Small Towns – Adventures in Driftlessness

The Dickeyville Grotto

Grotto front solstice — 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.”
Peyton Smith, Grottos of the Midwest: Religion and Patriotism in Stone

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.

Mother Mary — 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.

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.

Tell us about your favorite place in the Driftless Region!

New Glarus Oktoberfest

Editor’s Note: Yes, we know October, and fall generally, are long gone. But we still enjoy a good beer and a memory, and loved this story by local writer Justice Hendrick! Maybe you can road trip to New Glarus next fall…

Autumn. The leaves turn to tumbling amber, covering the greyish-brown landscapes with the last inklings of light and color as the winds speak in a restrained whisper with chilly tones, announcing the coming winter. One can only balk at the prospect of another chilly Wisconsin winter and pray it takes its time to arrive, but what’s the point in worrying over the inevitable when you could pass the time having fun with friends and family?

These good times are guaranteed at the annual Oktoberfest festival in rural New Glarus, Wisconsin. This festival leads attendees through a traditional Bavarian celebration of marriage, specifically the marriage of Prince Ludwig I of Bavaria and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen (say that five times fast!) in 1810. What else could there be to do with such a joyous occasion but to participate in a merry mixture of song, drink, and dance? Despite the inevitable changes that have occurred since, the original celebration’s main features have stayed true over two centuries onward. There’s something to find for everyone, even if it’s as simple as sitting in the festival tent with friends all day, listening to music, and enjoying yourselves as the tent keeps out the weather.

Oktoberfest1 — Walking into downtown where the festival was held. I was shocked by how beautiful their downtown is!

A rural village founded by Swiss immigrants in 1845, New Glarus predates the statehood of Wisconsin itself by three years. The village has ever since prospered by continuing the traditions of its sister city and mother country, acting as a little slice of Glarus, Switzerland to those who would choose to stay a while. This emphasis on history and tradition has also translated into the design of the village, its downtown a gorgeous display of 1800s Swiss architecture that left me feeling immersed in the rustic feel of the setting as the festival ran its course. Even if you’re not an architecture buff, there’s still a lot to appreciate there, and I’d argue the village is worth visiting any time of the year just to walk through the downtown area, but we’re talking Oktoberfest here. What do they have to offer?

Standing far above the downtown is a massive cathedral, completing the appearance of a booming 19^th century city.

You won’t have to worry about packing a picnic lunch or bothering with cold cuts for your outing here: local food vendors are at the ready to provide anything from brats to homemade grandma-style pizza, massive Bavarian soft pretzels and more. Most of it is just festival food, but there are some definite standouts you’re absolutely going to want to try. Apple brats are absolutely recommended. They’re grilled over a bed of – you guessed it – apples and absorb a lot of the tangy flavor as a result. Nothing really compares to that flavor, and it’s something I’ve truly never seen offered at a festival before, especially with the vendor’s impressive selection of toppings that included 50 different kinds of mustard. If you ever wanted to try mittlescharfer, a spicy brown mustard popular in Germany, or some other variety you’ve never heard of or tried before, now’s your chance.

Some of the better dressed King and Queen’s Contest contestants. I love their outfits!

The band — The local Bavarian band that plays the festival every year. What they play has kind of a funky beat if you’re from the 1800s I guess

Events are numerous and run throughout the entire weekend. If you’re feeling bold, you can strap on your lederhosen and participate in the king and queen contest, where the best dressed attendees receive prizes and recognition for their dedication to the celebration. You can also take a comfortable tour around the village as horse-drawn carriage rides run Saturday and Sunday, free for attendees of the festival. For those rough and tumble types who love to see a good brawl, an internationally recognized tug of war goes on all of Saturday, with members hailing from all corners of the earth coming in to compete. There are many others, but my personal favorite event had to be the live music playing all day in the festival tent. In the late morning they began with some traditional Oktoberfest tunes, and transitioned over time to local Wisconsin folk and country bands. Normally I’d skip over this kind of music, but with how immersed I felt in the festival, I was happy to just let it play on.

Taking place in the heart of downtown New Glarus, you can also enjoy the best of mom and pop shopping as local businesses open their doors to attendees. From antiques to artisan cheese, there’s a shop in New Glarus’ downtown that’s sure to have what you’re looking for. In my opinion, the highlights worth seeing include anything that shares some touch of local flavor, such as the legendary Edelweiss Cheese Shop or Maple Leaf Cheese & Chocolate Haus. These stores pride themselves on selling the best in local flavors when it comes to their wine and cheese. I feel like these businesses really show a lot of pride in what Wisconsin has to offer, even Hook’s cheese, an award winner that’s made in my hometown of Mineral Point, Wisconsin. When you’re not enjoying the festivities or shopping, feel free to take a load off and enjoy an ice cold brew in the festival tent, hailing from the village’s own New Glarus Brewery. Their traditional Octoberfest Staghorn bräu is made in the spirit of this celebration, and like its namesake features a strong amber body and spiced tones to fit the turning of the seasons. If that’s not your particular flavor, don’t worry: the brewery also features most beers from their main lineup at the event. You won’t know unless you try it, of course, but I will absolutely recommend their Spotted Cow, a farmhouse ale meeting with these orange notes that really add a lot of character and flavor when they’re included.

Stein — My dad’s friend Jeff having a pint in one of the steins they sell at the festival. What an authentic way to experience it!

For those curious to see where it’s made, the New Glarus Brewery is only a couple of miles away on WI-69 S, tucked into the lovely countryside the village is surrounded by.

Nearby, you can visit the New Glarus brewery, and “drink indigenous.”

Here, you can take a free walking tour of their brewing facility, from the original fermentation to processing, bottling, canning, and more. It’s certainly something else when the machinery is all in motion, and a sight to behold. Turning away from the technical side, the beer garden is lovely to look at, with architecture that combines the gorgeous landscapes mentioned before with the still-standing walls of the old village ruins converted into areas for people to drink and be merry. Tastings run throughout the day, and if you buy a beer ticket, they’ll pour yours into a glass you get to keep when you’re finished, printed with the brewing company’s logo. On the way out, you can visit the bottling center and create your own 4 or 6 pack of any of the beers that the brewery is currently busy working on. I myself grabbed a mixture of their basic brews, but they also offer specialty brews that are hard to find anywhere else, such as the Spotted Cow (Grand Cru), an even smoother version of Spotted Cow with a more noticeable orange flavor. For anyone who loves the craft brewing scene and wants to get a look at how it’s made, it’s definitely worth taking some time out of your day out and giving it a look.

This clocktower stands proudly above the brewery’s beer garden

When it’s all said and done, I’d overwhelmingly recommend New Glarus’s Oktoberfest as one of the best festivals to attend in southern Wisconsin. The touches of personal flavor that the village provides all add to the experience feeling like more than just an excuse to get sloshed with friends and family. From its architecture to events to food and drink, the festival feels like it encompasses (for the most part) the experience one would have if they were celebrating somewhere in the Swiss countryside. No matter what day you choose to attend, there’s surely something to keep you occupied, from the tapping of the first keg to the closing ceremonies.

The Potosi Brewery

Wisconsin is known for beer. Part of what makes our beer so great is the expertise of the brewers who came here, but, as those brewers have said in many places, another reason is the purity of the water and the way its filtered through the unique geography of the area. It also doesn’t hurt that the same properties that make the area’s rolling hills also make it easy to store and chill beer barrels in the many caves throughout the area.

We have breweries all over, but there is one that really stands out as a pillar of the community its a part of: the Potosi Brewery. that is, unless you don’t find brewing for charity, town-wide taste testing, or beer raining from the sky terribly interesting! If you’re like most Wisconsinites, I know you’ll enjoy Potosi Wisconsin and their brewery.

The brewery began in 1852 by Gabriel Hail Sr. and his sons, Gabriel Jr. and John. Though they were brewing in 1852 they didn’t have an actual brewery building until 1854 when they had one built. Potosi was a perfect place to start a brewery back before refrigerators and modern transportation for several reasons. The building was built with direct access to the inside of a cave that was naturally around 46 degrees. It was a perfect place to store the beer. Potosi also has a stream of spring water that they could use for brewing. They stopped using the spring water several years ago and then they switched back and people have said that the beer is crisper and more flavorful. In addition to all of those amenities for brewing, Potosi is also very close to the Mississippi River which allowed them to ship their beer easier back when the brewery was starting up thanks to the Potosi steamboat.

World's largest beer — The “world’s largest beer” in Potosi, Wisconsin, located across the street from the pavilion in the preceding photo.

The brewery changed owners around 1882, it was then bought by Adam Schumacher in 1886 and exploded in popularity due to his skills in brewing German lager and it officially became “The Potosi Brewing Company”. The brewery went through prohibition, and then some growth and changes until sadly in 1972 they closed their doors. That wasn’t the end however, in 2008 they reopened their doors thanks to the hard work and dedication of the citizens and now it stands as a major tourist attraction and home to the “National Beer Museum”. They also donate their proceeds to charities such as a Platteville scholarship fund, local boy scout troops, and other organizations.

A photo of my father and I before the tour started. Photo by Lauren McMicking.

One weekend this fall, I decided to invest a mere $13 to take a tour. As soon as my father heard about it I was obligated to bring him along! Then my brother heard and encouraged his girlfriend to also come with so he could have the house to himself and enjoy his new video game without interruption. So then, after having paid for both of them and myself, we set off. Lauren brought her camera and my father brought his winning smile.

Tours are every weekend and include a look at the production facility, town history, and most importantly…free beer. For the responsible adults there was a fine selection of craft beers to choose from and you could responsibly sample a few. However of course, we were irresponsible adults with no need to be anywhere for the rest of the day so we decided before we even got there that we would try everything we could see. Then we were given a free pint of whatever we wanted to take with us on the tour and they shoved us on the tour so we wouldn’t drink them dry.

Potosi’s long history meant there were plenty of fun and interesting facts. For instance, in 2007 before they reopened, they had a small but important problem. The facilities had burned down and the recipes were lost. So, the town bravely banded together and drank from batch after batch until they had settled on what they believed was the original recipe. The beer in question is called “Good Old Potosi”, which is described as “a Golden Ale with a delicate malt flavor and sweet finish. Light in body, full in flavor.”. In my opinion it’s a fairly boring beer but it tastes just like an old beer should. One of my favorites was the Steamboat Lemon Shanty which has a light color and crispy lemon flavoring.

We also learned that it wasn’t always a cake walk working in the brewery. They used to have a pipe to send the beer from the production facility to the bottling facility (both original facilities are now re-purposed for other things) and this pipe spanned over the street. However, the beer sometimes had trouble staying in the pipe. When semis rolled through town they would hit the pipe and cause it to burst, sending a shower of beer down on the town.

There’s a lot more to Potosi than just beer. There’s beautiful scenery, great people, and …. there’s wine.

A painting by a Kingfisher by Wes Hilmick.

They’re also home to the Whispering Bluffs Winery. The winery is located in what used to be the bottling plant of the old brewery before it was renovated and reopened. All their wines are made in Wisconsin, from Wisconsin grapes. All the wines are inspired by local birds. The painting on the left is the same as the picture on the bottle of wine. The painting itself was done by the owner of the winery, Wes Hilmick.

Just down the hall from winery is a woodworking shop called Bright Idea. The shop is also located in the old bottling plant. Lining the walls of the hallway between are framed articles of the local paper that tell the history of the brewery. Bright Idea is owned and operated by a father and son carpentry team, Gary and Tyler David. They sell tables, candle holders, and other beautiful work that they hand crafted themselves. They own their own sawmill and harvest all of their lumber locally. Bright Idea has a website, as well as Facebook and Instagram where they promote and sell their products as well as tell their interesting, Wisconsin grown, story.

Kingfisher wine, featuring the same painting by Wes Hilmick

Potosi is home to a brilliant brewery, winery, and a carpentry shop. In my opinion, a small town doesn’t get much better than that. They have a fun tour of the brewery where you have plenty of chances to try their specialty beers. Then you can enjoy wonderful food at the attached restaurant. The bottom line is, if you’re looking for something fun to do in Southwest Wisconsin Potosi is the place to be and best of all it’s all local, local ingredients, owners, products, and it helps Wisconsin thrive. Schedule tours or look at the craft beers here at the Potosi Website.

The City of Presidents!

Experience the grandeur and prestige of Cuba City’s heritage

Lincoln sign — Along Cuba City’s main drag, one sees silhouettes of every U.S. President. The red, white and blue shields also include the state that person was born in, the years he served, and the which “number” President he was.

In the deep north of America’s bread basket lies a tiny town of about 2000 people called Cuba City, Wisconsin. The town is nestled snugly between the bustling and collegiate Platteville metropolitan area (pop. 11,000) and a cluster of even smaller towns like Hazel Green, WI (pop. 1256) to the south and Dickeyville, WI (pop. 1060) to the west. The town is fundamentally a strip of road lined with businesses which are surrounded on both sides by a grid of single story houses that stretches for a half mile outward in all directions.

Cuba City Welcome Sign — Cuba City’s welcome sign

Along this strip of Highway 80, one immediately notices the signs with silhouettes of U.S. Presidents: all of the U.S. Presidents. One may also soon see the focal point of this, the main strip of Cuba City’s main street: a tourist attraction called the “Presidential Courtyard,” a monument to the city’s nickname, “The City of Presidents.” Cuba City is a time capsule of small town America filled with relics from the Cold War age of patriotism.

Presidential Courtyard rock — Part way through the main strip, you’ll see this rock marking the “Presidential Courtyard,” or the related red caboose pictured below. Photo by Jacob “Vinny” Klang.

Questions about the naming of Cuba City are so common that many shops have hung signs explaining how the city got its name. Every store, retailer, and restaurant has these signs which are written by the city, perhaps to help visitors get more confused.

Cuba City History Questions Sign — Some storeowners have put up signs to let visitors know how Cuba City became known as the “City of Presidents.” Photo by Jacob “Vinny” Klang.

Around town there is a theory regarding the evolution of the town’s name: the town was originally “Yuba City” but since there was already a “Yuba” in Richland county, “Cuba” was chosen as an alternative.

How did “Cuba City” then become the “City of Presidents”? Let’s start there and work our way backwards to the presidential signs.

The official title was chosen in 1993 when the city’s common council changed the slogan from the “Parade of Presidents” by popular vote. But the patriotic naming scheme started in 1975 when the village was preparing to celebrate the United States Bicentennial Anniversary. The titular parade referred to plywood sigils featuring those silhouettes of every American president referred to earlier, which were and are still hung on every lamp-post along Cuba City’s main street. The sigils have since been replaced with durable weather proof plastic, and joined by the “Presidential Courtyard” near the center of the strip, one I’ll talk more about in a moment.

*Presidential Caboose sits in the Presidential Court yard. Grant County, Wisconsin (where Cuba City is located) is named after President Ulysses S. Grant.*

All of those signs seem like a lot of work for the 1976 Bicentennial Celebration, especially for a town of 2000 people. One theory about why the town leaned into such heavy participation in the bicentennial was that they wanted to ward off any suspected affiliation with communist Cuba. At that time in global politics, Cuba was a bastion of socialist thought and was the source of a much anxiety in the American consciousness (and had been so since the Bay of Pigs in the early 1960s.). Having this unpatriotic tie to Cuba would not have been good for the city’s tourism so they may have doubled-down and made a very American tourist attraction to counteract this association.

Is this true? One retired history professor commented that she had also heard this speculation, as had the editor of this blog. But neither could link it to documentary evidence, so a speculation it remains. In any case, since the original presidential signs in the 1970s, the idea has taken on a life of its own.

Since then, the Presidential Courtyard has been built upon a patch of grass along Main Street where the sigils ended. But of course more presidents have been added to the parade since the late seventies so the courtyard is now about two-thirds down the street.

The best and easiest way to experience the displays is to drive into town and park along the main street near the edge of town where you can casually walk the stretch of road at your own pace. There are benches to rest on along the way and plenty of shops and bars to sit or get distracted in. If you’re worried about parking on a busy street you can park in the residential neighborhoods for the same effect (remember to note what street you’re on so you can find your way back later). For the travelers short on time there is also a free and public parking lot at the Presidential Courtyard itself.

By the time you’ve soaked in the sights, sounds, and smells of the flowers you’ll find yourself back at the “Presidential Courtyard.” This courtyard was assembled from scratch in 2006 as an addition to the Parade of Presidents and it contains a bright red train caboose, several potted plants, informative signs, and a stray cat with a tuxedo pattern on its fur.

As you enter the courtyard from the front you will notice a large refurbished clock hanging above you like it has hung over Cuba City since its construction. Inside the clock is a time capsule made by the Cuba City high school and is scheduled to be opened on the 50th anniversary of the courtyard’s construction in 2056.

The train caboose is a refurbished and well maintained train car. Along with the portrait of Ulysses S. Grant, one sees a variety of informational signs. Next to the train on the same track is a utility cart with a display of railroad tools. Opposite the track is a gazebo optimized for family picnics and a few benches, all of which have more signs for visitors to learn from.

The caboose acts a mini-museum of presidential history. Also, one of the presidential sigils hangs here in the corner instead of on the street: the one with a silhouette of George W. Bush, the only U.S. president to actually visit Cuba City. President Bush signed it when he visited in October of 2004.

A leading figure in Cuba City, Joe Goeman, explained that it was “one of the biggest things to happen to Cuba City [when] the president came to visit. Of course, that didn’t happen by itself. We had people write to the presidents for several years until finally it happened.”

bush sigil — George W. Bush presidential sigil replica housed in Presidential Courtyard Caboose signed by former president George W. Bush. Photo by Jacob “Vinny” Klang.

The rest of the caboose has displays of memorabilia from presidential campaigns and other Americana. The caboose is open to the public on Saturdays between Labor Day and Memorial Day and also on the third Wednesday of every month or by appointment.

Behind the caboose is a smaller car called a “Speeder Car” which has a tray of tools hitched to the back. The speeder car adds depth to the train display by showing the variety of tools needed to build and maintain a train network and implying the hard work and skill needed for America to have such powerful industry. Opposite the speeder car is a milk trolley with a trio of vintage milk canisters on one side. The milk trolley has plenty of room for visitors to climb up on and take photos as a family. The milk trolley is included as part of Wisconsin’s history of milk processing.

The tool cart outside of the Presidential Courtyard. Photo by Jacob “Vinny” Klang.

This location is a fun place to visit firstly as a relic of 1970’s patriotism, secondly as a testament to Cuba City’s talent of maintaining public works projects, thirdly as a unique slice of Midwestern culture, and lastly as a unique place to discover by oneself or as a group of domestic explorers.