A young lumberjack, his Indian mentor, and a lost silver mine-a fact-based tale of timber, treasure, and treachery in America's 19th century wilderness. Following a daring rescue from a dangerous child-labor scheme in 1883 Chicago, an orphan is plunged into the peak of lumberjack life in far northwestern Wisconsin. There, an Ojibwe chief teaches him respect for nature and shows him to hidden treasure-an actual mine lost when the chief died in 1886 and yet to be rediscovered. You'll meet young Tor Loken whose family owns a wilderness lumber company. You'll join the fight when a sinister timber tycoon takes control of the river, threatening the camp's future and the lumberjacks' dollar-a-day pay. You'll be in the cook shanty before dawn for breakfast, then out into the cuttings where, knee deep in snow, you'll help harvest giant pine logs. Hitch the Clydesdales to the tanker. Ice the trails for the giant timber sleighs. Take the train to town but keep one eye peeled for hooligans seeking an easy swindle. Back in the bunkhouse, spin a yarn with colorful lumberjack friends. Next, it's a Saturday night of merriment in town. Dress warmly, though. It's a four hour sleigh ride back to camp at twenty below zero. Come spring, you'll drive the timber down a thundering, icy river, jumping log to log as they rush downstream, danger around each bend. Finally, payday! Time to celebrate. Keep your pocketbook buttoned up, though. Scoundrels are eager to separate you from your winter wages. Put on your red wool mackinaw. Grab your pike pole. You are about to plunge into 19th century lumberjack life and THE TREASURE OF NAMAKAGON, a thrilling adventure, thick with twists and turns, researched and illustrated by an author who lives there. And, yes, the boy wins the girl's heart.
About the Author: James A. Brakken was just a boy when he first heard stories of Chief Namakagon and his secret silver mine. Born and raised in Cable, Wisconsin, not far from the Namekagon River where this story takes place, he listened to the tales of the old lumber camps, explored the legendary river, and searched for Chief Namakagon's treasure. An educator and active conservationist, James Brakken has earned statewide recognition for his work to protect and preserve the lakes and streams of Northwest Wisconsin through his writing, teaching and leadership. Email, twitter(R), or find us on facebook(R). If you enjoy this book, please tell us at BayfieldCountyLakes at Yahoo.com. Let your friends know, too! Contact the author by e-mail or facebook to arrange for a brief tour that includes the site of a nineteenth century logging camp, a former ice road where thousands of sleigh loads of timber once traveled, the remains of a 19th Century river dam used to hold back water for spring drives, and other historic sights between Lake Namakagon and Hayward, Wisconsin.