From NPR

A second ancient canoe is found in Wisconsin — this time tracing back to 1000 B.C.

September 24, 2022 • The dugout canoe discovered most recently in a lake is believed to be the earliest direct evidence of water transportation used by native tribes in the Great Lakes region.

Wow! Thanks for sharing an excellent story. I enjoy reading such things. ?

Love learning about history. Haven't yet fished Mendota. I understand it is the best lake for bass on the Madison Chain.

We have a place in the Upper Dells just north of their. Side imaging allowed me to see some history of when loggers used the river to transport cut trees. Who knows, maybe some of those logs were canoes. There are Indian carvings in the sandstone(unfortunately there is graffiti as well) The home we have is over 100 years old. We found a sheet of newspaper when we ripped out the maple floors, dated 1910. I want to believe the guy who installed the floors left it there as a time capsule. The home, as I understand it, was an "ice house" business. It sits 50 yards off the water. They would cut ice blocks and sell them to the railroad, used for refrigerated transport. Further south on the river on Lake Wisconsin, there are remnants of a car, I'm guessing from the 1920's, scattered by the railroad bridge.