The first 5-mile-long section of the Great River Road project, or the Mississippi River Parkway as it was originally named, was built near here in 1953 and extended east across the Black River. Eventually, the Great River Road would follow the Mississippi River through the scenic and historic heartland of the United States, from the river's source near Lake Itasca, Minnesota, to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico, offering panoramic views and spectacular vistas to the traveler.

Built by Wisconsin with federal aid and with the confidence that the other nine river states would continue the work, this section of the project symbolized the faith of Wisconsin in the integrity and permanence of the nation's institutions.

The completion of the first part of the 2,000 mile project provided tangible evidence that the concept of a pleasurable riverside highway along the banks of the Mississippi River, from its source to the sea, would be realized.

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