Around the Corner with John McGivern | Program | #713 -- Menomonie

That. Is Lake Mahnomen, behind me the University, of Wisconsin, stout all around me I am in downtown. Menominee. Isn't. It. What. A great way to end season, seven it's a gorgeous fall day we're, on the lake in Menomonie Wisconsin and, John Curtin is already here. How's. It going pretty good good how did Menominee. Begin the story is lumber John we're, at the edge of what was once the largest expanse. Of white pine trees in North America and, you have right here the red cedar river which was big enough to both float logs into power sawmills, so, they built the first dam, and sawmill here back in 1822. Which. Is 26, years before Wisconsin, became a States what's it successful, it's a little premature John but, things begin to take off back in 1846. When a couple guys from Iowa, come up and begin, to saw logs right here the. Company they began became, Knapp stout and company which grew to be among the largest lumber companies in the entire world. By, 1880, they pretty much owned the red cedar valley hundreds, of square miles they, employed 2,000, men and they made more than 80 million, board, feet of lumber every year that's about 15,000, miles where. Did the lumber go downstream, I went down the red cedar to the Chippewa I've been in Mississippi, and those, river towns were just hungry for lumber all the way down to st. Louis so lumber mill here went into everything, from dairy, barns to picket fences and all of that right here in Menominee this was the center this was NAB stout and company's very center and it was a company, town the, mill owners built their major mills right here built, mansions within, shouting. Distance 21. Right here their home and, Lake. Mahnomen, was, a holding pond for sawlogs that's where it began what's, amazing is how completely. Integrated Knapp stout and company was they, owned the forest they owned the mills they employed the people they grew the food they ground the grain they had the newspapers, they had the bank and they, paid their workers in script that could be redeemed only here so, if you did not have a job for Knapp stock company you weren't working when. Did that end 1901. Is when, the last log was sod a Menominee, suffered, for a time it, was still the county seat though also of a trading center for local farmers the. Best thing that happened was a school, one. Of the lumber barons was James stout who lived right here who, believed in vocational, education and back, in 1891. He starts to fund program, in the local schools for manual. Training and domestic, science for the local boys and girls that kind, of evolves, into the style Institute which taught teachers and grew. And grew until in 1971 its UW, Stout programs. Ranging, from fashion. Designed to, family, counseling to hotel management a student, body of ten thousand so, what, happened very simply is a company, town became a college town population, cities. About 16,000. And median, age is just over, 23, years which, is 15 years younger than. The Wisconsin mediums so you know what's a college town it is and at the boundaries the, city covers around 15 square miles, surrounding. Lake Mahnomen and going mostly, south of interstate 94 which you can see off there in the horizon I'm, gonna wish you a good little break so, we got going again hey Jack honey wait till spring there you go thanks, John see you. Take. A listen take a listen listen, we're in a glass factory listen, right now. Broken. Glass it's, a little disturbing but it's supposed to happen. Did. You walk me through the process of, what makes class. We. Start, with mines and other materials, that's where the shame is being put in the furnace, that 3,000, degrees Fahrenheit it melts, into a liquid. The. Rest of the process is all cooling, off of that liquid to get us back down to a pro's, state. As we see it as a piece of glass here how much glass comes. Out of here add a. Miles. A day to. The. Windows. And I love the fact that we're back at Cardinal because we were in Spring Green at Cardinal, IG. IG is for insulating, glass units, actual units, that will be sent to the major window manufacturers. We. Are FG, we are making, the, actual. Glass and what's the biggest piece that'll come off 11, feet by 17, feet that's a big window yes a lot, of this goes to, architectural.

To Skyscraper, type windows. So it has to be very large windows, in the small ups well by, 20, is this central control right here this is keeps track of how many pieces it's, looking for defects, 24. Hours a day seven days a week 365, days, a year are what fills assembly. Sorry. Robert. Eadie designs. What are you design we design and create all one-of-a-kind pieces, of jewelry we've, been doing it for for over 40 years we do two ways of making jewelry you can fabricate a piece of jewelry where you take sheet and wire and solder, and construct, a piece or what, I do most is carved, wax models, and then we cast them and. This is way they've done it forever isn't it Egyptians, used to do it right designs, have evolved, I've always had this idea of making. Things very. Durable elegant. The way we set a lot of our stones it's a bezel or partial bezel much, more secure, it's tough to wear it out the stones are more protected, so we get a lot of that anything, we make we want it to be around for generations my rings are designed for either right hand or left hand and I actually shaped the wax to fit a person's hand this ring is actually made for. A left-hand. Little finger yeah, so it makes it much more comfortable this curve here goes over the webbing between your fingers why doesn't everybody do that because you have to carve each wax for each person, and commercial. Companies make fifty thousand the same thing okay, I had a grill in here yesterday picked, up her engagement ring in, the first six, words she said was wow wow. Wow. We're. At cottage winery, and vineyard how, many acres are we on fifteen so you grow the grapes here they're, sent to your winemaker, in our cell yep, and then, he brings it back as you have a beautiful. Wine-tasting center, here yep the building in front of us is the tasting, room yeah, this is gorgeous it's, a gorgeous, piece of land and it looks like it's been here forever that's. What it looks like. How. Long has this been here thinking we're going to say 30 years. In. 2009. And, you built it all talk about the wedding part, of this all somebody, has to do is make their way out this is so gorgeous it's pretty easy it's pretty easy people find, it so unique and, one. Of the greatest compliments I had a dad came to me and said today I truly. Believe my daughter was a princess walking, around and her wedding day and, it's. Just amazing. That we. Can provide such a venue for people on, their super. Special day that they have their reception, and dance are in here and we love it we love seeing the dresses and everything walking, around so, and I on a gorgeous. Summer night when, this is all up and that's out there I bet it's just like, it's, magical, it's it's so magical people, say this is the prettiest. Spot that they've ever been to and that's how we wanted, it dad. Came up with all the ideas, this was his brainchild yes, it was we're. About 20 minutes out of Menominee, but it's gonna be so worth it why cuz guess what I'm gonna do I'm gonna eat some fish I hope you describe this I call it about three businesses in one so this is the hatchery, yeah this is the hatchery the processing fish for about seven. Restaurants, and about four grocery stores they're babies, yeah how many about. 26,000. These guys are about two weeks old they're all rainbow trout so these guys are how old about six months old and they've been fun because since, we bought the place we've. Actually seen them triple, in size some, of those fish will go out and they'll be in the fish pond for for people to come and catch nice. And, so they catch the fish in a pond oh you're, getting a bite, man. That's. A good one you got them that's a nice fish we, get everybody from bankers to bikers down here if you get the kind of whole experience, here okay it's not always catching a fish it's maybe chasing. A frog you know because, you can do that here as well yeah, yeah it's, good to catch a fish though isn't it oh it's really fun to catch a fish so after, they would catch their fish.

The. Kids like to sit up here and watch, and. Watch the watch the cleaning they do yeah, and they get a whole anatomy, lesson from cleaning we would take it to our open-air kitchen where we'll drill it up for, you but then we also have a restaurant, that we operate on in the summer April through October this, is your smoke trust our smoke trough yeah it's delicious. You. Smoke that right here we smell that right here you do I bet it's a lot of families, and people who want to fish or people who just want to shop for, fish for, fish they couldn't come out and get our fresh or smoked fish and things like that how, long you been on this piece of land my wife and I bought this farm in 1989. We started out to be dairy farmers and now we're kind of an agritourism, farm, or the grocery specialty, crops how many are there there are 14 anchor, tourism what does that mean we educate the public I thought you were gonna ask me what the gestation, period was, what is that three, months three weeks and three days. Was that right mm-hmm, is that all they want to do is eat really they really just want to eat that's I'm, I'm a pink. We. Like to connect families to agriculture. Through entertainment. Yeah education, it's gonna be in your shoes yeah, well when, people come here they're, here to have fun and then it makes it a lot easier corn. Maze in the fall uh-huh we have a spring event when the Sheep are giving birth and the goats are giving births where the public can come in and hold the baby farm animals, guess where I'm going phase. One so, what do you grow here, corn we have a corn maze obviously. But they also grow some corn to feed to the livestock and soup corn to sell on. The open market. I've. Been here for three dates. We're. Still a conventional, farm too aggressive alfalfa, some corn some soybeans and in the summer during strawberry, picking season they will be combined to the farm and pick berries but. Only about 200, acres taller that makes me the average-sized farmer in the United States it does it does. And. It's. Their tradition to, come to this farm if you think that's fun let's go shoot a pumpkin it is their tradition, to comunist funny. Oh. Claire. Oh no Claire about a thousand, feet oh. Okay. This is something I didn't know and you probably didn't know either unless you live in Menominee, but there's a company that's started here in the early 60s that, makes a product that I loved as a kid that I loved as an adult that's sending every in, every care package to every college kid. Swiss. Miss. Menominee. Young. We. Are with Jenny and Christian you both live here so, you know something about this community, we love this community well there we go that I was gonna ask and you already said that, have. You lived here I've, been here for eight years I've, been here 24. Years if, there's a lot of stuff to do outdoors. Its. Life yes. We. Live door stuff you know we do the leg stuff we do the hiking around the lake stuff we do tandem. Biking and tandem kayaking something. That we do together. Everything. That's. How that's the only way I can keep up. It's. All here yeah and does it feel like a college town to you guys. Absolutely. Notice when, the students come back yeah it's it's quiet when they're gone and there's a lot of activity, when they're and it's fun. Yeah. It's a Polytechnic, College they come out of here with more than just like a four-year degree that come up with a skill of engineering, and engineering, but. I don't think there's another Golf Course management, program, and we love where we live we have a lot of nature right our yard. We're. About 50. Yards. Yeah. It's kind of a nice.

Community Very safe place. To live for a great place to raise kids I, think. I'm, in Menomonee and. Here it says welcome to Lake how would you say that I, thought. It was manam. On no they, say welcome to Lake Mahnomen. So I guess I'm not really in Menominee, I'm in Manoa, with me. This. Is Lynn and dick quilling, and this is their farm a farm that's been in. Your family for how long Lin. 137. Years in 1880, my grandparents. Democrat from, Norway and, they started the farm and dick, and I are the fourth generation to, beyond the park when did you take over this farm nine years ago so you sold, your farm to, your son well, yes this is a lot smaller oh it is yeah, and your parents live across the street here they do so great and why do you have jerseys here well the stalls weren't big enough for a whole scheme so. Yes. Much. Smaller cattle. We. Also stopped, here because of the quilt on the side of your. Can. You talk about that what sure can't always enjoy, those, farm quilts and, then when we move down here I, thought, all that great big barn has the perfect spot for a bar well it looks perfect on there doesn't it and. How does it reflect the, history of your Norwegian family, on this land for all those years I have a sister, that's an artist she came up with this pattern. And then right smack dab in the middle is across and we thought that was important, because our, great grandfather, and grandmother. Were, charter members of the Little Creek Church just down the, road. Two miles do, you have any idea how many there are in Dunn County ah quilts. Yeah Oh a lot oh well thanks to Marian Jeanine how, great are these we started two years ago here's, a John, Deere because, we had gone across the state and found their barn quilts over, by Sean oh so we thought we want some in Dunn County there, you go our, goal was 30. Today. We're, at 30, you're at 30. 30th. Right there they want it just like this photo so are these based on actual. Fabric. Quilt they're really based on fabric. Squares and are they always on bar, oh no no they aren't yeah just garages outhouses. Garden. Sheds just, really wherever the owner wants to put, them and wherever they can see them are there rules that go into what, size it has to be any kind of colors it needs to be for the thing, that it's four by four and eight by eight and has to be seen from the roadway okay now you did it here's your pattern and it's all. Drawn but really it should be brilliant enough to see, those colors and to, make people want to stop and take a take, a look I as a visitor, to Dunn County how do I know how to find them well, we have a pamphlet we, have a trail pamphlet, I have one I can give it to you if, somebody just googled, barn quilts Dunn, County they find it yes with the Mabel Tainter Center, for the Arts beautiful. Building isn't it absolutely, gorgeous, that's first clock history when Mabel passed away in 1886. The parents, built this in honor of her, the building was built in 1889, for, the community, to use the, part, we call the box office now was used as the library, up to like nineteen in.

The Early 70s, everything, in here is original these, light bulbs are original, Thomas Edison light bulbs they've been in the building for a hundred and twenty six years, and. As you can see a few of them don't work but, those. Are original light bulbs from when Thomas Edison invented the later you still get those no, this is a gorgeous building yeah, absolutely and it's amazing, to me the number. Of people from Menomonee that still, have, never been in it because, when they walk in is they're just awestruck, they're like oh my, god this is just beautiful why, Evan I've been in here before, yeah what kind of shows do you have and then they look at the list and a lot of them end up buying a ticket or so are you ready there John there's, a lot of. Variety. Nice, there's, not just folk. Music I mean it's ballets. Plays. It, looks like a beautiful theater to see a Shelley it, is it is uncomfortable everybody's, pretty close and the acoustics, in here are amazing. So it's a really cool building, you know in 2007. It was renovated these are all original chairs, the only difference is is they made them the same size chairs. Versus. How they were before. How, were they before they were built to the size of, the person that bought them so, you would buy a seat, here correct, most of these chairs were all extra, smalls none of us would fit in them really how many seats are in this theater. 259. And before you took those small ones out 303. You're kidding yes we're, at Menominee high school is holding the Mustangs he used to be home with the Indians, but like a lot of the high schools in the state of Wisconsin, they retired, the Indian, mascots, now, it's home with the Mustangs they have a great logo sports, for a minute with. John McGivern Mike, can't be here so I've taken over this week this, is coach Jill labuda how are you sir good how you doing you've been here a couple years, yeah minute, 28 28, congratulations. Thank you you're one of the winningest coaches, in the state kids. Win football games that, coaches. What. Cappers you the big rivers conference, and what division were Division two but most of the schools in our league are Division one is there a future program for you guys I know we do things a lot different than a lot of people is we, don't play tackle football until, they're in eighth grade, so the first time they're all together in pads is when they're a freshman and so, it's been very successful for us like we have we, have 53 freshmen out this year I think we don't lose kids because of it we have 143. Kids overall out you, know and we're a school of about 900 students, and so it was a good review I. Think it helps that we don't do tackle. Football at the youth level they're, ready to do it the wood freshmen is but it doesn't scare them away at a younger age as well and their bodies in my opinion are ready to get hit at that point you write. Your. Coaching change much off a little bit you have to change with the times yeah maybe not as intense as I once was yeah, the stout manual training school the stout Institute's stout State College stout State University, University Wisconsin stout, I guess the only thing they really liked in any of those names was the word stout. That. One's gonna stick. But. Legged this so I've been playing for five years and then are there leagues, of this one, bounce and he caught it so he's out yep that's an out exactly, one bounce cuz we don't gloves on so there's leagues there's roughly about 220. Teams throughout the country you know whoever. Gets no we're actually all under the guise of the vintage baseball Association. And we. Actually host its national conference here the great thing about playing vintage baseball is there's history to it this is all a historical, game no, gloves. You. Have exposed, flesh on your arms. Too bit fine we're. Wearing the original, M this is actually from the 1903, Menominee, Blue Caps and, our pillbox Hatter's actually authentic from the 1883, Blue Caps so we, have it all mixed together the, 1860, was the first official. Out. Of the mindset of modern-day baseball, is the field, smaller, than regular yeah it's actually larger we don't actually have a field in, 1860.

The Thought of a baseball diamond wasn't. A thing yet the best part about this is a gentlemanly, game there's, no old swearing, there's no spitting, I. Know it's it's tough or else you get fine to bits which is 25 cents and they have a good time oh yeah and the ages ranged too you can see with jr. playing but sometimes they get as low as 12 years old I have seen people 84. Playing. This game okay. I really don't mind being a benchwarmer but, gonna tell you something this, bench is wet. What. Here is it it's 2016. Just, done some new pipe work so they're a little bit louder and you want them louder yes you do yes because people. We, want people to hear us as well as see us loud. So I was having dinner last night with my cousin who lives in town okay. She. Said have you been to, Devil's. Punchbowl that's why I. Wrote that yeah. And what where is that and what is down this route it's a geological, formation. Are. There a lot of riders in Menomonee there are quite a few from, all walks of life there. Are professors. And, doctors and. Lawyers and, business. Owners how, long you been riding I've, been riding for about seven, years there's. Something, about being out on the road though that's incredibly. Compelling, and appealing, isn't there super, fun super, fun very independent, it feels like I'm very independent when I ride my bike and, I feel comfortable on it it's it's just a great day yes just very pretty. It's. A lot of local. Artists. And a lot a local, vendor, that you're selling, let's, talk about that mission we wanted to be local we wanted to have some place for them to showcase we. Have over 80 artists, that are now in our shop I love the apron, just so reminds me of like there's. Clothes here there's some clothes here all different forms of art here we, have all media's pottery, painting, we just have a little bit of a lot we have a great artist Jackie Skinner who does Jada jewelry, and and, this is one of them it's hand hammered, and hammered yeah, yeah, great. Stuff my husband's probably, my favorite. Yeah. Yeah, he does everything he brings in going, I make the butterflies, and different flowers and the wiener dogs it's, so great don't bring your knees in when you call the fireplace, and iron oh they sure are what's your background I was a bridge builder you're right a bridge, builder a piledriver welder. So this, is a railroad, spike it's a special, on that night what I did a lot of real world that's a spike yeah and how much better for somebody to come in here and buy, something, from someone who's local that, they may be able to meet or, could run into and say your, stuff is online right you know that hands have made it yeah it's it's very cool I love that. Talk. About the history of this place back in the 40s it used to be a convenience. Store bait, shop over the years that kind of progressed they put a kitchen on added, a bar and it became known as Jake's and it, was the biggest, hot a spot in Menominee, caner Lake area for, years and years we took over about nine years ago my dad I owned Jake's upper claws so when you guys took it over you just kept, the name well, it was either you call it Jake's or it's known as the place that used to be called Jake's. It's. A local landmark talk, about your menu it's a supper club in Wisconsin, you have to have the prime rib it's melt in your mouth you have to have the fried a fish fry fried chicken ribs, we keep all the standards, and we also had a lot of different things that rotate off the menu what. Do you eat. Every. Seat was, sat in how many people will be here upstairs. Downstairs, and a patio you're looking over 300 300 people is that what happens during the summer absolutely, did somebody come up on their pontoon, yes they, did yep during the summer time all of these got, doxxed on the corner all these areas are filled up the point where they actually tie on to other boats there, are a lot of regulars yep this is a place to come for half the hour. Just. A ton of ton, of people that come out if, this is a place to go do you enjoy the show yes. Say hello say no you're on it. This. May be one of my favorite closing scenes Menomonee, in the fall, gorgeous. Here's our drill you have 30 seconds, to tell us why Menomonie, Wisconsin is. The best place in the world to live work and play and Mayor Randy. You could start now we're gonna need more than 30 seconds to tell you about Menominee was courage when, omni's an awesome place we were friendly we. Are vibrant and very progressive we, have a lot going on for us we have a University. Of Wisconsin, stout here which is a Polytechnic, University, we, have our tech school and we, the infrastructure.

In Our technical, park and our, industrial, park second-to-none so jobs are easy our, school systems are great we have a 1,500 acre lake lake. Mahnomen here Menomonie Wisconsin full of fish it's. A great base. Here. Comes Ryan Brown he's. Here broad brush. So. Yeah I've been married 41, years congratulations. Well that's, not a big deal. So. Have you ever watched my show no, okay, goodbye. We. Love being in Menominee it was a great place to end season seven in these episodes would not be possible without, the generous support of the following underwriters. Thanks. The, greater milwaukee foundation's ernest. C and florence, m shocky fund and, by. The david, a and nancy, e putz fund the. Greater Milwaukee foundation, inspiring. Philanthropy serving. Donors, and strengthening. Communities, now and for, the future and. By. What. Goodwill can do with your donations is, pretty. Amazing and. By. The. We Energies foundation. Is proud to support Milwaukee. PBS, together. We create a brighter future for the communities, we serve.

2018-04-13 09:04

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