Tales of our Beginnings

Brunet Island State Park

In the middle of the Chippewa River, a short distance northwest of Cornell, stands a living monument to determination and the fruit of five years of dedication to an idea spawned by a few “old duffers,” sitting around “chewing the fat” one night, at a Cornell Lions Club meeting.

The Lions approached the city, but, because the property they had in mind for a park lay outside city boundaries, no money could be put toward a project. That didn’t stop the club, who then approached the county board.

No interest was met at a county level, so the Lions took their case to Madison. With only 11 state parks at the time, the locals still met with disinterest in starting a park in Cornell.

They didn’t give up and in 1938, the state agreed to take over the island and install a park – with some conditions. The land needed to be obtained from the Northern States Power Co. (NSP), with a clear title to the state and a road must be built from Cornell to the island, with a bridge constructed across the river, connecting the main land to the island.

It was discovered that Chippewa County had a surplus bridge on hand, which was removed and stored when the new Jim Falls bridge over the Chippewa River was erected. The decommissioned bridge was offered to the Lions and the island property was donated by NSP.

Brunet Island State Park officially opened in September 1940, and now draws in hundreds, if not thousands, of visitors each year, thanks to an impossible idea by a few “old duffers.”

(Courtesy of the Cornell Centennial 1913-2013)