Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive
State Forest History

After the period of glaciation, most of the highland surface became forested with fine hardwood timber and the swampy or low areas with softwoods.

Before the 17th century, small bands of roving Indians inhabited the area. With exploration and development of the area during the 18th and 19th centuries by the white settlers, a great change took place.

Fifty per cent or more of the land in the northern Kettle Moraine was cleared and turned into farms. Sixty to seventy per cent of the land in the southern Kettle Moraine was farmed. A substantial proportion of the cleared land was submarginal.

Over the years plantings of conifers, such as white and red pine and spruce, have been made in all units of the forest. The pine and spruce will convert to northern hardwood species of maples, cherry, ash and basswood.

With the increase in Wisconsin's population, particularly in the southeastern 16 counties, the need for a large acreage devoted to public outdoor recreation and forestry became evident as early as 1920. In its 1937 session, the Wisconsin Legislature authorized the development of this forest and recreational area.