GC222JG O.C.H.#7: Stiles-The Old Iron Bridge (Multi-cache) in Wisconsin, United States created by bartrod

Geocaching > Hide and Seek A Geocache > Geocache Details

GC222JG ▼

O.C.H.#7: Stiles-The Old Iron Bridge

A cache by bartrod

Hidden: 1/1/2010

In Wisconsin, United States

Difficulty:
Terrain:

Size: Size: small (small)

Join now to view geocache location details. It's free!

▶

Watch

How Geocaching Works

Please note

Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions in our disclaimer.

This cache is part of a series of caches reflecting Oconto County History. Please respect the delicate nature of the surroundings, being careful not to damage vegetation and items that may be of historical significance. Reports of such nature will result in the archiving of these caches.

Yes, it’s a D3.5...you like a good challenge and didn’t expect all of the Oconto County History series to be easy, did you?!! The first two sets of waypoints only contain coordinates. The final has a camoed container that holds small trade items, but requires a unique tool to access it which you will find nearby with a little searching. Please be sure that waypoints, final, and tool are replaced correctly.

Just south of Stiles and easily seen from Highway 41, this one-lane bridge once carried vehicles across the Oconto River. Today the bridge is closed to traffic, but snowmobiles and pedestrians can visit it in any season. It is maintained by a local snowmobile club and is popular with fisherman.

The settlement of Stiles itself has changed considerably since the lumbering era…the stores and mills no longer exist although signs of them remain along the river trail. A few of the houses constructed by the Eldred Company for workers still exist, as does the Machickanee Flowage, which was named for Chief Machick, the only native American employed by the company. The flowage was originally created by an Eldred Company dam owned by Oconto Electric Cooperative. The businesses operated by Anson Eldred and his family played a significant role in the development of Oconto County’s logging industry. Eldred, arriving in Milwaukee in 1842, was the earliest and most influential of Oconto County pine era lumbermen. His empire was concentrated in the community of Stiles, a village which he literally built as a company town and named for his son and partner, Howard Stiles Eldred. The town had both a planing mill and saw mill at one time, which later were converted to a pulp mill, and boomed when the Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul railroad line was constructed. The community even had electric power generated by the Civil War-era water wheel under the pulp mill. As the lumber trade declined, the company diversified, sold off their holdings, and Stiles began to fade from its earlier glory years.

The coordinates will bring you to a public boat landing and parking area on the Machickanee Flowage. There you will find the coordinates to the next waypoint, only a short distance away. All waypoints are winter friendly and available in every season. No bushwacking is required at the first two waypoints and only minimal bushwacking is needed for the final of this 3 stage multi-, provided you follow the trail. These areas are VERY popular with fishermen during the fishing season so be wary, be cautious, and be sneaky.

This cache placed by a member of:

(click to visit our website)

** WGA NOMINEE FOR APRIL AND MAY 2010, AND APRIL 2011 CACHE OF THE MONTH**

Additional Hints (No hints available.)

Navigation

Attributes

What are Attributes?

Advertising with Us

Inventory

There are no Trackables in this cache.

View past Trackables

What are Trackable Items?

Bookmark Lists

View all bookmark lists...

Find...

...other caches hidden or found by this user

Oconto
PB280461
Stiles 1
Stiles history

71 Logged Visits

Decrypt

Found it 45 Didn't find it 12 Write note 7 Publish Listing 1 Needs Maintenance 2 Owner Maintenance 4

View Logbook | View the Image Gallery of 7 images

**Warning! Spoilers may be included in the descriptions or links.

Current Time: 5/22/2013 9:11:38 AM Pacific Daylight Time (4:11 PM GMT)
Last Updated: 2013-05-08T03:10:22Z on 5/7/2013 8:10:22 PM Pacific Daylight Time (3:10 AM GMT)
Rendered From:Unknown
Coordinates are in the WGS84 datum