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"Psycho" Door
at the Dallmann-Kniewel Funeral Home |
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location: Rib
Lake |
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peculiar
adornment / art assisting life |
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The door as it
appeared in the film. (photo courtesy of Universal
Pictures) |
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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
(715) 427-5465
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Psycho-related
links:
The Psycho Movies
www.thepsychomovies.com
Internet Movie Database (IMDB)
www.imdb.com
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Ricegrinder Gallows at the
Free Spirit Clubhouse
private property |
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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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Pete
LaPeck
(1888 - 1962)
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location: Interwald,
southeast of Rib
Lake |
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local
character / local legend |
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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.
wisconsinosity@tds.net |
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| Pete's grave is in Lake
View Cemetery in Rib Lake. |
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Pete's farm was on County Road M in the Town of Interwald, 2
miles east of County Road C
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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
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Snieg
Fest, Gilman's
annual winter festival ('snieg' being the German 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
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Village Park
Gilman, WI 54433
(715) 447-8285
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. |
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Gilman
Official Site
www.gilmanwi.com |
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Trap-Shaped
Gate
private property
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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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location: Gilman |
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local
landmark |
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"Historically,
Gilman has a 100-year old swinging bridge that is the only one left in
the entire state."
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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."
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section from Explore Wisconsin website |
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Village Park (in town - 1 block south of Highway 64)
Gilman, WI 54433
(888) 488-5537
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Gilman
Official Site
www.vil.gilman.k12.wi.us
Explore Wisconsin
www.explorewisconsin.com
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| Oversized Junk
Mailbox
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...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
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Statue of 'Ugh'
the Ice Man |
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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 |
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Lone Tree
Decorated for the Seasons |
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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
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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)
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Black River
Dinosaur
in the Taylor County Historical
Museum |
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location: Medford |
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fictional
creature |
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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
(715) 748-3808
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hours:
(Thurs & Fri) 9am – 4pm |
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Medford
Chamber of Commerce
www.medfordwis.com |
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location: Medford |
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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"
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location: Medford |
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roadside
oddity / yard art |
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"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
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Crazy Guy
on a Bike
(photos)
www.crazyguyonabike.com
book:
"Strange Wisconsin"
by Linda S. Godfrey
Trails Books (2007)
page 82
buy it at Amazon.com
buy it at Barnes & Noble.com
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Perkinstown
Outhouse Races
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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."
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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)
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Official
Site:
Chequamegon Wildlife & Recreation Club
www.cwrclub.com |
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