At our RV park, one of the managers mentioned "Old World Wisconsin"...and we just "had to go there" before we left the area. So we did!!! Located outside Eagle, WI - not too far south of Oconomowoc - lies a 576 acre area called "Old World Wisconsin." Replecating the immigration to Wisconsin from 1850 - 1900, buildings have been moved from various parts of Wisconsin and assembled as farmsteads, and town centers representing the 7 basic groups who established communities throughout Wisconsin during this time period. Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Polish, German, Yankee (the adventurous Easterners joined the movement west), and the African-Americans (Wisconsin was a "free" state.)
A must for kids "old and young" to see, this "living" historic site had authentically dressed interpreters who not only tell the tale of the times, but have on-going demonstrations: Washing clothes with the scrub board and hanging them up to dry. (One mom had a rough time getting her two children away from the clothes washing detail...wishing she could get them to work that hard at home.) :-) Separating cream and churning butter...(the "leftover" 2% milk was given to the animals.) Making cheese on a wood burning stove. Blacksmiths...Cobblers (shoemakers)...Spinning wheels...canning...baking bread.
We only had a couple of hours to spare...so missed some of the demos...but, could easily have spent an entire day there. [details can be found at oww@wisconsinhistory.org]
Ron caught me coming out of the "outhouse"
Ho Ho - a "staged shot"
After a brief over-night in New Lisbon, we headed to La Crosse for Jeans 50th class reunion.
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