonders of the Driftless region. It collects, compiles and links to books, articles and experts on all the things that make the Driftless so unique. If you have a story to tell or an interesting fact we can include, contact us.