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 A HISTORY OF FISHING IN THE BRULE RIVER 19 
Bride River Survey: Paper No. 3 
D. JoHN O'DONNELL 
Wiscon8in Conservation Department 
Biology Division 
 The famous Brule River, located approximately 30 mii~s east of the city
of Superior, in the northwestern part of Wisconsin, is one of the better
known of the important trout streams in the United States. Owing to the fact
that the trout populations have apparently declined since the days of lumbering
operations, it was deemed desirable to make a complete physical, chemical
and biological investigation of the Brule River, with the aim of establishing
a stream management program for the river. The investigational work started
in October of 1942 as a cooperative project between the Wisconsin Conservation
Commission and the University of Wisconsin. It was first necessary to review
the literature and determine the known facts concerning past conditions in
the river. The present report is a short resume of the history of the Brule
River valley, with the stress placed principally upon the fish and fishing
conditions. 
 The very earliest history concerns the changes in the river during geological
times. Since any geological history is concerned primarily with physical
changes, these aspects are omitted and will be covered in a subsequent report
on the geology of the Brule River valley. 
 The more recent history of the Brule River valley begins necessarily with
the story of the Indian. The earliest record is that of the Mound Builders,
who apparently had an advanced type of culture and were proficient in the
metal arts. They mined copper in what is now known as the Minong Range and
at Mani~ thu Falls on Black River, and used both fire and water in mining
the metal. The copper was worked into various weapons, implements and ornaments
and when one of their number died, various copper pieces were placed in the
mound with the body. These