Thursday, March 31, 2011

Springfield Inn, Springfield Corners WI

There is a dance hall in the back that is still used for parties.  The front was a grocery store.  I even use to bartend here when I lived in the area.  Lots of fun memories...although not the most picturesque place, good people more than make up for that.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Frank Lloyd Wright

From this view Mamah (under tree on the left) was able to be near FLW (where the tall stone is in middle of picture).  Of course that was before his last wife took his body to Arizona!
Martha "Mamah" Borthwick (June 19, 1869 - August 15, 1914) is primarily noted for her relationship with Frank Lloyd Wright, which ended when she was murdered.

Borthwick earned her BA at the University of Michigan in 1892.[1] She later worked as a librarian in Port Huron, Michigan. In 1899, Borthwick married Edwin Cheney, an electrical engineer from Oak Park, Illinois, USA. They had two children: John (1902) and Martha (1905).

Mamah met Wright's wife, Catherine, through a social club. Soon after, Edwin commissioned Wright to design them a home, now known as the Edwin H. Cheney House, and, as of 2005[update], housing a bed & breakfast.

In 1909, Mamah (now formally known as Martha Borthwick Cheney, although she stopped using her husband's name after they divorced in 1911) and Wright chose to leave their respective spouses and travel to Europe. Upon returning from Europe, most people in their previous social circle considered their open closeness to be rather scandalous, especially since Catherine had refused to agree to a divorce (and wouldn't until 1922). The editor of the local newspaper in Spring Green, Wisconsin condemned Wright for bringing scandal to the village; even big city Chicago papers joined in the criticism, implying Wright would soon be arrested for immorality, despite statements from the local sheriff that he couldn't prove the couple was doing anything wrong. The scandal affected Wright's career for several years. He didn't receive his next major commission, the Imperial Hotel, until 1916.

In 1911, Borthwick began translating the works of the noted Swedish feminist thinker and writer Ellen Key.

On August 15, 1914, one of Wright's recently hired domestic workers, Julian Carlton, murdered Mamah, her two children, three of Wright's associates, and a son of one of the associates.[2] Carlton set fire to one wing of Wright's house, Taliesin, and then he hacked the seven people with an ax while it burned. At the time, Wright was overseeing work on Midway Gardens in Chicago, Illinois.

A detailed nonfiction account of the tragedy at Taliesin is provided in Death in a Prairie House: Frank Lloyd Wright and the Taliesin Murders by William R. Drennan.

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Diggin for Clams

No not in Wisconsin!  This is one of my favorite pics of my oldest son digging for clams at Clam Gulch, Alaska.  Just felt like sharing.  

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Building A Silo in the Good Ole Days

The whole family helped with this.  Notice the children...including my grandfather sitting on top of the silo, without any safety measures!  Things have sure changed.

Monday, March 14, 2011

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Pleasant Ridge Store



A Wonderful place to Hang Out on a warm Sunday Afternoon. Music is always in the air!  The area also has a great cheese factory

Friday, March 11, 2011

Fennimore Wisconsin and Rural Route 1 Popcorn

                 Fennimore is a beautiful little town.  And it has a great place to buy any kind of popcorn you can imagine!

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Another View of the Dam near Muscoda

The floods of 2009 broke the dam, and it now looks like this.  Pretty sad after all the years it roared!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Effigy Mounds

A view of the Mississippi River from Effigy Mounds State Park

One of many mounds in the park.  Effigy mounds appear all around western Wisconsin.

Friday, March 4, 2011

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

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