Ever wonder what the Leopold family was up to on this day at the Shack, or what Leopold wrote when lightning struck the Good Oak? Thanks to our over 60 amazing volunteer transcribers (who donated 250+ volunteer hours), all 1,100+ pages of the four, hand-written Shack Journals have been transcribed. Your gateway to exploring the transcriptions begins here: https://www.aldoleopold.org/teach-and-learn/leopold-archives#shack-journals
There you can view a brief tutorial video on using the transcriptions and find the links to accessing them in two ways, depending on the detail you want to explore. If you simply want to view and read the transcriptions, they can be accessed directly via the Aldo Leopold Foundation website. If you wish to explore the journals in more detail, you can visit the UW Madison Libraries Digital Collection website. There you can search the journals for specific words and seamlessly view the original handwritten pages alongside the corresponding transcriptions.
Beyond personal stories, the Shack Journals also contain extensive phenological records of over 300 seasonal events, descriptions of pioneering experiments of ecological restoration of degraded land, interesting natural history observations, bird-banding records, land management activities, and many other aspects of his personal connections to the land.
Special thanks for support from former and current Aldo Leopold Foundation staff Alanna Koshollek, Buddy Huffaker, and Steve Swenson, and to Senior Fellows Dr. Stan Temple and Dr. Curt Meine for hours of proofreading and continued guidance throughout the project.
Below are a few samples of what you may find as you explore the resource:
The first Shack Journal opens with a brief timeline of Leopold’s first visits to the property in 1935, including work done on the chicken coop that ultimately became the Shack. The Leopolds are quickly joined by the Hamerstroms (Fred and Fran), and Carl starts working on the Parthenon the following spring.
Page 50: Chickadee 65290 from ASCA.
“AL, EBL, Carl, Estella Jan 29-30, 1938
Left car and Lewis’ and sledded in. Bad stuff – snow too deep for toy sled. Sawed wood on bench near road. Many chicadees in woods but too windy for trapping at shack – caught one but he got away. Snow about a foot deep – too deep for hauling. We are now equipped for regular banding and feather marking. Saw “Greenhorn” in the woods – band seems OK.
AL, EBL, Carl, Nina, Estella Feb 4-6, 1938
Came in afoot in deep snow with lighting, thunder, and a warm rain. By morning whole country was afloat.
Chickadees banded (all very wet from trap. Not feathermarked)
Right leg C 65287 Defective bend on band
C 65288
C 65289
(see 12/8/40 retake) C 65290 This bird very wild and active in trap”
Page 160: Mentioning of Sandhill Cranes – During this time, Sandhill Cranes were so low in numbers that Leopold wrote Marshland Elegy.
“Cranes Explored Baxter’s marsh to verify whether cranes still here. Again flushed a single bird on the north point of the timbered island. He (?) circled, alighted in same place, and then got nervous and crossed to bushy marsh east of Island. I think there is now a nest and that the female is incubating”
The second Shack Journal starts in the summer of 1942 with major flooding that reaches birch row. Here, we see greater intent to use the Shack Journal for phenological record-keeping.
Page 75: First mention of Lightning Oak, which is later called the Good Oak in A Sand County Almanac.
“... June 4. weather: clear, cool, w. wind. Flood still rising. Drove a white oak stake on bank above big birch, foot of which is water level at 4PM. Within an inch of other stake marking max. Flood of _ 19_. Sketched level of this flood on map, p1 this volume.
Phenology First bloom: spiderwort [√], wild rose [√], Maianthemum [√] (cedar bed), may apple [√] (cedar bed)
Work Hoed pines near old foundation. Released pines of N. slope. Regular jungle of raspberry and poison ivy, with much Solomons seal, goldenrod, prickly lettuce, etc.
Lightning Oak. The storm of June 3 sent a lightning bolt into the large old black oak where road crosses clay hill. Threw 100 big slabs of green bark! I fear the old tree will not survive.”
Page 125: Gus’s Last Hunt, which is featured later in Round River: From the Journals of Aldo Leopold
AL, EBL, Estella Nov 25-27, 1943
Gus’ Last Hunt
We came up to get us a deer. Took the boat up to Anchor’s island, hoping to find it free of
hunters. I stood at the lower crossing while Estella and Gus went up the north shore to make a
drive. They had no sooner left than I found the fresh track of a deer, crossing the channel from
the mainland, and dragging a leg. There was blood. It was clear that somebody’s cripple was on
the island.
In a few minutes a disgusted looking hunter appeared. He had followed his cripple to the island
but couldn’t find her.
When I was talking to the hunter I heard Gus’ “big-game” yelp. I knew he had found the cripple,
and hurried to join him.
When I got there I found Estella in tears and Gus in the middle of the river. The deer had taken
the water and crossed to the north shore. Gus had followed. On a bar in the middle he had come
upon the doe and gotten kicked. I had heard the doe give a loud blat, like a half-grown calf in
desperation.
Gus is a weak swimmer because of his crooked leg. I doubted whether he would make the far
shore, toward which the current carried him. We hurried back toward the boat, but it was too far
to enable me to reach him in time. We were overjoyed when he at last reached the north bank.
It took me half an hour to get to the boat and cross the river. When I reached him he had his hind
legs in the water, his forelegs clinging to a sod. He was baying weakly, but was unable to lift his
head. I carried him up the bank, but he couldn’t stand. His hind quarters were paralyzed, either
by exhaustion, or the kick from the deer, or both.
Gus recognized me when I carried him up the bank, but he was soon seized by convulsions. I
covered him with my coat, but could do nothing else for him. I had to tell him good bye, and put
him out of his misery.
The third Shack Journal begins with three students – Bruce Wright, Steve Richards, and Jim Beers – who went up to the Shack from Madison to study horned owls. On page 270, you can read Leopold’s last entry before his passing on April 21, 1948. Three months later, Estella Senior, Estella Junior, Nina, and Luna pick up the Journal again to continue Leopold’s entries through the rest of the summer.
Page 121: Sawing up the Good Oak.
AL, EBL, Nina and Bill Elder, Estella Dec. 28, 1946
Weather Cloudy, 22˚ at 10 AM, 19˚ at 3:15. NE wind. Lake about 2.0’. Heavy rain yesterday.
"...Deer Two very large deer passed east across the sand blow while it was thawed after last night's rain. On way to Reagan’s corn? (no tracks crossed road going out Dec 29)
Work Sawed up and split more of the felled oak (lightning killed) on sandhill. Cleared a
few whites on N. slope.”
Page 150: Continued sawing up the Good Oak.
Work Sawed and split rest of wood at lightning oak. Went to Baraboo for supplies. Planted 25 norways near gate and on hill. Split some wood for wood pile. Added an extra hinge to Parthenon door.
The final Shack Journal is filled with entries that continue Leopold’s phenological observations and work done at the Shack from family, friends, and students during their visits.
Page 1: 1949
“2 July 1949
A memorable day at the “Shack,” rounding out impressions half caught during the years, and bridging the gap of the last twelve years. A sad return, yet because life and spirit go on, with the pines, the deer, the pheasants and the butterfly weed, here are still joy and peace, and the knowledge that a great tree will go on growing, from these deep-sunk roots!
Bill and Marjorie Vogt"
"What Thoreau found at Walden Pond we have found here. We have taken it with us but others will find it undiminished. Never to be forgotten is the shack and the warm friendship it harbors.
Durward L. Allen”
Page 131: Spud and Oma’s Friendship
“Aug. 22 '69 Trish and Sue Fey
Trish and I drove up this morning for a wonderful relaxing day. The mosquitoes were no problem (compared to the last visit.)
In the prairie toward the sand blow we saw liatris, lots of goldenrod, tall turkey foot grass, a small species of silphium? and one stalk of single yellow cone flower. Later on our way into the lake for a swim, Trish caught a glimpse of a deer watering on the far side, he heard us and disappeared into the wood. Down near the river we saw 2 great blue herons, they called to each other as they flew across the river. One (the second one) seemed to be smaller, younger. Later that day as we sat in the yard a great blue flew right above us toward the lake. Beautiful Bird.
We brought Spud along. Several times he was convinced that Oma was in the Shack as he sat at the door and wined. Clearly an inseparable pair!”
Ready to explore the journals yourself? Click the link to get started: https://www.aldoleopold.org/teach-and-learn/leopold-archives#shack-journals
The Aldo Leopold Foundation was founded in 1982 with a mission to foster the land ethic through the legacy of Aldo Leopold, awakening an ecological conscience in people throughout the world.
