Banta's Fishing Float, Alma, Wisconsin

Several of my mother's uncles had a history of interesting jobs including running a dairy,  running large machines in Alaska building roads and other large stuff, and working as a soldier/cook in Patton's army in Europe.  What I feels is the most original and exotic work they did, however, was  constructing and running a fishing float below the Mississippi River dam at Alma, Wisconsin.   They apparently did this from the late 1940s until the mid 1960s.   I have pictures from 1951 to 1962 so I'm certain it was a going concern then.

This is what the float looked like in 1952.   It took advantage of the basic fact that fishing is good below  a dam and it's pretty agreeable, not having to deal with a small, tippy boat or the hassle of hauling a boat around and putting it in the water.  The float also gave ready access to cooked food, treats, bait, chairs, and socializing.

This shows the cook and bait house on the float.

Here is a classic picture of the creators/proprietors of the float,  Myno, Carryll and Gert Banta.   Myno and Carryll were  brothers and Gert was Myno's wife.  The three of them were affectionately referred to by the Banta clan as simply "the Uncles."  This photo was probably taken by Joseph Banta, an older brother of the Uncles, who was the lockmaster just downriver at the Genoa, Wisconsin dam and probably influenced the Uncles to build the float.   I would guess this was in the mid-1950s but could have been earlier.

I visited the float a number of times, this being in 1951.  My mother is holding Winifred, my sister, and me.  I was two and a half years old then.  I'm sure our parents were watching us extremely closely - the float lacked the railings around the edge that OSHA regulations would demand now.

My dad got a plane ride from my Uncle Jack Hoffman, my mother's brother, for this shot.  The Banta's Fishing Float is the larger one on the left with the dam behind and Alma to the right.   A little floating house can be seen downstream from the float, moored along the shore.  The Uncles stayed there during the summer.   The negatives aren't dated but based on the railing around the float, this must have been taken in 1960 or a bit later.

This proud, successful and well-dressed fisherman holds his catch with Alma behind.  The dress sensibilities were different then - not the bluejeans that are the typical casual uniform now.  This and the following color slides came from Ken Banta - my mother's cousin - but originated with the Uncles.  This is from the fall of 1958.

The floating house has been towed to a site on the Alma side of the river for winter, December 1958 in this case.  This house was evidently used to some extent in the winter.  It would be a good place to watch river track, for sights such as the barges being pushed in the upper right part of the picture.

The Uncles worked in the off season on the float.  The floati structure can be seen here.  This was in April of 1959, again on the Alma side of the river.

Netting big fish was a common event on the float, attracting a crowd.  This was in 1960.  The slides were stamped with the dates the film was developed, giving a good idea of when the photos were taken.

To reach the float, customers went to this small welcoming dock in Alma.  Myno is leaning against the boat the the left of the door and probably is the captain of the launch taking people to the float.  This was is June, 1962.

There is a crowd this day so the fishing must have been good.  Although there are a few stray women about, the lion's share of customers were male.   I remember a friendly camaraderie which the Uncles, who were good-natured sorts, encouraged.  They cultivated return customers from such distant places such as Chicago.  Although I'm not much of a fisherman, it still looked like fun to me.