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Giant Farmer Statue
at the Petro Truck Stop
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location: Portage
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| roadside oddity |
| "Howdy, stranger. Would you care to sample some of this sausage and cheese, the origin of each I shall not disclose?" |
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 From Highway I-94/90 south of Portage, take exit 108A, then head south on Highway 78 for about a mile. The statue is located at the Amoco station next to the Petro Truck Stop.
N5755 State Road 78
Portage, WI 53901
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La Reau's World of Miniature
PRIVATE PROPERTY
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location: Pardeeville
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| roadside attraction |
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| photo courtesy of Rare Visions & Roadside Revelations |
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The remnants of this memorable attraction are visible from the road.
"Reau's World of Miniature Buildings. 1 mi s on SR22, displays about 100 minature (sic) replicas of famous buildings and the structures amid landscaped grounds with streams and waterfalls. Among the replicas are the White House and the U.S. Capitol, the capital's monuments and memorials, the Statue of Liberty, Mt. Rushmore, the Great Wall of China, Egyptian pyramids, and a German castle."
– section from Wisconsin Local History Network
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(1 mile south of Pardeeville)
was at: N6672 State Road 22
Pardeeville, WI 53954
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Callen Harty Photography
www.callenharty.com
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Flickr photoset
www.flickr.com
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Rare Visions & Roadside Revelations
(3.03mb PDF file)
www.rarevisionsroadtrip.com
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Roadside America
1. www.roadsideamerica.com
2. www.roadsideamerica.com
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Journal Sentinel Online
article "The one and only" or archived (here)
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book:
"Wisconsin Curiosities"
by Michael Feldman and Diana Cook
Globe Pequot Press (1st ed., 2000)
page(s) 161 – 162
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com![icon]()
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book:
"Oddball Wisconsin"
by Jerome Pohlen
Chicago Review Press, Inc. (2001)
page(s) 54 – 55
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com![icon]()
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| Christopher Columbus Museum |
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location: Columbus
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| museum |
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"The Christopher Columbus Museum is dedicated to the Quincentennial of Columbus' daring voyage to the Americas in 1492. The 300 ft wall space and 80 cases a total of 3,000 square feet of displays present a broad collection of diverse and unique items that bring to life the period from which Columbus burst forth."
– section from the official website
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239 Whitney St.
Columbus, WI 53925
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hours:
(daily) 8:15am – 4pm |
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Official Site
www.columbusantiquemall.com
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Roadside America
www.roadsideamerica.com
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Travel Columbia County
www.travelcolumbiacounty.net
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book:
"Wisconsin Curiosities"
by Michael Feldman and Diana Cook
Globe Pequot Press
(2nd ed., 2004) page(s) 123 – 124
(3rd ed., 2009) page(s) n/a
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
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book:
"Oddball Wisconsin"
by Jerome Pohlen
Chicago Review Press, Inc. (2001)
page(s) 102 – 103
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com![icon]()
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| Farmers and Merchants Bank |
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location: Columbus
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| business with character / unique architecture |
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| Designed by Louis Sullivan, known as the father of the skyscraper, this architecturally-unique bank inspired the play "The Jewel Box" and is on the Register of Historic Places. You may also notice it in the Johnny Depp film "Public Enemies" (listed below). |
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159 W James St.
Columbus, WI 53925
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hours:
lobby: (Mon - Thurs) 9am – 3pm
(Fridays) 9am – 5:30pm / (Saturdays) 9am – 11am |
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| Pardeeville Watermelon Festival |
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location: Pardeeville
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| event |
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| photos courtesy of official site |
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The Watermelon Speed-Eating and Seed-Spitting Contest is held during this popular festival.
""How fast can you eat a watermelon and how far can you spit the pips? These probably aren't questions you and I are asked every day, but in Pardeeville, Wisconsin, you'd better eat fast and you'd better spit far, 'cos if you don't, you ain't gonna see the Nationals in Vegas. Visitors can enjoy a family fun-packed day of food, bingo, eating and spitting."
– section from Travelmax website
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at Chandler Park on Park Lake |
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hours:
held the first Saturday after Labor Day |
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Official Site
www.pardeeville
watermelonfestival.com
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Wisconsin Central
www.wisconsincentral.net
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Travelmax
www.istc.org
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Columbia County Tourism
www.valuworld.com
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Facebook (official)
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Portage Daily Register
article "Watermelon festival looking up" or archived (here)
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book:
"Wisconsin Curiosities"
by Michael Feldman and Diana Cook
Globe Pequot Press
(2nd ed., 2004) page(s) 168 – 169
(3rd ed., 2009) page(s) n/a
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
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book:
"Eccentric America"
by Jan Friedman
Globe Pequot Press (2nd edit., 2004)
page(s) 2nd edit., 2004
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com![icon]()
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book:
"Oddball Wisconsin"
by Jerome Pohlen
Chicago Review Press, Inc. (2001)
page(s) 55
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com![icon]()
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“Portage Daily Register video: 2009 Pardeeville Watermelon Festival and Seed Spitting Championship”
video by pdrnews
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Aliens and Oddities Exhibit
at the Mackenzie Environmental Education Center
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location: Poynette
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| museum |
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Animal abnormalities are displayed such as a two-headed pig, albinos, siamese twins, extra appendaged critters and other mutations. Freaky fun for the whole family.
UPDATE: The museum is no longer located in its little cabin. The major items from the collection have been moved to the Conservation Museum on the property when they can still be viewed. |
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W7303 County Highway CS
Poynette, WI 53955
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hours:
Wildlife Exhibits and Museums: • May 1 thru mid-October (daily) 8am – 4pm
• mid-October thru April 30 (Mon - Fri) 8am – 4pm
CLOSED ON WINTER HOLIDAYS |
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Official Site
www.mackenziecenter.com
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Weird Wisconsin
www.weird-wi.com or archived (here)
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Wisconsin DNR
1. dnr.wi.gov
2. dnr.wi.gov
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Budget Travel
article "Wisconsin: A Farm-Lover's Trip Through the Midwest" or archived (here)
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book:
"Wisconsin Curiosities"
by Michael Feldman and Diana Cook
Globe Pequot Press
(2nd ed., 2004) page(s) 169 – 170
(3rd ed., 2009) page(s) 159 – 160
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
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book:
"Oddball Wisconsin"
by Jerome Pohlen
Chicago Review Press, Inc. (2001)
page(s) 130 – 131
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com![icon]()
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book:
"Great Little Museums of the Midwest"
by Christine Des Garennes
Trails Books (2002)
page(s) 9
buy it at
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location: Lodi
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| notable fowl / event |
"She laid her eggs in a masonry flower basket at the bridge where guests could observe her brood...Soon, word of her faithful annual return to the flower basket to hatch two clutches of eggs each year gained national media attention...Ambitious city fathers decided to seize the spotlight and host the first 'Susie the Duck Festival'."
– section from Lodi Chamber website
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(bridge is in downtown Lodi) |
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hours:
The festival is held annually on the second Saturday of August. |
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Susie's flower basket
photo courtesy of DiveMaster01 (SparkPeople) |
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Giant Wedge of Cheese
in front of Curd & Whey Cheese House
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location: Poynette
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| roadside oddity / cheese pride |
| Let's take the wedge in the middle of the night and place it on the head of that huge Jolly Green Giant statue in Minnesota. |
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424 US Highway 51
Poynette, WI 53955
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| "Public Enemies" in Columbus |
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location: Columbus
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| 15-minutes of fame |
| Filming began here in mid-March 2008 for the 2009 film "Public Enemies" which stars Johnny Depp and Christian Bale. Downtown Columbus was transformed into 1930's Green Castle, Indiana, where Dillinger's gang robbed a bank. An extensive redress of the business district was performed by studio crews, prompting many visitors to come see the changes for themselves. The downtown businesses were open until it was time to roll cameras. Johnny Depp's appearance caused quite a stir as gawkers surrounded the film set, trying to get that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to watch a Hollywood movie being made in their own hometown. Other Wisconsin locations used for "Public Enemies" were filmed in Madison, Oshkosh, Milwaukee, Darlington, Beaver Dam, Eureka, Oregon, Mirror Lake and Manitowish Waters. |
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| photo courtesy of Public Enemies Blogspot |
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web links
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Columbus Main Street
columbusmainstreet.org
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Public Enemies Official Site
www.publicenemies.net
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Public Enemies Columbus
www.publicenemiescolumbus.com
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Internet Movie Database (IMDB)
us.imdb.com
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Public Enemies Blogspot
publicenemiescolumbus.
blogspot.com
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The Daily Page
www.thedailypage.com
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YouTube
(more "PE" YouTube videos)
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Watertown Daily Times
article "City will play role in 'Public Enemies' film" or archived (here)
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books & video
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“Johnny Depp shooting Public Enemies”
video by filmmack
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“'Public Enemies' trailer”
video by watchCulturetainment
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location: Lodi
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| maize maze |
"Enjoy a unique experience-find your way through our 15-acre cornfield maze with over 4 miles of twists, turns and dead ends. Challenge yourself, your friends, and family members to solve the maze and find all the clues in this mind-boggling living puzzle. There's a special prize for those persistent enough to find ALL the secret locations in the maze."
– section from the official website
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W12420 State Road 60
Lodi, WI 53555
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| photo courtesy of official site |
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| 'State Rights' Race Horse Grave |
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location: Portage
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| roadside oddity / unique grave |
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"The grave was dug large enough to accommodate the horse stand up on four feet, just as Roberts had remembered him during all of those 28 years. It is said that the burial was first located in a field which eventually was put to the plow. At this time another and final resting place was made for States Rights alongside the Old Military Road where strangers and the curious stop to ponder the lonely and strange tombstone with its even stranger epitaph."
– section from Roots Web website
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Head east out of Portage on Highway 33. Right outside of town, turn left on County Road EE, then right on Old Military Road. Continue for 5 miles. The gravestone will be on the right.
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Roadside America
www.roadsideamerica.com
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Roots Web
www.rootsweb.com
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book:
"Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard D. Hendricks
Barnes & Noble Books (2005)
page(s) 256
buy it at
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
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| Statue of Christopher Columbus |
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location: Columbus
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| roadside oddity |
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| Captain Columbus claims this land in the name of Queen Isabella. He will have to contend with the lawyers from the nearby Shopko concerning that. |
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north of Columbus at the intersection of Highways 60 & 16
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| Barn Quilts of Columbia County |
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location: all over Columbia County |
| barn art |
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| photo courtesy of Columbia County UWEX Cooperative Extension |
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Almost 30 colorful 'quilts' have been placed on barns and other buildings scattered through the county, thanks to the Columbia County Association for Home and Community Education.
"The mission of Barn Quilts of Columbia County is to celebrate the agricultural heritage of our county through the warmth and beauty of quilting art."
– section from the official website
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check the Columbia County UWEX Cooperative Extension website for map
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Official Site
columbia.uwex.edu
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Travel Columbia County
www.travelcolumbiacounty.net
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Portage Daily Register
article "Barn quilt going up Tuesday on old structure" or archived (here)
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Beaver Dam Daily Citizen
article "Barn quilt installed" or archived (here)
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Poynette Press
article "Barn quilts are brightening up rural areas" or archived (here)
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Bookmark the Wisconsinosity home page! wisconsinosity.com
From Merrimac, head north on Highway 78 for 4 miles. Turn left on Durward's Glen Road. Look for parking lot on right.
access point on Riddle Road
W8687 State Road 33 - East
