HUGE-STONE-AXE, Vilas County

Many Spirit Stones

The presence of spirit rocks in various parts of the state is known and these Mr. Brown described. Some of these have woven about them a wealth
of curious and interesting Indian legendary lore. One, a large conical pink granite boulder, located at Keshena, near the Wolf river, is still re-;
garded by the Menomini Indians as a ;manitou. In an Indian myth it is re-lated that this particular rock repre-!
sents the fate of an Indian who had ‘the temerity to ask of manabush the gift of everlasting life. It is even now the custom of passing tribesmen to de
posit at its base an offering of a quantity of tobacco.
On the Lac du Flambeau reservation, located in the lake near the village, is a huge medicine rock upon which tobacco offerings are still made
on occasions by pagan Chippewa Indians. There is now on exhibition in the State Historical museum a spirit rock of the Lac Courte Oreilles Chippewa band. This rock widely known to these Indians as “The Pipe of the manitou,” is of granite and weighs about 250 pounds. In form it exactly
resembles a huge stone axe. It formerly stood on the projecting point of
a ridge at the head of Lake Chetac, overlooking a tract of still wild and un
broken country. It was the most highly regarded spirit rock of the Chippewas and has been held in idolatrous regard by them from time immemorial.

Wisconsin, Vilas county, The Barabou news. [volume], November 12 1908, Image 5