Winter’s Icy Grip

 

For months I’ve been having a bad case of cabin fever. I’ve wanted desperately to get out and shoot some pictures. Since the winter weather has released its icy grip from my home allowing the snow to retreat to make way for the spring growth. I decided to shoot an abandoned building a friend of mine told me about.

I found the old church located at the end of a dead end road surrounded by trees. Water from the melting snow pooled in places along the front and sides of the structure. I was amazed how sturdy the church remained and years of neglect. From what I could see I loved how simple the architecture was and I wondered how it may have looked in its prime. It was truly wonderful to walk around photographing the old building, being in the moment with no distractions, taking in my surroundings.

I’ve been planning on doing a much more extended trip to a few haunted places this year but due to some medical issues I’ve had recently the date when I take my trip will be dependent on my recovery in the next few months. When I do make the trip I will defiantly blog about. Till then I hope you enjoy my recent photos.

Creative Spaces and Far Away Places

There is something wonderful about having a creative place of your own. A place to daydream, a place to get your hands dirty, to think, a place to pursue the most  strange and bizarre ideas and a place to fall into the depths of your own thoughts and feelings, a place to allow your creative spirit to run free.

For me I’ve always needed such a place. A creative place to surround myself with things I love and give me inspiration to allow my dark side run uninhibited. I’ve always had a fascination with things of horror and macabre. This past year I began adding to my collection new items like a hypnosis machine, gas mask, vintage embalming bottles, Ouija Boards and a framed movie poster of the 1928 silent film “The Haunted House”.

Strangely enough these items have given me much needed distraction from such a very troubled year. This year has been a roller-coaster of emotions and experiences. As I look back I’ve noticed I’ve shot very little in the way of photography but I have remained busy exploring other projects and talents.

As this year winds down I’m making new plans for 2013 and I’m excited for what the future holds. Conventions, travel and new explorations of haunted places are just some of the items on the calendar.

This weekend I traveled to my hometown in Illinois for a funeral of a family member. Despite the bad circumstance for me leaving my home I was glad to venture past the borders of Wisconsin for the first time this year to see family and have dinner with a good friend. As I was driving I realized how much I’ve missed traveling and experiencing new things. Plus eating at places that are not available at home. I also remembered some of the “rules” I set for myself when I travel. They are not much but they add to the excitement and experience of what Traveling is all about.

(1) If I see something interesting along the side of the road, I take the time to stop and check it out. I’ve met and seen some of the most interesting things and people doing this.

(2) I NEVER eat at a restaurant that’s available in the town you live in. Part of traveling is the new experience. Eat somewhere that is normally not available to you. It keeps the trip fresh and exciting.

(3) I NEVER watch TV or the news during traveling (except for weather reports). The idea is to unplug a bit from the negativity and reality of life. I do plenty of TV watching at home I don’t need to spend allot of money on hotels, gas, airplane tickets and meals to go far away from home just to sit in a hotel to watch TV. To kill down time I like to sit in cafes, visit local book and antique stores, blog, read, write in my travel journal or just walk around the town or city taking pictures.

(4) I Travel light. I Don’t bog myself down with a ton of bags. When I travel I carry two bags my camera bag and travel bag. ALL the clothes I carry for a week is in one carry-on bag. If at all possible I never check a bag because I believe a checked bag is a lost bag. Traveling is stressful enough and I don’t need the added burden of locating a missing bag and being SOL with no clothes or personal items. I walked up the side of a mountain in Germany to my hotel carrying a backpack full of camera equipment and a travel bag around my shoulder. By the time I reached the top I was exhausted but if I was carrying anything more I don’t think I would have made it.

I try to keep my mind active and open minded constantly with inspiration and new experiences. Traveling and finding things that inspire me is truly rewarding. There is nothing more satisfying then finding an item or photographing something to add to my ever growing collection. In the end all my collections of items, photographs and written experiences are part of me and who I am.  

Begining of the End

I recently have been going through a huge life change and it's been a big readjustment for me mentally, emotionally and physically. Over the past few months I've had to keep control of my sanity and try to focus on what's important in my life and relearn who I am as a person and artist. To be honest I'm excited for what the future may hold but at the same time scared of the uncertainty. I've always been someone with a vision and a plan. I've always been able to achieve what I set myself to do. Being in a much better place mentally and emotionally I'm able to concentrate on my passion for my artwork. I have several projects lined up and look forward to begin working on them. Drawing, woodworking and paper craft are just a few topics I will be sinking my fangs into in the next few months. As things progress I will be more then happy to share what I'm working on and welcome feedback from anyone.

A few weeks ago I moved into a new place and I'm eager to decorate and surround myself with all the books, oddities, movie posters and antiques that I've been collecting over the years to help inspire my art. With school at an end for me till the fall I'm planning on devoting my extra free time to my photography and tall things related to it. One item on the top of things to do is to blog regularly, or at least twice a month. I have several ideas on what to write about, some related to my photography some about the strange and macabre world we live in. I'm also planning on blogging during my travels to haunted places. With the use of the Blogger iPhone app I'm excited to blog using this app because it will allow me to write about things I find interesting along the way with out having to find a place that has free Wifi so I can use my computer. During the past few months I've been evaluating my website and I came to realize that it needs some reworking and updating to make it look more organized, cleaner and better to navigate.

Cabin Fever

With the weather turning to the high 70s low 80s I just couldn't stand to be cooped up in the old dark house any longer. Braving the sunlight I grabbed my camera and head out to a near by cemetery to work on a project idea that I hope will be successful.

While walking along the tombstones I wondered what the appeal of vandalizing and tipping headstones is when grave robbing is so much more fulfilling. Granted its more work but thats half the fun!

Classics from the Crypt and Haunted Tours

Looking at the past few weeks on our blog and Facebook page I noticed we've had fewer posts the past month because we have been very busy. Earlier this month we had the opportunity to work with a museum near my hometown in northern Illinois. Our good friends at The Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum in Rockford asked us if they could sell some of our pictures for their upcoming paranormal tours, photos we had taken during our spring trip earlier this year. They also asked us to design a graphic for t-shirts to sell during the event. Of course we jumped at the chance and worked hard to design something they would be proud of. If you are ever in the Rockford area you MUST stop at the Tinker Swiss Cottage and take a tour of this beautiful home. Steve and the staff are very knowledgeable and passionate for the history of the place, plus they are truly wonderful people to talk to. Don't forget to take their Paranormal Tour in the fall...just the thing to get into the Hallowe'en spirit!

http://www.tinkercottage.com

During the past few weeks we also designed a poster and program cover for an upcoming concert "Classics from the Crypt". The Wausau Symphony and Band will play music from movies like Jaws and Harry Potter. During the performance we will also have an exclusive art exhibit featuring photographs from our collection. If you are in the Wausau, Wisconsin area Saturday, October 29th, visit the Grand Theatre at 7:30 to enjoy the haunting music and visit us in the Great Hall next door to view our display or just to hello.

Stowaway bat forces Atlanta-bound plane to return to Madison

(Story form Wisconsin State Journal)
A problem passenger fitting a new profile — winged, blind and potentially rabid — caused a shriek-out moment for 49 passengers on a Madison flight bound for Atlanta early Friday morning before being sequestered in the lavatory, drawing cheers but causing the plane to turn around.

The Atlantic Southeast Airlines flight departed Madison at 6:45 a.m. At 7:08 a.m., pilots notified air traffic controllers that a winged animal was on board, saying the flight would reverse course and land back in Madison, said airport spokesman Brent McHenry. 

A video posted to CNN's website by an unnamed Kansas City man shows the creature, which appears to be a bat, making at least five trips up and down the cabin, encountering plenty of turbulence as screaming passengers swatted at it with newspapers. 

The end came when a man at the back of the plane shooed it into the only lavatory and quickly shut the door. Other passengers cheered. One gave the thumbs-up.

When the plane landed back in Madison, the human passengers deplaned and airport staff got on to help root out the critter, McHenry said. Initial batfinding efforts failed but eventually the elusive flyer took flight — through the plane and out the door into the terminal, where about three dozen people were seated, McHenry said.

A maintenance staffer coaxed it out the terminal door and back into the open air, he said.

The plane was again cleared for takeoff, said airline spokesman Jarek Beem, and the passengers reboarded after a delay of a few hours, he said. 

No injuries were reported.

Spring Haunted Road Trip

During the winter months we spend much of our time researching and looking for new ideas and places to photograph. We find inspiration from many sources from music, movies, stories and converstions we have with others. So when the snow starts to melt, weather begins to warm-up and the grass begins to turn green we get very excited because another season of photographing haunted places begins. At the beginning of the year our trip had taken on many forms and not until recently we decided on certain places that would work for our schedule. We have found some new and wonderful mansions to photograph they are just beautiful and mysterious from the pictures we have seen. I don't want to revel to much detail on where we will go, but you will not be disappointed by them I assure you. Here is a few place we are wanting to go to. If any one has suggestions of places that would be great for us to photograph feel free to send us an email with a picture and a bit of the history (if you know it) behind the place. We would love to see it and included in it in upcoming trips.

Lincoln-Tallman House, Janesville - WI

Jacob Henry Mansion, Joliet - IL

Hegeler-Carus Mansion, LaSalle - IL

Premature Burial at Rosedale Cemetery, WI

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) himself like many others of his time feared being buried alive, which inspired the author to write one of his greatest short stories in 1850, “The Premature Burial”.

“Fearful indeed the suspicion–but more fearful the doom! It may be asserted, without hesitation, that no event is so terribly well adapted to inspire the supremeness of bodily and of mental distress, as is burial before death”.

"I was lost in reveries of death, and the idea of premature burial held continual possession of my brain. The ghastly danger to which I was subjected haunted me day and night. In the former, the torture of meditation was excessive–in the latter, supreme. When the grim Darkness overspread the Earth, then, with every horror of thought, I shook–shook as the quivering plumes upon the hearse”.

On March 30, 1898, The Pardeeville Crank newspaper reported a gruesome discovery at Rosedale Cemetery, which is next to the Rosedale Presbyterian Church a few miles east of Pardeeville. The grave of Julia Sarah Smith daughter-in-law of John Smith was opened for the purpose of removing the remains to an adjacent lot. Upon opening the coffin, it was found that she had been buried while in a trance, she must have come to after being interred. There where signs she had partly turned over and the right hand was drawn up the face and the fingers indicated having been bitten in agony of finding herself interred alive. She had been buried thirteen years.

There is no doubt the suffering that many have experienced being buried alive. The strain of mind that the victim surely must possess laying in complete darkness with muffled cries of agonized “help” being unheeded. Many have been known to have lain in a trance for the period of six weeks and then revived.

The fear of being buried alive was so real that it led many inventors to find a variety of ways to allow the interred to signal up to the service that they are still alive and needed to be rescued.

In 1897 Count Karnice-Karnicki of Belgium patented a rescue device, which mechanically detected chest movements to trigger a flag, lamp, bell, and fresh air. Along similar lines, in Great Britain various systems were developed to save those buried alive, including breakable glass panels in the coffin lid and pulley systems which would raise flags on the surface.

Lifting the Veil page

The newspaper I work for is running a full news page and online gallery featuring my photographs just in time for Hallowe'en. Anna and I have been very busy during our vacation getting ready for the annual Halloween Party. I'm so excited we have new items to display and have fun with. We hope every one has a very scary Hallowe'en.

Here is the link to the online gallery:

http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=U0&Dato=20091029&Kategori=CWS01&Lopenr=910290808&Ref=PH

Lake Park-Milwaukee, WI

For centuries the Indian burial mounds of North America have long been a mysterious and otherworldly place. The mounds were mostly constructed near water for funerary or ceremonial use. Native Americans believed themselves to be of the land and that their souls became one with it in the afterlife. Upon death, the departed did not go to heaven but lingered upon the earth.

From a bluff overlooking the break waters of Lake Michigan, Lake Park in the city of Milwaukee was once home to a series of prehistoric conical mounds. Destroyed by development of the land, most of the mounds have disappeared except for one, the last known remaining within the city. Discovered in l905 by the Wisconsin Archeological Society, the mound lies north of North Point Lighthouse and Lion bridges. It remains a mystery who built the mound. Some believe the builders to have been the ancestors of Menominee Indians. Documents show that Menominee Indians had possession of the land at Lake Park until 1835, after which government surveyors began parceling off sections to settlers seeking timber lands.

In l889 the city developed a Parks Commission, after realizing many years earlier that the poor could not afford manicured gardens in which to seek refuge from oppressive city life. Intense work in the park followed the Commission’s formation. The park's famous "Lion Bridges" spanning the lighthouse ravines were completed in l896-7. Oscar Sanne designed the bridges with lion sculptures carved by Paul Kupper. By 1964, the bridges were narrowed and closed to vehicles.

During this same time period the lighthouse in the northern section of Lake Park was in its conception. In l854, the U.S. Lighthouse Service acquired 2 acres on which to build North Point Lighthouse and Keeper's Quarters on the grounds. Erected in l855, by l888 these structures had to be reassembled 100 feet to the west to avoid creeping bluff erosion

The lighthouse guided ships on Lake Michigan for 139 years until its decommissioning in l994 by the U. S. Coast Guard. Both the lighthouse and park are listed on the National Registry of Historic Places.

When settlers came into area looking for a place to live they unknowingly built their homes near or on the mounds themselves. Many believe that the homes built on these sites experience heightened paranormal activity due to the disrupted flow of energy that was a part of the land centuries ago.

The faint sounds of laughter along with the overall feeling of malaise are induced with icy cold spots felt on hot summer days. Several witnesses have seen children standing by the lions, behaving almost as sentinels or guards. Activity at the lighthouse is closely associated with these bridges and the surrounding portions of Lake Park. The occurrences cannot be attributed to any known stories or legends associated with these locations. It remains a mystery as to why the ghostly sights and sounds of children have been heard and seen near the lions and lighthouse.

Brumder Mansion-Milwaukee, WI

Walking down Grand Avenue in Milwaukee a century ago would have taken you through a neighborhood of Victorian mansions situated a convenient distance from the shore of Lake Michigan. Most of the homes have long since vanished, giving way to the sprawl of the city, with little evidence to the history of how Milwaukee began. Only a few homes remain of this era; the Brumder Mansion is one such home where history still resides and sometimes interacts with visitors.

Standing gracefully on its corner serving visitors to Milwaukee as a Bed and Breakfast the Brumder Mansion is on what is now known as West Wisconsin Avenue. This stately, 4 story brick Victorian, English Arts and Crafts style mansion, has survived years of indifference and neglect.

Far more imposing than the exterior is the opulent renovated interior. The first floor dining room features a stunning, handcrafted stained glass tile fireplace, designed by Neideken, a Frank Lloyd Wright protégé. The oak Gothic style main staircase leads to the second floor that features 3 bedrooms, and to another staircase. This secondary staircase leads to the third floor to an additional 3 rooms used as servant’s quarters and innkeeper's apartment. Mr. Brumder placed the requisite ballroom in the large basement instead of on the customary third floor.

The suites have beautifully wood-carved fireplaces, marble in the bathrooms, intricate woodwork and antiques. One such room, The Gold Suite on the second floor, is named for its gold and yellow decor. The suite has a Victorian parlor set of furniture, an antique Queen-sized bed, elegant draperies and an oak ornamental fireplace with fluted columns.

Built in 1910 by the prominent businessman George Brumder for his eldest son George Jr., this regal home served a wealthy Milwaukee publishing family as a residence for nearly 10 years. The family’s fortune grew from a number of German language newspapers, bibles, and sheet music, and then later shifted to banking and manufacturing. The mansion was sold in the early 1920's, to Sam Picks, providing refuge from his work in Chicago gangster organizations.

With upkeep on the mansion being excessive, the house served as a boarding house in the late 30's; then in the 1960's the neighboring Lutheran Church bought the Brumder. By 1997, the upkeep and repair work needed for the house presented a major challenge for the church. Carol Hirschi, willing to move into the now derelict neighborhood, bought the Brumder, along with its physical and otherworldly, challenges.With the mansion in a state of disrepair and institutional in appearance, Carol began the painstaking task of transforming the Brumder Mansion into what is seen today. Hirschi generated income for the renovations by converting the building into a Bed and Breakfast in 1998.

Carol Hirschi believed multiple ghosts are haunting the house with most of the activity centered on the Gold Suite. A visiting psychic confirmed Carol's impressions when she reported seeing the ghost of a woman and a child. Several experiences made Hirschi more familiar with these two entities.

The first night Carol spent in the Gold Suite with her dogs in the bed, she felt a presence and heard a stern voice in her head demanding her to remove the dogs immediately. In another instance she dreamt of a face of a woman staring down at her from one of the home's ornate ceiling medallions.

The most frightening of the bizarre experiences in the Gold Suite happened when Carol entered the room several days after someone checked out, to find several drops of fresh blood in the bathtub. Thinking blood was leaking through the ceiling and someone had died in an upstairs room, she went to investigate but found nothing.

Guests staying in The Gold Suite sometimes have intense dreams. If they have a dog in the room, they often dream of a woman sternly lecturing them to remove their pets or harm will come to them. Upon waking, patrons are filled with a strong desire to remove the animals. Guests have been locked out of the room even though the deadbolt of the door locks from the inside of the room. A German marriage certificate in a large frame with a sturdy wire on the back was hung on the wall; it mysteriously lifted itself off the wall and crashed face down onto the floor, cracking the glass. Upon closer inspection nothing was found to be wrong with the wire or the nails it was hung upon.

The woman is thought to be Susan, a maiden aunt, who came to live with the Brumder family when they moved into this mansion. As a young woman, her betrothed stood her up at the altar; something she never quite recovered from. Susan, also known as Aunt Pussy, spent a number of happy years living in the mansion on the second floor, now known as The Gold Suite. She loved simple furnishings, and followed an uncomplicated way of life. The visiting psychic conveyed a message to Hirschi that Aunt Pussy expressed her displeasure about the fancy furnishings in the renovation, and that she had trouble adjusting to the commotion associated with the Bed and Breakfast.

The second phantom sensed by the psychic, the young girl, may perhaps be the victim of disease or accidental death. She is believed to occasionally haunt the third floor and Emma's Room. Hirschi believed the more mischievous activity can be attributed to the ghost of the child. Carol once purchased a mirror and hung it over the sink of Gold Suite's bathroom. One day the mirror lifted itself off its nail, floated over to the bathtub and was shattered into shards.

Other areas in the homes also experience disturbances. In George's Room a staff member felt a cool breeze brush past her face and hair, billow the curtain, as it drafted through the room with no logical explanation. Guests will often hear objects moving in the bathroom. Silverware laid out on the dining room table the night before would be found turned around on the table the next morning. Guests and patrons of the little theater in the basement began seeing the entity of a woman, dressed in early 20th century clothing drifting through. A friend of Carol's saw a woman in a formal black dress float down the main staircase. In The Blue Room lights turn on and off by themselves. Doors have been heard to slam throughout the night, along with phantom footsteps, and breakable objects that fall from walls, but remain unharmed. In Marion's Room some think an entity of the young girl haunts this space. One ongoing occurrence involves a programmable doorbell which refused to operate when Carol set the tune. It only seemed to work when she left it alone, then it will play tunes randomly. "Happy Birthday" is one of the favorites.

During the winter of 2008 Carol resigned her ownership of the mansion to Tom and Julie Carr. As the years continue to pass hopefully the home will remain a fixture to the Milwaukee area and the Carrs keep the Brumder Mansion as a place where visitors can stay and feel a part of history. But if you decide to stay in the Gold Suite just make sure you leave your pets at home.

Forest Home Cemetery-Milwaukee, WI

Under the unblinking gaze of Victorian Romanesque goddesses, angels and shrouded mourners pondering the death of those whose graves they watch over, visitors to the now 200 acre Forest Home Cemetery, Milwaukee Wisconsin, wind their way through the undulating landscape past reflecting gardens, ornate family crypts, imposing rain-streaked bronze statues and enormous monuments testifying to the rise of a large industrial city. The social elite are buried alongside laborers, radical politicians, beer barons, female anarchists, gangsters, and victims of epidemic and fire, equalized by their common fates in their final resting place.

Established in 1850, a church committee situated the cemetery of the original 72 acres on a known former Indian village and sacred effigy and burial mound site. The first burial, a gentleman of the name Orville Cadwell, occurred on August 5 in the same year of the cemetery’s founding. Cadwell found company shortly thereafter, as a cholera outbreak traced to a riverman from New Orleans via Chicago claimed lives in the newly-chartered city.

Post Civil War saw a boom in industry and with it, a boom in population. The dangers of industrial city life lurked here as in any other city of the time. In 1883 Newhall House Hotel went up in flames as Milwaukee firefighters battled a smaller fire elsewhere in the city. Calls went out for reinforcements from Chicago and Racine with little to no response. Documents of the time report a range of 73-90 deaths from the tragedy. All accounts agree that more than half of those who perished and brought to several area morgues were beyond identification. A mass grave for 64 victims commemorates the unknown with a memorial erected at the one-year anniversary of the fire.

In 1886 another notable tragedy occurred, as 14,000 laborers organized in Bay View to demonstrate discontent with labor conditions. The governor of the time issued a shoot-to-kill order, resulting in a 7 person massacre, including a young 13-year-old boy. The mayor of this time, Emil Wallber, is one of the cemetery’s distinguished guests.

Beer and wheat barons built themselves ornate Flemish-style mansions, theaters, office buildings, hotels, and high-society ballrooms in the late 1800’s into the early 1900’s throughout the downtown Milwaukee area. Political figures emerged from the populace and made themselves known nationally as leaders of the socialist movement. The evocative monuments and family crypts these individuals and families chose for themselves in death reflect their indelible mark on the city’s cultural and political landscape in life. Oppressive, deliberate, imposing, they are testimony of self-importance and a symbol of the competition among the elite.

Construction of the Gothic style Landmark Chapel, using Lake Superior Sandstone, a dark red sandstone found near the Apostle Islands in Lake Superior, started in 1890 and took two years to complete. The cemetery’s area grew to 200 acres by the turn of the century to accommodate the growing demand for bigger and better plots.


Modern improvements within Forest Home Cemetery include two large mausoleums. The Halls of History is an indoor temperature controlled mausoleum and community center. Along with the columbarium and crypts it houses, the center contains a number of permanent and changing exhibits that educate visitors about the history of Milwaukee and over 100 of its people. Adjacent to this is a large terraced outdoor mausoleum called Chapel Gardens. It contains above ground burials in porticos set by ornate colonnades, statues, and rose gardens. The Chapel and cemetery are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

NOTABLES
Forest Home Cemetery is home to over 110,000 burials, including 28 Milwaukee mayors, seven Wisconsin governors, and many noted industrialists.

Byron Kilbourn, Surveyor, railroad executive and co-founder of the City of Milwaukee
George Walker, early settler and co-founder of the City of Milwaukee
Frank Zeidler, three term socialist mayor of Milwaukee
Emil Wallber, Mayor during the Bay View Tragedy
Victor Berger, newspaper editor and founding member of the Socialist Party of America
George Peck, newspaper publisher, mayor of Milwaukee and governor of Wisconsin
Hans Crocker, editor of Milwaukee's first newspaper and politician
Sherman Booth, newspaper editor and abolitionist

Jacob Best, founder of what became the Pabst Brewing Company
Frederick Pabst, brewing magnate of Pabst Brewing Company fame
Joseph Schlitz, brewing magnate of Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company
August Krug, founder of what became the Joseph Schlitz Brewing Company
Valentin Blatz, founder of the Valentin Blatz Brewing Company

William Davidson, co-founder of the Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Company
Lynde Bradley, co-founder of the Allen-Bradley corporation
Christopher Sholes, inventor of the first typewriter with QWERTY key layout

Increase Lapham, author, scientist, and early American naturalist, documented the cemetery site as a burial ground before all traces of the past were destroyed.

Alfred Lunt & Lynn Fontanne, famous award winning husband and wife Broadway acting team

Alexander Mitchell, wealthy banking magnate and Mitchell family patriarch
Billy Mitchell, U.S. Army General who is regarded as the father of the U.S. Air Force
Lysander Cutler, politician and Union Army general during the American Civil War
Ole Petersen, founder of Methodism in Norway

Although identified by many resources as one of the most haunted cemeteries in Wisconsin, accounts of paranormal events are elusive.

The hill adjacent to the tranquil, shadowy reflecting pond on the north side of the cemetery downhill from the main offices and mausoleums, has been said to cause strange reactions in some people who walk on it, making them feel sick and fearful.

One visitor reported visions of splintered coffins and shredded corpses, followed by the onset of headaches and bloodshot eyes.

One could suppose that undocumented bitter rivalries many yet extend into the afterlife, especially among the beer barons. One such rivalry might have existed between Valentin Blatz and Johann Braun, both interred in the cemetery. Blatz opened a brewery next to Braun’s in 1850, incorporated Braun’s facilities into his own after Braun’s death in 1852, and finished the deal by marrying Braun’s widowed bride.
A modern brewing club, the Beer Barons, provides an opportunity in October to come out to the grounds to seek the paranormal. The club provides Ghost Tours for interested parties.

Yawkey Mansion-Wausau, WI

Elegant, sophisticated, refined from all appearances. The hallmarks of a beautifully restored and maintained turn-of-the-century mansion. Dark, brooding, and haunted upon closer inspection.

Built in 1900 to 1901 in the Classical Revival style designed by the Milwaukee architects Henry Van Ryn and Gerrit de Gelleke, the Yawkey Mansion of Wausau, WI, features large columns and a pedimented portico, 16 rooms and 7 fireplaces. Stained glass windows illuminate the staircase. Eight years after the house was built owners Cyrus and his wife AliceYawkey hired George W. Maher to remodel the first floor and add a two- story addition with a sun porch to the east side of the house.
Originally from Michigan, the Yawkeys moved to northern Wisconsin in 1889 when Cyrus joined with his uncle and a business partner from the Yawkey and Lee Lumber Company. A town was founded by the venture and Alice Yawkey named it Hazelhurst due to the abundance of hazelnut trees in the area. Ten years later, in 1899, the Yawkeys moved to Wausau where Cyrus was the uncontested leader of the Wausau Group. The Wausau Group was composed of wealthy lumbermen who pooled their resources in hopes of improving Wausau's economy as the logging industry was dying in the area. After Cyrus’s death in 1943, Alice continued living in the house until her own death in 1953. Their only child, Leigh Yawkey Woodson, and her daughters presented the house to the Marathon County Historical Society in 1954.

Cyrus Yawkey is believed to continue walking the halls of his beloved mansion. Phantom footsteps can be heard in the upstairs hallway and descending the main staircase. Strange odors have been reported in an upstairs room along with the smell of pipe tobacco in the first floor staircase landing. Staff has reported the sound of a telephone ringing in a room that has no phone. A book of poetry has been known to be moved from one exhibit to another by unseen hands. The door alarm often sounds by itself. A member of the staff has heard Mr. Yawkey’s name being called. Alone in the museum at the time, the frightened staffer tried to exit through the basement door and found it to be held shut. Employees on a lunch break in the kitchen once witnessed a soda bottle cap move across a table before falling to the floor.