Dickeyville, Wisconsin’s Grotto on the summer solstice.
The Midwest is blessed with a fascinating legacy of religious structures created primarily by German immigrants. . . . the real architectural gems stemming from the immigrants may be the incredible religious grottoes of the Midwest, which are considered among the most important folk or “outsider” art environments in the United States.”
Yes, it feels strange to use the word “grotto” for structures basically built of stone mixed with concrete then embedded with sparkling glass, shells, and whatever else the builder could find, but let’s just go with it for a moment… and go to one of these grottoes. They are some of the most fascinating specimens of folk art in the area. A grotto (or cave) in this sense means the inside of a shrine, and they became popular about 100 years ago in the Midwest.
My favorite Driftless Region grotto is just off of US 151 in Dickeyville, Wisconsin, about ten miles from the bridge across the Mississippi River into Iowa. It sits on the grounds of the Holy Ghost Parish, right on the main drag in Dickeyville. Entrance to the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin is free, though donations are appreciated. As the Grotto approaches 100 years of age, it requires more than a little bit of upkeep.
Inside the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin at the Dickeyville Grotto
Typically most grottoes are built around a main shrine, usually to the Virgin Mary, and this one is no different. Inside the building you see at the top, you’ll find the 25 feet tall, 30 feet wide and 25 feet deep shrine… yes, it’s large, but it isn’t the size that draws most people’s attention. It is all the shiny items placed around the object of adoration.
Out from the base of the shrine, one may see several huge crystals, the largest of which is more than two feet tall!
Along with Mother Mary holding baby Jesus, you’ll find a collection of objects ranging from stalagmites that seem to be growing up from the floor at her feet, and coral, shells, rocks from around the country, and many other items. This is the handiwork of Father Matthias Wernerus, who was Pastor of the Parish from 1918 to 1931, and built the different shines from 1925-1930. Mother Mary’s shrine was finished in 1929.
Yes, that’s real petrified wood making up the Tree of Life on the back of the shrine.
Father Matthias apparently began collecting things, asked his congregation members to collect things, and before long, he even had Ford Motor Company in Detroit sending him building materials! (Henry Ford sent him those round balls that used to be on top of the Model T stick shifts. They appear most prominently in the Sacred Heart shrine behind the main church.) The church website notes that six or seven truckloads of thirty tons each came from the Dakotas, from Iowa, and from nearby Wisconsin quarries.
Behind the main shrine, you’ll find the stations of the cross, similarly decorated with shiny items ranging from rose quartz to colored glass
The brochures available at the entrance states that it is “a creation in stone, mortar, and bright colored objects” from all over the world, including “colored glass, gems, antique heirlooms of pottery or porcelain, stalagmites and stalactites, sea shells of all kinds, starfish, petrified sea urchins and fossils, and a variety of corals plus amber glass, agate, quartz, ores such as iron, copper and lead, fool’s gold, rock crystals, onyx, amethyst and coal.” Some items, like the large amount of petrified wood, stalagmites, stalagtites and the huge crystal quartz points set out in front of the Blessed Virgin’s feet, would not be obtainable today
If you are Catholic, you might want to learn more about the church and its parish or visit their gift shop. In this piece, I’m addressing the Grotto as an inspired work of folk art, but I do not presume to be an expert on Catholic shrines.
The author having some fun with one of the reflecting balls at the Grotto.
Try to go on a sunny day, and you can get some truly amazing pictures. Maybe Dickeyville can consider the Grotto’s little reflecting balls their version of Chicago’s Bean. Because of the orientation of the building, its much easier to catch the sun reflecting off the back of the main shrine than off the front. In fact, to get the front of the Grotto in the sun, you really have to be there just before high noon and ideally in the late spring or summer! I’ve been told that shrines are supposed to be constructed so that the sun never shines directly inside of them… which means it rarely shines on the front door, either. The very top picture, taken just before noon near the summer solstice, is the closest I’ve ever come to getting the front illuminated by the sun. On the other hand, it is easy to get beautiful sun-lit photos of the Tree of Life which adorns the back side of the main shrine.
The Sacred Heart Shrine, whose banded pillars include old shifter balls from Model T Fords
The grotto has several other works of art. To the left, you’ll see the Sacred Heart shrine, which reproduces an altar erected in Chicago at Soldiers’ Field during the 1926 International Eucharistic Congress. The rock for the four pillars came from New Mexico, and they’re banded in a combination of colored glass and shifter balls from old Model T Fords! (Don’t ask me why the sun can shine on this Corpus Christi altar and not on the Blessed Virgin… as I’ve said, I am no expert on this type of sacred art.)
As you can imagine, one of the most popular secular activities at this sacred site is trying to identify the different components used in the building! The garden and birdhouses in front of the gift shop are similarly decorated with bright, shiny, and often antique objects.
Construction started
Construction ended
Shells, stones…
Dyed crystal points
Faith, Hope, Charity…
the greatest of these is Love
As folk art, most of Dickyville’s Grotto is delightful. There are several other shrines, though I’ve pictured the main ones here. A final shrine, not to God but to patriotism, I personally avoid… not because I’m not patriotic, but because it seems devoted to an outdated sort of “patriotism” celebrating, among others, Christopher Columbus. I understand that this was the view of European Catholic immigrants 100 years ago and part of what Father Matthias celebrated, but since I do not, I’ve chosen to not represent that part of the Grotto in this article.
Instead, I’ll end with some other photos of things I’m happy to celebrate–among them, Wisconsin deer!–then end with a photo of the Grotto in winter.
The garden behind the main shrine The Grotto in winter
Tell us about your favorite place in the Driftless Region!
Based outside of Dodgeville, Wisconsin, what Folklore Village is can be partly deduced by the name: not a village, but a center based around folk arts and culture. Jane Farwell, a native Wisconsinite from nearby Ridgeway who specialized in Scandinavian dancing, founded the establishment in 1968. She wanted a place where she could recreate the music, dance, food, and folk customs from all over the world.
Starting with just a small one-room schoolhouse, Folklore Village has since expanded to include a large barn (named Farwell Hall after the founder), a small house, a historic church (which was moved from near Mineral Point, Wisconsin), and a shed used for blacksmithing. They offer different classes (including blacksmithing, fiddle lessons, wooden spoon carving, soap making, and more), festivals (including New Year Festivals, Scandinavian Weekend, and Cajun Music Weekend), and monthly barn dances.
“Folk dancing is one of those rare activities from which
people of all ages and walks of life can readily gain a large measure of
satisfaction. In the beginning, most stand outside the fringe of those who
‘belong’ until someone extends a smile and a beckoning hand… we have no chance
to wonder what this power is that so swiftly makes friends of strangers, yet we
have a good time and the very important feeling of really being included. We
realize that the spirit of the people we are with is more important than our
own skill in dancing.”
-Jane Farwell, “The Makings of a Good ‘Saturday Night’”
Although FLV was founded for all of these purposes and continues to uphold them, I want to talk about what it is underneath all of that- A place of community and acceptance. I have asked some people around me “What is Folklore Village to you?” in order to give a better understanding of just how deep the connections and sense of community goes.
What is Folklore Village to You?
My mom, Bren Radtke, stated, “Folklore Village is a community for lovers of dance and culture. It is the foundation of how my family emerged and evolved.” This statement helps to clarify my history with the place. It’s where my parents met. It’s where they got married. And it’s where they spent a good portion of time raising us.
My family has even more history embedded in FLV, though. My dad, Steve Sprain, was a member of the original performing dance group and has been attending since the first event. My grandmother was friends with Jane Farwell, and they lived right down the street from the one-room schoolhouse where it all started. On April 30th, 1969, Jane held an open house and invited all of the immediate neighborhood to join in, and so began my family’s unwavering involvement in FLV. On several occasions in these early days, they wouldn’t have enough people to complete a square for the square-dances, and my father would walk down to his house and bring back my grandparents to finish the set. More than once, he woke them when doing so, but not once did they hesitate to get out of bed and join in.
My parents, Steve Sprain (left) and Bren Radtke (right), on their wedding day with Folklore Village founder Jane Farwell (middle).
I was eager to hear what my dad’s first thought was when I asked him “What is Folklore Village to you?”
He told me, “It doesn’t matter what you do or who you are, when you’re there, we’re all the same. Nobody is better than anyone else; everyone is accepted for their own talents.”
FLV is a setting where people of all backgrounds and occupations come together, with no suppositions that any one lifestyle is “better than” another. People from numerous backgrounds can feel at home. There are doctors and lawyers, farmers and truck drivers, astrophysicists and machinists, TV producers and circus performers, professional musicians and those who can’t play a note. Every day we’re defined by these titles, but at FLV, they’re irrelevant.
Dancing of the Franciase at Folklore Village on New Years Eve.
Similarly, my sister Lydia responded, “A place where all are accepted to rejoice in the sound of music and art of dance.” Lydia is wheelchair-bound, and I think the fact that someone who is unable to physically dance like everyone else still feels so included really says a lot. There are simply no barriers (physical, mental, or emotional) between who is allowed to participate and who isn’t.
My brother, Micah, simply described it as, “A place where you can be you without judgement.” Micah has always been “a goofball”, and many environments tend to suppress those with silly tendencies (intentionally or not). At FLV, my brother and everyone else can feel free to be themselves without the fear of judgement or social penalty. If anything, uniqueness and creativity are encouraged, in whatever form they may come in.
Lastly, our family friend Paige Rice stated, “It’s a place where people of all backgrounds can come together and be a community. A place where different cultures and arts are appreciated and celebrated. It unites different ages, races, and backgrounds. There are times I would almost describe as magical; in its serenity and welcoming environment…Though I haven’t been going there as often as others, it has still become somewhere I cherish and keep close to my heart.” Paige was introduced to FLV through my family and is most familiar with the annual New Year Festival. I believe this is what she is mainly referring to when she describes the serenity of the place.
New Year Festival
I have been attending FLV’s New Year Festival since I was born, and I have yet to spend the holiday in any other way. This festival is a fun-filled, event-packed, 4-day celebration. Every year, the classes, workshops, skits, and food are different; but, some things stay the same. There are some traditions for the night of New Year’s Eve that are customary (and some might even argue necessary at this point).
A Game of Snap-Dragon
Every year we dance The Heilsberger Dreieck (a traditional German piece) and The Francaise (a 5-part quadrille which was traditionally danced by “higher-ups” in Europe and is still danced there on New Year’s Eve today). We sing in the small church on the property, we gather around a bonfire at midnight, and we then return to Farwell Hall to bring in the new year with peace, love, and togetherness. After some time spent quietly and on reflection, we celebrate with homemade tortes (which are very rich cakes), snap-dragon (a game from the 16th century- raisins in a bowl of brandy which is set alight, and they are eaten still flaming), and, of course, more dancing.
Barn Dances
Barn dances are held once a month. The nights begin with a potluck where everyone is invited to bring a dish to pass. These nights are often not based on a theme, but rather filled with square dances, contra dances, waltzes, and any requests one might have. An example of a request I often made as a child is the Fox Dance. This dance is a favorite of kids who frequent FLV. One person is picked as the “fox” who “sleeps” in the middle of a circle made by the other dancers. The others do a simple dance around the fox that includes taking a couple steps in and taunting the sleeping fox. After two rounds of these harmless taunts, the fox slyly “wakes up” and catches someone else to be the next fox. Although there are more complex dances (usually saved for the New Year Festival), most of the dances taught at barn dances are simple and easy to follow. This allows everyone to feel included and welcome to join in.
A traditional sword dance, with Bob Walser on the accordion.
Folklore Village founder Jane Farwell passed away in 1993, but her spirit stays with the place. Her ashes are buried under the wooden star that is placed in the middle of the dance floor.
Folklore Village has a lot to offer, but it’s so much more than just classes and festivals. In one of her many diaries, my grandmother wrote, “We went to pick up Steve from Folklore. And we stayed.” Folklore Village is a lot of things- a place for dance, traditions, art, and expression; but more than all of that, it’s the type of place you can’t help but to stay.
“The most eclectic bookstore in southwest Wisconsin”
Just past the Wisconsin River settled in one of the crests of the Driftless area hides the small town of Viroqua. Along main street, visitors can find small local shops which each exhibit their own sense of rural charm including Gary’s Rock Shop and the Ewetopia Fiber Shop. The Driftless Café is a favorite among the locals as the perfect family oriented environment to grab a bite to eat.
Scenic views on the drive out to Viroqua, WI from Platteville, WI
However, if you stray from the main drag you might run into what appears to be the old, abandoned industrial side of this rural Wisconsin town. Among the vintage style buildings rests three old, brick tobacco factories.
“Forgotten Works” entrance shows its history as a tobacco company.
The “Forgotten Works” factory, also known as Driftless Books and Music
One of these factories (which has been lovingly renamed “The Forgotten Works” factory) hosts an eclectic used bookstore known as Driftless Books and Music. This brain-child of owner Eddy Nix invites visitors in with an engraved stone that hangs above the door. It reads “This is the entrance to the forgotten works. Be careful. You might get lost”.
Stone engraving that hangs above the door to Driftless Books and Music.
Storeowner Eddy Nix grew up in La Crosse, Wisconsin, just up the road from Viroqua. After graduation, he had the itch to travel and get out of town. So, he took the opportunity to travel to South Africa with a Rotary International program. In his own words, his experience “…was fascinating” (Nix, 2016). After the program, Eddy spent the next era of his life exploring Europe, South America, and “…places like that” (Nix, 2016). In the mid-‘90s, this world traveler had started to miss his home here in Wisconsin. He explains that all of his travels made him realize and appreciate the uniqueness and beauty that can only be found here in the Driftless region.
He began this new chapter in his life by opening a used bookstore in Viola, Wisconsin inside an old post office building. After a hail-Mary eBay search where he typed in “bunch of books,” Eddy came across an auction that was listed in the wrong category, simply titled “50,000 books.” He drove out to Connecticut and spent three months sorting through and packing up two semi-trucks full of books that were otherwise going to be thrown in the dump. When Eddy returned to Wisconsin. he began the process of unpacking and organizing.
He said “It literally took four or five years. It was like a giant Tetris game” (Nix, 2016). However, after flooding and tornadoes, Eddy knew he had to start looking for a new home for all his books.
Inside Driftless Books and Music
The perfect opportunity seemed to fall into this store owner’s lap. A local philanthropist, who was also a regular in the store, was in possession of an old tobacco warehouse that was not in use. In an article published by the Minnesota Skinny, Eddy explains that “This guy saw what we were doing. He gave it to me as a challenge to make this thing real” (Haataja, 2018). He believed in Eddy’s vision and pushed him to make it a reality. This was a true case of things just falling into place.
Sign announcing Viroqua historic district
When I visited the store this fall, I asked Eddy if he ever had a moment of “What did I get myself into?” to which he replied, “Plenty”. He said that he had a lot of questioning moments throughout his journey. Specifically, moving his business into the old tobacco warehouse became a thing of his nightmares. The building itself was old and challenging. The steam heating system was broken and did not function the way Eddy needed it to. He soon realized that he would go broke during the brutal Wisconsin winters just trying to keep the building comfortable.
So, Eddy improvised.
For the three coldest months, he closes the shop and gives himself a much-needed vacation while also giving himself some time to take books home to organize and catalog. Eddy explained that he has found through his experience that “What seems like a crisis can actually be an invitation”. He said that these moments gave him time to step back and reevaluate the situation before moving forward.
Some gardening books in search of a new home
I remember how, on my first visit to this unique place, I stepped underneath the engraved stone warning at the entrance and was instantly overwhelmed with a sense of nostalgia. The entrance hall is lined with bins of music records which all reminded me of an old shop in my hometown that my friends and I frequented in high school. But I wasn’t even in the bookstore yet. As I passed through a second door I felt that wave of past memories pull me down further. In front of me was a room, packed floor to ceiling with books. Hundreds of books. And in the middle of the room, a couch and table for guests to find a good read, take a seat, and become lost. From behind a stack of books a friendly face appeared and greeted me.
Books waiting sorting
Eddy Nix makes time to stop and welcome all who come
to The Forgotten Works with a happy “Hello” and a friendly smile. Whether he is
working on sorting through donated books, organizing and placing more titles
out on the floor, or busy packaging up pieces ever so gently in recycled brown
paper bags to be shipped to customers from his online business, he is never too
busy to offer his assistance. When I returned to Driftless Books and Music, I
watched as two ladies wandered in to be met with the same upbeat greeting that
I had.
More books!
One of the ladies happened to be holding what looked like a grocery list of books written on a folded post-it. The two women told us that they were just looking around, but more specifically were interested in checking out the romance novels. One of them mentioned a specific author which Eddy thought over for a minute before directing them to the romance section and saying that he thought he might have some, if not by that author, a few that were similar in the basement. He proceeded to the lowest level which housed just as many books as the main level and effortlessly found the shelf he was looking for. I watched with a sense of awe as he scooped up the books. In a building that holds over half a million books, it takes some crazy organization and memory to remember where certain titles are resting.
Still more books…
If you move further into the brick structure, you will
pass through yet another doorway into an even larger room with, you guessed it,
more books. If you don’t get lost among the tree covered hills and valleys of
the Driftless area, you will get lost in the maze of bookshelves at this hidden
gem.
I perused the shelves, unsure exactly what I was looking for, until I finally settled for the “self-help” section. The bookshelves were arranged to form small cubby areas with seating for visitors to use while looking for the perfect match. I started with the top shelf and skimmed for interesting titles. My hand worked its way across all of the bindings until I found myself sitting crisscross applesauce on the wooden floor.
Old books take you down memory lane.
I opened the cover of the first book that I had pulled out and set aside and felt myself going back in time. Back to the moment when I was much smaller and felt myself fall out of love with reading. My mom had brought me to a small used bookstore in Bismarck, North Dakota. By the time we left, I had a stack of new-old novels and a new spark for reading.
When I sat down to talk with Eddy about the bookstore and his journey, I could feel a real sense of love and appreciation for the store and all of the visitors who stopped by. He told me that he enjoys visiting and listening to the guests who just come to visit the old building because of its tobacco history. He explained that almost every week a guest comes with their family and a story about how their grandfather or other family worked in the building or were one of the farmers who would drop off their tobacco crop at the side door which is now kept open to help with circulation.
Eddy explained to me that the tobacco industry brought families together to work with one another which is something that is just not as common nowadays. I really could feel a sense of pride from Eddy that he gets to hear and be a part of those stories. I could tell that he appreciates that history and enjoys helping it to continue to live on.
A homey-feeling children’s reading area.
Another visitor entered the store with two boxes of
books that he wanted to donate. They were his grandmother’s who had recently
been moved into the nursing home. After the visitor left, Eddy sat down on one
of the couches to start sorting through the new treasure. The first book he
pulled out, no joke, was titled Say No to Nursing Homes.
We laughed and continued on. He found an old high school textbook which he set aside and explained that he was going to donate to a local high school that was looking for textbooks to use as props in an upcoming play. As he was paging through another book from the pile he found a folded grocery store ad that appeared to have been used as a bookmark some time ago. “Biblioscat” he called it.
Eddy said he feels as though he is “tending to a part of a person” when he goes through donations like this. While going through donations he has found signatures of loved ones who have passed, among other treasures that mean a lot to families. In one case, Eddy sent a book to the family of the author who did not have a copy for themselves. He told me that going through each box feel like “fulfilling a mission. It’s like a treasure hunt.”
Walking back towards the entrance
In addition to the sense of adventure, appreciation, and overall wonder, an underlying passion and message lays between the pages of this place. Every year, Eddy pointed out, “approximately 300 million books get thrown in landfills.”
Unwanted, these are used books that people just don’t know what to do with. These texts sit and take up even more space in our growing landfills. The way the printing industry is set up, books are published in mass production, way more than actually are purchased by individuals. Therefore, there is a surplus of books that bookstores often do not know what to do with and libraries do not have the capacity to take in. These books often simply get tossed out along with the other used books that individuals have read and don’t know what else to do with. Eddy explained that this is often an overlooked issue: if you think about it “some titles are going extinct as fast as species.”
Eddy has saved many books so their joy can be passed on to others.
Driftless Books and Music gives a home to these used books and functions as a place where people can save these titles for others to enjoy for years to come. Anyone can donate their used books to Eddy who will in exchange offer some in store credits or even sometimes cash.
This way, donors can then peruse the store in search of a new read. Unless the book has signs of mold, Eddy finds a place in the vast brick building to put the piece of work until it is rediscovered. In Eddy’s words, “Who am I to judge which books should be kept and which ones tossed?” He further explained that although a title might not be the kind of book that he would personally pick up for enjoyment, he finds it fascinating what each item in his store is worth to different people. Whether it be for the family history or just that they find that particular item meaningful.
One last look at the inside of Driftless Books and Music… until the next visit!
A more recent goal of Eddy’s is to help expand used
bookstore connections to help save the books from the landfill graveyard and to
encourage younger people to pursue this as a career option. He hopes to start a
co-op where used bookstores can network with each other and libraries to create
a much-needed support system. Eddy hopes he can use technology for his benefit
to help this network organize the titles they possess most effectively. He also
hopes it will help readers find the title that they are looking for easier.
Eddy said that he has always seen bookstores as this type of cultural intersection. They provide a social area that brings communities together in a supportive and safe environment. He explained that he hopes that this place leaves his visitors with a sense of ontological questioning or a feeling that just makes them pause and really think and reflect. Whether visitors stop by in pursuit of a specific title, to browse the shelves, or to reminisce on the history of the location, this attraction is guaranteed to be a memorable stop. As I traveled home through the Driftless hills, I couldn’t help but feel like the world could use a few more repurposed tobacco warehouses and a few more Eddys to lead them.
To read more about Eddy’s story and Driftless Books
and Music, check out the following articles and follow Driftless Books and
Music on Facebook using the links below:
Nix, E. (n.d.). “The guy who owned this old tobacco warehouse here in Viroqua, he just gave me the building. Just gave it to me.”. Retrieved September 25, 2019, from https://www.lovewi.com/eddy.
