1906 – 1987
Inducted 1993
“Conservation is the science of man’s successful living in relation to nature and her resources.” — Wallace B. Grange
He started young and never let up. That would be one way to describe the conservation career of Wallace Grange. Grange was inspired by his teacher and principle at Ladysmith High School. That man, E. M. Dahlberg, is a fellow Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame inductee.
At age 22, Wallace Grange was on his way to a lifetime of conservation work. He was named the first superintendent of game for the Wisconsin Conservation Department. He held that position for two years, establishing the state’s first game farm, in Door County.
From there, it was off to Washington, D.C., to work on game bird research for the U.S. Biological Survey, which would later become the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. But Wisconsin called, and Grange and his high school sweetheart, Hazel, returned to Wisconsin and the 1,000 acres they had purchased near Babcock.
The property was managed as a game farm. There Grange proved his point that marginal farmland could produce game. The land had been ditched, drained and abandoned as tax delinquent. Under Grange’s leadership, wildlife thrived there, as it does today. The state purchased the land in 1962, and it exists today as the Sandhill Wildlife Area, a showplace for conservation programs and a key wildlife area in Wisconsin.
Grange is credited with inspiring a generation of wildlife professionals. Perhaps as importantly, he urged hunters to be ecologists. His beloved acres near Babcock were the laboratory for his research. His 1949 book, “The Way of Game Abundance,” espoused the use of fire and warned against the use of poisons in the environment. He also helped to document population cycles of hares and ruffed grouse.
Grange could also spin a tale for the general audience. His book, “Those of the Forest,” was a fictionalized account of life in the wild. It can still be found on the shelves of Wisconsin’s libraries.
Resources
Wallace Grange, photo gallery from UW-Stevens Point Archives
Wallace Byron Grange Legislative Citation, 1993
As the Twig Is Bent, A Memoir, by Wallace Byron Grange, downloadable audio book on Wisconsin Public Radio
Sandhill Game Farm and the Grange Era, article by Wisconsin DNR
Tracing Sandhill to its roots, article by Julie A.M. Hess and Anna N. Hess for Wisconsin Natural Resources, 2017
DNR Educator Highlights Crane Migration at Sandhill Wildlife Area, Wisconsin Life story for WPR, 2016
Trumpeter Trail Nature Interpreter Guide, from Sandhill Wildlife Area – see stop 12
Hazel Grange’s passion undiminished at 91, article by Jeremiah Gardener for Wisconsin State Journal, 1996
Grange unveils book in Langdon ceremony, article by Marvin Baker
Setting a course for conservation, article by Mark K. Judd and Richard P. Thiel for Wisconsin Natural Resources Magazine, 1992
Biographical Synopsis of Wallace Grange by Don L. Johnson (WCHF Inductee)
Those of the Forest by Wallace Byron Grange in 1953, excerpt in Wisconsin Natural Resources, 1991
A man’s vision survives, article by Ron Leys for the Milwaukee Journal, 1991
WCHF nomination support letter from Joseph J. Hickey (WCHF Inductee), 1991
Wallace Grange Memorial, article, 1988
The most neglected nature writer, article by Mel Ellis, 1978
Wallace Grange Memorial, article 1968
An Appreciation of E. M. Dahlberg (WCHF Inductee), speech by Wallace Grange for CNRA recognition dinner, 1961
Sand-hill Cranes at my Heels, article by Wallace Byron Grange for Natural History, 1955
Letter to Frederick L. Ott re: Mead Reservior from Wallace Grange, 1954
Letter from Owen Gromme (WCHF Indcutee) to Wallace Grange, 1946
Letters from Aldo Leopold (WCHF Inductee) to Wallace Grange, 1940s
Photos
These images may be used under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.