Important Historical Sites include: Battle of Wisconsin Heights, Bad Axe Massacre

This scenic driving tour follows Black Hawk’s retreat trail at the end of the Black Hawk War of 1832. Beginning in April of 1832, Black Hawk led 1000 men, women, children, and elderly from Iowa to their homeland in Illinois to regain their rights to the land from the encroaching white settlers. Black Hawk and his band would meet up with the Illinois militia that April and hostilities would occur. Illinois would summon up 3000 militiamen (including soon-to-be-famous Abe Lincoln) to pursue Black Hawk’s band. Black Hawk would stay ahead of the militia and flee north across the Wisconsin border. By July, the band would be in dire straights; disease, fatigue, and hunger would weaken the band severely by the time it reached the narrows of the Four Lakes (the isthmus of Madison, Wisconsin). Black Hawk’s plan at this time was to reach the Mississippi in order to escape with other Sauks into Iowa. The driving tour takes you on this path. The tour without the alternate visits will take approximately eight hours round trip.

� 2000-2005 Mr. Jason Hollenberger and River Valley Schools.