neighbors-1112 december 2011
DESCRIPTION
An insightful magazine featuring articles and information about Wisconsin’s interesting people, businesses, destinations, scenery and lifestyles in rural and urban areas.TRANSCRIPT
THIS ISSUE Ruby Red Goodness Trainfest 2011 Pabst Mansion
December 2011 Vol. 1, Issue 10
PINING FOR CHRISTMAS! CUT YOUR OWN TREES ANR Tree Farm, Wautoma
Neighbors Stories of interest from your community!
Page 2 Neighbors-December 2011
8 Ruby Red Goodness
Horizon Cranberry Farms enjoys a spectacularly beautiful harvest!
16 Pining for Christmas!
ANR Tree Farms grows and sells “Choose & Cut” Christmas trees, fulfilling the holiday dreams of evergreen purists.
22 Trainfest® 2011
Trainfest, America's largest operating model railroad show, celebrates model railroading.
4 Together Thoughts from Jim Faivre, Neighbors’ publisher.
6 Grounded Ruth Johnson, Neighbors’ Editor, reflects on daily life.
28 Pabst Mansion
Flemish Renaissance Revival style Pabst Mansion is the destination for this month’s Day Trips.
Neighbors
Table of Contents December 2011, Vol. 1, Issue 10
ANR Tree Farms “Choose & Cut” attracts Christmas tree enthusiasts like Melvin and Carol Kiefer who also love the Country Christmas store!
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“Overall, that is why we purchase vehicles from Scaffidi Motors. Their team always works hard to find the vehicle that fits our needs. From a pricing standpoint, they are very competitive,” states T.J. Kennedy, Heartland Farms.
LEFT TO RIGHT: Rich Dunn, Joe Ebben (Scaffidi Trucks), T.J. Kennedy, Kathy Staack (Scaffidi Motors), Carl Phillips & Wes Meddaugh with some of Heartland Farm’s trucks from Scaffidi Trucks and Scaffidi Motors.
Exceptional People Exceptional Service
Stevens Point, WI (888) 414-4629 Tomahawk, WI (866) 978-1347
Trains and Christmas link together in my
memories back to my childhood days when I dreamed of getting a new Lionel locomotive. Since I came from a family of 13 children, no electric trains appeared under the Christmas tree for me. That is why I like to attend shows like Trainfest®, the world’s largest model train show, held annually in Milwaukee. I love seeing the model train layouts and the camaraderie that exists between exhibitors. When I was younger, I worked as a brakeman Chicago & Northwestern, which I absolutely loved until I discovered firefighting, another occupation I truly enjoyed. I hope you enjoy our Trainfest story as well as this issue’s articles on Horizon Cranberry Farms harvest and ANR Tree Farm’s “Choose & Cut” Christmas trees. During this holiday season, my thoughts turn to all the friends I made over the years. I wish all of you along with my wonderful employees, the safest and happiest Christmas ever. In the meantime, if you happen to see Santa, tell him I am still waiting for that train! Thank you for all your thoughts and comments!
Together
Above: I visited with Chuck Osborne of Horizon Cranberry Farms for the story we did on how cranberry harvest works. The cranberry bogs were unbelievably stunning! Bottom: Trainfest®, America's largest operating model trainrailroad show, is an excursion into a miniature world full of every kind of train, vehicle and equipment imaginable. I particularly enjoy these large-scale trains. I would really like to drive around my yard on this one.
Happy trails and blue skies for all!
Jim Faivre
Publisher, Neighbors [email protected]
Page 4 Neighbors-December 2011
EDITOR, PHOTOGRAPHER, DESIGN & PRODUCTION CIRCULATION & WEB MANAGEMENT Ruth Johnson
[email protected] 715-347-3755 www.journeywi.com
Grounded
Seasonal splendor begins with Christmas trees and in my
opinion, the bigger, the better! I take great joy in selecting and cutting my own tree each year. That is why a Christmas tree operation was the perfect story for me to write this issue. It gave me an opportunity to compare several suppliers and subsequently, I decided to focus on ANR Tree Farm’s “Choose & Cut” Christmas tree operation. ANR Tree Farm offers a wide variety of evergreens, rides, refreshments and a Christmas décor store. I was in heaven as I searched through almost a quarter acre for the perfect tree, not content with the first ones I found (an even better one might be on the horizon)! Then I found a beautiful Concolor, a very unusual evergreen, bluish-green in color and perfectly shaped. It was a little more money but well worth the investment because it served as a terrific canvas for all my lights and ornaments as reflected in the photo at right. Decorating the Christmas tree means a lot to me and reminds me of one of my favorite quotes, “When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things - not the great occasions - give off the greatest glow of happiness.” ~Bob Hope.
As always, thank you for the great comments and suggestions. Warm regards,
Ruth Johnson Editor, Neighbors Magazine
Page 6 Neighbors-November 2011
Neighbors
Old World Charm Taste beyond compare!
Ski’s is an experience, not just shopping, a very special place! At family owned and operated Ski’s, quality knows no bounds and you receive only the freshest, finest meats, seafood, 100+ Wisconsin cheeses, Boar’s Head deli products and other treats. Savor Ski’s famously delicious homemade brats and sausages and the most tender beef, pork and chicken, cut by our expert butchers. New in-season seafood refreshed daily – from salmon, halibut and cod to crab legs and lobster! We offer Wisconsin’s finest artisan and master cheese makers with ‘squeaky fresh’ cheese curds on Friday and Saturday. Visit us soon for your good, old-fashioned, neighborly meat market experience!
5370 US Highway 10 E Stevens Point, WI 54482
(715) 344-8484
www.skismeatmarket.com Mon-Fri: 10am–6pm Sat: 9am–6pm Sun: 10am–4pm
RUBY RED GOODNESS Harvesting Cranberries Horizon Cranberry Farms Hancock, WI By Ruth Johnson, Editor
Page 8 Neighbors-December 2011
Page 9 Neighbors-December 2011
Flourishing against all odds is the
best way to describe how cranberries grow. Contrary to horticultural requirements of other fruits, cranberries thrive in sandy, swampy land normally not suitable for raising other crops. Cranberries mature on low-lying, trailing vines within spongy, moist beds called bogs (natural or manmade), layered with acidic soil, sand, clay and gravel. HISTORY Native American Indians valued the wild cranberry’s diverse uses, most notably as a food in dried pemmican cakes. These easy to tote pressed cakes were a high protein, nutritious blend of crushed cranberries, dried deer meat, melted bear fat, cranberries, nuts and grains, very similar to a granola bar.
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Opposite Page: Blue-colored rake attachments shake berries off the vines in flooded bogs, where they float on the surface, waiting to be corralled and harvested. Top: Aerial view for Heartland Farms Inc., headquarters, parent company of Horizon Cranberry Farms. Right: Close-up of a cranberry flower, which early settlers believe resembled a Sandhill Crane.
Page 10 Neighbors-December 2011
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Referring to cranberries as ‘sassamanesh’ and ‘ibimi’, Indians employed them in medicinal purposes. Crushed cranberries poultices became a remedy for blood poisoning or for treating infected wounds. Indians made a tea from cranberries and/or their leaves, which they believed help reduce fevers. They also dyed dye rugs, blankets and other woven materials with crushed cranberries. The Indians bartered cranberries with early settlers for goods, educating settlers as to their many benefits. As early as 1647, New England colonists dubbed the tart, red fruit, ‘craneberry’ (changed later to cranberry), primarily because the cranberry flower’s cone-shaped pink blossoms resemble a Sandhill Crane’s head and bill. Only three commercially important fruits, the American cranberry, blueberry and Concord blue grape originated in North America, in the sense that they were unknown in other sections of the world.
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Top: This beautifully tangled mess is a cranberry bog, full of ripe berries ready to harvest. Cranberries require pollination by bees to insure a bountiful yield and are a nutritional, antioxidant powerhouse. Middle: Horizon Cranberry’s mobile harvesting rig travels between bogs. Bottom: The prep work begins for harvesting a flooded bog.
Photo by Brian Wysocki, Heartland Farms.
Photo by Corey Salzwedel, Paul's Machine& Tool, Inc.
Photo by Corey Salzwedel, Paul's Machine& Tool, Inc.
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Cranberries are perennials, surviving nearly indefinitely with vines recorded as old as 150 years, still bearing fruit. WISCONSIN IMPACT Today, America harvests about 47,000 cranberry bog acres each year. It takes 45,000 cranberries to fill a barrel (normal measure for the crop) and one bog acre yields 245-500 barrels of berries depending on the cranberry variety. In 2010, according to Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers Association (WSCGA), Wisconsin produced 3.96 million barrels of cranberries, nearly 60 percent of the nation’s crop, securing Wisconsin’s standing as the number one cranberry producing state for the sixteenth consecutive year. As Wisconsin’s number one fruit crop in value and acreage, the cranberry industry pumps almost $350 million yearly into the state’s economy. It also generates a total of 7,200 jobs statewide.
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Top: Since cranberries have a pocket of air in them, they float in water. This tractor’s rake attachments extricate the berries, which then bounce to the top of the water. Middle: Chuck Osborne, Marsh Manager, gets a birds-eye view of the corralled cranberries from the top of the harvesting platform. Bottom: The tractors with their rakes move through the flooded bogs in rows, just as if it were a field of potatoes or other vegetables.
Page 11 Neighbors-December 2011
Photo by Corey Salzwedel, Paul's Machine& Tool, Inc.
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A NATURAL CHOICE When Richard Pavelski and David Knights, Heartland Farms Inc.’s owners, a large, fifth-generation potato and vegetable farm operation, decided to diversify, cranberries, a proven winner for Wisconsin’s climate, was their ultimate choice. Richard Pavelski states, “David Knights did the research and determined cranberries would fit perfectly in our mix, particularly since we had some land we thought would be suitable for bogs.” Now in their second year, Horizon Cranberry Farms, division of Heartland Farms Inc., is committed to daily and long-term sustainability and best management operational practices. Chuck Osborne, Marsh Manager, summarizes their crop philosophy, “We pride ourselves on growing cranberries profitably and sustainably, considering community needs, preserving natural resources and environmental qualities and incorporating the latest technologies and equipment.”
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Top: Frank Zimbeck, Kurt Oleson and Jake Schwartzman wade through a scarlet sea of red berries, guiding them into the extraction area. Right: A centrifugal pump sucks berries from the corral into the platform’s holding tank, monitored by Chris Salzwedel. Cranberries float to the top and out the chute to the waiting truck bed.
Photo by Corey Salzwedel, Paul's Machine& Tool, Inc.
Page 12 Neighbors-December 2011
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CREATING BOGS Carefully developed on lowlands, each manmade Horizon Cranberry bog measures exactly 4.31 acres and requires an abundant supply of fresh water and sand, irrigation and flood systems and level site topography. All water pumped into the bogs is continually recycled for conservation. An embankment network provides passage for equipment and other vehicles around each bog. Horizon Cranberry’s entire operation encompasses 320 acres of bogs, buildings, reservoirs and other grounds. RUBY RED HARVEST Cranberry growing season begins in April. “Wet harvesting” occurs from September to November with dry bogs first being flooded with about two feet of water. Tractors equipped with rake attachments and wheels made especially for bogs, run through the tangled vines, shaking the berries loose so they will float to the water's surface.
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Top: Everyone needs a bit of humor, which Jake Schwartzman, Frank Zimbeck and Kurt Oleson are happy to provide with their Mickey Mouse-shaped cranberry island. Right: Like red rubies, the sparkling cranberries spill onto the waiting truck bed. Bottom: The team harvests the bog next to Horizon Cranberry’s main office.
Page 13 Neighbors-December 2011
Photo by Corey Salzwedel, Paul's Machine& Tool, Inc.
Photo by Corey Salzwedel, Paul's Machine& Tool, Inc.
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A boom reel feeds flexible yellow tubing around the flooded bog’s perimeter, which then “corrals” berries into a smaller floating island. Workers use large rakes to guide berries manually into the extraction cage where they are rinsed. A centrifugal pump then sucks the berries from the corral into the platform’s holding area, up conveyors and into the waiting semi-truck bed, traveling off to the processors. During winter, growers often layer sand on the ice-filled bogs. After spring thaw, the sand filters down to vines stimulating new growth and rooting. This process enables the vines to become more productive and suppresses weed and insect populations. Heartland Farms Inc. and Horizon Cranberry Farms provide a strong economic impact on the communities they serve. According to Richard Pavelski, “We currently employ 80 full-time and 120 part-time employees for the two divisions combined. We also contract with several other growers in Portage, Waushara and Adams Counties to produce various crops for us.”
Top: Berries travel up the intake platform and into a waiting semi. Middle: Excess water from the intake platform is recycled back to the bogs. Bottom: Looking like a beautiful abstract, cranberries travel through the conveyors where they are rinsed before being deposited into truck beds.
Page 14 Neighbors-December 2011
NO JOB TOO BIG
OR TOO SMALL!
SATISFYING PAVING NEEDS ACROSS CENTRAL WISCONSIN Residential Agricultural Commercial EVEN Railroads! B&B Paving Co., owned by Jim & Marilyn Benjamin, earns many new customers via current customer referrals. Our work stands the test of time and the heaviest loads, whether they are simply pedestrians or fully loaded semis and trains! “We get the job done right the first time, every time!” EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE, REASONABLE RATES & FREE ESTIMATES! SITE PREPARATION ASPHALT PAVING PARKING LOT, DRIVEWAY, PATIO
& WALKWAY PAVING ON-SITE PULVERIZING PAVEMENT REMOVAL & RECYCLING
(We can even recycle your existing driveway in place.)
ASPHALT REPAIR
James & Marilyn Benjamin 6817 Johnnies Lane Stevens Point, WI 54482
(715) 592-4775
Page 16 Neighbors-December 2011
PINING FOR CHRISTMAS! CUT YOUR OWN TREES ANR Tree Farm, Wautoma Article & Photos by Ruth Johnson
The scent of evergreens weaves its way
throughout Christmas traditions, perfectly reflected in gloriously real Christmas trees. Since 1975, starting with Art and Ruth Niedermeier, parents of current owner, Bruce Niedermeier, ANR Tree Farms has grown and marketed Christmas trees for both wholesale and retail markets, fulfilling the holiday dreams of thousands of evergreen purists. Bruce and his wife Nadiya bought out their family’s wholesale tree operation twenty-six years ago and expanded it to include two “Choose & Cut” retail locations in Wild Rose and Waupaca as well as wholesale wreaths and garland. Both retail outlets feature wondrous Country Christmas Stores full of beautiful Christmas ornaments, decorations and café areas for beverages and refreshments.
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Opposite Page: Families like this one, flock to ANR Tree Farms retail outlets’ Christmas decor. Top: Bruce and Nadiya Neidermeier launch their holiday selling season. Bottom: The Vates family, whose three girls grace this month’s issue cover, return to their car with their perfect tree!
Page 17 Neighbors-December 2011
Christmas is a day of meaning and traditions, a special day spent in the warm circle of family and friends” ~ Margaret Thatcher
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EVERYTHING CHRISTMAS Nadiya Niedermeier, originally from the Ukraine, met Bruce when he was stationed overseas. She returned home with him to the United States. She runs the retail Country Christmas Stores and prepares well in advance, “I invest many hours buying ornaments at the gift shows, anticipating what the customers will like to buy each year.” “I absolutely love setting up the stores each year,” declares Nadiya. “It requires constant change to keep it fresh each year. Grouping the types of ornaments together is an art in itself.” TWO DIVERSE MARKETS Bruce Niedermeier oversees the management side of the tree farm, “Todays tree farmer must adapt to survive. This is a real business with budgets, marketing, finance and cash flow analysis.
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Top: Even deer hunters took time to cut down a tree, which Bruce Niedermeier baled for easy transport. Their tree was as big as the giant one Bruce’s helper is feeding into the baler but now fits perfectly into their vehicle. Middle: Evergreens engulf the land surrounding ANR Tree Farms’ “Choose & Cut” operations. Bottom: Ashley Mahnke and Justin Teresinski will celebrate their first Christmas together with this special ANR Tree Farm Christmas tree. Like most of the Niedermeier’s customers, the couple said they would return next year.
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Bruce comes well prepared to fulfill these needs having earned his MBA in Finance from UW-Oshkosh. ANR Tree Farms ships their freshly cut, evergreen Christmas trees, wreaths and garlands all around the Midwest in loads ranging from 25 trees to a full semi- truck load. Their 300-acre wholesale operation yields 5,000 trees per year. These are the species ANR Tree Farm offers: White Spruce, White Pine, Blue Spruce, Balsam Fir, Fraser Fir and Concolor Fir (also called White Fir). White Pine and Fraser Firs are available up to 6’10”-7’ high while the other types are 6’ to 6’9” My personal favorite is Concolor fir, which has grayish bark and silver blue-green needles - a great contrast for Christmas lights and ornaments. The branches and needles hold ornaments quite well and the scent is quite unique, typical evergreen with an overtone of lemon. They have a straight trunk and pleasing natural shape with a spire-like crown.
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Top: Nadiya runs the operation’s Country Christmas Stores, which provide plenty of eye candy. Middle: This is one of Bruce’s expert wreath makers, which are sold on a retail and wholesale basis. Bottom: This family has purchased their Christmas trees from ANR Tree Farm for twenty-five straight years. The quality and extra special customer service keeps buyers returning year after year.
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The Niedermeiers make and sell a unique product called Instant Pitch Remover. “If you are looking for a way to clean tools and clothing, Instant Pitch Remover is one of the best means to remove the sap that runs out of evergreens. Plus, it is a water based solvent - not petroleum based,” says Bruce. CHOOSE & CUT According to Bruce, “We sell 4,000 Christmas trees per year, direct to consumer, at our Choose & Cut lots, which are grown on our 151 acres in Wild Rose and 44 acres in Waupaca. “Cutting your own tree is a popular family tradition,” Bruce continues. We have families who purchase their trees from us every year since we started twenty six years ago.” “When you choose your tree you can walk the entire farm, if you so desire, and survey thousands of trees that vary in size from 6-12 feet tall,” explains Bruce. “Or, you can ride on our flatbed trailer outfitted with comfortable benches.” “We offer free refreshments in our Country Christmas Stores, where you can browse to your heart’s content, through beautiful holiday displays,” suggests Nadiya.
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Top: Several decorated trees provide plenty of ideas how to decorate your own Christmas tree. Left: From humorous to whimsical to religious, the operation’s Country Christmas Stores have décor and ornaments for every taste.
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“We offer free refreshments like free hot apple cider from Woods Orchard in Door County and fresh popcorn in our Country Christmas Stores, where you can browse to your heart’s content, through displays of beautiful holiday décor items,” suggests Nadiya. Nadiya mails yearly reminder postcards to past customers who get a free tree ornament when they return and present their postcard. ANR Tree Farms also offers customers free boughs for decorating your home and free tree shaking. Tree shaking removes all the dead needles, baling and wrapping services –quite interesting to watch, especially the very large trees that go into the baler and exit neatly wrapped, ready for easy transport and transfer into your home. ANR Tree Farms website, www.anrtreefarm.com, lists hours of operation and directions to each retail lot or you can call (920) 787-3106. Top: ANR Tree Farms is dog friendly and encourages patrons to bring along their family pet to help enjoy the adventure of choosing your perfect Christmas tree. Middle: People of all ages participate in this special event of choosing their own tree. A major part of the fun includes the ride out to the tree fields and enjoying the wondrous countryside and tree-studded landscape. You also see the many birds and animals that inhabit the area. Bottom: A family of deer hunters took time from their pursuit of their antlered prey, to choose their yearly Christmas tree from ANR Tree Farm.
Page 21 Neighbors-December 2011
Page 20 Neighbors-December 2011
TRAINFEST®
A Celebration of Model Railroading By Ruth Johnson, Editor
Page 23 Neighbors-December 2011
A new chapter opened up in my life in May 2010,
when Trainfest®, America's largest operating model railroad show, hired me to write, design and edit a new online magazine called Trainfest Express. Trainfest Express, in turn, launched another twist when Jim Faivre, saw Trainfest Express and subsequently hired me to produce Neighbors, a print and online magazine. Still, every year I return to Trainfest, held in Milwaukee’s State Fair Park, to experience the awesome world of model railroading. 40th ANNIVERSARY This year’s Trainfest was particularly special because it was the event’s 40th anniversary, full of fanfare for over 23,000 visitors of all generations and lifestyles that fill Wisconsin Exposition Center, just to connect with the sights and sounds of everything railroad, scaled down to miniature size.
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Opposite Page: The Wisconsin’s Bits ‘n Pieces layout reflects real Wisconsin places across four seasons. Top: Kenosha Garden Railroad Society’s layout attracts a young John Deere/train fan. Right: Many layouts incorporate special effects like this depiction of a neighborhood fire complete with smoke.
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Open to the public, Trainfest features 200,000 square feet of exhibit space, almost an entire four football fields of model trains - 60 operating railroads to be exact with 120 manufacturers/hobby dealers and 12 historical societies. New and vintage trains loop continuously around a myriad of settings and fabulous scenes from train depots to entire cities, farm and mountainous scenes in intricate detail complete with buildings, people, animals, vehicles, equipment, harbors, ships, nature, landscaping and more! There are a number of different scales in which sets are designed (click on each scale to learn more about its size): Z Scale, N Scale, TT Scale, HO / OO Scale, S Scale, O / O27 Scale, G / No. 1 Scales, Standard Gauge and Narrow Gauges.
(Continued on Page 25) Top: The layouts are not just about trains as evidenced by The S Scale Workshop’s multi-level harbor scene. This setting looks just like it could be straight out of New England. Left: Colorado Narrow Gauge packs a ton of detail into their smaller scale layout - quite colorful as well! Personally, I like the Narrow Gauge scale because it is almost unbelievable how much detail can go into these miniaturized sets!
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Demonstrators and several manufacturers share their tips and knowledge during Trainfest clinics, available for everyone. A whole section is devoted to children/youth where hands-on activities attract all ages. LINKING AMERICAN ICONS Railroads and John Deere share a heritage of shaping our nation’s progress - John Deere by revolutionizing the way we farm and railroads via the establishment of new routes for passengers and goods coast to coast. However, they share another little known link. In the 1930's, John Deere decided to introduce sleek styling into its Model A and Model B tractors (1938) tractor lines and turned to celebrity industrial designer, Henry Dreyfuss.
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Top: Waukegan Modular Model Railroad Club’s layout includes my favorite farm equipment – John Deere! Middle: NorthWest NTRAK Club features a busy John Deere dealership with new deliveries arriving by rail. Bottom: I love this Johnson Salvage section because of the incredible detail.
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Dreyfuss merged functionality and precise scientific engineering with timeless beauty. He incorporated the emerging fields of ergonomics, anthropometrics and human factors. Dreyfuss’ design touches continued to grace John Deere tractors well into the 1960's. Meanwhile, the railroads tapped him for their design work, too, including New York Central Railroad's streamlined Mercury locomotive and passenger cars (1936) and NYC Hudson Twentieth Century Limited locomotive (1938). Since trains routes passed by many farms, rural scenes are a popular section of most model railroad layouts. Trainfest 2012 is held in Milwaukee at State Fair Park in early November each year.
Top: This model railroad layout artisan uses one of the smallest scales to portray a tiny world that looks amazingly real. It is one of the most populated in terms of miniature people figurines. Left: A hand painted brewery scene exemplifies the attention to detail found in these model railroad layouts. They normally represent various stores and buildings seen along a specific real railroad route, often in the Milwaukee area.
Page 26 Neighbors-December 2011
Imagine having your own Gypsy Vanner! Enjoy their beauty and grace at home and in the ring!
Derek & Denise Krause Ogdensburg, WI in fo@featheredgold .com www.featheredgold .com
(715) 445-5345
We wanted something special for December - a Day Trips adventure that was festive yet unique.
The Pabst Mansion, located in Milwaukee, certainly qualified as unique and Starting November 18; the Mansion is decorated elaborately for Christmas, which gives it the festive quality we were seeking.
CAPTAIN PABST’S HISTORY
Captain Frederick Pabst was born in Saxony, Germany on March 28, 1836.
In 1848, he immigrated to America with his parents and eventually settled in Chicago. On a Great Lakes steamer, at the age of fourteen, he became a cabin boy.
Top Left: Pabst Mansion’s grand staircase. Below Right: Pabst Mansion all decked out for the holidays!
By the age of twenty-one Pabst earned his ship pilot’s license and the title, ‘Captain,’ which he retained through his entire life. In 1862, Pabst married Maria Best, eldest daughter of Phillip Best, president of Best Brewing Company. In 1864, Captain left the wheelhouse for the last time when he purchased a half interest in his father-in-law’s small brewery.
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Welcome to Day Trips! Inspired by an authentic passion for travel, each month we share a unique adventure accomplished in one day; no overnight bags required. We are sisters-in-law from Stevens Point and Amherst, whose families are involved in potato farming, so we are firmly entrenched in Central Wisconsin. For more than six years, we have ventured forth in search of unique destinations – it is amazing how far you do not have to go to experience the moments we often seek in faraway lands. We hope to spark your wheels into motion. You are only a day trip away!
Heather’s husband
Above: Sisters-in-law, Heather Kizewski (Left) & Ann Marie Worzalla (Right).
HOLIDAY CHEER This Day Trip, inspired entirely by Ann Marie, took place opening day of rifle season; a pleasant chilly Saturday with gray skies. I knew nothing about the Pabst Mansion until Ann Marie brought it to my attention back in late June when we first began examining possibilities for this issue.
Day Trips By Heather Kizewski & Ann Marie Worzalla
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Over the next twenty-five years, Pabst turned that half interest into the world’s largest producer of lager beer. In honor of this achievement, the name of the brewing company changed from Best to Pabst in March 1889. DESIGNING A DREAM The 1890’s was the ‘Pabst Decade’ in Milwaukee. Pabst was recognized not only as a world’s leading brewers, but as a philanthropist and patron of the arts as well. Pabst entrusted noted architects, George Bowman Ferry and Alfred Charles Clas of the Ferry and Clas architectural firm, to design a home consistent with his prominent position in society. The Pabst Mansion was constructed from June 1890 and July 1892 for just over $250,000. The house was very forward thinking for its time. Its architecture, woodwork, painted wallpaper and accoutrements are beyond intricate and gorgeous. It is one of the few prominent residences surviving from the days when Wisconsin Avenue was known as Grand Avenue. Today, experts agree that this Flemish Renaissance Revival style mansion has no equal in Milwaukee or the Midwest. FATE Pabst died in 1904 followed by his wife, Maria, in 1906. After Maria’s death, heirs to the estate put the mansion up for sale. Then, in May 1908, the Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee purchased the Pabst Mansion, which was to serve as the residence of the Archbishop.
Top Left: Stunning and inspirational stained glass in the gift shop. Top Right: While the Pabst family had a keen interest in photography, this is the only known photo (circa 1875) of their children Fred, Jr., Emma, Gustave, Marie and Elizabeth, together. Below: Informational sign outside the Pabst Mansion outlines Captain Frederick Pabst’s colorful background.
For sixty-seven years, five Archbishops and many priests and sisters called the Pabst Mansion ‘home’. HIGH HOPES In 1975, the mansion was put up for sale for only the second time in its history. The Archdiocese hoped that a historic preservation group would purchase and maintain the structure. However, when the funding did not materialize the mansion sold to a party who intended to destroy the house and replace it with a parking structure.
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After receiving a large state grant and holding twenty-three mortgages in their hands, Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. was able to purchase the mansion and open it to the public in May 1978. STRIKING ENTRANCE Immediately upon entering, we both agreed it felt warm, cozy and welcoming. This came as a surprise - mansions can oftentimes feel cold and business-like. The intricate woodwork, coffered ceiling, paneling and mantel are fashioned in quarter-sawn solid oak in the German Renaissance style, which provides elegant luster for the main entrance hall.
CAPTAIN’S STUDY The handsome Captain’s Study was both Ann Marie’s favorite room and mine. The ceiling is the highlight of the fantastic study, completed by Munich-trained artist Louis Meyer. The ceiling’s beams feature inset panels of rich poly-chromed images and German Fraktur calligraphy phrases in various wood finishes. The phrases are proverbs reflecting Captain Pabst’s outlook on life. We were impressed with the staff members who eloquently pronounced and translated them in English for us. MUSIC ROOM The music room was another favorite of ours. The Italian Renaissance influenced its design style. The chairs and davenport are original furnishings reupholstered in a tapestry fabric similar to the original pattern. Captain Pabst entertained his family and guests in the music room with performances by popular singers accompanied on a grand piano.
The two piano stools, originally used for duets, serve as reminders of those special evenings.
TELEVISION APPEARANCES
It was interesting to learn that the Pabst Mansion was the set for a series of Boston Store commercials in the 1980s. In 2008, it was used for scenes about the childhood home of character Robin Scherbatsky on the sitcom, How I Met Your Mother.
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Top & Bottom: The woodworking inside and outside the house is fashioned from the finest solid woods, all intricately carved and beautifully embellished.
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MOVING ON We could go on all day about all the brilliant built-in cabinetry, claw-foot bathtubs, the breathtaking grand staircase, the allure of the Ladies’ Parlor and many other jaw-dropping discoveries we encountered. Suffice it to say the visit is well worth the $10 admission fee. During the holiday season, tours are self-guided with educated staff available to answer questions. The Pabst Mansion website, www.pabstmansion.com, offers more information. THE GINGERBREAD HOUSE The Gingerbread House, an 1885 farmstead, is located in Muskego - about a fifteen-minute drive from the Pabst Mansion. It seemed odd going from ‘big city’ to ‘country charm’ in such a short distance. SUGAR AND SPICE Immediately, upon our entry, I smelled the glorious aroma of fresh coffee and baked bread. A Judy Garland song played softly overhead. To my delight, the vintage music continued all during our visit. The rustic wood floors and quaint table settings made me think of a Norman Rockwell painting.
Top: Geese are penned outside Gingerbread House while chickens roam freely, providing a calming rural feeling. Bottom: Gingerbread House’s farmhouse-style interior is delightfully charming with vintage chairs, tables, staircase and wainscoting accented by crafty décor. The entire place exudes a warm, comfy and homey atmosphere.
Captivated by our surroundings, it did not take long for the pumpkin cheesecake torte to catch our eye, coercing us to eat dessert first. ALL THINGS NICE After dessert, our sweet server, Emily, told us about the delicious made-from-scratch pizzas, which we both chose for dinner. We ended our evening with gingerbread lattes.
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A boutique upstairs offers artwork, crafts and European clothing. Additionally, a cozy back room offers a wine bar with oak barrel tables and antique barstools; open only on certain evenings. FINAL REFLECTIONS The soft hymns and extravagant Christmas décor at the Pabst Mansion made us want to go home and ‘deck the halls.’
It was a perfect way to enter the holiday season officially, really putting us in the mood for Christmas trees, tinsel and boughs of holly. The Gingerbread House was the ‘cherry on top’ – truly a place well worth writing home about and recommending to visit!
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Top: Beautifully embellished stained glass is a perfect focal point for the Pabst Mansion’s gift shop. Bottom: Most of the original furnishings and some Pabst family collection original paintings still grace the mansion.
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Top & Bottom: Restorers reproduced delicate-looking window treatments to appear as they did in the mansion’s earlier years. Many of the walls were painstakingly restored with pressed and hand-painted wall coverings popular in the Victorian age.
Top & Bottom: A wrought-iron chandelier featuring several large elk antlers hangs in the mansion’s entryway. Antlers were a status symbol in the 1800s since only landowners could hunt. Therefore, antler displays were a sign you owned land. Much of the mansion’s original luster has been restored through extensive restoration.
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Rising Star Mill Nelsonville, Portage County
Imagine having your own Pete Sanderson Limited Edition print!
Renowned landscape photographer, Pete Sanderson, offers prints from his multi-faceted collections, which he believes epitomize the unique beauty of Wisconsin. Pete Sanderson will personally print and sign each 11”x14” pigmented ink jet print on cotton paper.
FOR PRICES OR TO ORDER, CALL OR VISIT
Koerten's Fine Framing & Gifts, 2501 Church St, Stevens Point
(715) 341-7773
Prints are available for pickup at Koerten's Fine Framing & Gifts or can be mailed for additional $10.00 to cover shipping and handling.
“Rising Star Mill is perhaps my favorite Portage County image. As the rising sun first penetrated early morning fog, the reds and yellows seemed to glimmer.” ~ Pete Sanderson. Below: Moraine Lake, Lincoln County
Other Pete Sanderson Images at Koerten’s Fine Framing & Gifts
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NOTHING RUNS LIKE A DEERE! Ed Hudziak and son, Andy, take great pride in their 24+ John Deere operable tractors and implements, spanning every decade from the 40s. Below is the first tractor he ever bought, a John Deere 1940B, currently running the corncrib conveyor.