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attractions & oddities

resources

 

1

Statue of Andy Gump

 

location:  Lake Geneva
roadside oddity

"The Gumps, a popular comic strip about a middle-class family, was created by Sidney Smith in 1917, launching a 42-year run in newspapers from February 12, 1917 until October 17, 1959.  The Gumps were utterly ordinary: chinless, bombastic blowhard Andy who is intimidated by his wife, Min (short for Minerva), their son Chester, rich Uncle Bim and their annoying maid Tilda. They had a cat called Hope and a dog called Buck. The idea was envisioned by Captain Joseph M. Patterson, editor and publisher of the Chicago Tribune, who was important in the early histories of Little Orphan Annie and other long-run comic strips. Patterson referred to the masses as "gumps" and thought a strip about the domestic lives of ordinary people and their ordinary happenings would appeal to the "gumps." He hired Smith to write and draw the strip, and it was Smith who breathed life into the characters."
- section from Wikipedia

"Lake Geneva was the home of Sidney Smith , creator of the Andy Gump comic strip.  A statue of Andy Gump stands in Flat Iron Park."
- section from Lake Geneva Chamber of Commerce website

  in Flat Iron Park, south of Highway 50 & near Highway 120

Oh, Min!

Lake Geneva Chamber of Commerce
www.lakegenevawi.com

Roadside America
1. www.roadsideamerica.com
2. www.roadsideamerica.com

Toonpedia
toonopedia.com

book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
pages 69 - 70
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Oddball Wisconsin"
by Jerome Pohlen
Chicago Review Press, Inc. (2001)
page 117

buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com  

 

2

Delavan Circus Cemeteries

 

location:  Delavan
unique cemetery

"Delavan has a storied history steeped in circus myths and legends...In 1847, Edmund and Jeremiah Mabie, proprietors of the U.S. Olympic Circus, then the largest traveling show in America, chose Delavan for their winter quarters, a year before Wisconsin attained statehood and 24 years before the Ringling Brothers raised their first tents in Baraboo, Wisconsin...As time passed, the circuses grew in strength and numbers; hundreds of clowns and circus performers from over 26 circuses set up their winter quarters in Delavan from 1847 to 1894. The P.T. Barnum Circus, 'The Greatest Show on Earth,' was founded in Delavan in 1871...Today, more than 250 members of the old Circus colony are buried in Spring Grove and St. Andrew’s cemeteries."
- section from Delavan Official Site


  Spring Grove Cemetery
N 7th St
.
Delevan, WI  53115

            

  St. Andrew's cemeteries
115 S 7th St.
Delevan, WI  53115

Roadside America
www.roadsideamerica.com

Delavan Official Site
www.delavanwi.org

Wisconsinology
wisconsinology.blogspot.com

book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
pages 254 - 255
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Milwaukee Ghosts"
by Sherry Strub
Schiffer Pub. Ltd. (2008)
pages 111 - 113
buy it at

buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

 

3

Statues of Circus Giraffe and Romeo the Elephant

 

location:  Delavan
roadside oddities

    


In reverence to its circus history, Delevan has a statue of a giraffe in its downtown park near the water tower.  Another statue is of Romeo, a large beast even for  Indian elephant standards, who killed five of his handlers.  A more detailed story is here (scroll 3/4 of the way down to "Story of Romeo", which erroneously lists Delevan as being in Minnesota.

  on Highway 11 in downtown Delevan near water tower

Roadside America
www.roadsideamerica.com

Roadside Architecture
www.agilitynut.com

Village Profile
www.villageprofile.com

Flickr photos by Mykl Roventine
1. giraffe www.flickr.com
2. elephant www.flickr.com

Photographica
(scroll halfway down page)
www.photographica.org

book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
page 75
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Wisconsin Curiosities"
by Michael Feldman and Diana Cook
Globe Pequot Press
(2nd ed., 2004)  pages 126 & 128

(3rd ed., 2009)
  pages 122
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Oddball Wisconsin"
by Jerome Pohlen
Chicago Review Press, Inc. (2001)
page 103

buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

4

Watson's Wild West Museum

 

location:  Elkhorn
museum

      


"There's no other place in America like Watson's Wild West. Try your luck pannin' for GOLD at the Tumbleweed Mine. Enjoy our Gift Shop and Guided Tour with Entertainment by a Cowboy Character, who presents continuous Daily Entertaining Tours, with Tall Tales, Dr. Quiggley's Medicine Show, Cowboy Poetry, Humor, a Historical perspective of those times and events, and the thoughts of Will Rogers. So all you whippersnappers, push through the Saloon Doors and belly up to the bar for a cold Sarsaparilla (Root Beer) slid down the bar; and be enthralled by your visit to this great place."
- section from the Official Site


  W4865 Potter Road
Elkhorn, WI  53121

                       

hours:
(Tues - Sat)  10am – 5pm  /  (Sundays)  11am – 5pm

Official Site
www.watsonswildwestmuseum.com

Geneva Online
www.genevaonline.com

Portal Wisconsin
www.portalwisconsin.org

Journal Sentinel Online
article "Boots, saddles and long johns" or (here)

book:
"Oddball Wisconsin"
by Jerome Pohlen
Chicago Review Press, Inc. (2001)
pages 106 - 107

buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Eccentric America"
by Jan Friedman
Globe Pequot Press (2nd ed., 2004)
pages 87 - 88

buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Strange Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey
Trails Books (2007)
pages 180 - 181
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

5

14-foot-high Fontana Frog
at Frog Hollow Miniature Golf

 

location:  Fontana
roadside oddity

The concrete frog is ideal for use as a shed at this sports outfitters establishment, but it may be best suited as a local landmark.


  Fontana Outdoor Sports
543 Valley View Dr. (Highway 67)
Fontana, WI  53125

               

hours:
June thru August

photo courtesy of Falloutgirl42307 on Flickr
book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
page 80
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Oddball Wisconsin"
by Jerome Pohlen
Chicago Review Press, Inc. (2001)
page 110

buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

Official Site
www.fontanaoutdoorsports.com

Flickr
flickr.com

 

6

"Elkhorn's Smiley Face House"
private property

 

location:  Elkhorn
yard art

In her book "Weird Wisconsin", author Linda Godfrey tells of a married couple who are fans of the grinning icon and have decorated their home with its image, including a nighttime display that is illuminated.

   

Please don't touch me.

  613 N Church St.
Elkhorn, WI  53121

book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
page 156
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

7

Beast of Bray Road Shrine
at Mrs. Beadz Bead Shop

 

location:  Williams Bay
business with character

Stemming from his own personal encounter with the famed Beast, Marv Kirschnik's bead store became home to his werewolf-related collection, much of it being creations of his own making.  Full story in the book "Weird Wisconsin".

  was at: 32 W Geneva St.
Williams Bay, WI  53191

Gazette Extra
article "Williams Bay bead store hanging it up" or (here)

book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
page 177
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"The Beast of Bray Road"
by Linda S. Godfrey
Prairie Oak Press (2003)
pages 132 - 134
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

8

Dinosaur Bone Collection
at Millard Store & Taxidermy

 

location:  Millard
business with character

Owner Jim Boyd's store doesn't only offer mountings of trophy bucks and tom turkeys...he also has an impressive collection of dinosaur bones for sale from his fossil hunts out west.  Full story in the book "Weird Wisconsin".

The photo on the right of a dinosaur sticking out of the store's exterior was digitally enhanced due to a dusk arrival to the location and the unexpected hindrance of traffic as far as the eye could see in this sleepy area of the county, which did not allow for tripod-aided photography from the roadway.  I'll plan better next time.

  (near intersection of Millard Road & County Road A)
W6502 County Road A
Elkhorn, WI  53121

Linda Godfrey's Blog
lindagodfrey.wordpress.com

book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
pages 196 - 197
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

9

East Troy Electric Railroad Museum

 

location:  East Troy
museum

"For your next getaway, leave the road behind and experience the thrill and history of electric railroading. Ride one of the museum's many restored trolleys or reserve space aboard their elegantly restored dinner train for lunch, dinner, meetings or parties."
- section from Milwaukee Official Site

  2002 Church Street
East Troy, WI  53120

Official Site
www.easttroyrr.org

Milwaukee Official Site
www.milwaukee.org

The State Trunk Tour
www.statetrunktour.com

 

10

End of the Line Caboose Motel

 

location:  Lake Geneva
unique accommodations

      


"Dave and Pat Hanley, long time Lake Geneva residents thought of the idea of a caboose motel after purchasing a caboose and transforming it into a guesthouse. They purchased several more cars and placed them along the old Chicago & Northwestern tracks leading into Lake Geneva. Each caboose was completely stripped inside and remodeled with new plumbing, heating and electricity. The Hanley's also replaced most of the windows. The outside of each caboose was repainted in railroad style colors. New floors, walls and ceilings transformed the train car into deluxe motel rooms. While the motel started with fifteen "rooms", there are now forty-three cabooses on the property. Some of the cars have been joined to form suites."
- section from the Official Site


  301 E Townline Rd.
Lake Geneva, WI  53147
or

                     

hours:
mid-May thru mid-October

Official Site
www.caboosemotel.com

Doug Elwell, Inc.
story "
The End of the Line"

book:
"Oddball Wisconsin"
by Jerome Pohlen
Chicago Review Press, Inc. (2001)
pages 118 - 119

buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

11

'Mail Boat' Mail Jumpers
on the Lake Geneva Cruise Line

 

location:  Lake Geneva
odd job

"Carrying on a tradition since 1870, it is the only marine mail delivery of its type in the country. Loaded with passengers, mail and a very brave Mailperson, the Walworth delivers mail to about 60 homes around the lake on a daily basis...Our Mailperson leaps off the bow of the boat onto the pier, places the mail into the box, grabs outgoing mail, and jumps back aboard. The only hitch is the boat never stops!"
- section from the official site

photo courtesy of official site

  Riviera Docks
812 Wrigley Drive
Lake Geneva, WI  53147
or

                     

hours:
mid-June thru mid-September  (Mon - Sat)  departs at 10am

Official Site
1. www.genevalakecruiseline.com
2. the boat
3. the mail jumpers

CBS News
"Special Deliveries"

Washington Post
article "Letters, Leaps and Bounds on Lake Geneva"

book:
"Oddball Wisconsin"
by Jerome Pohlen
Chicago Review Press, Inc. (2001)
page 119

buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Wisconsin Curiosities"
by Michael Feldman and Diana Cook
Globe Pequot Press
(2nd ed., 2004)  pages 137 - 139

(3rd ed., 2009)
  pages 130 - 132
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Eccentric America"
by Jan Friedman
Globe Pequot Press (2nd ed., 2004.)
page 89

buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

12

Largest Refracting Telescope in the World
at Yerkes Observatory

 

location:  Williams Bay
scientific oddity

"Yerkes is a 100-year-old observatory (owned by the University of Chicago) with five research telescopes, one of which is the largest refractor in the world...[The tour guide will] take visitors into the 90-foot dome, one of the largest of its kind ever built. Here, visitors look at the famed 40-inch Refractor, the world's biggest lens-type telescope, and its impressive 73-foot diameter elevator floor."
- section from the official site

photo courtesy of official site

  373 W. Geneva St.
Williams Bay, WI  53191

                       

tour hours:
(Saturdays)  10am, 11am, Noon

Official Site
astro.uchicago.edu/yerkes/

Save Yerkes Observatory
www.oldfordstuff.com/yerkes/

Journal Sentinel Online
article "New focus for Yerkes"

book:
"Oddball Wisconsin"
by Jerome Pohlen
Chicago Review Press, Inc. (2001)
pages 142 - 143

buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

13

Unique Corn Maze
at Fairwyn Farms

 

location:  Burlington (Racine County) / Lake Geneva
crop labyrinth / maize maze

Standing out in the pack of corn mazes that pop up across the countryside in the fall of the year is Fairwyn Farms.  Their mazes are a bit more artistic and convoluted, with the Green Bay Packers being a reoccurring theme.

photo courtesy of official site

  (6 miles east of Lake Geneva on Highway 50)
W197 Highway 50
Burlington, WI  53105

               

hours:
late August thru October  (Thurs - Fri)  5pm – 10pm
(Saturdays)  10am – 10pm  /  (Sundays)  1pm – 5pm

Official Site
www.fairwynfarms.com

Corn Mazes America
www.cornmazesamerica.com

Pumpkin Patches and More
www.pumpkinpatchesandmore.org

 

14

Life-Size Bigfoot Target
at the Big Foot Archery Club

 

location:  Lake Geneva
replica cryptid

"The Bigfoot specimen was welcomed by a young T-Rex also bound and detained in the Archery Club garage. A stegosaurus, warthog, giant panther, and giraffe complete the styrofoam-carved zoo used once a year in the club's "Furry 3-D Shoot" set up around the wooded acreage."
- section from the CNB Scene website

  Big Foot Archers Inc.
N960 Hillside Rd.
Lake Geneva, WI  53147  

photo courtesy of CNB Scene website
Beast of Bray Road
www.beastofbrayroad.com

CNB Scene
www.cnb-scene.com

book:
"Strange Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey
Trails Books (2007)
page 55
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

15

'STRONG' Gravestone Boulder
at Oak Hill Cemetery

 

location:  Lake Geneva
unique grave

An actual boulder is used as the headstone for a local military veteran.  See "Weird Wisconsin" book for full story.

  1101 Cemetery Rd.
Lake Geneva, WI  53147

book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
page 251
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

16

Giant Chili Pepper
on entryway of Chili's Grill & Bar

 

location:  Delavan
roadside oddity

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

  2003 E Geneva St.
Delavan, WI  53115

photo courtesy of Mykl Roventine
Flickr photo by Mykl Roventine
www.flickr.com

Chili's Official Site
www.chilis.com

 

17

Elkhorn Bank Facade

 

location:  Elkhorn
innovative reuse  of architecture

Hey, who's that cute girl in the picture? :)

Elkhorn made a pretty cool decision when tearing down the old First National Bank by leaving the front of the building stand as an entryway to a small park where the structure once stood.

  downtown on N Wisconsin Street north of intersection with E Walworth Street.

The State Trunk Tour
www.statetrunktour.com

 

18

Bray Road Kawasaki Mailbox

 

location:  Elkhorn
roadside oddity

Perhaps an efficient way to run the mail back to the house when pursued by bipedal canines clamoring for a look at the new Land's End catalog?

  W4149 Bray Road
Elkhorn, WI  53121

 

 

 

natural feature / altered landscape

resources

 

1

Lake Lawn Resort Burial Mounds

 

location:  Delavan
indian mounds

A century ago, large human skeletons were unearthed from within mounds constructed by Indians near the shores of Delevan Lake.  Today, the remaining mounds exist on the property of Lake Lawn Resort, where other artifacts found in the area are displayed.
Full story in the book "Weird Wisconsin".

  2400 E. Geneva Street
Delevan, WI  53115

Official Site
(no mention of mounds)
www.lakelawnresort.com

Journal Sentinel Online
article "Lake Lawn alive and well"

book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
pages 33 - 34
buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

 

 

 

sighting / phenomenon / morbid curiosity

resources

 

 

 

1

The Beast of Bray Road

 
creature
locations:  Elkhorn / Williams Bay / East Troy La Grange / Delavan Whitewater New Munster (Kenosha County) Jefferson (Jefferson County)

Picture used with permission of artist, Linda Godfrey, copyright 2006.

      

The intersection near the location of the best-known Beast sightings has become a bit of a tourist attraction.   It appears that the "Bray Road" street signs had been removed upon inspection in summer 2008. (photo taken in 2006)

"For those who haven't read the book, the story first came to light around the beginning of the last decade; that something big, hairy and wolfish roams the country roads and woods of Walworth, Jefferson and Racine Counties. The first witnesses to come forward publicly saw the creature on or near Bray Road, a few miles outside of Elkhorn, Wisconsin, and so it became tagged, 'The Beast of Bray Road.'  I happened to be the reporter who broke the story while working as staff writer and artist for a Delavan-based newspaper, The Week, and the beast has followed me ever since.  Not bodily (I hope) but in terms of media and in people's undying interest in the stories."
- section from Linda Godfrey's CNB Scene ("see and be seen")
website

  East of Highway 12 in Elkhorn is Bray Road,
scene of the most famous manwolf sightings.  The intersection with Hospital Road, 2½ miles east of Highway 12, has been the focal point of many photo opportunities (sans the creature, of course).  But the majority of incidents have taken place across a wider area of southeastern Wisconsin, encompassing Williams Bay, East Troy, La Grange, Delavan, Whitewater, New Munster, Jefferson and beyond.

 

Listen to Linda on her radio show "Uncanny Radio" -- Download the podcasts from uncannyradio.blogspot.com

"The strange, the unfathomable, and the downright uncanny -- you'll find them all on UncannyRadio with Manwolf and Linda. UncannyRadio covers all aspects of the strange -- from UFOs to unicorns, werewolves to weird places, to the just plain eccentric people who live among us. Hosted by award-winning authors Linda Godfrey and Stephen D. Sullivan, Uncanny Radio brings you the latest creature reports, a consumer's guide to paranormal and sci-fi TV and movies, and conversations with fascinating and unusual people. Based in America's Strangest Town, Burlington, Wisconsin, but covering the galaxy."
- section from uncannyradio.com
 


 

Beast of Bray Road (2009 segment from Fox News' Hannity TV show)

double-click to enlarge video

Official Site  (Linda Godfrey's site)
www.beastofbrayroad.com

CNB Scene  (Linda Godfrey's site)
www.cnb-scene.com

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

Weird Wisconsin
(Richard Hendrick's site)
1. www.weird-wi.com
2. www.weird-wi.com

Weird U.S.
www.weirdus.com

Prairie Ghosts
1. www.prairieghosts.com
2. www.prairieghosts.com

Cryptamundo
www.cryptomundo.com

Wormwood Chronicles
www.wormwoodchronicles.com

American Monsters
(interview with Linda Godfrey)
www.americanmonsters.com

Journal Sentinel Online
article "An American werewolf, and it's in . . . Elkhorn?" or (here)

The Journal Times
article "Werewolves of Elkhorn" or (here)

Eagle Herald
article "Tales from Wisconsin's Darkside: New book shows how weird Wisconsin really is"

Nick Redfern's Monster USA blog
monsterusa.blogspot.com or (here)

book:
"The Beast of Bray Road"
by Linda S. Godfrey
Prairie Oak Press (2003)
buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Hunting the American Werewolf"
by Linda S. Godfrey
Trails Media Group (2006)

buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
pages 110 - 113 buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Weird U.S."
by Mark Sceurman & Mark Moran
Barnes & Noble Books (2004)
pages 122 - 123
buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"The W-Files"
by Jay Rath
Trails Books (1997)

pages 11 - 16
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Oddball Wisconsin"
by Jerome Pohlen
Chicago Review Press, Inc. (2001)
pages 209 - 210

buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Strange Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey
Trails Books (2007)
pages 17, 26
buy it at

buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

book
"The Haunted Northwoods"
by Tom Hollatz & Seal Dwyer
North Star Press (2000)

pages 67 - 68
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Ghostly Tales of Wisconsin"
by Ryan Jacobson
Adventure Publications, Inc. (2009)
pages 58 - 63
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

2

Alleged Alien Abduction  (1991)

 
UFO
location:  Williams Bay

"Noticed strange short yet very thin beings standing around my bed... Fear ate me alive. I could feel myself begin to lift off of my bed, and leave my room. I could hear no noise, I couldn't scream or anything either."
- section from UFO Wisconsin report

UFO Wisconsin
www.ufowisconsin.com

 

3

Bigfoot Races Across Road  (1964)

 
bigfoot
location:  Delavan

"After turning onto Highway 89 from Highway 14, his headlights picked up an animal running across the road, from one field to another, on two legs. It was dark colored and weighed between 400 and 500 pounds."
- section from The W-Files report
The W-Files
www.w-files.com

book:
"The W-Files"
by Jay Rath
Trails Books (1997)
pages 7 - 8

buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
pages 120 - 121 buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

4

"Ghosts of Black Point"

 
ghosts
location:  Lake Geneva

The 1888 Black Point mansion, privately owned, and its four-story tower has been the site of ghost sightings going back to a tragic boating accident in a 1885 storm.  Full story in the book "Weird Wisconsin".

  off the southern shore of Lake Geneva

Lake Geneva Official Site
(no mention of ghosts)
www.lakegenevawi.com

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

book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
pages 228 - 230 buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

5

Strange Object Over Highway D  (1999)

 
UFO
location:  Honey Creek

"The object was flying straight and true with no wiggling, wavering, shaking, etc. at about 65 mph when first seen. It appeared to have heat waves coming off the front and sides of it. It did not appear to be spinning."
- section from UFO Wisconsin report

UFO Wisconsin
www.ufowisconsin.com

 

6

Snakelike Monster in Lake Geneva

 
lake monster
location:  Lake Geneva

"On July 22, 1892, as two boys trolled for bass near the south shore of Lake Geneva, they were startled to see the head of an extraordinary serpentlike creature as it rose out of the water 20 to 30 yards away. It opened its huge mouth, revealing several rows of sharp, hooked teeth, and focused its fierce eyes on the terrified onlookers. It began swimming toward them, and the boys, literally paralyzed with fear, were unable to move."
- section from the Skygaze website
The W-Files
www.w-files.com

Weird Wisconsin
www.weird-wi.com

Skygaze
www.skygaze.com

Wisconsin's Monsters of the Deep
www.atthecreation.com

book:
"Strange Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey
Trails Books (2007)
pages 56 - 57
buy it at

buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"The W-Files"
by Jay Rath
Trails Books (1997)

page 30
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

7

Phantom Train of Peck Station Road
private property

 
haunted
location:  Elkhorn

A phantom train has been heard in area that has been devoid of locomotive tracks for many years.  The old Peck's Station depot is now a private home.

  Take Highway 12 north from Elkhorn for 2 miles.  Turn right (east) onto County Road ES.  After about 2 miles, turn left (north) onto Peck Station Road.

Unexplained Research
www.unexplainedresearch.com

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

 

8

Lake Geneva UFO Sightings

 
UFO
location:  Lake Geneva

"I got up to check out the electrical system, and noticed a huge pulsating red-orange glow to the northeast appearing to be just beyond the tree line near the lake. However, no sound could be heard only the strange pulsating, flickering red-orange glow."
- section from UFO Wisconsin 11-28-97 report

UFO Wisconsin
www.ufowisconsin.com

 

 

9a

Whitewater, the "Second Salem"

Spook's Temple
(Morris Pratt Institute)
"The Ghost of Mary Worth"
 
       
unexplained haunted
location:  Whitewater

Cavalry Cemetery, burial place of Mary Worth

      

Starin Park water tower photo courtesy of Lambda Chi Alpha Alumni website

"Whitewater has been referred to as the "Second Salem.” I can attest that some areas of town just really give me the creeps. The problem is this, there is reputed to be documentation of one kind of another telling about the weird things in town."

"The other witch hotspot is the water tower in Starin Park, known colloquially as Witches Tower. One Halloween, students placed calls to the police after seeing a group of people clad in robes performing a ceremony by candlelight next to the tower. The tower is locked up and surrounded by barbed wire, but rumors still persist that it is a meeting place for witches."
- sections from Weird Wisconsin website


"Calvary Cemetery, high on a hill above the campus, is rumored to be particularly dangerous, with gates that close on unwitting freshmen dumb enough to have sneaked in at night.  According to campus wisdom, an axe murderous, Mary Worth, is buried there, and every Halloween she sallies forth from her grave to vent her rage on new victims."
- section from the book "Weird Wisconsin"

  UW-Whitewater Campus
800 W Main St.
Whitewater, WI  53190
 

Weird Wisconsin
www.weird-wisconsin.com

"Whitewater - the Second Salem"
usersites.horrorfind.com

Halloween Urban Legends (Bloody Mary)
download-goodies.tripod.com

Royal Purple: Legends of Paranormal
1. article "Legends of paranormal" or (here)
2. article "Whitewater's haunted history" or (here)
3. article "New movie may be released about city's haunted past" or (here)

YouTube
trailer:

Wisconsinology
wisconsinology.blogspot.com

Morris Pratt Institute
(now in Milwaukee, began in Whitewater)
www.morrispratt.org

book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
pages 40 - 41 buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Strange Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey
Trails Books (2007)
pages 162 -163
buy it at

buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Weird U.S."
by Mark Sceurman & Mark Moran
Barnes & Noble Books (2004)
page 35
buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com 

book:
"Ghosts of Madison, Wisconsin"
by Sherry Strub
Schiffer Publishing, Ltd (2008)
pages 162 - 164
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

9b

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Wells Hall

 
ghost
location:  Whitewater

"Speaking of witches, there are two spots on campus that have been claimed as the meeting grounds for these practitioners of magic. The field where Wells Hall, a dormitory, now stands, was once a major meeting place for witch covens. Rumors claim that an altar exists somewhere underneath Wells Hall, around which a number of bodies are buried upright."
- section from  Weird Wisconsin website

This location of reputed witch activity is talked about thoroughly in the resources for the "Second Salem" listing above.

  471 North Prairie Street
Whitewater, WI  53190

UW Whitewater Official Site
(no mention of ghost)
east tower / west tower

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

book:
"Ghosts of Madison, Wisconsin"
by Sherry Strub
Schiffer Publishing, Ltd (2008)
pages 162 - 164
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

9c

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Fricker Hall

 
ghost
location:  Whitewater

"Fricker Hall - a ghost of a student is seen walking in the basement on certain nights."
- section from The Shadowlands website

  1022 West Starin Road
Whitewater, WI  53190

UW Whitewater Official Site
(no mention of ghost)
www.uww.edu

Unexplained Research
www.unexplainedresearch.com

The Shadowlands
www.theshadowlands.net

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

 

9d

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Delta Zeta Sorority House

 
haunted
location:  Whitewater

"Witnesses who have lived there have heard a presence creaking as walking down the large front staircase."
- section from The Shadowlands website

  604 W Main St.
Whitewater, WI  53190

UW Whitewater Official Site
(no mention of ghost)
orgs.uww.edu/deltazeta/

The Shadowlands
www.theshadowlands.net

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

 

 

9e

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Greenhill Center of the Arts

 
haunted
location:  Whitewater

"Lots of strange occurrences after hours reported. Those I have heard have included hammering in the metals lab when no one is present within, reappearing ghosts, and chairs moving across the room by themselves."
- section from The Shadowlands website

  (southwest corner of campus along North Prince Street)
Whitewater, WI  53190

UW Whitewater Official Site
(no mention of ghost)
www.uww.edu

Unexplained Research
www.unexplainedresearch.com

The Shadowlands
www.theshadowlands.net

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

 

9f

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Clem Hall

 
haunted
location:  Whitewater

"Clem hall - you can hear people running in the halls and look and no one is there. you hear a bathroom stall door slam at night and no one is in the room with you. people hear talking and laughing in the hall and no one in site. a figure is seen around homecoming week."
- section from The Shadowlands website

  1012 West Starin Road
Whitewater, WI  53190

UW Whitewater Official Site
(no mention of ghost)
www.uww.edu

The Shadowlands
www.theshadowlands.net

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

 

9g

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Knilans Hall

 
ghost
location:  Whitewater

"Supposedly haunted by a librarian who died there years ago. A student, was walking with her hands full when two doors, that require a key to unlock, opened by themselves. When she passed through the doors the elevator doors were also being held open by an unseen person."
- section from The Shadowlands website

  411 North Prairie Street
Whitewater, WI  53190

UW Whitewater Official Site
(no mention of ghost)
www.uww.edu

The Shadowlands
www.theshadowlands.net

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

 

9h

University of Wisconsin-Whitewater
Halverson Log Cabin

 
ghost
location:  Whitewater

"School officials deny reports the cabin is haunted, yet stories continue to circulate about a young ghost who can be seen looking out a window."
- section from "Ghosts of Madison, Wisconsin"

  near Hyer Hall
800 West Main Street
Whitewater, WI  53190

book:
"Ghosts of Madison, Wisconsin"
by Sherry Strub
Schiffer Publishing, Ltd (2008)
pages 162 - 164
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

10

Delavan UFO Sightings

 
UFO
location:  Delavan

"I looked right up from under it and it looked like an orange type of circle in the middle of the UFO. I followed it as long as I could. It kept going the same speed."
- section from UFO Wisconsin 11-09-05 report

UFO Wisconsin
www.ufowisconsin.com

 

11

"Living With a Ghost"

 
ghost
location:  Whitewater

"After he died, George Johnson came to live with me. Prior to this interlude in my life, I’d never had any reason not to believe in ghosts, but I’d never had a compelling reason to believe in them either. But even though I never actually saw George in his spirit state, I knew he was there."
- section from Weird Wisconsin report
Weird Wisconsin
www.weird-wi.com

 

12

Multiple Orange Objects Observed  (2000)

 
UFO
location:  Walworth

"They retained this formation as they flew from the south west to the north east at incredible speeds."
- section from UFO Wisconsin report

UFO Wisconsin
www.ufowisconsin.com

 

13

Walworth Elementary School

 
ghost
location:  Walworth

"It is said a janitor that fell down the steps to the boiler room haunts the school. He doesn't harm anyone, but doesn't know how to leave the school."
- section from The Shadowlands website

Well, Fritz, if you would've cleaned up near the exits once in a while, you'd know the way out.

  121 Beloit Street
Walworth, WI  53184

Unexplained Research
www.unexplainedresearch.com

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

The Shadowlands
www.theshadowlands.net

 

14

Mysterious Lights Seen Over Highway 12  (2000)

 
UFO
location:  La Grange

"The weirdest thing about this whole event was that, when the lights appeared to approach the oncoming cars, they stopped alternating and BECAME AIRBORNE, lifting off over a tree line to the left...they were headed in a northeast direction."
- section from UFO Wisconsin report

UFO Wisconsin
www.ufowisconsin.com

 

15

Multiple Fast-Maneuvering Craft Observed  (2003)

 
UFO
location:  La Grange / Elkhorn

"Two of the objects looked as though they were heading towards each other. They were so close, we thought they might explode in the sky. It appeared as though they went thru each other, it was unreal. We couldn't believe our eyes."
- section from UFO Wisconsin report

UFO Wisconsin
1. www.ufowisconsin.com
2. www.ufowisconsin.com

 

16

"The Ghostly Ballroom"

 
haunted
location:  Delavan

"I was dragged across the room to the front door. I could make out a cloudy outline in front of me (it was in front of me and pushing me backward), but I could not make a sound...In my hallway was a sight I will never forget my whole life. I saw a ballroom from the late 1800s or early 1900s with people dancing."
- section from Ghost Village website

Ghost Village
www.ghostvillage.com

 

17

"Downtown Ghost in Culture Shock"

 
ghost
location:  Delavan

In her book "Strange Wisconsin", author Linda Godfrey shares the tale of a confused spirit in a Delevan store.

book:
"Strange Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey
Trails Books (2007)
page 18
buy it at

buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

 

18

"Cobblestone Inn"

 
haunted
location:  East Troy

Now the Golden Dragon Restaurant, this unique 1849 cobblestone building has had its share of paranormal activity reported.  Owner Samuel Brady enjoyed a few years of running a successful hotel out of the building he had constructed himself.  He and his wife headed off for a visit to England, never to return.  Over the last century-and-a-half, the building has had several owners, but it was during the 1990s that stories of the paranormal sort began to intensify.  The building was being renovated at this time.  Strange events that have occurred here have led people to believe the Sam Brady and his wife may have returned to their inn after all.

  2088 Church St.
East Troy, WI  53120
 

Official Site
www.cobblestoneinns.com

The Shadowlands
www.theshadowlands.net

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

East Troy Chamber of Commerce
www.easttroywi.org

book:
"Strange Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey
Trails Books (2007)
page 23
buy it at

buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Haunted Homeland"
by Michael Norman
Doherty, Tom Associates, LLC (2006)
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

19

The Poison Widow

 
notorious crime
location:  Whitewater

"Myrtle Schaude had to be one of the most enigmatic murderers ever to walk the face of the Wisconsin earth. Raised a prim, religious country girl, she had what seemed the perfect marriage, perfect husband, perfect home and four lovely children in Whitewater, Wisconsin. Described as a "petite beauty," Myrtle was known for taking food to the sick in her community. Her husband sang in the Methodist choir and was a trustee of his church. They even provided room and board for students from the nearby Whitewater State Normal School, and that proved to be the family's undoing. He was a young veteran of World War I, the student boarder Myrtle fell inexplicably in love with. Tall, tubercular, and not brilliant, Ernst Kufahl was eight years Myrtle's junior. Within the year, his landlord lay dead in his bed of strychnine poisoning. Who poured the poison? A year and a half later, Myrtle's four children narrowly missed being simultaneously poisoned and mangled in a car crash thanks to their love-besotted mother. Myrtle and Kufahl were both put on trial, and each was followed in the national news, described as" sordid and shocking". Based on five years of research, hundreds of court documents including original love letters between Myrtle and Ernst, piles of old newspaper articles, and interviews with people alive at the time, The Poison Widow tells the whole amazing story."
- section from the CNB Scene website

CNB Scene
1. cnb-scene.com
2. www.cnb-scene.com

book:
"The Poison Widow"
by Linda S. Godfrey
Big Earth Publishing (2003)
buy it at

buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
pages 139 - 140 buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Strange Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey
Trails Books (2007)
pages 163 - 165
buy it at

buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com 

 

20

"Little Green Men"

 
aliens
location:  Whitewater

Hitchhiking alien?  Perhaps...  The story is told in the book "Strange Wisconsin".

book:
"Strange Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey
Trails Books (2007)
page 166
buy it at

buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

 

21

Honey Creek Creatures

 
      
bigfoot unknown
creature
location:  Honey Creek

Several strange somethings have been spotted near Honey Creek since the early 1990's.  Some sasquatch-like, some giant-dog-like.  Read the full stories in Linda Godfrey's books, listed at the right.

CNB Scene
www.cnb-scene.com

book:
"Strange Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey
Trails Books (2007)
page 36
buy it at

buy it at
Barnes & Noble.com

book:
"Hunting the American Werewolf"
by Linda S. Godfrey
Trails Media Group (2006)
pages 76 - 79, 131 - 133, 309, 310

buy it at buy it at Barnes & Noble.com

 

22

"The Lady in White"

 
ghost
location:  Pell Lake

In her book "Strange Wisconsin", author Linda Godfrey shares the tale of a spectral figure seen in a home in the township of Bloomfield.

book:
"Strange Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey
Trails Books (2007)
page 4
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 a youthful female dressed in a bloody dress can sometimes be perceived in Birch Grove Park very late at night staring. People who have made out this ghost declare this ghost likes terrifying foolish people who come trying to locate ghosts in Fontana. Regardless of what, it without a doubt is a frightening spirit that you shouldn't go looking for."
- section from Ghosts of America website

Ghosts of America
www.ghostsofamerica.com

 

24

St. Killian's Cemetery

 
    haunted cemetery
location:  Lake Geneva

"St. Killians is a graveyard/church. [T]he church was burned down by the lake geneva fire department because it was condemned. they used the church as training for the fire department. there were stories of devil worship going on in the church basement and the stories are TRUE. A group investigated it several times before they put up the no trespassing sign. There are sounds of a bell while you are there but the bell seems to be coming from a house in the distance. While there they report seeing mist around a tombstone that disappeared when they approached. Also repo[r]ted, a shadow that moved across the tombstones and vanished. and there are strange smells it is believed they are coming from the swamp that is behind the cemetery."
- section from The Shadowlands website

  6087 Town Line Road
Lake Geneva, WI  53147

The Shadowlands
www.theshadowlands.net

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

 

 

 

taste of local history

resources

 

1

Lake Geneva Area Museum of History

 

location:  Lake Geneva
museum

"A diverse collection of artifacts and memorabilia donated by civic groups and individuals are displayed in their facades and galleries. Yachts and Nautical Vessels, Northwestern Railroad, The Private Mansions, Frank Lloyd Wright's 'Geneva Hotel', Yerkes Observatory, Andy Gump, Potawatomi Indian Lore, The Historic Riviera and of course, The Lake."
- section from the Lake Geneva Official Site


  255 Mill St.
Lake Geneva, WI  53147

                   

hours:
• March thru October  (Fri - Sun)  10am – 4pm
• Summer hours  (Thurs - Mon)  1pm – 5pm

Lake Geneva Official Site
www.lakegenevawi.com

 

2

Webster House Museum

 

location:  Elkhorn
museum

"Nestled on a quiet street in the city of Elkhorn, Wisconsin, the Webster House Museum is a well maintained white clapboard house, containing Civil War and Victorian period items. The composer Joseph Philbrick Webster once owned the home. Both the structure and its famous owner played an important part of the history of Elkhorn."
- section from the Walworth County Historical Society website


  9 East Rockwell
Elkhorn, WI  53121
or

                    

hours:
mid-May thru mid-October  (Wed - Sat)  1pm – 5pm

Walworth County Historical Society
www.geocities.com/walcohistory/

 


updated 11-10-09  •  all images excluding those attributed to others are property of Wisconsinosity.com