Tag Archive | covered bridge
Verona – Hometown U.S.A.
10-9-14 /10-19-17
Verona‘s nickname was coined in 1966 since it was chosen by a detachment of men fighting in Vietnam as “the perfect example of Hometown, U.S.A.” It was originally a Native American settlement, it was ceded to the US government between 1829-32. It 1844 had a mill called Badger Mill, the first in Dane county. It was named after Verona, NY by some settlers from there. It was incorporated into a city on April 18, 1978. Today Verona is a vibrant community of over 10,000 a short distance south of Madison.
What first caught our eyes on the way was this covered bridge. It is located here.
The Ice Age Trail runs through this part of Verona and you can pick it up here. The trail is essentially following the edge of the glacier boundaries when it was in Wisconsin thousands of years ago.
Another trail running through Verona is the Military Ridge Trail. We stopped at the trailhead in Verona and also saw this historic marker.
For more information about Verona we stopped at their Chamber of Commerce downtown. We learned plenty from the friendly staff there.
One thing we learned was a large house near here is the oldest standing house in Verona. It was the Josiah H. B. Matt’s home, built in 1848. The building is for sale and also needs to be moved. It is the first brick house built in Verona, and the last remaining original building left.
1-10-16
The house was not sold or moved, thank goodness. The latest plan is to restore the home and open it as a museum. Many funds need to be raised first before this is done. Read here the plan to make this dream come true!
10-19-17
The Matts House is now in the process of being restored. We attended at meeting in town about the house, presented by the Verona Historical Society. You can watch the meeting and slide show below. The picture I took is at 13:46. It is now part of Verona’s historical archives.
This is the house now, looking good!
Downtown yielded another historic building, The Auditorium. Now its Cahoots Bar. This was once a stagecoach stop and many performances were held there, hence the nickname “Auditorium”.
You might call this grocery store in Verona historic also, Miller & Sons Supermarket. It has been in the same spot for 112 years, it has expanded larger more than once! A real nice store with 5 generations of the same family passing the torch. They also have a 2nd store in Mt. Horeb.
In this same block are two other stores, Hometown Pharmacy and Greg’s Card Locker.
Our other favorite businesses in Verona, besides Miller’s, is The Sow’s Ear. The Sows Ear is a combination of a café and knitters’ yarn shop. My friends who knit love the place. It has been in Verona for 14 years. Stop in, even if you don’t knit.
We enjoyed a wonderful lunch on today’s visit at Pasqual’s Cantina, great Mexican food in a new restaurant at the north edge of town.
These businesses are located in the heart of downtown Verona, and so is the Hometown Junction shelter, a shelter right on the Military Ridge Trail. A Veteran’s Memorial is also here.
Make yourself at home in Verona, Hometown U.S.A.!
Evansville-Soybean Capital and Barn Quilt City
9-16-13
Welcome to Evansville!
This city of 5000 is located in Rock County and is a great place to visit. Only 23 miles south of Madison, it’s a quick getaway from the big city. One thing that sets Evansville apart is the many barn quilts adorning many of the buildings there.
Another distinctive art form Evansville is known for are windmills. They are displayed all over the downtown, made by local artists. The large one is next to the Evansville Grove Society History Museum and visitor center. This was the former Baker Office Building.
The windmill signifies Evansville’s dedication to Green Energy. It was selected as a pilot Wisconsin Energy Independent Community in 2010.
Yet another distinction of Evansville is its strong ties to the local farming community. It earned the title of “Soybean Capital of Wisconsin” in 2007. Evansville has many beautiful historic buildings. This is the former City Hall.
This is the former Leota School for Girls, now an impressive red home.
The Allen Funeral Home, since 1930.
The Eager Free Public Library.
The former train depot, now the local VFW.
There are a great many more beautiful buildings to see. Look here for a walking tour you can print.
It was time for lunch, and we had a great one downtown at The Night Owl.
10-6-16 – The Night Owl had a fire overnight, it will be closed until further notice.
Our last stop in Evansville that day was Lake Leota Park.
This park is their largest, the lake being a former millpond. Here is a beautiful waterfall there now with a view of the rest of the lake.
I am a big fan of covered bridges, and they have one at this park.
We had a great visit to Evansville and hope to be back again soon.
Related Sites and Articles
* Evansville Observer Blog Evansville History
Don’t Go Half-Way to Brodhead
9-30-13
Brodhead is a picturesque community in Green County with much to see. The Sugar River Trail is here also, the southern trailhead. It’s 22 miles long, going all the way to New Glarus. We began our explorations downtown, the town has a square with gazebo and picnic tables. Its called, “Tinker’s Garden.” Here is where many festivals take place,
Across the street in a building is a mural paying homage to the railroad and depot in Brodhead.
We could see the restored depot from here. Inside is the museum and an engine and caboose you could go in. Unfortunately, it was closed for the season. Maybe we can get back here in the spring when it re-opens. The Brodhead Historical Society does good work here.
adjacent to the depot is the Veterans Memorial Park, in the center is a tall Civil War Monument.
After exploring downtown for a while, we headed to points just outside. Stopped by Decatur Dairy for a grilled cheese sandwich and some cheese curds. We were too late for a tour but we will go back.
They even had a “cheese tree” totem pole outside, cool!
Speaking of tree, Brodhead also has a historic living tree called the Half-Way Tree. Indian runners used it as a marker because it was half-way between the Mississippi River and Lake Michigan.
It’s harvest time, and that includes APPLES! Our next stop was nearby Ten Eyck Orchard for some locally grown apples and cider. The historic round barn with the apple barn quilt are this farm’s most distinctive features. We bought some Empire apples, delicious!
It was time to head back north towards Madison. On the way, we walked a bit on the Sugar River trail to see the famous Clarence covered bridge replica, completed in 1984.
Come all the way to Brodhead, it’s well worth the visit!
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