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Stevens Point

map provided by Delorme mapping software

 

 

attractions & oddities

resources

 

1

Kapliczki at the Intersections
Kapliczka: (Polish) religious shrines that adorn country crossroads

 

location:  Polonia / Roscholt / Stevens Point / Amherst Junction
roadside oddity / religious shrine

In many small communities around Stevens Point, a practice that originated in Europe was brought to America by Polish immigrants.  Small religious shrines or chapels called Kapliczkis (singular "Kapliczka") were built near the intersection of two roads at first to protect travelers from evil spirits and later to give thanks to God.  Some of central Wisconsin's Kapliczkis are still evident in the forms of shrines and crosses.  There are also a handful of Kapliczkis in Marathon County.

This kapliczki is at the intersection of Highways I & Z 

 

 Polonia / Roscholt 

• tall cross crucifix at intersection of County Road I & Hillcrest Road  (This is in the trees by the red brick house.)
• red brick shrine at intersection of County Roads I & Z   (northwest corner)
• shrine at intersection of County Roads I & OO   (northeast corner)
• giant red brick shrine in front of catholic church south of Highway 66 on St. Alalberts Road (3305 St. Adalberts Rd.)
• cross in lilac bushes on east side of Saint Adalberts Road north of E Hamilton Road  (3149 Saint Adalberts Rd.)
• tall white cross next to driveway on east side of Saint Adalberts Road, south of the intersection with Highway 66   (3379 Saint Adalberts Rd.)

  

Casimir / Torun (north of Stevens Point) 

• cross on intersection of N 2nd Street & Woodview Drive
• cross at intersection of Jordan Road & N Reserve Road 
• corner shrine at St. Mary's Church on south side of  Dewey Drive, west  of the intersection with Pioneer Road 

  

Amherst Junction 

• shrine at Konkol's Corner intersection of Highways B & K   (was destroyed by inattentive driver & has temporarily been replaced by a cross)
Polish American Journal
www.polamjournal.com

Portage County Historical Society
Polish Heritage Trail
www.pchswi.org

Wisconsin Central
story:  "The Kapliczka in Wisconsin, a proud Polish heritage"

Portage County Gazette
story "Immigrant built Konkol's Corners shrine" or (here)

WSAW TV
story "Rebuilding a Shrine" or (here)

Wisconsinology
wisconsinology.blogspot.com

book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
page 212 - 213

buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Wisconsin Folklore"
edited by James P. Leary
Univ. of Wisconsin Press (1988)
pages 445 - 456
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

2

George Sroda, Worm Czar of Amherst Junction
1911 - 2004

 

location:  Amherst Junction
local legend

      

photo courtesy of Illinois Periodicals Online

"Self-proclaimed, but never disputed, George Sroda of Amherst Junction was best known as the 'Worm Czar.' Sroda was a turkey farmer who found his fortune in worms or, more accurately, products for the care and feeding of worms. A gifted entrepreneur and self-promoter, Sroda took his most famous worm - a night crawler named Herman - on everything from 'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson'...At the height of his research, Sroda kept at least 2 million worms at his worm laboratory, not a one for sale...He later wrote a children's book about Herman and even nominated the worm to become the official mascot of the Big Apple. Herman, dipped in non-toxic paint, could create squiggly impressionistic drawings. He also learned to shoot a tiny little basketball. 'This is no ordinary worm,' Sroda once declared. 'Herman is the most talked about and seen worm in the world.' "
- sections from Journal Sentinel Online

Journal Sentinel Online
article "Turkey Farmer was famous 'Worm Czar' " or (here)

Appleton Post Crescent
article "
Worm Czar put village on map"

Portage County Gazette
obituary
www.pcgazette.com

Illinois Periodicals Online
www.lib.niu.edu

book:
"Wisconsin Curiosities"
by Michael Feldman and Diana Cook
Globe Pequot Press  (2nd ed., 2004)
pages 55 - 56
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Herman the Worm"
by George Sroda
self-published

buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com  

 

3

Tony's Fan Fair

 

location:  Stevens Point
yard art

Anton "Tony" Flatoff died in 2002.  His backyard creation continued on without him until his wife passed on in 2004.  Tony had accumulated a variety of fan blades and metal wheels over the years to assemble the 15-foot-high Fan Fair on his property.  Sadly, it has now been dismantled.

photo courtesy of Tom Dickinson University of Colorado

  was at:  550 West Harding Ave.
Stevens Point, WI  54481

University of Colorado
ucsu.colorado.edu

Detour Art Atlas
detour.webdatabases.net

book:
"Wisconsin Curiosities"
by Michael Feldman and Diana Cook
Globe Pequot Press  (2nd ed., 2004)
pages 107 - 108
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Oddball Wisconsin"
by Jerome Pohlen
Chicago Review Press, Inc. (2001)
pages 60 - 61

buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Rare Visions and Roadside Revelations"
by Randy Mason, Mike Murphy, and Don Mayberger
Kansas City Star Books (2002)
pages 72 - 73
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book
"Sacred Spaces and Other Places"
by Lisa Stone and Jim Zanzi
School of Art Institute of Chicago Press (1993)

page 155
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Miracles of The Spirit: Folk, Art, and Stories from Wisconsin"
by Don Krug & Ann Parker
University Press of Mississippi (2005)
pages 106 - 110, 143
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

4

Rivermen Mural

 

location:  Stevens Point
mural

This 2004 mural depicts a scene from the logging days with the faces of the project donors shown.

  (corner of Clark and Water Street)
west side of Van's Floor Covering
817 Clark St.
Stevens Point, WI  54481

Stevens Point Official Site
stevenspoint.com

Bruce's Railroad Pictures
my.coredcs.com/~bbokrlwy

 

 

Bottle Cap Shed

 

location:  Stevens Point
unique collection

photo courtesy of Interesting Ideas

      

photos courtesy of Interesting Ideas

This shed, with its interior completely covered with bottle caps, may have been demolished.  The fate of the bottle caps is unknown.  If you have any info, email me .

  is/was somewhere on Washington Street

Interesting Ideas
www.interestingideas.com

J-Walk Blog
j-walkblog.com

Cellar Image of the Day
cellar.org

Buy Weird
www.buyweird.com

 

6

Giant Chili Pepper
on entryway of Chili's Restaurant

 

location:  Plover
roadside oddity

National chain or not, a giant chili pepper is a giant chili pepper.

  165 Crossroads Dr.
Plover, WI  54467

Chili's Official Site
www.chilis.com

 

7

Disk Drive

 

location:  Plover
interesting street moniker

So now all you technogeeks have a road sign to pose next to in comparison to the H.O.G. intersection that Bikers enjoy being photographed with.  (I ended my sentence with a preposition, but I fail to care.)

  From HIGHWAY 51 in Plover, take Exit 153 onto westbound County Road B. Take first right onto Mall Road. Pass American Road. Turn right on Disk Drive.

 

 

 

sighting / phenomenon / morbid curiosity

resources

 

1

Old Swenson

 
ghost
location:  Stevens Point

A legless ghost carrying flowers spotted on County Road 11 looking for his wife's grave.

  From Highway 10 in Stevens Point, take County Road P west for 4½ miles.  Turn right onto County Road PP.  Follow PP for 4 miles, turning right onto County Road 11.

Portage County Gazette
article "Ghosts of Portage County" or (here)

Wisconsin Paranormal Investigation Team (WIX)
www.hauntedwi.com

book:
"The Wisconsin Road Guide to Haunted Locations"
by Chad Lewis and Terry Fisk
Research Publishing Co. (2004)
pages 22 - 23

buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

 

2

8-Foot-Tall Headless Chicken Seen in St. Peter Cemetery  (1990's)

 
creature
location:  Stevens Point

      


Well.......what are we to make of this?

  Old Wausau Road
Stevens Point, WI  54481

Roots Web
(no mention of the chicken)
www.rootsweb.com

Wisconsin Paranormal Investigation Team (WIX)
www.hauntedwi.com

book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
page 257 buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

3

Plover UFO Sightings

 
UFO
location:  Plover

"There were approximately 4 bright orange lights, appearing to be a hundred feet high, probably less than a mile away. They were in a horizontal line, maybe 20 feet spacing between each one."
- section from UFO Wisconsin 04-24-03 report

UFO Wisconsin
www.ufowisconsin.com

 

4

Blood Cemetery
aka Woodville Cemetery
private cemetery

 
    haunted cemetery
location:  Stevens Point

      


Local legend has it that Calvin Blood was hung from a tree in this cemetery, but the truth is he died of natural causes.  That certainly doesn't stop the stories about strange encounters at this graveyard from rearing up now and then.  Visitors may not cross the fence at this cemetery, due to the rampant vandalism over the years.

  Take County Road P southwest out of Stevens Point.  After 2 miles, turn left onto Rocky Run Road, then right onto Little Chicago Road.  After 2 miles, turn right onto West River Drive RoadCemetery Road is on the left.

Portage County Gazette
article "Ghosts of Portage County" or (here)

Wisconsin Paranormal Investigation Team (WIX)
www.hauntedwi.com

Roots Web
www.rootsweb.com

book:
"The Wisconsin Road Guide to Haunted Locations"
by Chad Lewis and Terry Fisk
Research Publishing Co. (2004)
pages 15 - 17

buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
page 258 buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

5

Bigfoot Terror During a Weekend at a Cabin  (1981)

 
bigfoot
location:  between Stevens Point / Plainfield (Waushara County)

"Dave said the three could see the shadow of an animal walking back and forth in the light from the cabin. It was at that time that he thought he saw a second creature approach."
- section from The W-Files report
The W-Files
www.w-files.com

 

 

"Memories of a Past Life"

 
    unexplained phenomena
location:  Stevens Point

"I went on and on leading my mother through the house, as if taking her on a guided tour, until she was frightened to tears telling me to stop, and that I was scaring her. She kept remarking that we had really never been there before. That's when things got really weird."
- section from The W-Files report
The W-Files
www.w-files.com

 

7

Bloody Bride Bridge

 
    haunted bridge/road
location:  Stevens Point

      


The bridge is said to be haunted by a young bride who died en route to her wedding.  Look in your rearview mirror if you cross the bridge at night.  You may have unsuspectingly picked up a passenger in white.
See Unexplained Research link at right.

  Head northeast out of Steven Point on Highway 66.  Bloody Bride Bridge crosses over the Plover River (just past the intersection with County Road Y).

Unexplained Research
www.unexplainedresearch.com

Wisconsin Rapids Daily Tribune
article "Reporter out to explain the paranormal"

Wisconsin Paranormal Investigation Team (WIX)
www.hauntedwi.com

book:
"The Wisconsin Road Guide to Haunted Locations"
by Chad Lewis and Terry Fisk
Research Publishing Co. (2004)
pages 18 - 19

buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
pages 216 - 217 buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Weird Hauntings"
compiled by Joanne Austin
Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. (2006)

page 75
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

8

Black Bridge

 
haunted
location:  Stevens Point

The ghost of a mill worker supposedly haunts the bridge.
See Unexplained Research link at right.

  From Highway 10 in Stevens Point, take Highway 51 (Division St.) south.  After a few blocks, turn right on Wisconsin Street.  Follow Wisconsin Street to its dead end.  The bridge will be in view.

Unexplained Research
www.unexplainedresearch.com

Wisconsin Paranormal Investigation Team (WIX)
www.hauntedwi.com

book:
"The Wisconsin Road Guide to Haunted Locations"
by Chad Lewis and Terry Fisk
Research Publishing Co. (2004)
pages 13 - 14

buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
pages 216 - 217
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

9

"Hull Girl Has 'Close Encounter' "  (1980)

 
UFO
location:  township of Hull

"She said the object was about 25 to 30 feet in diameter with a low crown, made a high-pitched sound and had red, yellow and white lights."
- section from UFO Wisconsin report

UFO Wisconsin
www.ufowisconsin.com

 

10

"Polonia's Polutnitsha"

 
ghost
location:  Polonia

In the book "Northern Frights", author Dennis Boyer tells of a potato ghost brought over from the Old County who is a protector of crops.

book:
"Northern Frights"
by Dennis Boyer
Badger Books (second ed., 2005)
pages 175 - 178
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

11

Red Bridge

 
    haunted bridge/road
location:  Stevens Point

The ghost of a woman is seen near the bridge at midnight.
See Unexplained Research link at right.

  Take Highway 39 as it heads northwest out of Steven Point.  Turn left onto Casmir Road.  Follow Casmir west.  As Casmir curves off to the north, keep heading west on Walkush Road.  Red Bridge will be visible.

Unexplained Research
www.unexplainedresearch.com

Wisconsin Paranormal Investigation Team (WIX)
www.hauntedwi.com

Stevens Point Paranormal Investigators
www.spparanormal.com

book:
"The Wisconsin Road Guide to Haunted Locations"
by Chad Lewis and Terry Fisk
Research Publishing Co. (2004)
pages 24 - 25

buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
pages 216 - 217 buy it at Barnes & Noble.com  

 

12

Boy Scout Lane

 
    haunted bridge/road
/
urban legend
location:  Stevens Point

Murdered boy scouts are said to haunt this road.  See Unexplained Research link at right.

  Take County Road P southwest out of Stevens Point.  After 2 miles, turn left onto Rocky Run Road, then right onto Little Chicago Road.  After 2 miles, turn right onto West River Drive Road.

Unexplained Research
www.unexplainedresearch.com

Wisconsin Paranormal Investigation Team (WIX)
www.hauntedwi.com

book:
"The Wisconsin Road Guide to Haunted Locations"
by Chad Lewis and Terry Fisk
Research Publishing Co. (2004)
pages 20 - 21

buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

 

13

Stevens Point UFO Sightings

 
UFO
location:  Stevens Point

"From the trees I was no more than 20' away from the craft. I first noticed an individual in the lite from the bottom of the craft directly before me. The individual appeared to have a form fitting white suit on. The eyes were what appeared to be goggles or protective bubbles of tinted glass or plastic."
- section from UFO Wisconsin Sept. 1975 report

\UFO Wisconsin
www.ufowisconsin.com

UFO Wisconsin
(mistakenly listed as being in Waushara County)
www.ufowisconsin.com

 

14

Spiritland Cemetery
said to have been robbed by ed gein

 
    haunted cemetery
location:  Almond

  From Highway 39, take County Road D east to County Road BB.  Cemetery is on the right.

Graves may have been robbed by Ed Gein in the 1950's.  Spiritual disturbances may linger.
See Unexplained Research link at right.

Unexplained Research
www.unexplainedresearch.com

Wisconsin Paranormal Investigation Team (WIX)
www.hauntedwi.com

Journal Sentinel Online
1. article "Plainfield residents shun Gein attention"
2. article "A foreboding state" or (here)

book:
"The Wisconsin Road Guide to Haunted Locations"
by Chad Lewis and Terry Fisk
Research Publishing Co. (2004)
pages 2 - 3

buy it at Barnes & Noble.com  

 

15

Old Sherman House
aka Cottage House Restaurant

 
haunted
location:  Plover

"Glass windows had a habit of shattering, glasses and plates would fly off bars and counters and explode in front of customers. Doors opened and closed by themselves and lights in the offices and the restaurant refused to behave normally. At one point, employees even complained that invisible forms brushed past them in some of the rooms."
- section from Prairie Ghosts article

  2900 Post Road
Plover, WI  54467

Prairie Ghosts
www.prairieghosts.com

Unsolved Mysteries
www.unsolvedmysteries.com

Portage County Gazette
article "Ghosts of Portage County" or (here)

Wisconsin Paranormal Investigation Team (WIX)
www.hauntedwi.com

book:
"Oddball Wisconsin"
by Jerome Pohlen
Chicago Review Press, Inc. (2001)
page 56

buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book
"Haunted Heartland"
by Beth Scott & Michael Norman
Warner Books (1985)

"The Teetotaling Poltergeist"
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

16

Strange 'Star' Seen Near Almond  (2005)
and it was not amy winehouse

 
UFO
location:  Almond

"My husband noticed a 'bright star' in the southern sky. We turned off all the lights in the house as the 'star' was different."
- section from UFO Wisconsin report

UFO Wisconsin
www.ufowisconsin.com

 

17

Nelson Hall at UW-Stevens Point

 
ghost
location:  Stevens Point

Room 312 in Nelson Hall was the site of a suspicious death, but other areas of this former dormitory are reported to have had paranormal incidents occur, including the boiler room.

  1209 Fremont St.
Stevens Point, WI  54481

Wisconsin Paranormal Investigation Team (WIX)
www.hauntedwi.com

 

 

"Ghosts of America" Haunted Location Reports
(take with a grain of salt)

 
ghosts
location:  statewide

The reports on this site are presumably fiction, using random Wisconsin place names in the stories listed there.  Even so, you might get a kick out of reading them.

"The phantom of an aged sorceress materialized by Halladay Creek trashing a box. When the eye witness became visible the ghost escaped."
- section from Ghosts of America website

Ghosts of America
www.ghostsofamerica.com

 

 

 

taste of local history

resources

 

1

Heritage Park

 

location:  Plover
museum / historic structures

"Currently, 9 buildings (oldest ca 1851) and a caboose depict life in Portage County. The Church Museum also houses an historic display."
- section from Portage County Historical Society website


  corner of Willow and Washington Street in Plover (next to RR tracks and east of Business Highway 51)

                       

hours:
June thru late September  (Sat & Sun)  1pm – 5pm

Portage County Historical Society
www.pchswi.org

UW Stevens Point
www.uwsp.edu

 

 

2

Plover Portage Rendezvous

 

location:  Plover
event

"Buckskinners portray life during Wisconsin's Fur Trade Era circa 1830."
- section from Portage County Historical Society website


  held at Heritage Park
corner of Willow and Washington Street in Plover (next to RR tracks and east of Business Highway 51)

                

hours:
held the third weekend of July

Portage County Historical Society
www.pchswi.org

 

3

Beth Israel Synagogue

 

location:  Stevens Point
museum

"The Congregation Beth Israel Synagogue was built in 1905 and remains on its original site. At one time the congregation had over 80 families as members...By the 1980's the congregation had shrunk to the point that the remaining members could not maintain the site...The congregation left the artifacts intact and the society has been able to use them to teach about Jewish traditions and their role in local history."
- section from Portage County Historical Society website


  1475 Water Street
Stevens Point, WI  54481

                       

hours:
June thru early September  (Sat & Sun)  1pm – 5pm

Portage County Historical Society
www.pchswi.org

Portal Wisconsin
www.portalwisconsin.org

 

4

Rising Star Mill

 

location:  Nelsonville
historic structure

photo courtesy of Moosemom's Flickr page

"The Nelsonville Mill is one of the oldest mills in this part of the state and the last of its kind in Portage County. On September 10, 1855, Jerome Nelson purchased land and water rights from Anna and Charles Stoltenberg on which to "construct and maintain a mill dam." Nelson, for whom Nelsonville is named, built the dam and sawmill in 1855. The Mill was built in 1868 upon his return from serving in the Civil War. The Mill was operated as a business until 1984...The Mill hosts several music concerts each year. The biggest event is the Annual Open House Art Show held in July on the same weekend as the Iola Old Car Show. All profits generated are applied to the restoration and maintenance of the Rising Star Mill. The Mill is available to rent for meetings and other activities."
- section from Portage County Historical Society website


  3190 County Road Q (Old Highway 161)
Nelsonville, WI  54458

                           

hours:
open for special events

Portage County Historical Society
www.pchswi.org

Ohio Barns
www.ohiobarns.com

Stevens Point YMCA
"Haunted Mill"
www.spymca.org

Flickr photos
www.flickr.com

 

More Portage County historical attractions listed at:

Portage County Historical Society

 


updated 11-09-09  •  all images excluding those attributed to others are property of Wisconsinosity.com