WXPR A Northwoods Moment In History

It wasn't all that long ago that seeing a bear in Northern Wisconsin wasn't just a wilderness encounter. It was a roadside attraction.

What began as a whimsical marketing campaign by the Rhinelander Chamber of Commerce transformed into a memorable community celebration of local culture.

The Northwoods is no stranger to winter weather, and ice storms have historically been among the most destructive. But even by Wisconsin standards, the most recent ice storm that slammed northern Wisconsin March 29th and 30th, 2025 was one for the books.

In the heart of Wisconsin's Northwoods, Lelah Starks tilled out a legacy that would shape the potato industry for generations. A woman ahead of her time, Starks became one of the most respected seed potato growers in the country, blending science with practical farming expertise.

Among storied Northwoods doctors are names like Torpy, Pelham-Newcomb, Sheik, and Cline. But one Rhinelander doctor worked diligently to usher in a new age of medicine during his five decades of practice, Dr. Warner S. Bump.

Winter weather records are a fascinating thing to explore, from the longest stretches with snow on the ground to the heaviest snowfalls in a single season or day. Digging into the record books is a chance to relive the power of winter, and today, we're taking a look at some of Rhinelander's most memorable winter weather events.

On Friday, March 12, 1920, the Rhinelander Woman's Club gathered at the Teachers Training College in the old Oneida County Courthouse for a special “mock election.” This wasn't just a simple exercise—it was the final exam for a citizenship class that aimed to prepare local women for their first opportunity to vote in a U.S. Presidential election.

Anton Sarocka, known as Tony, was a standout football player for Rhinelander High School. Born in Port Washington on October 11, 1910, Tony graduated in 1928.

Sunday, September 21st, 1924 is listed on the Wisconsin Watch website as the third worst day of tornadoes in state history.Few single communities were impacted that day as much as Three Lakes, Wisconsin, which suffered the worst tornado in it's history

Few people know that the Northwoods was once exposed to intense radiation for scientific research amid fears of nuclear war. Fifty-one years ago, a site near Rhinelander, Wisconsin, was developed to study radiation's effects on northern forest ecosystems, known as the Enterprise Radiation Forest Project.

Whenever talk turns to military tanks in the Northwoods, one story still echoes through the forest: the time a mighty tank was swallowed by the infamous McNaughton Swamp, some 65 years ago.

“Massive Human Bones and Indian Relics Unearthed near Pelican Lake” read a Rhinelander New North newspaper headline on July 28th , 1908. The sensationalist commentary that followed was all the “proof” the unidentified writer needed to confirm that giant people once lived and were buried in the vicinity of Pelican Lake, Wisconsin.

In the fall of 1895, a team from the University of Wisconsin school of agriculture, including Dean William A. Henry, Madison photographer Harvey J. Perkins, and others, traveled to every county north of a line drawn from Green Bay to Hudson. They compiled information and photographs from cutover lands, and already existing farms, in an attempt to showcase the potential of the area.All this work was put into a 200 page booklet titled “Northern Wisconsin: A Handbook for the Home Seeker”.

Fifty-one years ago, the United States left Vietnam on March 29th, 1973, after 8 years of fighting. The conflict left a lasting impact on our country, including the Northwoods, where it forever changed the lives of the service members involved and their families. This is one of those stories.

Kids corner Pizza in Rhinelander is located in one of the oldest frame buildings in downtown Rhinelander. Kerry Bloedorn – Northwoods Historian, shares the history of that building, The Martin Flat, on this installment of A Northwoods Moment in History on WXPR

In 1926, Three Lakes Wisconsin held a winter sports carnival on a big hill at what is now Camp Luther, and on the ice of Range Line Lake below. A number of winter sporting events were organized, including toboggan races, hockey games, and Wisconsin's first ever snowmobile race.

Prohibition began in 1920, banning all sales of alcoholic beverages, as defined by the Volstead Act. The quiet Northwood's of Wisconsin became a haven for big city black market liquor production and smuggling.

In the weeks leading up to Christmas 1944, Americans were tuned into newspaper headlines about a German offensive in the Ardenne forest of Belgium between Germany and France. One young soldier from Pelican Lake, would earn a bronze star in what became known as the Battle of the Bulge.

One of the many construction projects in Rhinelander that was completed this year was a water main repair, causing the closure of the Phillip Street Bridge, located behind the Rhinelander Paper Mill. This bridge has collapsed not once, but twice in its history.

At the end of the famous book, Tarzan of the apes swoops in to rescue his beloved Jane Porter in the Northern Forests of Wisconsin. This part in the closing chapters of the book never made it into the dozen film adaptations produced over the decades, which is why most Northwoods folk aren't quite familiar with that part of the adventure.

With the return of school comes the return of Friday Night Football.One of the biggest rivalries in the Northwoods is between Rhinelander and Antigo.Local historian and director of the Pioneer Park Historical Complex Kerry Bloedorn shares the story of the Bell Game in this episode of A Northwoods Moment in History.

Today, Rhinelander seems like an unlikely place for a presidential hopeful to campaign, but at one time, it was a must stop on the road to the Whitehouse. So it was during a campaign tour in 1959 for a young Senator from Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy. Learn about his visit on A Northwoods Moment in History

As the famous dairy state of the U.S., cheese is no doubt a staple in Wisconsin. As such it seems only fit that we have an official state cheese. Efforts by law makers in recent years have pushed to make Colby cheese the official state cheese.

The Northwoods has seen its fair share of extreme weather, from blizzards to tornados, but one storm on Independence Day in 1977 swept across the region with such ferocity, it is still remembered vividly today.

The Rhinelander-Oneida County Airport has been fielding planes at its current location just west of Rhinelander since the early 40s. But Rhinelander's aeronautical history goes all the way back to a flight that occurred in 1912.

One day in 1986, dubbed Black Tuesday, went down in History as the most wildland fires fought in a single day in Northern Wisconsin. By the end of that Tuesday, 64 fires would burn hundreds of acres.

Rivers and Lakes are beginning to open up in the Northwoods. During the logging boom in Northern Wisconsin, that meant it was time to start the river drive. Moving tens of thousands of logs by water to sawmill towns was a deadly business. And so it was on the first log drive north of Grandfather Falls on the Wisconsin River, 165 years ago.

Contentious elections have been going on since the time of Ancient Greece. One election in the Northwoods in 1912 saw lumberjack votes tossed out, but too late. Hear the story on A Northwoods Moment in History.

What started out as a small race on Eagle River's Dollar Lake in 1964, quickly turned into the world Championship of Snowmobile racing. Much has been written about the history of the famous derby, but several visits from notable Green Bay Packers helped give it even more traction in the early days.

During the first cross-country endurance race in Wisconsin, the Hodag International Cross-Country Marathon, racers came from all over, including Canada. However, there were few women among the entrants. MaryAnn Montgomery was one.

Downtown Rhinelander was decked for the holiday season in December of 1968 when the Christmas celebrating was put to a sudden stop. A historic fire swept through the city, destroying dozens of storefronts.

Rumors about Molly's Rock in Sugar Camp are plentiful. But what's the true story behind the legendary haunted boulder?

An explosion shattered the quiet air of Minocqua Lake early in the morning on August 13, 1977. The blast killed the man carrying the bomb, severely injured the perpetrator of the bombing and left a dark mark on Minocqua history.

Rhinelander resident Henry Hanson was a captain onboard a ship during World War I when it was torpedoed by German U Boats.

Although relatively slow moving, trains do not stop easily. No shortage of vehicles or persons came head-to-head with locomotives in their time, often with fatal effect. So too did trains occasionally collide with other trains. One such incident occurred at Rhinelander in the summer of 1951.

The Oneida County Courthouse in Rhinelander is purported to be one of the most photographed buildings in northern Wisconsin. Let's learn a little bit about it with Director of the Pioneer Park Historical Complex Kerry Bloedorn.

Many talented and intriguing personalities have called northern Wisconsin home throughout history, from the naturalist Sam Campbell to actress Joan Valerie, and baseball player Cy Williams. But this musically magical couple stands apart from the rest.

In 1947, the Henkelmann family moved to Arbor Vitae. Henry and Mary built Henkelmann's Museum, opening around 1950.

The Civilian Conservation Corps, or CCC, is one of the most storied and well thought of government programs in United States History. The CCC left a legacy that has withstood the tests of time, and evidence of it can be seen in parks, landscapes, and communities across America, including the Northwoods of Wisconsin.

This an archived episode of A Northwoods Moment in History. It originally aired July 24,2019.

Before the days of ground penetrating technology and advancements in geological study, people presumed oil could be found almost anywhere as long as a drill could reach deep enough into the earth.

In 1925 steel was being rolled for a new train engine at the Baldwin Locomotive Works in Pennsylvania. A logging engine had been commissioned by the Thunder Lake Lumber Company located in the northern Wisconsin city of Rhinelander.

After four years of sharing special moments of history from all across the Northwoods, Gary Entz is putting down the microphone and picking back up his pen.

Cross country skiing, ice hockey, dog sledding, tobogganing, and snow shoeing all have devotees in the Northwoods. At one time, enthusiasts from across several states would come to Rhinelander to compete in organized winter athletic events.

There have been several NFL players who have gone on to earn a law degree after their time playing football ended, but very few have earned a law degree before playing. Perhaps the first to do so was a player from the Northwoods. He played center, but his life was so much more than NFL football.