Mini Courses feature local history
Wisconsin Union Mini Courses have long been popular options for members to combine a little education with a lot of fun. Recently, courses that explore local history have allowed particpants a unique look at Wisconsin traditions. If you missed the spring courses, there is still plenty of time to enroll in summer courses.
Traditional beer and cheese take the stage
Wisconsin is known for its beer and cheese, and this spring a special Mini Course introduced participants to a few unique places to enjoy our state’s traditional fare. On April 9th, participants in the Highway 69 Pub Crawl course wound their way from Monroe back to Madison, indulging themselves in local establishments along the way.
The day’s first stop was a tour of the Minhas Brewery in Monroe. Minhas is the United States’ second oldest brewery, and displays the largest collection of brewing memorabilia in any one location. A second stop in Monroe featured the former Huber and Berghoff brewery, now owned by a young Canadian brother and sister who have built the business up to the twelfth largest brewery in the world.
Another Monroe treasure, Baumgartner’s Cheese Store & Tavern, pushed participants to expand their palate. Baumgartner’s is famous for their sandwiches of limburger and onions and braunschweiger (a type of liver sausage) and onions, both served on a strong rye bread.
The group then moved on to New Glarus to visit Puempel’s Olde Tavern. The bar, which dates back to1893, features a series of murals and a tradition of sticking dollar bills to its 25 foot tall ceiling. The final stop of the day was Dot’s Tavern in Basco, billed as the perfect marriage between a farmer bar and a Wisconsin basement bar.
Exploring local legends
Participants in the April 30th Wisconsin Ghost Towns Mini Course got a special treat when they found out one of the members of the class grew up in one of the communities on the tour.
Vernon Hanson, who participated in the Mini Course with his daughter, grew up in Moscow, Wisconsin. Moscow was the second stop on the day-long southern Wisconsin Mini Course. The farm house that Mr. Hanson grew up in still stands in the north edge of what used to be a thriving community.
The community was founded by Chauncey Smith in 1847 when he established a grist mill on the Blue Mounds branch of the Pecatonica River. Though Moscow once boasted a population of over 100 and supported a library, a literary society and an active Homemakers Club, today there are only a few occupied houses left in town. When the railroad did not build through the community, people slowly drifted away.
Moscow also has its own ghost story. It seems that before a real bridge was built over the river people crossed on a couple of logs laid across the stream. One night a young mother was crossing the logs with her baby and stumbled. The child went into the river and drowned. Since then raccoon hunters in the area have repeatedly heard a child crying when out hunting despite there being no young children living in the area. Former residents of the area, including Vernon Hanson, are hesitant to talk about the truth of this story or the ghost that allegedly haunts the area.
A number of other ghost towns were visited during this Spring Mini Course led by Kim Tschudy. Mr. Tschudy is the author of the History of Green County, which includes a chapter on the ghost towns of that area. This course is usually offered at least once a year.
Summer courses celebrate natural history
If you’re kicking yourself for missing out on these spring courses, there’s still plenty of time to take advantage of the summer and explore Wisconsin’s natural history.
Participants in the summer Wisconsin Geology Weekend Mini Course will travel with a former DNR naturalist to explore the ancient geology of northern Wisconsin. The weekend course, on June 25 and 26, will include visits to Precambrian mountains, volcanic ridges, fault escarpments and more.
If you don’t have a full weekend to devote, you can still spend a summer evening around a campfire sharing the words of some favorite conservationists and naturalists. Taking place on July 16 on one of the highest hills in Green County, host Kim Tschudy and a full moon that night promise to create a unique and inspiring experience.
To read about current Mini Course offerings, or to register for one of the courses listed here, visit the Mini Course website.
By Lydia Statz and Jay Ekleberry
