I was talking to a friend who grew up in Kaukauna mentioned playing at the “Butter Hills” along Konkapot Creek. He said the hills were a really pure clay and that he found Indian arrowheads near there. Where were (are) the “Butter Hills”?
Craig
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 COMMENTS:
The only area that I knew as a kid, with the name "butter", was a place out the tracks that we called Butterclay Cliff. To get there, we went through Horseshoe Valley, then followed the tracks to the right to Butterclay Cliff. The place was at the first trestle past the trestle with the steel plate (heavy rivets) side guards. The Butterclay Cliff trestle had no side guards. To get to Butterclay, we left the tracks, walked only a few yards around the curve of the crick, and there it was. The clay cliff was under a ground overhang, which extended out almost over the water. We would crawl under the overhang, and could almost stand up. This was a very popular place to go to play. In fact, when leaving home to go out the tracks, our known destination was to Butterclay Cliff. As I look back, I don't recall ever walking further along the tracks than this place. Fires, swimming, mini-fish (more like minnows), frogs galore, and yes, beige colored clay.
I may over-use the term, "great playing area", when I discuss some of our natural playgrounds. But they were. For example, when walking through Horseshoe Valley, we thought nothing of seeing many bluebirds flying around. Knee high grass to walk through, grasshoppers flipping past, normal stuff for us.
In those days, we called Konkapot Creek, "Cobbles" Crick (phonetic - from Kappel)). Only in later years did I become educated enough to know it as it is known today. What do I call it today? - Cobble's Crick!
If you hear of a Butter Hills other than my Butterclay Cliff, let me know.
UB
If memory serves, I first heard of "Butterclay" from my mother or older siblings or cousins et al. In recent years, I've inquired of many as to its existence/location...to no avail! It's good to know that it was a real place and pretty much where I thought it was.
We used to go out to "butter clay" as kids in the 40's and 50's. Don't ever remember hearing it called butterhills or butterclay cliff. It was the fifth (might have been seventh) railroad trestle south of Dodge street, and it was past the iron trestle. Out past horseshoe valley (full of cows and chips - now it's mostly filled in but then it was a really deep valley with a small creek running through and when I was in school we planted pine trees on arbor day). The butterclay dirt was a grey/red brown and stuck to your clothes like glue. Mom's new when we had been out there. We'd drag along liver we begged from the local butcher shop and tie it to a string and fish in Cobbles creek for crabs. We'd pretty much just get dirty and have a great time.
I lived on E.10th St., right on Horseshoe Valley. When young, we were always hiking out to Butterclay and loved crossing the trestles. And yes, it was always Cobble's creek. Not sure if the tracks are still there but if you walk from the area of 10th street, it's only about two or three trestles. It was a great place for playing and catching crabs, which we threw right back in. Many, many wonderful hours spent there. Makes me long for home. Does anyone one know if Cutler's pass is still there for access to the pool?
Yes, Dorothy, there is a Butterclay Cliff and you have to cross trestles to get there. Last August, in Kaukauna, I saw that all the farmland on the other side of CE was signed for development. Is Konkapot Creek, ambling along beneath Butterclay Cliff, looked after by the locals? I just happened upon this discussion. Thank you all for sharing your remembrances. I had the cliff in the late nineteen forties.
ns
Post a Comment