in the town of Alma, the county seat, located on the western edge
of the state, which is the eastern bank of the Mississippi River.
About twelve miles northwest from Alma the Chippawa River, a
Wisconsin waterway, joins the Mississippi. Alma, with no sister
settlement on the other side of the river, was a two-story town.
There was one long Main Street right next to the river and a parallel
Second Street notched out of the bluff sixty feet higher up.
Village life was observed from the riverside and the hillside points
of view. This location provided hills for coasting and climbing and
the river for sailing and swimming. Moreover, there was a goodsized
riverboat with a big steam whistle that signaled events of interest
at die dockside for both adults and children. Rafts of logs
from the Chippawa and elsewhere were floated downstream and
groups of loggers in their spiked boots wandered here and there,
especially from one saloon to another. The boats often carried
Negro roustabouts from the Soutli and sometimes their show-off
play provided great fun. There were drunkenness, accidents, occasional
drownings, and many other exciting things to see. There
were the occasional public funerals, at which children and adults
marched around to view the remains of friends or strangers. Of
course there were churches and schools. Alma was not a bad town;
it was a vital, vivid, small stage where the drama of life was played
right in the open for all to see and hear at close range. The northerly
latitude, the hills and rivers, made the seasons distinct and
interesting as a stage backdrop.