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map provided by Delorme mapping software

 

 

attractions & oddities

resources

 

1

Chicken Dinner Served in a Hubcap
 at Dick's Bar and Grill

 
location:  Hudson
unique meal presentation

An odd choice of platters somehow makes the meal taste so much better.
With choice of potato, and soup or salad
A satisfied diner at Dick's

  111 Walnut Street
Hudson, WI  54016

                        

hours:
8am – Close
Official Site
www.dicksbargrill.com

book:
 "Wisconsin Curiosities"
 by Michael Feldman and Diana Cook
Globe Pequot Press
(2nd ed., 2004)  page 30
 (3rd ed., 2009)  page 28
 buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

2

"AVES Wisconsin's Finest Taxidermy & Cheese" Sign

 
location:  Hudson
roadside oddity

Once an object of humorous commentary for travelers en route to River Falls, the Aves sign no longer includes 'CHEESE', ending its years of advertising odd commercial offerings.

  Aves Studio Taxidermists
(2 miles south of Highway 94 on Highway 35 near Hudson)
455 Highway 35 S.
Hudson, WI  54016

hours:
(Mon - Thurs)  9am – 6pm  /  (Fridays)  9am – 5pm
Saturdays by appointment only.  CLOSED SUNDAYS

THEN

photo courtesy of Slac website

NOW

Official Site
(for its clay manufacturing business)
www.avesstudio.com

Slac photo
www.slac.com

Interesting Ideas
www.interestingideas.com

Pioneer Press
article "A feat of clay"

Tory Fink photo on Flickr
www.flickr.com

The Bubbler
www.thebubbler.com

 

3

Mollie Jenson's Zoo & Museum
 private property

 
location:  River Falls
roadside attraction / yard art

Farm wife Mollie Jenson accumulated around 150 animals on her property, where she also created her artwork, which ranged from quilts and rugs to grotto-style stone-and-glass creations that were spread across her lawn.  Sadly, most of these have been destroyed in the years since her death, but a rundown windmill covered in her handiwork still remains.

UPDATE:  The windmill collapsed in 2006.

  (From River Falls, head 7 miles east on County Road M.)
1684 County Road M
River Falls, WI  54022

photo courtesy of book "Sacred Spaces and Other Places"
Minnesota Museum of the Mississippi
www.mnmuseumofthems.org

Detour Art Atlas
detour.webdatabases.net

book:
 "Oddball Wisconsin"
 by Jerome Pohlen
 Chicago Review Press, Inc. (2001)
 page 22
 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)
 pages 86 - 93
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

4

Baldwin Park Windmill

 
location: Baldwin
roadside oddity

photo courtesy of Ohio Barns

  Windmill Park
on 10th Avenue (Highway 63) on south side of Baldwin

                 

hours:
Memorial Day thru Labor Day  (daily)  11am – 5pm
Ohio Barns
www.ohiobarns.com

Baldwin Official Site
www.ci.baldwin.wi.us

City Data
www.city-data.com

 

5

Great Wall of China Replica
 (proposed)

 
location:  Spring Valley (Pierce County)
roadside attraction

photo simulation (obviously)

Wisconsin may obtain yet another roadside wonder if Don Trent gets his wish.  The 70-year-old Spring Valley resident has plans to construct a mile-long replica of the Great Wall of China near Interstate 94.  Don's interest in Chinese history and culture has built up to this anticipated project, which would incorporate a small army of terra cotta statues, a museum complex, theater and hotel.

  would be:  along the south side of Highway I-94

 Associated Press
article "Antiquities collector plans Great Wall replica, museum" or (here)

Roadside America
www.roadsideamerica.com

Journal Sentinel Online
article "Spring Valley man wants to build the Great Wall of Wisconsin" or (here)

 

 

 

natural feature / altered landscape

resources

 

1

Willow Falls  ( 100 feet high)
on the Willow River

 
location:  Hudson
waterfall

"In my opinion either Willow Falls or Lower Potato Falls is the most impressive waterfall in the state. The falls, which is at least 100 feet wide, consists of several drops, the largest of which is about 15 feet high. The uppermost drops are only visible from the rim. This is a good sized river and creates an impressive display as it tumbles down on its way to meet the much larger St. Croix River."
 - section from Go Waterfalling website

  From Hudson, head east on Highway I-94 for 2 miles.  Exit off and head north on Highway 12 for 1-1/2 miles.  Continue straight on County Road U as Highway 12 curves off to the east.  Almost immediately, turn right (east) onto County Road A.  Follow for about 2 miles.  Look for the Willow Falls parking lot.

 Go Waterfalling
gowaterfalling.com

Wisconsin DNR
www.dnr.state.wi.us

 

2

River Falls Pyramid
 private property

 
location:  River Falls
rock formation / mystery

These photos were taken with permission from the land owner.

      

The top of the mound is capped with a "chimney"-like formation, parts of which have fallen off and disintegrated over the years. 

Natural or man-made?  Perhaps a little of both?  Located in a small basin on a hill, the formation does give off the impression of a carved structure.  The soft sandstone has made it easy for vandals to carve their foul names into its surface.  Author Chad Lewis may be credited for bringing this curiosity back to light.

  On private property, so ask permission before you visit.
 Fred & Shirley Kurtz
399 Monument Road
River Falls, WI  54022

The lighting in this image has been altered to clarify the approximate shape of the mound, which was once recorded as 65 feet high.
Unexplained Research
www.unexplainedresearch.com

River Falls Journal photos
www.riverfallsjournal.com
or www.riverfallsjournal.com

book:
 "Hidden Headlines of Wisconsin"
 by Chad Lewis
Unexplained Research, LLC (2007)
page 91
 buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
 buy it at Unexplained Research

 

 

 

sighting / phenomenon / morbid curiosity

resources

 

1

Somerset UFO Sightings

  
UFO
location:  Somerset

"It would bob and move in small circles. It also seemed to have a two prominent spikes; one going off to the left, and one off the top. The object looked as though it were no closer than a satellite."
- section from UFO Wisconsin 10-11-01 report
UFO Wisconsin
www.ufowisconsin.com

 

2

Kozy Korner Restaurant

  
ghost
location:  New Richmond

The ghost of a young boy has been observed.

  157 S. Knowles Ave.
New Richmond, WI  54017

 Unexplained Research
www.unexplainedresearch.com

 

3

Skydiver Spots Mysterious Object  (1999)

  
UFO
location:  Baldwin

"This object DID NOT MOVE over an hour and one half of repeated observations."
- section from UFO Wisconsin report
UFO Wisconsin
www.ufowisconsin.com

 

4

Ghostly Crying in the Woods

  
haunted
location:  Wilson
"she told she was in the woods and began to hear what sounded like to her children crying. she searched thru the woods and found no one or any sign of anyone else in the woods."
- section from The W-Files report
The W-Files
www.w-files.com

 

5

Driver Meets Bigfoot on Road  (1995)

  
bigfoot
location:  New Richmond
"As i got closer I started to scream in terror, The closer I got the louder and more terrified my screams became."
- section from BFRO incident report

  on County Road K near railroad crossing

BFRO (Bigfoot Field Researchers Organization)
www.bfro.net

 

6

Cylindrical Craft Observed  (1960's)

  
UFO
location:  Glenwood City

"As they neared the sports field the craft zoomed off into the air at great speed and disappeared."
- section from UFO Wisconsin report
UFO Wisconsin
www.ufowisconsin.com

 

7

Haunted House in Hudson

  
haunted
location:  Hudson
"Last night before my husband had seen the shadow I swore I had seen something out of the corner of my eye moving. When I would look towards the bottom of the stairs I wouldn't see anything. That happened for about 15 min and about 30 min prior to when he saw the shadow."
- section from The W-Files report
The W-Files
www.w-files.com

 

 

8

Ghost of Dr. Paschal Aldich

  
ghost
location:  Hudson
"After he died in October 1860, neighbors often reported his ghost wandering the house at night, as if he were keeping watch over his family."
- section from The W-Files report
The W-Files
www.w-files.com

book:
 "Haunted Wisconsin"
 by Michael Norman & Best Scott
Trails Books (revised 2001)
pages 75 - 76
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.

"The ghost of an elderly female grasping a revolver may often be spotted burning a glove in Crocus Park after midnight. A woman who lives here asserts that this ghost is that of a local resident who lived here in Hudson some decades ago."
- section from Ghosts of America website
Ghosts of America
www.ghostsofamerica.com

 

 

"In addition to the gracious, restored house with Victorian era furnishings, the complex includes the Garden House with its 19th century life, domestic arts, carpenter, blacksmith, and general store tableaux; and the Carriage House, which includes the Museum Gift Shop and research center. All structures are set amid expansive, beautifully maintained gardens."
 - section from the Official Site

  1004 3rd Street
Hudson, WI  54016

                    

hours:
(Tues - Sat)  11am – 4pm  (last tour starts at 3:30pm)
(Sundays)  2pm – 4:30pm  (last tour starts at 4pm)

 

taste of local history

resources

 

1

New Richmond Heritage Center

 
location:  New Richmond
museum

"Original 1884 Farmhouse 1887 Log Cabin • 1890 Northside House 1891 Church • 1902 Camp 9 School 1933 General Store • Log Blacksmith Shop Original Barn and Granary • Pavilion 11-Acre Nature Trail Site"
 - section from the Official Site

  1100 Heritage Dr.
New Richmond, WI  54017
or

                

hours:
Year-long:  (Mon - Fri)  10am – 4pm
May thru October only:  (Saturdays)  7:30am – 2pm
(Sundays)  Noon – 4pm

Official Site
www.pressenter.com/~nrpsinc/

Portal Wisconsin
www.portalwisconsin.org

 

2

Octagon House and Museum

 
location:  Hudson
museum
Official Site
www.pressenter.com/~octagon/
octagonhouse.html

Portal Wisconsin
www.portalwisconsin.org

 
More St. Croix County historical attractions listed at:

Explore Wisconsin

 

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