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Medford

      

Rib Lake

maps provided by Delorme mapping software

 

 

attractions & oddities

resources

 

1

"Psycho" Door
at the Dallmann-Kniewel Funeral Home

 

location:  Rib Lake
peculiar adornment / art assisting life

Sorry. No enlargement available.

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The door as it appeared in the film. (photos courtesy of Universal Pictures)

One interesting feature in this funeral home is its very large entrance door, which some may recognize as the actual front door to Norman Bates' home in Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film "Psycho".  The owner made an online bid for the door, which fit in with the other period decor of the funeral home.

  From Highway 102, head north through downtown Rib Lake (McComb Avenue).  Take a left onto Fayette Avenue and turn immediately right onto West Street.
933 West Street
Rib Lake, WI  54470

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Psycho-related links:

The Psycho Movies
www.thepsychomovies.com

Internet Movie Database (IMDB)
www.imdb.com

 

2

Ricegrinder Gallows at the Free Spirit Clubhouse
private property

 

location:  Chelsea / Medford
roadside oddity

Always in sight of Highway 13 is the helpless form of a hanging motorcycle twisting in the wind, its only crime having been being born outside our country's borders.  For the members of the Free Spirit Motorcycle Club, it is a crime punishable by public humiliation and slow, agonizing death.  Indeed, the strung-up cycle may find its fate preferable to what the host of other Suzukis, Hondas, Yamahas and Kawasakis have endured at the hands of the local gentry: fire, gunshots, draggings, perhaps even disembowelment.  In case you haven't caught the hint, here Harley-Davidson is king.  Only domestics are tolerated.  Anything else risks the swift trial of an angry jury and an unforgiving noose.

  corner of Highway 13 & Highway 102 10 miles north of Medford

hours:
open only for special occasions

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3

Pete LaPeck
(1888 - 1962)

 

location: Interwald, southeast of Rib Lake
local character / local legend

Pete "The Pete" Lapeck (lah-peck') was an immigrant from Serbia known for his zeal for life and haphazard manner of going about it.  Back in the 1920's, when he learned of the American Independence Day holiday, Pete was bound and determined to celebrate in grand fashion, purchasing for himself an entire case of dynamite.  "By God, the Pete he zellibrates the Fort o' Chuly too!  Fort o' Chuly zellibrashun, the Pete he makes some noise too!"  In the end, Pete nearly destroyed his own house (and himself) in the process.  Many stories have been told of Pete's antics, and more are welcome here at this website.

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Pete's grave is in Lake View Cemetery in Rib Lake. 

  Pete's farm was on County Road M in the Town of Interwald, 2 miles east of County Road C

Wisconsin West magazine
Nov/Dec 1987 issue
Jul/Aug 1988 issue
Nov/Dec 1988 issue

www.wisconsinwestmagazine.com

Read about Pete in the story
"It Was A Real Blast!" here.

Read about Pete in the story
"A Poacher Repents" here

Read about Pete in the story
"We Make It The Spezzal Kreesmas!" here

  Reader-submitted stories

 

4

Snieg Fest

 

location:  Gilman
event

Snieg Fest, Gilman's annual winter festival ('snieg' being the Polish word for 'snow') includes such odd events as: Guinness Book of World Record Frying Pan Toss • men's beard contest • ladies' hairy leg contest • blind snowmobile races • golf on the river • snowshoe race • ice bowling • snow basketball • crossbuck saw contest

  Village Park
Gilman, WI  54433

hours:
(first Saturday in February)   10am – 5:30pm

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A contestant lets fly the cast iron cookware during the Guinness Book of World Records Frying Pan Toss.
Gilman Official Site
www.gilmanwi.com

 

5

Trap-Shaped Gate
private property

 

location:  Medford
roadside oddity

Perhaps a symbol of the owner's pastime or maybe a blunt warning to trespassers.  Believe the latter.

  10 miles east of Medford on Peche Drive

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6

Gilman Swinging Bridge

 

location:  Gilman
local landmark

"Historically, Gilman has a 100-year old swinging bridge that is the only one left in the entire state."
- section from Gilman Official Site

"The Western Taylor County Village of Gilman nestles along both banks of the rushing Yellow River, bridged by five spans. In Gilman you will find the only remaining functional swinging bridge in Wisconsin, a romantic, planked pedestrian crossing into the Village Park."
- section from Explore Wisconsin website

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  Village Park (in town - 1 block south of Highway 64)
Gilman, WI  54433

Gilman Official Site
www.vil.gilman.k12.wi.us

Explore Wisconsin
www.explorewisconsin.com

 

7

Oversized Junk Mailbox

 

location:  Medford
roadside oddity

...but still not big enough to hold all those Capital One credit card applications.

UPDATE:  The Strebe's have moved, taking the mailbox with them.  

  on west side of Highway 13 as you drive south out of town

click to enlarge

 

8

Statue of 'Ugh' the Ice Man

 

location:  Rib Lake
roadside oddity

The mascot of Rib Lake's Ice Age Days is represented as a 8-foot-tall wood carving.

 downtown Rib Lake next to wooden gazebo
741 McComb Avenue
Rib Lake, WI  54470

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Rib Lake Tourism
www.riblakewisconsin.com

 

9

Lone Tree Decorated for the Seasons

 

location:  Rib Lake
roadside oddity

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A single pine stands along the roadway.  At any given time of year you will find it festooned with simple holiday decorations: garland for Christmas, colored eggs for Easter, even milk jugs once for June Dairy Month.  Virtually all major holidays are represented.  No home is near the tree, which leaves passers-by to wonder who would take the time and trouble to share their holiday spirit, whether via green shamrocks, red hearts or little white ghosts.

UPDATE:  The tree is not being decorated as regularly due to the decorator's schedule.

  1½ miles west of Rib Lake on the north side of Highway 102 near intersection with Wellington Lake Drive

 

10

Pipe Grave

 

location:  Medford
unique grave

The grave of Joe Oskabroud is simply made from a pair of steel pipes with his name formed from wire.

  southern edge of Evergreen Cemetery
(located on east side of Medford on Highway 64)

click to enlarge

 

11

Black River Dinosaur
in the Taylor County Historical Museum

 

location:  Medford
fictional creature

 

Among the museum's many examples of Ed Czarnezki's taxidermy is this curiosity from the dark, perilous fens of the river Black.  Obviously it is a juvenile, for chelydra horribilis grows great and terrible in the wild, feeding on unsuspecting canoeists and singing frogs (shown below).

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  (northeast corner of Highways 13 & 64)
845A East Broadway Street
Medford, WI  54451

      

                    

hours:
(Thurs & Fri)  9am – 4pm

Medford Chamber of Commerce
www.medfordwis.com

 

12

Bottle Trees

 

location:  Medford
roadside oddity / yard art

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A few steel-and-glass sculptures grace Dean and Dora Krause's yard, built in the tradition of old beliefs that stretch back to Africa.  The bottles on the trees were thought to attract and capture evil spirits, thus keeping the nearby people safe.

  N 3123 County Road Q
Medford, WI  54451

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Star News
article "The Legend of the Bottle Tree"

general information about bottle trees:

This Eclectic Life
thiseclecticlife.com

USA Deep South
usadeepsouth.ms11.net

Backyard Birds Discovery Center
story "Glass Bottle Trees- Is it just a Mississippi thing?"

Bottle Tree Man
thebottletreeman.com

 

13

Chainsaw Totem Poles

 

location:  Medford
roadside oddity / yard art

click link below for larger photos

      

click link below for larger photos


   Click here for MORE PHOTOS


"Chainsaw Gordy" Lekies displays a portion of his chainsaw collection for all to see.  As of June 2007, 15 poles stand near the roadway, embedded with 315 saws (counting the one in the mailbox).  Samples of Gordy's woodcarving skill are also visible from the road.

  (8 miles west of Highway 13)
W 8743 County Road M
Medford, WI  54451

Crazy Guy on a Bike
(photos)
www.crazyguyonabike.com

Roadside America
www.roadsideamerica.com

book:
"Strange Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey
Trails Books (2007)
page 82
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

What To Do With Those Old Chain Saws
by BernieLJ77

double-click to enlarge video

 

14

Perkinstown Outhouse Races

 

location:  Gilman
event

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"Teams consists of five members: four pushers/pullers and one to sit on the pot. The short course includes one long downhill and one short uphill stretch. Racing outhouses can be quite simple, but they must be built according to the official rules."
- section from the official site

  Perkinstown Winter Sports Area:
(8 miles east of Gilman)  From Highway 64, head 5 miles north on Winter Sports Road.  Look for the signs.

hours:
held in February (check official site for updates & rules)

Official Site:
Chequamegon Wildlife & Recreation Club
www.cwrclub.com

 

15

Pistol Mailbox

 

location:  Medford
roadside oddity

 

When Herbie the mailman drops off the Shopper each Tuesday, he has to look down the barrel of a giant revolver.  Luckily Opie's Country Corner is nearby to help calm the nervousness.

  3565 County Road C
Medford, WI  54451

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16

Backyard Windmill

 

location:  Medford
roadside oddity

  4 miles east of Medford on Highway 64 at intersection with Hall Drive

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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17

Golf Mannequins

 

location:  Medford
roadside oddity

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  on south side of Highway 64 just west of Medford

Accompanying story will be added soon.

 

18

Chainsaw Stumps

 

location:  Gilman
roadside oddity

The owner of this property has some other good ideas for his lawn decor, but I will not spoil it for him by mentioning what he has in mind before he completes the task.

  W16098 Highway 64
Gilman, WI  54433

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natural feature / altered landscape

resources

 

1

Gerstberger Pines

 

location:  Rib Lake
virgin timber / nature trail

"This 20 acre park contains a stand of virgin timber and a developed nature trail. The mix of trees include white pine, red oak, basswood, yellow birch and hemlock.
Gerstberger Pines is a park maintained by the Taylor County Forestry and Recreation Department. Here you can learn about the plants, animals and history of this unique old growth forest. The three-fourths mile interpretive trail introduces some of the treasures this special land has to offer."
- section from Rib Lake tourism website

  1 mile south of intersection of Highway 102 and County Road C on Fawn Avenue

Rib Lake Tourism
www.riblakewisconsin.com

 

 

 

sighting / phenomenon / morbid curiosity

resources

 

1

"Highway 13's Reptile Man"  (mid-1990s)

 
creature
location:  Medford

click to enlarge

picture courtesy of Tom Mandrake

A group of highway workers witnessed a man-size lizard leap onto the roadway before bounding off over the trees.

  south of Medford on Highway 13

Weird Wisconsin
www.weird-wi.com or archived (here)

American Monster
(interview with Linda Godfrey)
(scroll down to the 13th question)
www.americanmonsters.com

CNB-Scene
www.cnb-scene.com

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

page 106 buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Hunting the American Werewolf"
by Linda S. Godfrey
Trails Media Group (2006)
pages 244 - 245, 309

buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Weird U.S."
by Mark Sceurman & Mark Moran
Barnes & Noble Books (2004)
page 121
buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

 

2

Lakeview Campground
next to Lakeview Cemetery

 
    haunted cemetery
location:  Rib Lake

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The ghost of a child has been seen running from the cemetery into the adjoining campground.  In one reported incident, a group of campers were spooked when letters began to form on the side of a large log in their bonfire.  The letters glowed with the heat from the fire and appeared to be the initials "JCV" or "JVC".  When the log was flipped over, the image of a human face began to form in the burning wood.  So disturbing was the image that one of the campers took a sharp stick and poked out the "eyes" on the log, resulting in what was described as "tears of sparks" that flowed down the "face".  Also noted was the rumor that a young boy had drowned in the nearby lake, and that if his ghost approached you, you were to merely tell him to "go back to the lake".

  Take Highway 102 east through Rib Lake.  Turn right onto Lake Shore Drive.  Proceed to campground. 

Rib Lake Tourism
www.riblakewisconsin.com

Village of Rib Lake
www.riblakewis.com

Paradimension Society
www.paradimensionsociety.com

Wisconsin Paranormal Investigation Team (WIX)
hauntedwi.com

book:
"The Wisconsin Road Guide to Haunted Locations"
by Chad Lewis and Terry Fisk
Research Publishing Co. (2004)
pages 179 - 181

buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com  

 

3

Bright Object Seen in Sky  (2000)

 
UFO
location:  Medford

"The object was brighter than any star in the sky. After seconds of pondering, the object moved at a high rate of speed skyward, in 5 seconds it was out of sight."
- section from UFO Wisconsin report

UFO Wisconsin
www.ufowisconsin.com

 

 

Possible Alien Mentions Medford
to Woman in Antigo Bar

 
aliens?
location:  Medford

"He continued his monologue and said a meteor was supposed to have landed nearby, adding something unclear to Mrs. H about "Medford," repeating the name several times..."
- section from The W-Files report

Possible connection to story from Langlade County

The W-Files
www.w-files.com

 

5

The Green Area

 
    unexplained phenomenon
location:  Lublin

Hunters report a strange reoccurring phenomenon in the rural lands joining Taylor and Clark counties.  As you enter a certain section, the world takes on a greenish hue, as if one had been enveloped in a green haze affecting even the color of the sky.  This type of incident has also allegedly been reported at Devils Lake in Sauk County.
More information would be appreciated.

  southwest Taylor County / northern Clark County

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simulated image

 

6

Mysterious Lights Near Lublin  (2005)

 
UFO
location:  Lublin

"The fact they were horizontal was what made me look."
- section from UFO Wisconsin report

UFO Wisconsin
www.ufowisconsin.com

 

7

Birthplace of Famous Psychic Jeane Dixon

 
psychic
location:  Medford

Jeane Dixon was born in 1918 (as Jeane Pinckert) in Medford to a wealthy lumber family, then went on to become a world-famous psychic best known for warning President Franklin Roosevelt of his impending death, for predicting JFK's assassination, for inspiring Richard Nixon to create a counter-terrorism plan, for advising Ronald & Nancy Reagan before he was elected president, and for issuing her later prophesies via the National Enquirer tabloid magazine.

click to enlarge

Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org

Trivia Library
1. www.trivia-library.com
2. www.trivia-library.com

Christian Research Institute
www.equip.org

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

page 47 buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

8

"The Willy Woolly of Kidrick Swamp"

 
creature
location:  Jump River

In the book "Giants in the Land", author Dennis Boyer tells of a mysterious creature that has been sighted in the northwest corner of the Chequamegon National Forest.


"I still can hardly believe what I saw.  A lot of reddish brown fur, wool-like, dragging on the ground in some places.  Just a hint of horn on the head.  Kind of a reptile's belly.  A bit of suggestion of rhinoceros plating on the sides.  A long dragging hairless tail.  Intelligent, almost curious big yellow eyes.  A roundish, puckered mouth."
- section from "Giants in the Land"

  Kidrick Swamp, 6 miles east of Jump River, south of County Road D

book:
"Giants in the Land: Folk Tales & Legends of Wisconsin"
by Dennis Boyer
Prairie Oak Press (1997)
pages 113 - 115
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

9

The Hurd Phantom

 
ghost
location:  Medford

A Hurd factory employee died on the day of his retirement as he left the building.  From time to time, his spirit has been seen at the plant dressed in his work clothes.  Talk about a company man.

  Hurd Millwork, located at the corner of Perkins Street & Whelan Avenue

click to enlarge

(submitted story)

 

 

"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 chilling being is sometimes noticed trying to locate a hat by a parked Chevy in a Medford parking lot at midnight. Loads of folks who live here allege this ghost is possibly the undeparted ghost of a resident who used to reside here in Medford."
- section from Ghosts of America website

Ghosts of America
www.ghostsofamerica.com

 

 

 

taste of local history

resources

 

1

Taylor County Historical Society Museum

 

location:  Medford
museum

"Taylor County's colorful past comes alive in this museum's sizable collection of artifacts and exhibits, including a covered wagon that brought settlers here; a pioneer's log cabin; an old school house; logging equipment, tools, clothing and photographs of lumberjacks at work and play taken at the peak of the area's great timber boom. In addition to telling the story of the people who lived here, the museum has a fine wildlife collection displaying the creatures that once habituated the great woods and waterways."
- section from Explore Wisconsin website


  (northeast corner of Highways 13 & 64)
845A East Broadway Street
Medford, WI  54451

                    

hours:
(Thurs & Fri)  9am – 4pm

Medford Chamber of Commerce
www.medfordwis.com

Portal Wisconsin
www.portalwisconsin.org

Explore Wisconsin
www.explorewisconsin.com

 

2

Father Menard's Fate

 

location:  Goodrich, 13 miles east of Medford
historical mystery

Father Rene Menard, a 17th century missionary, disappeared while en route to visit an Indian tribe near Rib Lake via a canoe.  Encountering rapids, Father Menard stepped onto dry land before his guide safely navigated the waterway.  The guide walked back to retrieve the French missionary, but was unable to locate him.  Father Menard was never heard from again.  The location of these rapids is believed to be the Goodrich Dells.


Of course, there's always room for debate as some historians believe that Menard died in Lincoln County.  A small monument has been put in place north of Merrill.

  Goodrich Dells are on private land 14 miles west of Medford off of Highway 13 south of where the Rib River intersects.

Wisconsin Historical Society
1. www.wisconsinhistory.org
2. www.wisconsinhistory.org
3. Odd Wisconsin

Wisconsin Magazine of History
article "Wisconsin's Lost Missionary: The Mystery of Father Rene Menard"

Eau Claire's North High School
www.north.ecasd.k12.wi.us

John S. Allen
www.bikexprt.com/menard/

Legends of the Northwest
www.literaturehead.com

Wausau Daily Herald
article "Demise of Father Menard remains a mystery"

 

3

Riverwalk History Mural

 

location:  Medford
historical mural

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A symbolic mosaic of Medford's history, including references to a Medford-based circus owned and operated by one of Medford's first black residents, a dirigible used in a failed attempt to cross the Atlantic Ocean by one of Medford's founding fathers, a mangel wurtzel (a vegetable related to the beet) which was once a common crop, and Tombstone Pizza, which originated here in Medford.

  (on west side of Water's Edge BP Gas Station & Convenience Store facing the Black River)
127 W Broadway Ave.
Medford, WI  54451

 


updated 07-16-10  •  all images excluding those attributed to others are property of Wisconsinosity.com