WORK TO PRESERVE HISTORIC TRAIL SCHEDULED FOR APRIL 2
On April 2 at 2:00 p.m., members of the Kenosha County Archeological Society are planning to meet at the site of the historic Jambeau Trail located in Momper's Woods in Pleasant Prairie. The group will work to clear invasive plant species from the site as part of ongoing maintenance to protect this historic location.
The 27-acre Momper's Woods site was donated to Pleasant Prairie by a landowner, Nitto Americas, Inc., in 2001 as a permanent nature preserve. The Jambeau Trail began as a prehistoric path along a glacial moraine, formed by the receding ice of the last ice age. Animals, such as elk and deer first traveled the path along the distinct ridge, followed by the Native Americans, and in the early 1800's, settlers. The path was an alternative to a seasonal water based route along the Lake Michigan shoreline. The trail became an established route for travel on foot and by horseback between Fort Dearborn in Chicago and Fort Howard in Green Bay. It was named for French settler, Jaques Vieau, who had established a trading post on the banks of the Milwaukee River (1795) and later at Skunk Grove (Franksville). Stories say that native Americans had difficulty pronouncing the french name Jaques Vieau, so the trail to his Skunk Grove trading post became known as the Jambeau Trail.
With the widening of Green Bay Road in the early 1990's, a large glacial boulder was unearthed. At that time, Kenosha County Archeological Society member Virginia Momper requested that the boulder be placed on her property next to the historic trail as a memorial. Virginia Momper's family had owned and farmed the adjacent property for generations while preserving segments of the trail. In 1995, a plaque was placed on the boulder dedicating the area as a historic landmark. The Kenosha County Archeological Society is seeking those who have an interest in helping with the Jambeau Trail cleanup on April 2. If you would like to help, please contact Don at [email protected] or 262.642.5465.