Second stage

Local Seamstress and Thrasher board member Karla Spinks smiles as she installs the scale model of the Thrasher Opera House’s curtain in the newly renovated bar.  Connor Cummiskey photo

Thrasher Opera House bar is replica of theater area

by Connor Cummiskey

When visitors enter the lobby during intermission at the Thrasher Opera House, they may experience Deja vu.

That is because the bar now is an exact 1/6 scale replica of the stage they had just been viewing.

The bar is the most prominent of the recent set of renovations to the lobby of the Thrasher Opera House. It is complete with fully functional velvet curtains, which are colored the same deep shade of red as the originals.

This renovation was inspired by the contrast between the more modern office building that houses the lobby and the more than 100-year-old opera house.

“We value that historic authenticity, and this office building is obviously not of that same vintage and we wanted to tie it in with the historic opera house,” said Maria Dietrich, development director for Thrasher Opera House.

Along with changes to the building itself, the opera house opened the door that connects the two buildings to allow for a greater flow of patrons between the performance space and the lobby.

Also included in the renovation is an expansion to the art gallery that is displayed in the lobby.

By removing an extra office space, Thrasher opened up the lobby to hold a larger collection of art that rotates every few months.

“We look at it as expanding the palette of arts’ offering for our visitors enjoyment,” Dietrich said.

A less flashy, but equally important, piece of renovation is the cleaning and refurbishment of two bathrooms located just off of the lobby.

Along with the overall idea of tying the lobby to the historic nature of the opera house, the bathrooms now have emulated wainscoting similar to that of the main performance area; though patrons will probably be more appreciative of the shorter lines during intermission.

Probably the greatest aspect of the renovation, however, is simply the added space for visitors to socialize.

“If patrons want to mingle they have always managed it but for over 10 years they have been contained to the opera house. Over the last few years it has been a real treat for them to spill over into here and visit with each other,” Dietrich said.

One way the expansion to the lobby has already helped was the scheduling of a lecture by Ripon College professor Kurt Dietrich about jazz music in Wisconsin. This took place just prior to a performance by Wisconsin jazz artist Ike Sturm, a bass player in the “Ike Sturm Ensemble”.

“Patrons who attended the college lecture got the jazz in Wisconsin pre-concert talk, and then most of them stayed and went to the concert,” Dietrich said. “So it was a cool, collaborative evening.”

The renovation has more purposes than creating a more enjoyable experience for patrons. The increased space has lead to greater flexibility to raise money for keeping the opera house running.

While ticket sales do help in paying for the cost of running the business side of the opera house, they only cover about 40 percent of what is needed to keep Thrasher Opera House open. As a result, alternative funding is a constant necessity.

“One of the ways we can earn more income is by renting our space out,” Dietrich said. “We rent out the opera house for wedding receptions for example.”

Calling the opera house office at 920-294-4279 is the best way to schedule an event either in the lobby, the opera house or both.

With the necessity of finding creative ways to fund the operations of the opera house, it does raise the question of how the new renovation was paid for.

Most of the money was raised during Thrasher’s 2012 fund-raising gala, which was titled “The British Invasion.”

It was primarily focused around the Beatles.

This year’s gala on Saturday, Sept. 20 is themed, “Happy Days.”

New Bowling Alley Combines Fun and Great Food

ABOVE LEFT, Allison Hohenstern of Markesan lets go of her bowling ball as Desiree Roeder, also of Markesan, looks on. Above right, Green Lake Lanes and Pizza General Manager Gordon Smith puts a pizza for hungry customers into a large brick oven.   Connor Cummiskey photo

by Connor Cummiskey

Where can someone go in Green Lake for a fun, family night out? Somewhere that offers a variety of activities but still caters to the individual?

Well, one option is Green Lake Lanes and Pizza.

Green Lake Lanes and Pizza is owned by Jeff and Kris Donohue, who also own Legends Lanes in Omro.

While pizza and bowling tend to go hand-in-hand, the pizzas offered at Green Lake Lanes and Pizzas are special.

“Jeff has always had a passion for pizza,” general manager Gordon Smith said about why pizza is so important to the bowling alley. “We thought it would just open up another opportunity for the local people to enjoy some wood-fire pizzas.”

It is not just the owners’ passions that inspire the activities available at Green Lake Lanes and Pizza.

What is offered by the surrounding community of Green Lake plays a primary role in the decision-making process.

“That’s what it comes down to: What does Green Lake need?” Smith said.

Identifying what Green Lake needs is a great way to come up with ideas for activities.

However, Green Lake Lanes and Pizza has a grander vision of its mission.

“The goal is to offer a family friendly environment where groups of people can come and enjoy different aspects of entertainment, food and beverage,” Smith said.

Included in this idea is keeping everything affordable. That way a family can come out and buy pizza and bowling for everyone without draining its bank account.

Another theme that Green Lake Lanes and Pizza tries to promote is sports. A game or a race is always on the TV.

“I think sports [are] a common interest that many people have,” Smith said.

Even if someone is not a sports fan, they are welcomed at Green Lake Lanes and Pizza. Smith will do whatever he can to accommodate them.

“Every guest who walks in here is going to feel welcomed,” Smith said. “… If you want the Lifetime channel, go ahead [ask], I will put it on.”

What Green Lake needs has led to some quite a few decent promotions and activities to do at the lanes.

Among them: ladies night, musicians, leagues (bowling, volleyball, and horseshoe) and throwback Thursdays, which is when tap beer, bowling and select food all cost only $1 a piece.

Green Lakes Lanes and Pizza has also jumped on the bandwagon of Friday fish fries.

“I have been hearing phrases from the customers such as ‘Best fish fry in Green Lake,’” Smith said.

While the fish fry has become popular, the staple of the business remains its pizzas.

One aspect that makes Green Lake Lanes and Pizza unique is it does not do specialty pizzas. Instead, it likes to let people build their own.

“[Some] places will have 10 or 20 different types of specialty pizzas, and that’s great,” Smith said. “… But sometimes I like just going to a place and asking ‘What’s your toppings? I want to build my own,’” Smith said.

Smith has been one of the driving forces behind the wide variety of what Green Lake Lanes and Pizza has to offer. Even though he has only been on board for a short while, he is excited to get things moving.

“I have been working this industry for over 10 years,” Smith said. “… So I use[d] a lot of my experience to hit the ground running right away.”

Smith noted Green Lake Lanes and Pizza is looking to become a regular place for everybody in Green Lake.

“Green Lake Lanes and Pizza, I will say, will become the destination for families and friends visiting or living in the Green Lake area,” Smith said. “That is my ultimate goal.”

Fish Tales of Past

A good crowd gathers for the Dartford Historical Society Annual Picnic, which featured stories from Green Lake fishing guides. Inset, fishing guides share tales around the largest lake trout caught in Green Lake. Pictured are, from left, event organizer Ann Saddleback, fishing guides Mike Norton, Joel Baranowski, Chuck Mirr and Dan Stoneberg.   Connor Cummiskey photo

Guides share stories about Big Green fishing during historical society event

by Connor Cummiskey

It was a cool August evening, with a rain storm slowly approaching from the west and a cold northern wind blowing through Deacon Mills Park.

The Dartford Historical Society was having its annual picnic. This year, they invited fishing guides to tell stories.

Once the audience’s appetite for food was satisfied, the four fishing guides began satisfying their thirst for knowledge.

The guides were Mike Norton, Joel Baranowski, Dan Stoneberg and Chuck Mirr,  who answered questions put forth by the crowd.

They also took the chance to regale listeners with their tales about some of the largest fish caught in Green Lake.

The first topic addressed was how fishing had changed in Green Lake over time.

Stoneberg related to the crowd how fishing was in the 1950s. He described how the Norton family ran the launches.

They would often tow fishing rowboats out over the lake and the anglers would sit, fishing all day — taking a break only for a shore lunch before setting out again.

Rowboats would usually only fit one or two people.

They could not fish from the boats used today because motor trolling was not allowed.

Motor trolling was the act of trolling when the craft is powered by anything else but drifting or rowing, according to Wisconsin State Law.

Motor trolling had been opening up to the south and eventually in the mid ’50s, Big Green began permitting it.

Stoneberg, then recalled the time he had helped construct one of the first pontoon fishing boats on the lake.

They added lee boards to the bottom of the boat to help prevent the craft from drifting sideways when the wind was blowing.

The first time the pontoon boat set out, the winds were gusting — a perfect chance to test out the recent additions.

That was until the wind proved too strong and the lee boards bent sideways, making it almost impossible to control.

Eventually, they would get the pontoon boats just right.

“It has come a long way, but the pontoon boats are the way to go,” Stoneberg said.

The conversation drifted toward the state-record lake trout that had been caught by Joseph Gotz June 1, 1957.

The fish weighed 35 pounds, 4 ounces.

Stoneberg commented on how after catching that fish, Gotz only used the same boat and the same rod when he went out fishing.

The record catch is one example of how important lake trout have been to the city, according to Norton.

“The lake trout fishing is what sets Green Lake apart,” Norton said.

Before the discovery of how effective Sutton Spoons were for catching lake trout, they were very elusive.

“The fish were actually dying of old age back then,” Norton said.

One crowd member asked how old the fish were?

“We are not sure, but I would say at least 30 years old,” Norton said.

Stoneberg then told the story of a pair of anglers he brought out to 160 feet of water to catch lake trout.

They hauled in trout after trout, all roughly more than 20 pounds.

This was while jigging with specially imported hooks described by Stoneberg as having no eyes and only a flat space to tie the line.

After tales of how fishing on Big Green had been in the past, the panel looked to the future of the craft.

“I think the future looks good, but they are going to have to clean upriver,” Stoneberg said.

He referred to places such as Silver Lake, where turtles have been found with sores and scars in their shells from the effects of pollution.

Another effect that Stoneberg witnessed firsthand occurred while catching minnows by hand.

The water had caused his hands to break out in sores.

After tales of big fish gone by, and adventures had on the water, as well as discussing how to reclaim Green Lake’s heritage as a popular fishery, the picnic wound to a close.

Fired up

THRASHER OPERA HOUSE board President Greg Becker, left, sets fire to the Thrasher annex mortgage held by past president Scott Krause. Looking on are Thrasher staff, from left, Executive  Director Roby Irvin, Development Director Maria Dietrich and Administrative Assistant Martha Janz.    Tim Lyke photo

Thrasher burns annex mortgage, reveals plans for more music education

A fire at the Thrasher Opera House?

Yes, but the only firefighters on the scene were donors who helped extinguish a mortgage on the Thrasher annex, the office building just north of the downtown Green Lake concert venue.

Friends, volunteers and staff gathered recently in the Thrasher annex  lobby, and later in the parking lot, to burn mortgage, signifying that both the Thrasher and its office building are debt-free.

“This moment was a wonderful triumph, brought about by many generous donors over a period of six years,” said Maria Dietrich, Thrasher development director.

At last week’s event, a thank-you party underwritten by the Thrasher board of directors, a new plaque was unveiled.

It lists the names of donors who contributed to a series of campaigns beginning with an emergency fund drive to collect a down payment for the office building when it became available during the economic downturn in the fall of 2008.

Donors worked at paying off the mortgage until a year ago, when it stood at $100,000, and the organization was approached by a donor who wanted to pay off the balance.

“We were totally blown away by the generosity of this donor,” Dietrich said.

The donor has remained anonymous, and in fact, the first name listed at the top of the new plaque is “Anonymous.”

“Having the mortgage paid off allows us to step out of the hole and into the light,” Dietrich said. “We can focus more on what we want to do with the building, rather than putting all our energy into paying it off.”

Future plans involve an expansion of programming in music education and appreciation, “which will dovetail nicely with what we’re already doing in presenting live performances,” Thrasher Executive Director Roby Irvin said. “We want to continue to grow our year-round impact in the local and wider community, enriching and improving the quality of life for both residents of and visitors to this beautiful area of Wisconsin.”

Viva la Fox River voyageur canoe trips!

Green Laker reporter Connor Cummiskey helps paddle the canoe through the water during a recent trip on the Fox of the River Voyageur Canoe.  submitted photo

by Connor Cummiskey

When I was a Boy Scout, we would go camping every summer.

At camp, the troop usually ended up canoeing as one of our group activities.

That canoe trip almost inevitably ended in a war of boys dumping other scouts’ canoes and splashing water with our paddles.

The “canoe wars,” as I like to refer to them, probably would have been cracked down on more often had it not been the senior patrol leader starting them.

In other words, I have had a lot of fun canoeing in the past, so I jumped on board when I got the chance to go for a ride with Fox of the River Voyageur Canoe LLC.

The trip consisted of fewer water fights and more history and ecology, but it was fun and interesting.

It started off with us being sworn in.

We raised our hands and repeated after Glen Gorsuch, also known as “Jacques.”

He and Jerry Disterhaft ran the canoe trip.

During the oath, we learned the proper times to shout “Viva La Company” (whenever they mentioned the Northwest Fur Co.).

As well as when to shout “Stinking English Pig Dogs, Patooie” (whenever the Hudson Bay Co. was mentioned).

We grabbed our personal flotation devices and our paddles. Then, one by one, we boarded the large North Canoe and began paddling up stream.

As we paddled, our guides spoke to us about the history of the area; discussing rumors of an old underground railroad hideaway that probably did not exist.

The Fox River was beautiful. I enjoyed watching the banks and trying to spot whatever creatures hid in the undergrowth.

We paddled up past the shops on Water Street in Princeton, with a very different view of the stores from the water.

Once we reached a part of the river marked by an old and rusty pontoon tied to shore, we halted paddling and began floating back down river.

Cutting through the water, we discussed things such as how old voyagers were during the fur trade when they first signed on to a company.

The regular age was 12.

We also learned that the companies preferred to hire men who could not swim, because they would be more cautious on the water.

What I found most interesting of all was the fact that three presidents had fought in the Black Hawk War, which took place in Illinois.

Abraham Lincoln was a volunteer during the war, however, he did not see combat. Zachary Taylor fought against the Native Americans.

The future president of the Confederacy of the United States, Jefferson Davis also played a role in the war.

I also found out that it was a Wisconsin infantry that finally captured Davis in Georgia.

Aside from these interesting facts, I also had the opportunity to spot some sandhill cranes wandering along the banks.

This was around the time that I saw a kingfisher repeatedly diving into the water from the tops of trees in an attempt to catch fish.

Both birds I found amazing and fun to watch.

Eventually, we passed an old railroad bridge that was built when steam boats were the primary mode of transportation.

We could tell the bridge was from that time period because it sat upon a central-geared column that enabled it to rotate.

Thus, it could allow for the steam boats to pass without catching their paddle wheels on the underside of the bridge.

Our canoe floated downstream effortlessly. We paddled only occasionally, usually sitting and chatting or watching the banks for something interesting.

We did spot something off in the distance: the Cross of Father Marquette.

Disterhaft had the cross put up within sight of the river after discovering its old location.

Floating on, we eventually made it to their predetermined landing point. As we disembarked from the canoe, we spotted a fox snake swimming close to the canoe.

Once we had all made it back onto dry land, we performed the tobacco ceremony that the two re-enactors always finished their trips with.

For the ceremony, we passed around a leather bag of pipe tobacco and each of us would say what we were grateful for before sprinkling it on the earth.

The ceremony was a way of giving thanks to the earth, plants and animals, for our journey. I was thankful just to have a chance to ride along in the canoe.

Before we packed up, some of us walked along a grassy path to get a closer look at the cross we had spotted earlier.

As we approached, waves of frogs jumped off of the path, more than I had ever seen in one place before.

The cross marked the location of springs that had been blessed by Father Marquette.

Since they have continued to run uninterrupted, they are still considered holy water.

We made it back to the van and all packed in tight, before we drove back to our original rendezvous point.

There, we parted ways, all smiling from our trip as the Northwest Co.

Viva La Company!

To organize a trip with the Fox of the River Voyageur LLC call 920-229-3360 or 920-293-8206.

GLCVB keeps tourists wanting to come back

The Green Lake Country Visitor Bureau (GLCVB) and surrounding community members enjoy nature at Guskey-Miller Conservancy. Pictured are, from left, Markesan Chamber of Commerce Media Coordinator Matt Mullownie, Berlin Chamber of Commerce Media Coordinator Kaitlyn Lueck, Ripon Chamber of Commerce Executive Director and GLCVB President-Elect Jason Mansmith, GLCVB Market Research Assistant Alex Thillman, Green Team member Jerry Specht, GLCVB board member Todd Sharp, GLCVB Executive Director Linda Ruggeri and GLCVB Multimedia Assistant Tsering Yangchen.   Connor Cummiskey photo

by Connor Cummiskey

Each summer, thousands of tourists flock to Green Lake to explore all that this area has to offer. The Green Lake Country Visitor Bureau (GLCVB) is responsible for keeping those tourists coming back every year.

To make the purpose of the GLCVB more evident, the organization has created a new mission statement.

Its new mission now is to “Promote tourism for Green Lake Country area through marketing and community collaboration stimulating local economic growth.”

If the mission statement is a mouthful, the process by which the GLCVB is accomplishing it is pretty straight forward.

“The way that we do this is by promoting our area and promoting events that take place in our area,” GLCVB Director Linda Ruggeri said. “We try to promote them outside of our area.”

A few of the events and locations that the GLCVB is promoting this summer are a performance by the Kids From Wisconsin, Whooping Crane Festival and the local historical societies.

Music lovers should get excited for the Kids From Wisconsin, which will take place July 2 in Markesan.

“It’s like ‘Glee’ … and it’s put together by kids from Wisconsin, and they come from all over Wisconsin and they train and they audition to be on the team,” Ruggeri said.

She also explained that the GLCVB has a clever reason for wanting to host the event in Markesan.

“The reason we’re having it in Markesan is because we’re trying to bring more events to our smaller cities — Markesan being one of them,” Ruggeri said.

The Whooping Crane Festival is another major event that has been very popular in the past.

“It draws a huge audience of naturalists, environmentalists and birders … mainly from the Midwest and the East Coast,” Ruggeri said. “It is a festival that celebrates the life of the whooping crane.”

During the festival, which will take place in September in Princeton, whooping crane hatchlings will be reintroduced into the wild to follow an ultra-light plane piloted by an Operation Migration employee south for migration.

One aspect that helps in grasping the size of the Whooping Crane Festival is that the event is a collaboration between the GLCVB, Operation Migration and the Princeton Chamber of Commerce.

The three organizations plan to promote the festival with money they were awarded with after applying for a joint-effort marketing (JEM) grant in April. They just recently found out they received the $33,000 grant.

“We haven’t done that before,” Ruggeri said about applying for the JEM grant. “This is really a community collaboration program.”

The GLCVB doesn’t just promote events happening in the area, but at important tourism locations as well.

This summer, Ruggeri plans to improve the attendance and marketing of each city’s historical society.

According to Ruggeri, the GLCVB is planning a seminar that will be “a meeting of the minds of the historical societies with someone from outside our area … with experience in showcasing historical societies to see what we can do to improve the community involvement and tourism of historical societies.”

While some locals may consider tourists no more than a nuisance, the local tourism industry is a large part of the community.

According to Tourism Economics, without the local and state tax revenue that is generated by tourists, the average household in Wisconsin would have to pay around $575 more in taxes.

So it is important that the tourism industry remains lively in this community and that is where the GLCVB comes in.

“We’re really trying to increase local economic growth by promoting tourism in our area,” Ruggeri said.

Close … but no Bingo

Green Laker Reporter Connor Cummiskey diligently marks his bingo board in hopes of winning.  submitted photo

Reporter tries hand at Town Square event, wins raffle

by Connor Cummiskey

I always thought of bingo as an activity that only seniors participated in.

However, after going to a Town Square Bingo session, I was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong.

Once I arrived in the old courthouse, I followed the paper signs up to the third floor — where bingo was being hosted.

A man, who I correctly presumed would call out the numbers, had begun to inform players of the rules.

I quickly picked up my bingo cards and found where to buy a blotter to mark them.

After finding a seat, I was ready for the games to begin.

To my surprise I found out that each game usually had different rules.

The rules varied between regular bingo — following the house rules — and special patterns like an X across a board or four corners.

I excitedly marked off each number that they called, waiting until the moment I could successfully yell “Bingo.”

Each time a number was called that was not on any of my boards, I was a little disappointed. Occasionally, when I was able to mark off numbers on all of my boards, I was elated as I was that much closer to winning.

During the games with very specific patterns required to win, such as double vertical or horizontal, tension in the room would get high.

These games lasted the longest. I was ready to jump out of my chair with every number called.

It was the long games that had the biggest reaction when someone finally won. A collective groan would emanate from the crowd immediately after “Bingo” was called.

The games were broken up with breaks after each bonus round. During the first couple breaks, players had a chance to bet in the dog race.

During the race, kids holding signs indicating which dog they represented would advance along a path marked along the floor.

The announcer would roll colored dice and each “dog” would advance according to the corresponding colored die.

The dogs included color-based puns for names like Clifford the Big Red Dog, White Fang or Old Yeller.

I figured it would be entertaining to put some money down on the Big Green Machine, because green is my favorite color.

The kids lined up at the starting line, and every time one advanced, bettors who had money on that color would cheer for their dog.

I cheered whenever the green advanced and even harder when green got to move five or six spaces at a time.

On the last role, I was ecstatic to see the Big Green Machine not only cross the finish line, but move ahead of the first dog to cross.

As the announcer continued to call out the rolls of each dog, I grew more excited that my dog had won.

That was until he called Clifford the Big Red Dog as the winner, who had an amazing roll and passed my dog by a few spaces.

Then, it was time to go back to the game at hand.

I continued to diligently mark down the letter and number combinations called out, hoping for a bingo.

Luck did not seem to be on my side.

However, all hope was not lost, as between each game the announcer would draw a winner for the raffle.

Every player received a ticket when they bought their boards and the prizes for the raffle were usually fun, little objects donated by local businesses.

I was surprised when my number was called. It turned out I had won a pair of plastic sunglasses with First National Bank printed on them.

Each bingo event has its own theme, this one being “Dog Days.” There were awards given out to whomever dressed most in spirit with the theme.

There were two winners: Marilyn Kolerich and Addison Poock.

Poock painted her face to be a cute little puppy, while Kolerich dressed in black and white and had a funny hat that was shaped like dog ears.

As the night wore on, I kept getting closer to getting a Bingo, usually being only one space away from taking the prize.

This lasted until the final bonus round, where we competed to fill the dreaded blackout.

Inevitably, this was the longest of any of the games. And the longer it went on, the more excited I became that I may actually win.

Unfortunately, it was not in the cards.

However, I did walk away with a neat pair of sunglasses and a night of fun supporting Green Lake Town Square.

Maybe I will see some of my readers at the next bingo session, which is set for Saturday, Sept. 27 during Harvest Fest.

For more information about Bingo and Town Square, visit greenlaketownsquare.com.

Blast from the past

Jerry Disterthaft, left, and Glen Gorsuch hang off the stern of their North Canoe, which they use to take riders back in time as part of their Fox of the River Voyageur LLC business.  Connor Cummiskey photo

Duo takes riders back in time on Fox of the River Voyageur Canoe

by Connor Cummiskey

Travel back in time while paddling a replica North Canoe down the Fox River.

Glen Gorsuch and Jerry Disterhaft of Fox of the River Voyageur Canoe LLC take groups, ranging from students to 4-H clubs and beyond, on a reenactment of pioneer life.

Through the characters of Jacques Largola and Jean Paul Paquette, respectively, the two men teach the area’s past.

“Part of our whole impact on our trip is talking about the history that really happened along the Fox River, going back to the late 1600s,”  Disterhaft said. “1673 is when Father Marquette came through, but the French were here earlier than that.”

The trip covers events throughout a large period of time that is usually ignored during many history classes.

“The fur trade in Wisconsin lasted over 200 years,” Disterhaft said. “To try and find that in any written material [is difficult], or even in schools [it is] hardly touched on.”

The re-enactment begins with the group swearing on with a fur trading company.

From there, the guides do their best to maintain a fun and authentic atmosphere.

“We hire them on to the Northwest Fur Co., which was a French outfit,” Gorsuch said. “Whenever we say Northwest Fur Co., they have to shout out ‘Viva la company!’ Whenever we say ‘Hudson Bay,’ which was the British fur traders, they have to shout out ‘stinking English pig-dogs!’”

Disterhaft and Gorsuch go through great lengths to create an experience that accurately replicates pioneer life.

“We will take some groups and say we are going from the new river, which is the Fox River, and going back in time. Sometimes we will have teepees set up [on the bank], so as they come around [the] bend, all of the sudden they see teepees and they are thinking that maybe they are back in time,” Disterhaft said.

This also includes things such as cooking with dutch ovens and portaging canoes to teach kids through a hands-on experience.

“Everybody is working together,” Gorsuch said. “We used to do a portage off the river onto the old river, and we used to tell the teacher [not to] say anything. We kind of let the kids take over.”

Trips can include a canoe ride and a cookout. They can be a single- or multiple-day voyage, depending on what the group desires.

According to the voyagers, the French fur traders worked closer with the Native Americans than the British did.

“That is why we took the Northwest, because they were French,” Gorsuch said. “They embraced the native culture more. You will see native accoutrements on us. We married into the tribes. We took on a lot of their spiritual beliefs as well.”

The rival Hudson Bay Co. cannot say the same.

“The Hudson Bay Co. was British,” Gorsuch said. “They were more business. They did not really associate with the savages, so they did not embrace the culture. They felt they were far above [the natives], where the French embraced it and married into the tribes.”

The lesson focuses of the four main pieces of the fur trade: furs, Native American trappers, voyageurs and investors.

All four components were crucial in the fur trade. So when one or two of them were lost, the entire market collapsed.

“The beavers started to get trapped out,” Gorsuch said. “By the 1800s, the Native Americans were losing control of their lands, so you were losing the trapper. By the 1830s and ’40s, the fashion went to silk, so then you lost the investor.”

Creating a re-enactment company began as an attempt to save the grade school Gorsuch’s daughter attended.

“We were trying to do a community involvement [project] with our elementary school; trying to keep it open,” Gorsuch said. “We built a canoe with Alex Nimphius. He had a boat design, which we stretched out and brought the ends up to match what a North Canoe would be. We were trying to make our school something different. Something people would want to open enroll to.”

However, they did not have the location to support the hands-on activity they wanted.

“I came into the picture when they needed to find some place to set up and I said [that] I have land right here off of the river and I know the river,” Disterhaft said.

Even though the school eventually closed, the two men wanted to keep history alive and interesting for students.

Teaching those students has become one of the greatest joys of running the company. “Getting individuals of all ages to start listening and having their minds open to what we are trying to teach them [is rewarding],” Disterhaft said. “It is not just talk, but is actually true history that really happened, instead of what they might have been taught in their books and when they went to school.”

Fox of the River Voyageur Canoe LLC offers day trips at $30 per person or $300 for a full canoe, which fits 16 adults.

Groups can call the company at either 920-229-3360 or 920-293-8206 or email huckleberry39@yahoo.com or stepback@centurytel.net.

Civil War descendents still going ‘Strong’ in Berlin

Members of the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War perform a 21-gun salute.     Connor Cummiskey photo

By Connor Cummiskey

Honoring and remembering history is how society prevents horrors from repeating themselves.

Horrors like brothers fighting brothers in a civil war.

One organization that serves to keep the lessons of the American Civil War alive is the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW).

The organization does this through ceremonies such as the rededication of the Nathan Strong Memorial in Berlin, which took place Saturday, Aug. 23.

The ceremony that honored the founder of the city, Nathan Strong.

“Nathan Strong is the person credited with founding our City around 1847,” Berlin Area Historical Society President Bobbie Erdmann said. “The park was originally known as ‘Park Place,± then ‘Town Square’ or ‘City Park’ then ‘East Side Park.’ When Nathan plotted out his town, he laid aside the one square block for a public place for the people of this town. The property was never offered for sale for building lots although Berlin’s first school building was located here for a time. When Berlin celebrated its Sesquicentennial, the park was renamed in Nathan’s honor. Nathan Strong died in 1852 so never saw his town build up. Two of his three adult sons enlisted in the war and were both killed in battle. One stayed home to take care of the family properties.”

The rededication was a collaboration between the Berlin Area Historical Society and the Old Abe Camp #8 of the SUVCW.

It was comprised of a 1917 Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) Service of Dedication.

The grand army being the organization’s predecessor organization that handed off its duty to the SUVCW.

The Rev. Joanne Schoblaski offered the invocation and a brief history of the monument was given by Dan Freimark.

Then, during the rededication, Berlin Mayor Richard Schramer temporarily relinquished possession of the monument to Old Abe Camp #8.

These descendants of veterans carry out a three-pronged mission: honoring Union veterans, preserving and perpetuating the GAR and patriotic education, according to their website.

To honor veterans, the organization performs ceremonies like the rededication as well as fixing grave markings.

Memorial Day is a major holiday that the organization observes. The services during the holiday play a major role in honoring veterans.

To preserve the GAR, the organization is dedicated to maintaining documents pertaining to the GAR, primarily for research purposes.

Another way it performs this duty is by maintaining their signage along U.S. Route 6, also known as the GAR highway.

To accomplish the final piece of its mission, the SUVCW teaches true history of the United States.

It promotes patriotism by presenting at schools across the country. It often involves teaching the duties of citizenship as well as how to respect the flag.

Being a Civil War re-enactor is not required for membership. However, members who are often have a trove of tales that bring the conflict to life.

Some of them are fun like Old Abe, for whom the local camp is named. He was not the great emancipator, but an eagle that served as a mascot, according to SUVCW member James Schumann.

He would fly above battles, demoralizing the Wisconsin 8th Regiment’s enemies with his piercing cry. Or at least annoy them enough so they took shots at him.

Other aspects are darker.

Such as the terrible medical service for the soldiers.

It was a time when getting shot meant almost certain death from infection, or at least loss of limbs.

Knowledge about hygiene was so bad that often medics would re-use bandages; though this was probably partially due to their lack of supplies.

To find out what makes the Civil War interesting, instead of the often more boring aspects usually taught in school, Schumann has a simple suggestion.

“Read books. Read a lot of books,” Schumann said.

There are dozens of good books about the Civil War that can give readers an accurate perspective on events.

Two that Schumann suggests are books written by Winston Groom about Vicksburg and Shiloh.

The SUVCW is for male descendants of veterans only.

However, that does not mean women are left out. They can join the Auxiliary to the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (ASUVCW).

There usually is an auxiliary for each camp of the SUVCW and without them, very little could get done.

To learn more about the SUVCW, visit its website at suvcw-wi.org.

To stay up to date on the activities of the local camp, visit the Old Abe Camp #8 Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War (SUVCW) Facebook page.