Cable's story begins in 1659 when French explorers, Radisson and Grosellier hired Native American guides to take them across Lake Superior and into the head of Chequamegon Bay. Although primarily interested in opening trading relations with the local Indians, these early explorers often wrote home describing the beauty of Lake Superior and the surrounding forests.
Their exploration of what is now Bayfield County proved to be quite lucrative. Hundreds of canoes loaded with furs were transported to ships bound for Europe after that initial trip. Up until the fall of Quebec in 1759, Bayfield County supplied the beaver fur for hats worn by much of the European royalty.
The British controlled the region until they ceded it to the United States after the Revolutionary War. While technically still Native American soil, American Indian agents explored the region negotiating treaties and laying the groundwork for future expansion and development. It wasn't until 1842 when the Chippewa officially ceded the land to the United States.
Cable's rise came by way of iron and steam. Because there were no roads, work began immediately on a railroad. The rail line from Hudson to Spooner was completed in December of 1879, to Cable in November of 1880, Drummond in 1882 and GrandView in 1884. Cable became a railroad center with 500 to 700 workers using it as their headquarters. It was a hastily-constructed town of crude buildings, occupied by rail track men, lumberjacks, fishermen, drummers and tourists. It was a town of saloons, hotels, boarding houses and a couple of general merchandise stores. A fire in 1882 destroyed the village and a new town emerged from the ashes. The railroad construction crews were gone and people interested in making homes and establishing businesses acquired the land. By 1900 there was a mixture of nationalities settled in the vicinity. Many of the townspeople worked for the railroad, but there were also tradesmen, farmers, doctors, teachers and real estate agents. These first settlers became aware that they were in a country where city folks longed to vacation- it was a tourist's mecca. Today it has become just that.
Cable and the surrounding communities have a very intimate connection with the land around them. The Chequamegon National Forest has been Cable's economic lifeblood drawing thousands of visitors year round. It is almost a million acres of unspoiled recreation land providing the best in outdoor recreation no matter what your bent.
Hunting is allowed on 850,000 acres of public land in Chequamegon. White tail deer, black bear, and ruffled grouse are just a small sampling of game roaming the unspoiled wilderness. The Cable area also enjoys one the nation's largest concentration of natural lakes, including some that are only accessible by foot. Lake Owen and Namakagon offer both novice and experienced anglers the opportunity to land trophy sized walleye and muskie.
If you're a mountain biking enthusiast, there are over 300 miles of mapped and marked trails you can explore. The terrain allows for an enjoyable ride for cyclists of all experience and follows a variety of paths including logging roads, fire lanes, snowmobile trails, and ski trails.
Want to keep your feet closer to the ground? Cable has been named "Trail Town, USA" by the American Hiking Society. Those looking for shorter, less rigorous hikes will find the nature trails both fun an educational. A popular choice is the Lodge Nature Trail which is maintained by the Cable Natural History Museum. Hardcore hikers will want to check out the North Country National Scenic Trail, sixty miles of which run through the northern half of Chequamegon National Forest. This 3,200 mile trail links the present Appalachian Trail in Vermont with the Lewis & Clark Trail in North Dakota.
Whether you're a birdwatcher, an outdoorsman, or a mountain biking enthusiast, you'll definitely find something that will peak your interest.
