05 Winnebago & Outagamie Counties

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=47 style=" border-bottom: 3px solid #FF9900;" BGCOLOR="#FFFF33" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>05 Winnebago & Outagamie Counties</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=162 style="border-right: 3px solid #FF9900;" BGCOLOR="#FFFF33" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Yellowstone Trail"><B><IMG SRC="30164140.png" border=0 width="100" height="20" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="wisguide0.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Wis Guide Home"><B>Wis Guide Home</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="guidewis00.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="How to use the guide/ legend."><B>How to and legend</B></A></div> <bR> <div> <B>By county:</B></div> <div> <A HREF="guidewis12.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="12 St Croix County "><B>12 St Croix</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="guidewis11.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="11 Dunn Eau Claire Counties"><B>11 Dunn & Eau Claire</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="guidewis10.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="10 Chippewa County"><B>10 Chippewa</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="guidewis09.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="09 Clark Marathon Counties"><B>09 Clark & Marathon</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="guidewis08.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="08 Wood County"><B>08 Wood</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="guidewis07.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="07 Portage County"><B>07 Portage</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="guidewis06.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="06 Waupaca County"><B>06 Waupaca </B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="guidewis05.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="05 Winnebago Outagamie Counties"><B>05-Winnebago & Outagamie</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="guidewis04.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="04 Fond du Lac DodgeCounties"><B>04-Fond du Lac & Dodge</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="guidewis03.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="03 Washington Waukesha Counties"><B>03 Washington/</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="guidewis03.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="03 Washington Waukesha Counties"><B>Waukesha</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="guidewis02.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="02MilwaukeeCounty"><B>02-Milwaukee</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="guidewis01.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="01 Kenosha Racine Counties"><B>01 Kenosha & Racine</B></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=433 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="06100c00egerdp.jpg"> <div> <B>Please scroll down for draft text. </B></div> <div> <B><IMG SRC="370c3570.jpg" border=0 width="707" height="855" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> Outagamie & Winnebago Counties</div> <bR> <div> <B>M255.5 </B> <B>Waupaca/Outagamie County Line</B></div> <div> <B>M258.5 Dale </B></div> <div> <B>M260.5 Medina </B></div> <div> <B>M264.5 </B>At this intersection the original 1915-1919 route of the YT ran south on <B>Julius Road </B>and the 1919-1923 route ran east on Wis 96.  The present day traveler on the Yellowstone Trail will probably chose to follow the 1919-1923 route through Appleton.  Therefore separate mileage markers, beginning with “A” rather than “M” are used to mark that route, leaving the “M”s for the original route.</div> <bR> <div> You’ve got to see this! At this corner <B>(M264.5)</B> there is a sort of shrine to the Yellowstone Trail. Steve Nagy and energetic friends built the rock garden in 2007. Look around. You will see an avenue of new trees running south on Julius Road for two miles and then you will see another large yellow rock. Quite a landscaping job in honor of the Trail!  Even if you are following the 1919-1923 route take time to drive the two miles on Julius Road.</div> <bR> <div> <B>A270.0</B>  Along College Ave, note the variety of exciting restaurants from a coffee haus to Mexican to Italian, etc. Go at noon; they’re cheaper then. But do look at the buildings themselves. Most of them were there, gazing down at the Trail and its Tin Lizzy traffic 1915-1930.</div> <bR> <div> <B>A270.2 </B> Corner of College Ave. and Appleton St. Houdini Plaza. This site is said to be where Harry Houdini lived as a child.</div> <div> <B>A270.3 Appleton</B> <I>The capital of Outagamie County, is pleasantly situated on a plateau about 70 feet above the Fox River. It is the seat of Lawrence University and the Appleton Collegiate Institute. Several natural ravines and its splendid parks and drives add to the attractions of the city. Appleton is said to have been one of the first cities in the world to have an electric railway and to use electricity for lighting purposes. It was in the early days a camping ground for the Indians and much Indian tradition is connected with the vicinity. Among the thriving manufacturing plants of which the city boasts are some of the largest paper mills in the country.</I>BB1917V5</div> <bR> <div> Edna Ferber, author, and Pulitzer Prize winner for<I> So Big </I>was from Appleton<I>.</I>  She also wrote<I> Show Boat</I>, and <I>Giant</I> which was also made into a movie with Elizabeth Taylor, Rock Hudson and James Dean (his last movie). Wausau’s Charlie Winniger starred in the 1927 Broadway production of Show Boat as Capt’n Andy.</div> <bR> <div> <B>A271.0</B> Intersection of S Oneida St. and S. Olde Oneida St. From here explore Olde Oneida St., the route of the YT, which now dead ends to the north. Find a draw bridge at the Fox Canal with benches among the greenery. This might be a base from which to explore the Paper Discovery Center and the Hearthstone House.  See Appleton Wayside.</div> <div> <B>A271.8 </B> <B>Winnebago/Outagamie County Line</B></div> <div> <B>A272.6 </B>Intersection of the 1915-1922 route from the west on Valley Rd and the 1922-c1924 route from the south on Appleton Rd.</div> <div> <B>A276.0</B> Intersection of the 1915-1922 route from the north on Racine St. and the 1922-c1924 route from the west on 3rd St.</div> <bR> <div> <B>A276.7 Menasha</B> </div> <div> <I> Tayco St. Bridge Tower Museum.</I>.<I> BB (1925)</I></div> <div> Tayco St. Bridge Tower Museum (even though the bridge is on Washington St.). Probably the smallest museum in Wisconsin, it has two levels of exhibits about the significance of the bridge and the transportation systems that developed Menasha and other Fox River communities. (We have visited it several times and never found it open.)</div> <bR> <div> <B>M273.2-A280.1</B> (See map.)  The route of the YT during 1922-c.1924.</div> <div> <B>M277.6  Neenah  </B><I>Queen Ice Cream Parlor on Main Route.BB (1920); Valley Inn (on Lake Winnebago and Fox Rivers) BB(1920 & 1923)</I>   Intersection of the 1922-c1924 route to the southwest on Commercial and Wis 114 and the 1919-1922 route southeast on Wisconsin.</div> <div> <B>A286.1 – A287.7</B> The YT generally followed what became Co. A is this area, but for this stretch Co. A does not follow the twists and turns the YT followed through the grounds of the Northern Asylum for the Insane, begun in 1873.  It is now known as the Winnebago State Health Institute and one building is dedicated to <B>The Julaine Farrow Museum</B> at the Mental Hospital. This may be a surprise. A museum in a mental hospital? you say. The museum chronicles the contributions of the early pioneers of the mentally ill. It is dedicated to Julaine Farrow, a nurse at the hospital for 36 years and author of a history of the state hospital.</div> <bR> <div> <B>A290.4 /M282.0</B> Intersection of the 1915-1919 &1922-c1924 routes with the 1919-1922 route.</div> <div> <B>M283.0 </B>Intersection of the 1924-1930 route (Algoma Blvd.) and 1915-c1924 routes (Main St.)  The present day northbound traveler on the Yellowstone Trail will probably chose to follow the 1919-1923 route through Appleton.  Therefore separate mileage markers, beginning with “A” rather than “M” are used to mark the original route.</div> <bR> <div> <B>M282.0/A292.8 </B></div> <div> M----Opera House Square 300 block of North Main St. (YT). An ideal place for a picnic on this lush. green grass, or park bench. See the 30-foot obelisk and sundial and Oshkosh history etched in granite. Free live music and movies in summer.</div> <bR> <div> <B>M----Oshkosh</B> - Home of Oshkosh B’ Gosh overalls.</div> <div> <I>Manufacturing distribution point surrounded by farming and dairy.  Alma’s Restaurant on Wangoo St. serves excellent meals. Oshkosh Camp, 50¢.  Athearn Hotel is best. Krueger Automotive. Winnebago Auto Co., Fords stored 40¢ per night, others 75¢.  MH; English Kitchen on Main St.  Mrs. Woods Tea Room, 15 Algoma.  BB(1920)</I>   Oshkosh was the site of two important state meetings of the Yellowstone Trail Association.  Oshkosh  was a loyal supporter of the YTA over the 15 years the Trail Association was active in Wisconsin.</div> <div> Following the 1924-1930 route of the YT for a few blocks to the northwest on Algoma avenue take you to three interesting sites:</div> <div> <B>Paine Art Center and Gardens</B>. 1410 Algoma Blvd. The Paine is a 1920s mansion looking like an “American Castle.” It has historic interiors, changing art exhibits, hands-on activities for children, and paintings. Go in the summer when the gorgeous gardens are in bloom. The whole place is an inspiring experience.  <B>Oshkosh Public Museum</B>. 1331 Algoma Blvd. Interesting changing exhibits. A recent one was “Lincoln and the Czar.”  <B>University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh</B> 800 Algoma Blvd.</div> <bR> <div> <B>M 284.8 - M283.9 </B>For some reason the YT did not, or could not?, use Main St. here and followed the parallel Doty St. Today’s traveler is rewarded by a chance to stop at a delightful old fashioned drive-in, probably from the 1950s at the south end. It is not of the YT era, but will bring back memories to today’s drivers.</div> <bR> <div> <B>M286.8</B>  The old Kurt Graf bridge just a couple of dozen feet west of Wis 45 on W. Ripple Ave. carried YT’s transcontinental traffic. Today it carries golfers to the Oshkosh County Club.</div> <div> <B>M288.0 </B>Intersection of the 1915-1919 route, US 45, and the 1919-1930 route, Co. R.  If traveling south you must choose either the older route with views of the lake, some interesting old lakeside cabins just north of the county line, and a nice lakeside park, or the original route through Van Dyne.  While Co. R, Co. RP in Fond du Lac County, (was Wis 175) follows a newer overpass across the tracks south of Van Dyne, the YT route can be followed by using Viaduct Road between the south end of the overpass (at Lincoln Road) and the intersection of Co RP and Viaduct Road in town.  Also of interest is an old filling station building.  An older overpass was build in the mid-1930s as a WPA project to avoid one more rail crossing.</div> <bR> <div> <B>M292.9 Winnebago/Fond du Lac County Line</B></div> <bR> <div> Appleton Wayside</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#B07050" FACE="Arial" ><B>Code 1</B></FONT><B>  Outagamie Historical Society </B>or “The History Museum at the Castle” 330 E. College Ave. in a Norman Revival style 1924 Masonic Temple. The main attraction is the Appleton-native Harry Houdini exhibit with hands-on activities. It also has displays about Appleton’s heritage. Open all year.  Look across the street:  Lawrence University - ready for a pleasant exploratory stroll!</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#B07050" FACE="Arial" ><B>Code 1</B></FONT><B> Hearthstone Historic House Museum</B>, corner of Memorial and Prospect, 625 W. Prospect. Built 1882. On the National Register of Historic Places. It was the first residence in the world to be lighted by a centrally located hydroelectric station using the Edison system. The beautiful home has stained glass windows and precious antiques. Its original light switches and electroliers still operate. Open all year except Jan. 20 - Feb. 19. A really good destination.</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#B07050" FACE="Arial" ><B>Code 1 </B></FONT><B> Hydroelectric Plant.</B> Vulcan St. In 1882 a group purchased two Edison “K” dynamos designed to be driven by water. The Vulcan St. plant began operation with a direct current generator that lighted 250 sixteen power lamps, each equivalent to 50 watts. A water wheel operating under a ten foot fall of water provided the power to the generator that operated at 110 volts. This was the first hydroelectric plant. </div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#B07050" FACE="Arial" ><B>Code 1 </B></FONT><B> Paper Discovery Center.</B> 425 W. Water St.. The paper industry looms large in the Fox Valley. Home to the Paper Industry Hall of Fame. Enjoy a hands-on experience. Make your own paper to take home. Learn about the future of paper and tree cloning. A pleasant and informative place.</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#B07050" FACE="Arial" >Code 1</FONT>  <B>Picture This Gallery and Studio.</B> 2631 N  Meade St., Suite #102. Thomas Sutter has gathered antique cameras which are on display along with historic photo equipment in his law office. There is a Yellowstone Room featuring photographs, books and memorabilia of Yellowstone National Park with information highlighted regarding the Yellowstone Trail.</div> <div> He hosts evening speakers four or five times a year who speak about photographic and historic topics. Call 991-0405 during business hours or 739-0480 to find opening hours. It is really elegant.     </div> <bR> <div> Neenah Wayside</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#B07050" FACE="Arial" ><B>Code 1</B></FONT><B> The Octagon House </B>houses the Neenah Historical Society. 336 Main Street. Built in 1856. Has unusual 8-sides. During this time octagon houses were built with the belief that that shape was more healthful. Call for hours (920) 729-0244.</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#B07050" FACE="Arial" ><B>Code 2</B></FONT><B>  Bergstrom-Mahler Museum.</B> 165 N.Park St. Housed in a vintage mansion on Lake Winnebago, this museum has a large Germanic glass display and the world’s largest glass paperweight collection. Open daily.</div> <bR> <div> Oshkosh Wayside</div> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#B07050" FACE="Arial" ><B>Code 1</B></FONT><B>  Experimental Aircraft Association</B>. 3000 Poberezny Road. Cite of the EAA Airventure Museum, kid-friendly KidVenture Gallery, Pioneer Airport, and EAA Airventure Convention. The Convention is the world’s largest sport aviation event, drawing over10,000 thousand planes and over 600,000 enthusiasts every August.</div> <bR> <div> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#B07050" FACE="Arial" ><B>Code 3</B></FONT><B>  Wiouwash Trail</B> is a bicycling/hiking trail that goes through four counties: Winnebago, Outagamie, Waupaca and Shawano. The portion in Winnebago County is 16 miles long with small towns along the way. You can join the trail in northern Oshkosh at Fernau Ave. near Sunset Point.</div> <bR> <div> Driving Instruction</div> <div> As you can see, the YT was rerouted several times in this area.  It is apparent that the primary reason for most reroutings was to take advantage of the new, paved, auto routes being created by the State of Wisconsin during that period.  The 1924-1930 route was clearly motivated by creation of that new road as part of the statewide effort to concrete the entire YT route during the 1920s.  Recently, the upgrading and rerouting of US 10 and US 45 has made parts of the YT harder to find and follow. Specifically, US 45 now overlays miles of the old YT. Yet the 1924-1930 route is still interesting.  For instance, Winchester, and at the corner of Co. II and Steeple Hill Drive (YT) is an  old garage/repair shop obviously used for other purposes through the years. It has signs reading “B’Gosh it’s Good” and “Chief Oshkosh Beer since 1864.”</div> <bR> <div> A bit off-beat is the Larsen Brothers Airport, just off YT, 1.3 miles east of Winchester on county road II.  Built in 1922, it is the oldest airport in Wisconsin and is marked with an historic plaque. Built by 4 brothers upon the insistence of their father. The boys became pilots and mechanics; they gave lessons and did stunt flying at fairs and local events.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> The reason for moving the YT to go directly through Neenah, Menasha, and Appleton was probably a bit more commercial. While the development of the YT was part of the Good Roads Movement it was also supported then, as today, as an economic development effort. “Enjoy our city and eat, sleep, and fix your car at our good businesses.” </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>