Located
above the city of Elk Mound, this castle-like structure offers a
commanding view of the area. It was built as a memorial to the deceased
letter carriers of Dunn County.
book: "Wisconsin Curiosities" by Michael Feldman and Diana Cook Globe Pequot Press
(3rd ed., 2009)
pages 19 - 21
buy it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
"Tinker Frank" Oebser
was a local
inventor who, upon retirement, began creating a collection of life-size
figures, some of which
were animated mechanically. The bizarre creations were
displayed in a barn on his property until he died.
The
Russell J. Rassbach Heritage Museum, listed in the History
section below, displays some of his
work.
More examples of Tinker
Frank's work are being displayed at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center
(Sheboygan) in a special exhibit called "SUBLIME SPACES
& VISIONARY WORLDS: Built Environments of Vernacular Artists"
which will run from June 2007 to January 2008.
book "Sacred Spaces and Other Places"
by Lisa Stone and Jim Zanzi
School of Art Institute of Chicago Press (1993)
pages 124 - 127
buy
it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
book: "SUBLIME SPACES & VISIONARY WORLDS: Built Environments of Vernacular
Artists"
by Leslie Umberger, Erika Doss, Ruth DeYoung
Kohler, Lisa Stone, and Jane Bianco
Princeton Architectural Press (2006)
pages 41, 42, 400 - 407, 410
view it at: JMKAC buy it at Chronicle
Books
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
Directions:
Take Highway 29 westward out of Menomonie. After crossing the
Red Cedar River, turn left onto Rustic Road. Then
turn left onto 410th Street (Paradise Valley Road). Go 2
miles and the Devil's Punchbowl parking lot is directly
on the left.
I guess these rocks are
supposed to be the dragon's spinal ridges. Anticlimactic.
"noises
such as screaming, howling, and very loud laughing have been heard
people have been knowing to get very ill to there stomachs after been
there it is a believed that someone died near buy there and haunts it.
People used to be able to just go up there a mess around until the death
occurred one month in the 1980's they decided to blocked it off due to
the things that where happening and you can only go up there at certain
times now you can see lights from the road."
- section from The Shadowlands website
Aside from
the rumors of haunting, this towering tribute to
deceased postal carriers may also be the final resting place to a fire breathing lizard.
I knew somehow the USPS and the Valheru were connected.
Gnomes
have allegedly been spotted & enchanted water has reportedly been
collected from this spot. (Alcohol may have been supposedly drunk
at this location as well.)
Directions:
Take Highway 29 westward out of Menomonie. After crossing the
Red Cedar River, turn left onto Rustic Road. Then
turn left onto 410th Street (Paradise Valley Road). Go 2
miles and the Devil's Punchbowl parking lot is directly
on the left.
The Weird
Wisconsin website ponders the multitude of Devil-related place names in
Wisconsin (see link at right)
Disturbing
Dunn County Part Two
by The Haunting
Experiments
double-click
to enlarge video
book: "The Wisconsin Road Guide to
Haunted Locations" by Chad Lewis and Terry Fisk Research Publishing Co. (2004)
pages 59 - 60
buy it at Barnes
& Noble.com
book: "The Wisconsin Road Guide to
Haunted Locations" by Chad Lewis and Terry Fisk Research Publishing Co. (2004)
pages 61 -63
buy it at Barnes
& Noble.com
"About
a half-hour later, the man reported seeing a second object right over
the city of Menomonie. It would glow bright yellow and then die down and
get dim. During the dim period the man could see the outline of a
triangle."
- section from UFO Wisconsin 09-16-99 report
The ghost of
a murdered
woman, Mary Schlais, allegedly haunts the area near the dam. Two fisherman
reported having observed her ghost.
It
was believed that 25-year-old Mary was hitchhiking to Chicago when
something went awry on February 15, 1974. A witness told police
that he saw a body being dumped from a car on 408th Avenue, near the Elk
Creek Lake. Mary had been stabbed to death and her killer (or
killers) were never caught. Her body was exhumed in January 2009
for DNA analysis.
The
dam site near where her body was found once had a bridge that spanned
the creek. It was here that two fishermen had an encounter with a
glowing woman who stood behind them. An elderly woman who lived
nearby told of a young woman from the river who visited her on a daily
basis; a woman named Mary.
Take County Road H southward out of Elk Mound for 4 miles.
Turn right on County Road E. Follow E to Elk Lake.
The
Haunting Experiments
1. official
site
2. YouTube video "Disturbing Dunn County Part Two" (see
#2 above)
Mary
Of Elk Creek
by The Haunting
Experiments
double-click
to enlarge video
Updates
From The Haunting Experiments
double-click
to enlarge video
book: "The Wisconsin Road Guide to
Haunted Locations" by Chad Lewis and Terry Fisk Research Publishing Co. (2004)
pages 56 - 58
buy it at Barnes
& Noble.com
book: "Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard
D. Hendricks Barnes & Noble Books
(2005) pages 222 - 225 buy it at Barnes
& Noble.com
"...calls were
received in police stations to the south in Wisconsin, Iowa and
Missouri, reporting 'a mysterious flash of light.' "
- section from Weird Wisconsin report
"She
had gone only a very short distance when the object gently settled down
in front of her car and appeared to be preparing to land. She said it
looked like two saucers that had been put together and was white in
color with lights all around it."
- section from UFO Wisconsin report
"Lynch bought
another dress. This was found, in the barn, cut down to fit one of the
children. Eggs rose from tables, teacups leaped, and a pan of soft soap
wandered from room to room."
- section from Weird Wisconsin report
Note:
This story is also claimed to have happened in eastern St. Croix
County.
book: "Haunted Wisconsin" by Michael Norman &
Best Scott
Trails Books (revised ed., 2001)
pages 13 - 26
buy it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
10
Caryville
Church & Schoolhouse aka Springbrook Lutheran Church & Fosbrook
School private property
Two buildings across the
road from one another have separate reasons for why they are haunted.
Read the full stories by clicking the Unexplained Research links
at right.
Directions from
Caryville: Caryville is located 9 miles west of Eau Claire on
Highway 85. From Highway 85 north of Caryville, take County
Road H for almost 2 miles. Turn left on 930th Street.
The church and school are across form each other.
The
Legend of Caryville
by The Haunting
Experiments
book: "The Wisconsin Road Guide to
Haunted Locations" by Chad Lewis and Terry Fisk Research Publishing Co. (2004)
pages 34 -37
buy it at Barnes
& Noble.com
book: "Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard
D. Hendricks Barnes & Noble Books
(2005) page 211 buy it at Barnes
& Noble.com
book:
"Weird Hauntings"
compiled
by Joanne Austin
Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. (2006)
pages 62 - 65 buy
it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
The ghost of
a young girl
haunts the area near bridge where she died. Read the
full story by clicking the Unexplained Research link at right.
Directions from
Caryville Church & School: Continue south on 930th Street.
Turn right onto 230th Avenue, then right onto 240th Avenue.
Look for the bridge before arriving at the boat landing.
The
Haunting Experiments
1. official
site
2. YouTube video "Disturbing Dunn County Part One" (see
#13 below)
3. YouTube video "The Legend of Caryville" (see
#10 above)
book: "The Wisconsin Road Guide to
Haunted Locations" by Chad Lewis and Terry Fisk Research Publishing Co. (2004)
pages 43 - 44
buy it at Barnes
& Noble.com
book: "Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard
D. Hendricks Barnes & Noble Books
(2005) page 211 buy it at Barnes
& Noble.com
book:
"Weird Hauntings"
compiled
by Joanne Austin
Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. (2006)
pages 62 - 65 buy
it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
12
Hellhounds
of Meridean at the
Meridean Boat Landing
The ghost of
a suicide
victim & red-eyed 'hellhounds' have been seen at night.
Read the full story by clicking the Unexplained Research link at
right.
Directions from Caryville
Road Bridge: Continue west on 240th Avenue, which
changes from pavement to gravel. The boat landing is on the left
along the Chippewa River.
The
Haunting Experiments
1. official
site
2. YouTube video "Disturbing Dunn County Part One" (see
#13 below)
3. YouTube video "The Legend of Caryville" (see
#10 above)
book: "The Wisconsin Road Guide to
Haunted Locations" by Chad Lewis and Terry Fisk Research Publishing Co. (2004)
pages 39 - 42
buy it at Barnes
& Noble.com
book: "Weird Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey & Richard
D. Hendricks Barnes & Noble Books
(2005) page 211 buy it at Barnes
& Noble.com
book:
"Weird Hauntings"
compiled
by Joanne Austin
Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. (2006)
pages 62 - 65 buy
it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
Ghosts
seen. Growling
heard. Demon observed. Read the full story by clicking
the Unexplained Research link at right.
Directions from Meridean
Boat Landing: Continue west on 240th Avenue, which
grows narrow and rough. The cemetery will be on
your right as you leave the woods.
Disturbing
Dunn County Part One
by The Haunting
Experiments
double-click
to enlarge video
book: "The Wisconsin Road Guide to
Haunted Locations" by Chad Lewis and Terry Fisk Research Publishing Co. (2004)
pages 32 -33
buy it at Barnes
& Noble.com
book:
"Weird Hauntings"
compiled
by Joanne Austin
Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. (2006)
pages 62 - 65 buy
it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
"They watched
breathlessly. She walked right into the stream and appeared to go right
in over her head."
- section from The W-Files website & Wisconsin Lore
book: "Wisconsin Lore"
by Robert E. Gard & L.G. Sorden
Heartland Press (1962, 1987)
pages 56 - 58 buy
it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
book: "Haunted Wisconsin" by Michael Norman &
Best Scott
Trails Books (revised ed., 2001)
pages 66 - 67
buy it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
book: "Ghost Stories of
Wisconsin"
by A.S. Mott
Lone Pine Publishing International (2006)
pages 107 - 111
buy
it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
A souvenir
of a grave exhumation begins to behave oddly after being removed from
the ground.
book: "Haunted Wisconsin" by Michael Norman &
Best Scott
Trails Books (revised ed., 2001)
pages 43 - 45
buy it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
book: "Ghost Stories of
Wisconsin"
by A.S. Mott
Lone Pine Publishing International (2006)
pages 98 - 106
buy
it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
"They appeared to be
about 4 to 6 inches off the ground...I stared for a few more seconds and
then, before my eyes, they slowly dissolved into thin air...As I got
further down the street, I heard a bang! I turned around and saw that
the doors of the [local (name withheld)] Theater were banging, as if
someone inside was trying to get out..."
- section from The W-Files report
"Then,
after about ten more minutes of intermittent rumbling, the rumbling
became louder and constant and at the same time, the whole sky lit up in
that area like lightning..but it was constant and for about thirty
seconds."
- section from UFO Wisconsin report
"Relive
the logging camp and sandstone quarry eras of Dunn County's early days.
Visitors will be treated to displays depicting Knapp, Stout &
Company Co. operations, then the largest white pine milling corporation
in the world. Also on the premises are a village jail and the 1865
Louisville Post Office."
- section from the UW Stout website
(Head six miles south of Menomonie
on Highway 25, then turn on County C at Downsville.)
County Highway C
Downsville, WI 54735
(715) 232-8685
hours:
May thru October (Fri - Sun) Noon – 5pm
Tours by appointment.
"...the
facility features a gift shop and new exhibits, including: settlement
from pre-historic to present; the Kraft State Bank robbery; the Caddie
Woodlawn children's discovery room; lumber and other industries; famous
personalities and Victorian-era rooms."
- section from the UW Stout website
Also included
is an exhibit dedicated to the late "Tinker Frank" Oebser, a local
inventor who created a collection of life-size sculptures, some of which
were animated mechanically. Other examples of his work are
displayed in the Kohler Museum in Sheboygan County.
book "Sacred Spaces
and Other Places"
by Lisa Stone and Jim Zanzi
School of Art Institute of Chicago Press
(1993)
pages 124 - 127
buy
it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
book: "SUBLIME SPACES & VISIONARY WORLDS: Built Environments of Vernacular
Artists"
by Leslie Umberger, Erika Doss, Ruth DeYoung
Kohler, Lisa Stone, and Jane Bianco
Princeton Architectural Press (2006)
pages 41, 42, 400 - 407, 410
view it at: JMKAC buy it at
Chronicle
Books
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
"Spanning
130 years of Wisconsin and American history, 1846-1974, the mansion's
contents focus on the high Victorian, displaying the rich furnishings of
the era of the family's greatest wealth: silk-velvet and jacquard
draperies, lace curtains, china, crystal, silver, furniture, tapestries,
paintings--reflecting the family's changing tastes over three
generations. The mansion's extensive clothing collection also allows
visitors to view changing clothing fashions in context as well as in
special exhibitions."
- section from the Portal Wisconsin website
101 Wilson Circle
Menomonie, WI 54751
(715) 235-2283 or (800) 368-7384
hours:
• Memorial Day thru Labor Day (daily) 1pm – 5 pm
• April thru May ( Sat & Sun) 1pm
– 5 pm
• Sept to Oct (Sat & Sun) 1pm
– 5 pm
• Victorian Christmas: mid-Nov thru early Jan (daily) 1pm
– 8 pm
Bookmark the Wisconsinosity home page! 
Head north from Elk Mound on County Road H. Turn right onto
Elk Mound Drive East and enter Mound Hill
Park.
Directions:
Take Highway 29 westward out of Menomonie. After crossing the
Red Cedar River, turn left onto Rustic Road. Then
turn left onto 410th Street (Paradise Valley Road). Go 2
miles and the Devil's Punchbowl parking lot is directly
on the left.
Head north from Elk Mound on County Road H. Turn right onto
Elk Mound Drive East and enter Mound Hill
Park.
(Head six miles south of Menomonie
on Highway 25, then turn on County C at Downsville.)
