This is the final episode of a four part series that commemorates the 100th Anniversary of a company very dear to my heart, McFarlane Mfg Co. I have been a member of the team there since 2002 and when the 100th anniversary came around, I wanted to use my skills to do something special. So we interviewed special folks from around the area that did and reflected upon significant things in our area that affected the entire world. Plus, with the help of my good friend Paul Wolter at the Sauk County Historical Society, we were able to list off and discuss interesting events that happened during each period of 25 years.
What became evident to me was how many things happened during that 100 years that we take for granted today. Think about it for just a minute, today's episode follows the 25 year period that saw, The unraveling of the Human Genome, The development and spread of the internet, Smart Phones, Autonomous Cars, Digital Streaming, the first African American President. It's amazing. Hope you enjoy Part 4: 1993 - 2017.
Watch for Season 3 to premiere in Mid-Fall!
Announcer: 0:04
Welcome to frame of reference informed intelligent conversations about the issues and challenges facing everyone in today's world, in depth interviews with salt counties, leaders and professionals to help you expand in and form your frame of reference, brought to you by the max FM digital network. Now, here's your host, Rauel LaBreche.
Rauel LaBreche: 0:25
Well, we've come to the end of the line here with part four of our series of shows entitled century of change. For those of you that haven't been listening, each of these is a retrospective view of important events that occurred within a 25 year span of time between 1917 and 2007. These were extremely formative years for our country, the state of Wisconsin, as well as Sauk County and right here in Sauk. City. No matter where you live, it doesn't hurt to just stop and think about how much can happen in 100 years, or in the case of each episode, just 25 years. Today, we'll end the series by focusing on 1993 to 2017, a 25 year period that included the proliferation of personal computers, smartphones, and the internet. So much of what we do and how we do it is tied to those technologies, that the impact of that is hard to comprehend. Not only that, but their offspring will define us for generations. Again, on a personal note, my son was born during the span of time so it's a special period for me personally as well. Both of our kids are the best contribution to the world around us that my wife and Ann and I have ever made. So here we go. As usual, we'll start with a sound bite collage. See how many of the sound bites you can identify and let them take you back to a different time when these bites were the bits of our lives called the news
Announcer: 2:01
this is century of change a series featuring the rich history of the last 100 years
Part 4 Sound Bites: 2:06
10,000 years we'll give you a such a crick in the neck for one chance just one chance to come back here and tell that they may take our liveswill never take time to listen to me whine with the A and then the ring around it at See that's what I say just what is this main artery of Information Superhighway every business no matter how large no matter how small will be on the internet in the year 2000. When I say this again, I did not have sexual relations with that woman live has been using a PC to download music as well the hottest of today's computer trends that has the recording companies up in arms and heading to court at the center of their dispute as a music sharing internet service known as Napster. And it's Tuesday, September 11 2001, but American 11 trying to call required. Apparently a plane has just crashed into the World Trade Center. Literally. My Trade Center I think we have a terrorist act of proportions that we cannot begin to imagine at this juncture the rest of the world and the people and the people who knock these buildings down. Good evening from our NBC News headquarters in midtown Manhattan, where we are in the midst of what appears to be a colossal and history making blackout well even a category two hurricane could spell disaster for the very vulnerable city of New Orleans. And Category Five Katrina is expected to cause catastrophic damage and CNN cannot project it Barak Obama 47 Seven years old will become the president elect of the United States there goes. It was an almost unimaginable scene captured here on home video houses swept away with the current. As Lake Delton, a centerpiece of the Dells region poured into the Wisconsin River until the lake was dry. The Los Angeles Times and The Associated Press are now reporting. Michael Jackson has died in Los Angeles this afternoon. And those of you that have just tuned in to NHK world you're seeing live coverage from our helicopters of a tsunami in golfing Sendai 's after a major earthquake in Japan. The business tycoon and TV personality capping is improbable political journey with an astounding upset victory Donald J. Trump will become the 45th President of the United States defeating Hillary Clinton and her campaign unlike anything we've seen in our lifetime.
Rauel LaBreche: 6:13
Oh, my Lord. Welcome ladies and gentlemen to Century of change. This is our fourth and final broadcast for this series. And I have to say my guest as he has been throughout the past four week journey here is Paul Walter and the executor Executive Director of the Sauk County Historical Society. I don't know about you, Paul, but idle listening to that intro. I was both laughing and crying. I think we'll just let the intro be the show today. Okay, cuz it was
Paul Volter: 6:50
wow, my last in the last
Rauel LaBreche: 6:52
25 years. Yeah. Crazy. Yeah. When you think the momentous things that have occurred during that time. And I have to again, just thank a call out on air here to Corey, and the wonderful folks up at WR PQ that have spent, I don't know how many hours he must have spent pulling that all together. Yeah. Thank you so much for that, taking the idea of doing those sound bites and turning it into I mean, really, they stand on their own merits as just reflection of what the past 25 years, just the past 25 years have ran. And we've been looking at 100 years. And so here we are in the final segment going from 1992 essentially to the present day and and hopefully a little bit at the end here. We'll look at the future just a tad. So, but let's get to it. I don't know how we're gonna ever encounter that. But we'll do the best we can. And I thought to you facetiously but not so funny. We could almost title this episode fire and rain. Yeah. Because that's been kind of the that's a recurring things locally. Yeah. At least slowly. So and we start out right away 1993 The bearable River and skillet Creek flood flooded overnight with after 12 inches of rainfall in four hours. One person was killed and $7.8 million worth of property was
Paul Volter: 8:13
damaged. Yeah. And it seems you know, with with more recent floods, it kind of gets forgotten about but that was a big deal. And I know that Mississippi was very high that year as well and flooded all down the Mississippi. So there were stories from here to New Orleans, but
Rauel LaBreche: 8:27
so all the tributaries that fed off of that and what Yeah, and then we were talking about that before we went on the air how it seems like these, you know, 100 year floods.
Paul Volter: 8:37
And about every seven to 10 years now. It's makes me nervous, because we're 10 years from 2008.
Rauel LaBreche: 8:42
Yeah, we're coming up quick. So while in 1994 county government is 150 years old, right?
Paul Volter: 8:48
Yeah, the county had been set out in 1840. But it wasn't until 1844 that there was enough people hear an interest in starting county government. So started in 1844, with three county supervisors.
Rauel LaBreche: 9:02
Only three and 30 some now right. And
Paul Volter: 9:05
of course, the big decision was where the county seat would be. And people forget that the first county seat was actually in Prairie to sack Okay, for a few years.
Unknown: 9:12
Really? Wow,
Rauel LaBreche: 9:15
I feel so hot. No, I live in burritos. Yeah, maybe we should make a movement to get back here. So
Paul Volter: 9:20
we're the was the capital apartments or something? Really? Right there. Yeah, that was the public square. And that's for the first courthouse for Sauk County was built.
Rauel LaBreche: 9:29
Interesting. Okay, I'll have to go down and look at that again. Maybe Jack can help me figure all that out, too. So yeah, but and then this was actually something that stood out for any lines and builds its distribution center and Reedsburg. I worked there for like 10 years. That
Paul Volter: 9:44
call center was first I believe and then the distribution center. Yeah, still going strong.
Rauel LaBreche: 9:49
Yeah, I think I started there, I want to say 9192. So and that was a big talk up there that you know, they were gonna have this huge center and so many more jobs and yeah, that's the tail. Was that because the airport was right there that the guys could fly in and out there easily for international needs or just national needs. So then 1996, the Lord narrows historic marker was erected along Highway 33. And the new spring green library
Paul Volter: 10:14
opened a whole facility. Yeah, even today, well used. We've had a bunch of
Rauel LaBreche: 10:19
that too, over the course of this series, where we talked about the libraries that have opened, very important to each community. So way to go Sauk County for having all kinds of free public libraries, which is another actually not too far outside of our range of 100 years where that was the establishment of public libraries really wasn't a Carnegie that started them kind of off.
Paul Volter: 10:37
Well, he financed a lot of them, including the buildings in Baraboo and Reedsburg. Spot, you know, the Bairbre library was 1903. It had been it was a little older than that. Okay. But yeah, the the grand libraries that we know, today, roughly 100 years by,
Rauel LaBreche: 10:54
you want to just reach out and thank them again, for you think of the amount of just things that have happened as a result of libraries being free and accessible. People that can have internet access now that you know, maybe not would not be able to have it otherwise. Right? And then the new let's see, we have the greyhound racing Park closed, I suppose.
Paul Volter: 11:14
Yeah, yeah, I know. So and if you go to Buffalo fills and the amusement center there behind it, you can still see the kind of the stepped, you know, concrete platforms where the seating was okay. I don't remember how many years it lasted. It wasn't too many years that there was greyhound racing there. But yeah,
Rauel LaBreche: 11:36
I remember being kind of amazed when I looked at some of the old city plans because where we live in in in prairie is part of the original plat for the town and Broadway that actually goes down where we live just off Broadway, which of course makes just off Broadway. But Broadway actually has a curve in it that I always wondered why in the world is of that curvy? And apparently was because there was a racetrack at one point. And it had to kind of curve around the outer perimeter of that racetrack. So I don't know if that was a horse track, or I guess I probably Yeah. So you think of all the things that have changed over, you know, over 100 yen,
Paul Volter: 12:09
and then those things that leave a permanent mark? Right, it's curve. Right,
Rauel LaBreche: 12:12
right. Why was that there? Well, this is why and then 1997 Move on the west square building opens unbearable.
Paul Volter: 12:18
Yeah, big improvement for the county, a new county administration building, freeing up the courthouse in our courthouse building on the annex there from the 60s,
Rauel LaBreche: 12:29
lots of great meetings and UW Extension has offices there. I believe so Oh, yeah. Right. All kinds of programs that you know, the services for the county are aging and disability resource center. So and then the New River Valley Medical Clinic opened in Spring Green, Black Wolf Lodge will indoor waterpark resort opened in
Paul Volter: 12:49
Lake Dam, the original name for Great Wolf Lodge.
Rauel LaBreche: 12:52
I remember kid our kids going up there we I forget now what year that was, but our daughter was in the middle school show choir. And they went up there when it was still Black Wolf Lodge would perform it like Christmas style. You know, there'd be special little events going on. So that's been a fun place in more ways than one.
Paul Volter: 13:10
Yeah. So about 20 years ago. So it was one of the bigger new, you know, full on indoor water parks. And look, look where it is now. Yeah. And all that is now. Yeah, I think the assessed property value village, the village of Lake Delton, the assessed property value is now probably close to $1.7 billion with a b Wow. Yeah, it's crazy.
Rauel LaBreche: 13:32
So and they just keep building more and more. Yes,
Paul Volter: 13:35
guiding calories, building a $35 million expansion to the convention center. Oh, yeah.
Rauel LaBreche: 13:40
So and then in 1998, we get to some big things going on the greater wildlife. These are all big things. What am I talking about? The greater Sauk County Community Foundation was established.
Paul Volter: 13:50
Now that's a great organization. It's the name implies a community foundation. We have an Sacani Historical Society as an endowment fund there. There's there's many, many funds in the course those resources are pooled together and invested during corporately, so the return is greater and and any any nonprofit that wants to set up an endowment fund doesn't have to go through all the rigmarole of setting up their own REITs have a fund at the Community Foundation
Rauel LaBreche: 14:19
river arts incorporated that I've worked with for a number of years as they're part of that foundation as well. And I remember that being I was on the board when we kind of started to build that endowment. Yeah, it was. It was really interesting, because you're exactly, exactly exactly right. How that it's that you get that additional momentum by being part of a large pool. Yep. So and that opens up things that they can invest in as well. So and then the new Reedsburg Public Library was open that must have been near and dear to your heart. You're thinking I didn't know that when I was in high school.
Paul Volter: 14:47
Right, right. I know. Yeah, great. 20, almost 20 years old now but still a just a great facility. Sure. They're even thinking of expanding I think in the in the future,
Rauel LaBreche: 14:57
and I'm going to put a plug in to this Saturday. The show that I'm directing Christmas Carol is doing a special preview, performance and demonstration of Christmas carol at the rieseberg. One o'clock be there, don't be late. So hopefully, if people will come the millions of people are listening right now will come and see our preview. Yeah, that's a great idea. So and then proceed to sack transferred the former trip library to the village hall building to sock play area historical society uses Museum. That's also some of my fondest memories are when we first moved in the early 1990. John, oh, gosh, forgive me now. John Thompson was the director of the library. Now, of course, Jenny under sways there. But Jenny was actually, uh, one of the clerks that worked there. And John was the library. And I think I'm pretty sure some of the other like June was still there at that point. But I remember Stacy was there, she's now I think, at the Grand Avenue was a public school library. But just that was such a neat place to go into that older building. And you know, it was just chock full of stuff. And the second floor was still like, the historical stuff that's up there. Yeah, they had been upstairs the Historical Society. And, you know, this whole building does wonderful stuff. And I mean, just fond memories of going there. And they had to old that old fireplace was there, you know, you could go on just sit and kind of read books and comfy chairs. And I was like, what a library should be. Yeah. So. And then in 1909, I'm sorry. 2000. Saw counties populations up to 55,020 to 55. Holy cow growing, like leaps and bounds. Yeah. So and then we'll, we'll wrap this this segment up on the show. But the New River arts performing Center opened in Sauk. Prairie in 2000, which is, again, I'll call out to dusty Cook, and Ramona Kramer are to the big names of proponents that had kind of a dream of that happening, or more, and I think was sort of the instigator of it. And then she got dusty on board. And that was, you know, the Rolling Stone gathering moss or, you know, whatever. And, I don't think Rolling Stones. Yeah, there was, so there was no Mawson involved, there was just a steady movement to this rock. And, you know, to think of the impact that the river Art Center has had on this community. Yeah, and just just a phenomenal facility to think of, as far as I know, it's one of the few that it's actually a shared facility between a high school and the community. A lot of them are part of the public school systems kind of exclusively, but this one is was founded for largely funded by the community. So it's just a wonderful place. And you know, hats off to Nick Mae, the current managing director to the place because if you haven't been there, folks, get out there and just enjoy a concert or something at the river Art Center. So And with that, we're gonna take a quick break here, word from our sponsors. My guest this morning is Paul Walter, and we're talking about the past 25 years. And we're already what, seven eight years into the whole thing, so don't go anyway, we got a lot of years to cover in the next segment. He didn't need it now have no fear. The problem solvers are here rented at Macfarlanes in Sauk city, we've got everything to help make your party a success. gables, tents, tablecloths, treat machines, you name it, something on that funny duelist getting put off, we can help with everything from edgers to excavators, floors, trimmers, generators, lifts, it's all here under one 200,000 square foot roof at Macfarlanes. In Sauk. City, your complete rental center one block south of highway 12 at 780. Carolina's street wear service is a family tradition. And we're back here with our final segment of century of change. And 99 Seven Max FM happy to bring you the final 25 years and we left off at 2000 with river arts center opening 2001 glennville. Damn near Baraboo is removed the last dam on the bearable river down
Paul Volter: 18:49
raising 1111 dams at some point or another on the bearable river. And this was the last one to go. And I don't know who coined this phrase. But apparently the let the longest stretch of river returned to free flowing in the United States. Really? Yeah, that's kind of 100 miles. And the change has been dramatic,
Rauel LaBreche: 19:10
just in terms of what it's feeding now and the impact that's had. So not to mention some other things that have happened down the road. So the major fire Christmas Mountain Resort damaged the hotel in 2002. And the fire destroyed Delaney surplus store. I remember that down here. Just a hop skip and a jump away but outside of Sauk city. So in 2003, the Coalsack three ferry began operation amerimax. So the person had been going I think at the beginning of the show, we talked about the Coalsack. That
Paul Volter: 19:38
goes back to Yeah, yeah. Replacing the Coalsack one. Yeah. And of course the ferry is on the National Register of Historic Places. Kind of neat. Wow.
Rauel LaBreche: 19:49
And then another fire in 2004 destroyed the post House Restaurant and spring green one of the oldest operating restaurants in Wisconsin. Yeah, so fact I pulled up an article on high beam research, and it said that there's a gaping wound. This is right after that happened there was a gaping wound in Spring Green, that it was not just the physical hole on Johnson's feet where the post hole restaurant used to be, but it was a wound in the heart for many of the people who lived in or near the village. And where it had stood for nearly 150 years only a pile of rubble remained after the fire destroyed the building, I thought was interesting. They said all the things that were lost in there the countless memories and some prices, artifacts, and they listed a varnish wood wainscoting, layers of flowered wallpaper, the striking pictures of Frank Lloyd Wright by Dodgeville photographer Ed apna, apna and an unusual celestial themed goldleaf mural painted by right Secretary Jean masterlink. And those are just a few of the objects that people remember. So you know, we we think about all the things that have happened and whatnot and the bottle off also the things that are gone now. So and sometimes it was just a fire that justifier Yeah, so and then also 2004 kilo plastics so something is lost, but something brand new is gained to plastics build their new factory and headquarters on the southwest side of bear boom, yeah, they've been a extremely important business to the bear boo community. So in fact, now that the bypass is going through, I go by there sometimes late at night, and all the lights are on on the second floor. So one of these days, I'm gonna have to stop in there and see exactly what that operation looks like inside. Yeah. Then 2006 The sock County Historical Society acquired the former Island woollen mill, which we talked about early in the show, the office building from the city of Bengbu. The rent and the renovations began for the use of the new County History Center. Yeah,
Unknown: 21:40
so dear to us. Yes, I
Rauel LaBreche: 21:42
would think so. If it's not something seriously wrong, right. Right.
Paul Volter: 21:45
We desperately needed new, new archival space and needed to move the offices out of the van orden mansion and Okay, things came together in late 2006 For that to start happening and be several more years before we got renovations done. But now we've been in there now it'll be five years. Wow. This March so
Rauel LaBreche: 22:06
now I heard from someone I don't know if this is true or not, but someone had told me not too long ago actually one of the gentlemen that works here from Fiskars he said his dad had donated like the first television that was purchased very often.
Paul Volter: 22:19
Yeah, you know, could be the Yeah, the television that was the first we believe is the first television and bear with from Danube Danube television. I just moved that yesterday. You're ready for Christmas at the van orden mansion, but yeah, it's okay. It's heavy.
Rauel LaBreche: 22:35
I would think so. Yeah. Ted, Daniel was here working okay. Yeah, yeah, that I had that
Paul Volter: 22:41
my dad remembers that sitting in the window downtown Danube TV and they piped speakers out to the outsides he'd stand on the sidewalk they're watching the television and hearing the sound and it was quite the quite the thing. Oh, just
Rauel LaBreche: 22:55
stand around it as if it was an amphitheater on Yeah, so wild. Well then in 2008 comes the biggest flood on record. So far the June flooding the cause major damage across the county Lake Delton overflowed drained into the Wisconsin River. The Baraboo river swelled to flooding. Laval Rock Springs North freedom Baraboo and closed interstate 99 for over a week two
Paul Volter: 23:22
part disaster one the initial flood and like Delton going out and then you know all that water coming down through the watershed and eventually flooding communities along the way in closing the interstate for a week fortunately 12 highway 12 was not damaged too bad and all that traffic was directed through Sauk city and Baraboo for almost a week. My it was it was really something I remember
Rauel LaBreche: 23:47
it washing out like the the ease ways of highway 12 Because there was quite a bit there that they had to repair to. But yeah, just I actually remember that night of driving up there I hadn't thought about it You and I were talking ahead of the show and they're going up the get the top of the bear boo bluffs in that stretch that goes sky high Yep, it was so high that I saw cars going out into it and you know like even big four wheelers and stuff with the water was up to the middle of the door Wow, there's no way I'm going out into that. So we just turned around and came home yeah, I was like Walmart can wait until next week. So but it's just interesting. There were some things that were found in the bottom of Lake Dell Yeah, it was
Paul Volter: 24:29
well of course treasure hunters went out there right away think several handguns were found probably looking for Jimmy Hoffa down there
Rauel LaBreche: 24:36
no Jimmy Oh yeah, don't worry about them. Well then because it took a while to refill it there were things that grew in there
Paul Volter: 24:43
yeah, trees are over my head walking around in there and
Rauel LaBreche: 24:48
and Pete some people did venture out there and actually got like stuck in the mud RIGHT?
Paul Volter: 24:52
RIGHT THERE wastes I think the fire department starting to find people for being stupid. Do not
Rauel LaBreche: 25:00
Everything was on the sign that was put up by the Wisconsin River that I
Paul Volter: 25:04
had to wait about a week later I came across the Wisconsin River bridge here at Sauk. City and somebody tacked up Lake Delton underneath Wisconsin River. That's about right.
Rauel LaBreche: 25:13
Yeah. A little sardonic humor going on there.
Paul Volter: 25:15
I actually had a cousin in Milwaukee who married a man from India. Okay. And she had relatives from India call her asking about her cousins that live near Wisconsin Dells. Wow. You know, if they were okay, sure. So that that those especially the images, of course the houses floating down the river,
Rauel LaBreche: 25:33
crazy, crazy. Yeah. Well, then 2009 Lake Delton, reopened as Danny riser aired record repairs and the new Sacani Health Care Center opened in Reedsburg. Another great facility, we think of the amount of things that go on there. Right. But I know we've used that for meeting space too. They're very gracious about us making use of their facility for other folks as well. Population of Sauk County in 2000 10s up to 61,009 76 Yeah 2000 I'm sorry,
Paul Volter: 26:02
I don't know we'll see. It'd be interesting when the next census yes yeah, we're we're at now
Rauel LaBreche: 26:06
we're coming up I quick population, and then the new four lane highway by 12 bypass open and bear boo and Lake Delton in 2011 The bear booze Elks clubs, sells al Ringling Matt mentioned to private owners. Right. So and I think that's been used now for radio broadcasts for the circuit fans. Yeah. So the things Yeah. And then three chain stores closed in 2012. We'll Westberg was Westdale. Plaza last Sears, JC Penney, and more recently,
Paul Volter: 26:35
yeah, still trying to get those filled again. Yeah, it's, well, now Festival
Rauel LaBreche: 26:39
Foods is there which didn't Pierce's place right in, but Festival Foods my that's near and dear to my family. So we're not we have more reason to come up to bear boon. 2013 Sauk County History Center opening up. So it was a big deal again, for you guys. And the amount of facilities that you have there not only chains or operations so and 2013 another fire hit and that this one's really close to home for me a late night fire at Macfarlanes. The original store at 1259 Waterstreet was burned down in a forum for lammer three alarm fire I should have checked that with Dan eight or we have multiple volunteer firemen near it Macfarlanes real blessed to have staff that does that kind of work. But it was one of the worst fires in sock City's history. And I there's a heartbreaking picture of John McFarland and Dick McFarlane and John Cooper standing outside watching the fire and you know, the the memories that are being consumed as that's going on. But, you know, praise God, there had been talking for years about wanting to have you either expanding or maybe building a new facility. And in some ways, I think it was sort of God pushing and saying, you know, it's time to make up your minds and do something. And now we're in this beautiful 209,000 square foot facility with more than we ever could have dreamed of in terms of the possibilities and the things that are going on here. And, you know, with the, you know, thanks, thanks to the owners who, you know, could have could have decided not to, but because of the community support and the number of people that said we you know, we want you to come back. They we purchased this building and, you know, came back stronger than ever. So preserving about 100 jobs do which is a wonderful thing. 2014, the state of Wisconsin purchased the Union Pacific Railroad line in Sauk. County, which is going to be important in a little bit, we'll get to another part of that puzzle. contract was awarded for the second phase of the highway 12 Baraboo bypass which now is open 2015 Work began on the second phase of the new four lane bypass of Baraboo. Including the new bridge over the bearable River.
Paul Volter: 28:40
Yeah, you know, I gave a talk on the caribou river from from beginning to end up, you know where it starts and Kendall near Kendall and I went on Google Maps and found my way up the river there's over 90 bridges across the bearable River. Wow, from start to finish, and hopefully this one is higher right away. Very high, I guess is well over 100 feet off the river. Okay, crazy. But
Rauel LaBreche: 29:02
let's hope we don't get to that. Oh, holy cow. And then so in 2016, our angling theater opened after a $3 million restoration. I think we forget $3 million.
Paul Volter: 29:13
Now the latest. They probably spent four and a half million over the last 28 Well, 30 years now. But yeah, finally got the interior refurbished a new wiring and sprinkler systems and seats and carpet. And it's amazing. I give tours there. And it's amazing how many people it's two years now since it was reopened. And how many people have still not been in there? Yeah. So yeah, come see a show. Yeah, plenty of opportunity.
Rauel LaBreche: 29:41
Oh, Theatre Guild does think they just finished up the Little Mermaid. So just, yeah, lots of opportunity facility and amazing legacy. And then the man mound was designated as a national historic landmark. I remember that being a thing that you were involved into. Oh,
Paul Volter: 29:55
yeah. Yeah. See, we had purchased the mountain 1907 Okay for preservation okay, I started the park there the next year. So national historic landmark is the level above National Register of Historic Places. It's much, much harder to, to get on. It took about eight years. The federal government you know, passing it to various agencies, and some ammount is now I think the 43rd. National Historic Landmark in Wisconsin, there's only 43 and Saccone actually is four of those 43. So we have 10%. Yes, about 10% for 72 counties, shows many counties that don't have any national historic landmarks. So, circus world, the Ringling Brothers winter quarters, the Aldo Leopold shack, Van heist rock, just outside of Rock Springs and now man mound are the four national historic landmarks
Rauel LaBreche: 30:49
as it goes Saccone for being historically preserved County, so and significant. So and then 2016 $2.2 million referendum to fund improvements at barebow High School was was passed. We've had the same thing and talk preschool district is wonderful that people are concerned about education or investing in the facilities for and then the August gearless Center opened as well here in Sauk city which is I know Aug airlift has been important to this community for years and years and years. And that brings us to 2017. We're going to hold on 2017 until after a word from our sponsors. My guest this morning is Paul Walter with the Suffolk County Historical Society. And we will be back with the wrap up to the century of change, folks don't go anywhere.
Unknown: 31:33
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Rauel LaBreche: 32:01
and we're back here at Century change. It's a it's been hard to wrap this up and capsulate this but here we are in 2017 work began on the new combine bear boost City Hall and police station. And I think it's a good segue out of this is the work began on the Phase One of the great sock trail which will convert old rail boy railroad bed in Sauk. City in a second to a recreational trail, leading to the old badger Ammunition Plant grounds that's completed. I know
Paul Volter: 32:33
Yeah, we wrote this a few weeks ago now it is completed and open. And boy the momentum sure is I mean Darlene bow eggs recent gift for the next phase three Bajor plants now hopefully that momentum will just keep going and we'll be knocking at the door is a Devil's Lake State Park. You know, hopefully next year.
Rauel LaBreche: 32:51
Yeah, I know we've had multiple people, Jeff Wright has been on the show a couple of times talking about the initiatives that are going on for that. And I think it's 1.4 million that needs to be raised in order to get through badger ammunition that will then join up with the Devil's Lake area. And from there, then they get into bear boo and bear boo into Reedsburg. And then we're into the what is the 400 Trail trail and El Rey Sparta trail. So
Unknown: 33:16
other Yeah,
Rauel LaBreche: 33:17
I mean, we're literally looking at a world class bike and trail in general. And
Paul Volter: 33:21
conversely, from Sox, hopefully the momentum builds from Sauk city, right to get across that river. And to Madison. And yeah,
Rauel LaBreche: 33:30
and that that incredible trail is what we've been on is an incredible trail of all of the things that have been going on, and the next 100 years. Who knows, I mean, then we forgot to even mention that during the course of that 100 years, the whole world all of humanity entered not only a new century, but a new millennium. You know, I think we forget the significance of that, you know, just stop and think we are in the next millennium things. And when you look back a millennium ago, you know where the world was in the millennium before that, where the world was in just imagine what this millennium will hold. It's not only I think sometimes that that millennium is not only weirder than we imagined it's probably weirder than we can imagine. Yeah. So well, my guest has been Paul Wolter the executive director of the Suffolk County Historical Society. It's been wonderful talking with you, Paul, we literally could not have done this show without you and your volunteers. And I thank you so much. It's just a pleasure. It's been a pleasure talking about this and just relating all the things that have gone on thanks to Max FM for getting behind my weird idea of doing this century of change broadcasts in such a beautiful and wonderful way. We hope you appreciated this as much as we have thanks for tuning in here on 99 Seven Max FM. Well, there you have it 100 years and just over two hours. You know, in a strange way looking back at it sort of feels like life does go by that quickly sometimes. So as the old saying goes, carpe diem, seize the day, because we just never know what impact each day will have. Right? I mean, who knew that the days that saw the birth of John F. Kennedy or Martin Luther King or Steve Jobs or Ruth Bader Ginsburg, would be as significant as those days were for the 20th century and beyond. Let that be your frame of reference for how you look at today, and each day forward. Incidentally, while we've been re airing shows from the archives, I've been working on season three of frame of reference, and it's shaping up pretty nicely. The premiere is scheduled for October 28. When my guests will be Shelley Moore Dini was a local expert in paranormal events here in Salt County. Seems like a perfect guest for Halloween A plus will be interviewing experts in the arts, medicines, social media, sociology, racism, and so much more. Don't forget if you have suggestions or questions, visit us at www for sohc.com That's fo r sa uk.com Stay well
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