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attractions & oddities

resources

 

1

Giant Felt-Tip Marker Carving
at Merry Farm

 

location:  Gotham
roadside oddity

This "Historical Marker", carved from a tree, stands next to the driveway of Merry Farm, a rural retreat north of Gotham.

  30999 Slow Lane
Lone Rock, WI, 53556

  Take Highway 14 north out of Gotham for about a mile.  Turn right onto Fairview Road, then left onto Slow Lane.  Follow until the road ends in a turnaround driveway at Merry Farms.

      

Official Site
www.merryfarmofgotham.com

Madison Environmental Group
www.madisonenvironmental.com

Travel Wisconsin
www.travelwisconsin.com

Madison Capital Times
article "`whad'ya Know?' We Helped, Too" or (here)

book:
"Wisconsin Curiosities"
by Michael Feldman and Diana Cook
Globe Pequot Press
(2nd ed., 2004)  pages
206 - 207

(3rd ed., 2009)
  pages197 - 199
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

2

Driftless Grotto
at Dreamtime Village

 

location:  West Lima
outsider art

This is a grotto-in-progress being constructed by a group of artists who have gathered in this small town to form their own little...ahem...'community'.  I'll give you kids a nickel's worth of free advice: No one's going near that thing until you can remove the smell of patchouli oil.

2006 UPDATE:  Upon visiting the site, it appears that the grotto has not been worked on for several years.  The whereabouts of the builders are unknown.

The planned features of this grotto, according to the official site, were: 1) A stone-pillared concrete & blue-glass bottle archway entrance; 2) Mosaiced fence around the perimeter of the square; 3) A vernacular futuristic tower housing a Jules Verne-style "time machine" which will be operated by the movements of live birds inside a heated aviary; 4) Carved & painted remains of a dying 200 yr-old willow tree in the lot; 5) Flow-form water fountains & birdbaths & picnic benches; & 6) A web of tunnels inspired by & emanating from the extant remains on the lot of an old basement & a cistern which local folk tell us was literally the town watering-hole & weekly gathering place many years ago. 7) A bog garden of endemic carniverous (sic) pitcher plants.

  (on east side of County Road A in West Lima)
mailing address:  10375 County Road A
LaFarge, WI  54639

Official Site
www.dreamtimevillage.org

 

3

A.D. German Warehouse
"mayan fortress" design by frank lloyd wright

 

location:  Richland Center
unique architecture

      


"Frank Lloyd Wright was born on June 8, 1867, in Richland Center. Wright's A.D. German Warehouse, an imposing brick-clad structure, stands immediately adjacent to downtown. A high band of concrete frieze that shows Mayan influences tops the structure. This unique "Mayan" fortress, built in 1915, remains an important link with Wright's later pioneering use of concrete cast-on-site architecture. The building rests on a cork pad providing shock absorption and stability. Wright later used similar construction when designing the famed Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. It no longer stands, but the A.D. German Warehouse does!"
- section from Richland Area Chamber of Commerce website

  300 South Church Street
Richland Center, WI  53581
warehouse:
chamber of commerce:

Richland Area Chamber of Commerce
www.richlandchamber.com

Richland Center Official Site
www.richlandcenter.com

Wright in Wisconsin
www.wrightinwisconsin.org

Portal Wisconsin
portalwisconsin.org

Bluffton University
photos
www.bluffton.edu

 

4

Boaz Mastodon
historical marker

 

location:  Boaz
historical oddity

"This marker is located 1365 ft. west of the actual location where in 1897 a very heavy rainstorm exposed part of a mastodon skeleton. The rain was so heavy the Dosch family was concerned that it washed out part of a fence. The three sons headed out after the rain to check on the fence and one of them noticed a large object sticking out of the stream bank. A closer look revealed that it was a very large bone. They dug it out, dragged it home, and returned with shovels to look for more bones. As they dug, more and more bones were discovered. They carried each of the bones home and leaned them against a hitching post near the entrance to their farm. The display drew immediate attention. The boys were joined by other local residents who also dug for bones. The discovery created quite a sensation and soon the news of the digging spread all the way to Richland Center."
- section from Wisconsin Historical Society website

  on Highway 14 just east of Boaz

Wisconsin Historical Society
www.wisconsinhistory.org

Journal Sentinel Online
article "1897 storms led to brothers' discovery of mastodon bones" or (here)

The actual mastodon skeleton is on display at the University of Wisconsin (Madison) Geology Museum
1. www.geology.wisc.edu
2. www.geology.wisc.edu

book:
"Wisconsin Curiosities"
by Michael Feldman and Diana Cook
Globe Pequot Press
(2nd ed., 2004)  page 232

(3rd ed., 2009)
  page 223
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"The Wisconsin Story: 150 Stories/150 Years"
by Dennis McCann
Journal Sentinel Inc (1998)
page 34
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

5

Pine Creek Footbridge

 

location:  Richland Center
local landmark

"Work on the footbridge began in 1912, enabling west side residents to walk across the river to attend functions, shop and socialize, cutting their travel time in half. A 1951 flood took out one pier, but the bridge was rebuilt and remains a landmark today. It is maintained well and lighted at nighttime. Strolling the bridge, with the wonderful swaying motion that is part of a suspension bridge, brings out the kid in everyone."
- section from Richland Area Chamber of Commerce website

  1 block west of Highway 14 over Pine River near intersection of W 3rd Street & N Congress Street

Richland Area Chamber of Commerce
www.richlandchamber.com

Bridgemeister
bridgemeister.com

 

 

 

natural feature / altered landscape

resources

 

1

Elephant Trunk Rock
aka Elephant Rock

 

location:  Ithaca, northeast of Richland Center
rock formation

Also known as "The Devil's Hitching Post".


Also listed in the Paranormal section below.

  about 3 miles north of the little unincorporated burg of Ithaca on east side of Highway 58 just south of intersection with Highway 154.

Richland Area Chamber of Commerce
www.richlandchamber.com

Road Noise
www.roadnoise.com

Explore Wisconsin
www.explorewisconsin.com

Roadside America
www.roadsideamerica.com

Thom.org
www.thom.org

 

2

Eagle Cave
world's largest onyx cave

 

location:  Blue River (grant county) & Muscoda (grant county)
cave

"Eagle Cave is Wisconsin's largest  onyx cave. Discovered in 1849 by a hunter and trapper named Peter Kinder. Eagle Cave was opened to the public for tours in 1938. Since then thousands of people every year come to view one of mother nature's most incredible, and beautiful works of art, 10,000 years in the making."
- section from Official Site

  16320 Cavern Lane
Blue River, WI  53518

  From Highway 60 west of Muscoda, turn right (north) onto Eagle Cave Road.  After nearly 2 miles, turn left onto Cavern Lane.

Water droplets form on thousands of small stalactites in one of the many rooms in Eagle Cave.
Official Site
www.eagle-cave.net

Showcaves
www.showcaves.com

book:
"Wisconsin Underground"
by Doris Green
Trails Media Group, Inc. (2000)
pages 19 - 22
buy it at 
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

3

Steamboat Rock

 

location:  rockbridge, north of Richland Center
rock formation

This long formation indeed does look like a petrified ship as you drive up to it from the west.

  From Richland Center, head 6 miles north on Highway 56/80.  Turn right on County Road SR, then left on Steamboat Hollow.

Richland Area Chamber of Commerce
www.richlandchamber.com

Monticello Wisconsin
www.monticellowi.com

 

4

Rockbridge Natural Bridge

 

location:  rockbridge, north of Richland Center
rock formation

Rockbridge's natural bridge is 20 feet wide and 10 feet high.  A tunnel allows visitors to access the west side of the rock face and a staircase provides a way to the top.

  Pier Park aka Pier Natural Bridge Park
Highway 80
Rockbridge, WI  53581

Monticello Wisconsin
www.monticellowi.com

book:
"Wisconsin Underground"
by Doris Green
Trails Media Group, Inc. (2000)
pages 119 - 120
buy it at 
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

5

Popp's Cave

 

location:  Richland Center
cave

"Explore Wisconsin's subterranean world at Popp's Cave near Richland Center. In some places the cave is 50 feet below the entrance, 70 feet below the surface, and 645 feet long. The cave includes a few large rooms connected by passages which, at times, are fairly small. Explore under the supervision of the experienced cavers from Family Service."
- section from Wander Wisconsin website

  west of Richland Center near the town of Sylvan

UW - Stevens Point
students.uwsp.edu

Wander Wisconsin
www.wanderwisconsin.org

Madison School District
www.madison.k12.wi.us

 

 

 

sighting / phenomenon / morbid curiosity

resources

 

1

Alleged Alien Abduction  (1988)

 
aliens
location:  Richland Center

"There are several of these small people--perhaps six or seven--and a taller humanoid figure, almost as tall as I (six feet) and not as proportionately thin as the others. His features are more, as we would use the term, 'human'--and he may well be a mixed-blood. Whatever clothing type they're wearing, it's tightly fitting and, to us at this point in recall, non-descript."
- section from The W-Files report

The W-Files
www.w-files.com

 

2

"Rockbridge's Wraith"

 
ghost
location:  rockbridge, north of Richland Center

In the book "Driftless Spirits", author Dennis Boyer tells of the spirit of an abused young woman who leaves her haunt on the bluffs to plague men of unsavory character.

book:
"Driftless Spirits"
by Dennis Boyer
Prairie Oak Press (1996)

pages 138 - 141
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

3

"The Windeeko Spirit of Pine River"

 
    spirit
/
indian lore
location:  Gotham

In the book "Driftless Spirits", author Dennis Boyer tells of the ghost of a supernatural being that is trapped beneath the river.

  where the Pine River meets the Wisconsin river south of Highway 60 near Gotham

book:
"Driftless Spirits"
by Dennis Boyer
Prairie Oak Press (1996)

pages 132 - 135
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

4

Strange Object Over Graduation Ceremony  (2000)

 
UFO
location:  Viola

"...my eyes fell upon a long, white or light silver colored object gliding quickly, steadily from northwest to south east."
- section from UFO Wisconsin report

UFO Wisconsin
www.ufowisconsin.com

 

5

"Gillingham Barn Poltergeist"

 
ghost
location:  gillingham, north of Richland Center

In the book "Driftless Spirits", author Dennis Boyer tells of a pesky ghost that occupies a 19th-century barn.

book:
"Driftless Spirits"
by Dennis Boyer
Prairie Oak Press (1996)

pages 130 - 132
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

6

Green Fireball  (1999)

 
UFO
location:  West Lima

"It had approx. 600 ft tail of spark and what seemed to be fire."
- section from UFO Wisconsin report

UFO Wisconsin
www.ufowisconsin.com

 

7

"Lone Rock's Artillery Ghosts"

 
haunted
location:  Lone Rock

In the book "Driftless Spirits", author Dennis Boyer tells of the sounds of cannons going off near the monument to the 6th Wisconsin Battery, which served in the Civil War.  The sounds have also been heard from the surrounding bluffs.

  monument is in Battery Park on Highway 130

Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War
people.msoe.edu

book:
"Driftless Spirits"
by Dennis Boyer
Prairie Oak Press (1996)

pages 135 - 138
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

8

Triangle Shaped Craft Seen During Camping Trip  (1995)

 
UFO
location:  Cazenovia

"This ink-black shadow-triangle had tiny white lights at the bottom/tips of each corner and traveled across the sky above me so slowly it almost appeared to be hovering like it was searching for something."
- section from UFO Wisconsin report

UFO Wisconsin
www.ufowisconsin.com

 

9

Devil's Hitching Post
aka Elephant Rock

 
haunted
location:  ithaca, northeast of Richland Center

A Man in Black (allegedly the Angel of Death) used the rock to tie up his horse whilst he collected souls.

  about 3 miles north of the little unincorporated burg of Ithaca on east side of Highway 58 just south of intersection with Highway 154.

Also listed in the Natural Features section above.

The W-Files
www.w-files.com

book:
"Wisconsin Lore"
by Robert E. Gard & L.G. Sorden
Heartland Press (1962, 1987)

page 43
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Haunted Wisconsin"
by Michael Norman & Best Scott
Trails Books (revised 2001)
page 190

buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Strange Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey
Trails Books (2007)
page 43
buy it at

buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

 

10

"The Empty Chair"

 
ghost
location:  Richland Center

A family Christmas tradition leads to a meaningful encounter with a lost loved one.

book:
"The Bookcase Ghost"
by Elizabeth Matson & Stuart Stotts
Midwest Traditions (1996)
pages 68 - 72

buy it at

buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

 

 

"The Dwarf Mastodons of Boaz"

 
creature
location:  Boaz

In his book "Giants in the Land", author Dennis Boyer tells of the diminutive wooly beasts that were once found in the hollows of Richland County.

Okay, this is actually a picture of a mammoth, but you get the general idea.
book:
"Giants in the Land: Folk Tales & Legends of Wisconsin"
by Dennis Boyer
Prairie Oak Press (1997)
pages 132 - 134
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.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.

"A female with a machete sticking out of her head came into sight by Rockbridge staring. The eye witness panicked and fled. Residents here declare that this ghost is the ghost of a vacationer that was murdered while traveling through Richland Center many years ago. Anyhow, it is certainly a bloodcurdling spirit that you do not want to come across in the early morning hours."
- section from Ghosts of America website

Ghosts of America
www.ghostsofamerica.com

 


updated 04-21-09  •  all images excluding those attributed to others are property of Wisconsinosity.com