Manitowish
Waters History
As
recalled by Betty Koller
3-17-15
CRANBERRY MARSH
In 1945-46 five families
came to Manitowish Waters to start cranberry marshes. Vern Goldsworthy found the land suitable for
cranberries – acid soil and alkaline water supplied from Little Trout
Lake. The five families were Howard
& Mary Folsom, Herbert & Florence Indermuehl, Delbert & Myrtle
Bartling, John & June McFarland and Frank & Betty Koller. The town did not welcome us. The land was in forestry, where no one could
live year-round.
We had together changed
the land into agriculture. There was no
telephone or electric. To get our
weather reports, Ehlerts Market would get them, and then we would get them
there. After a few years the
growers hung wires for both utilities.
We had to get to the marsh from Powell Road as there was no way to cross
the Rice or Trout Rivers. There was a
road we could park in, it had once been a camp.
First one in had to be last one out.
Everything had to be brought in by wheel barrow, stoneboats, or any
other means that you could carry with. Some
years later, the growers had a culvert put in so we could get to the marsh down
Hwy 51.
We had to get roads into
each marsh. The growers had very little
equipment that they shared with each other.
We all dug the ditches into Trout Lake and individual marshes with a
hired drag line by hand.