Historic walking tour of local sites includes some not usually accessible
By Correne Martin
A brand new PdC Main Street event, Journey Through Time, will offer local citizens, tourists, history lovers and families a free opportunity to walk through many historical buildings in Prairie du Chien, some of which haven’t been open to the public for decades.
Journey through Time is scheduled for Saturday, May 14, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., during which Prairie du Chien will be one of 16 Wisconsin communities participating in the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation’s first-ever Downtown Open House promotion. The purpose of the event is to bring tourists and locals to the city to shop, dine, stay and learn, at their own pace, from period-costumed volunteer guides, about 12 historic buildings, churches, museums and interesting sites.
The walking tour, held rain or shine, will bring the following locales to life: Fort Crawford Hotel, Fort Crawford Cemetery, the old Crawford County Jail “dungeon,” the former firehouse now known as The Local Oven, the Knowlton House, Fort Crawford Museum, city hall, Zion Evangelical Church now home to Tricor and Upper Iowa University offices, Holy Trinity Church, the former St. Mary’s Academy/Wyalusing Academy, Villa Louis (discounted admission) and a mystery site. Both the hotel and academy will have information available for viewing regarding marketing and/or development plans for their futures. Two “nuns” are expected to do the tour as if it were still St. Mary’s.
“We’ve been working very hard on this,” pointed out PdC Main Street President Marlene Dyer. The PdC Main Street board’s organization and promotions/special events committees are planning details of the event. “We’re really excited about this opportunity to showcase the rich history of our area and promote these attractions to not only local residents, but to attract out of town visitors to experience our area and our local businesses.”
The organization currently seeks more volunteers to serve as costumed guides or help with other needs May 14. Costumes are going to be rented from the Elkader Opera House, though sizes and availability are on a first-come-first-served basis.
“I hope we can find some volunteers. This would be a really neat chance for a high school or college student to get some experience that would look good on a resume,” Dyer said.
In addition, business sponsorships are also needed for various activities planned downtown throughout the day, including horse-drawn carriage rides, cannon firing at the Fort Crawford Museum, souvenir photos in period clothing by Mike Stoehr, live music, historical storytelling, snack stations/food trucks, free popcorn samples at The Local Oven, a garden salsa cooking demonstration at Nelson True Value, a children’s craft station at The Pickett Fence, a high school history trivia contest and more.
That evening, after the event wraps up, a Mark Twain impersonator, minstrel and entertainer Jim Post of Galena, will perform “The Laughing River” musical, storytelling show at a location yet to be confirmed.
“I think it’s going to be unique that people will be able to visit places not normally accessible,” Dyer added. “There should be lots of ‘selfie’ opportunities for people to post on Facebook and Instagram, to say, ‘Look where I am!’”
The Knowlton House will serve as the central hub of information, where Journey Through Time tourists can obtain complimentary maps of the tour locations as well as browse period displays and historic photos. Diagonally across Blackhawk Avenue will be live, outdoor music and a food stand run by a local non-profit group yet to be selected. Also, down the street at Driftless Edibles, there will be food vendors, demonstrations, drawings and more live music. Additional local businesses are encouraged to not only work in costume but also offer period specials, food and drink sampling, themed meals, themed giveaways, social media contests, selfie stations, “bounce back coupons” for return guests, in-house music and more. Any such offerings will allow for a more memorable “Journey Through Time” for those enjoying the day.
“We have a rich line-up to offer in Prairie du Chien, probably more history than all of the cities participating. It will be a great time for people to know their local community better and for visitors to plan a weekend overnight road trip to explore the area,” Dyer said. “In designing our event, our goal is twofold: we want to showcase the architecture and culture of our historic community and also bring the era to life by recreating historical events and activities. To be participating in a statewide effort is what makes this very special for our community.”
In addition to Prairie du Chien’s Journey Through Time, other cities participating in the WEDC Downtown Open House are Antigo, Ashland, Crandon, East Troy, Elkhorn, Fond du Lac, Janesville, La Crosse, Marathon City, Mayville, Milwaukee Marketplace BID, Plymouth, Wabeno and Wausau.
The Prairie du Chien Tourism Council is assisting PdC Main Street with some of the regional advertising costs for Journey Through Time in hopes of drawing visitors from La Crosse, Madison, Milwaukee and Central Iowa to Prairie du Chien.
For more information about this one-of-a-kind, historic open house, to volunteer your time or sponsorship, or even join the main street organization’s board, contact PdC Main Street at mainstreetpdc@gmail.com or (608) 412-1995.
