Good morning,
Today’s forecast for Whitewater calls for a sunny day, with a high of fifty-four degrees.
There’s no school this week, on a week that looks to be sunny and mild.
The Wisconsin Historical Society has a story on it’s website today about an episode in trickery, from the Wisconsin of 1854 — the claim that a prehistoric beast had been discovered:
1854 – Eugene Shepard, Father of the Hodag
On this date Eugene Shepard was born near Green Bay. Although he made his career in the lumbering business near Rhinelander, he was best known for his story-telling and practical jokes. He told many tales of Paul Bunyan, the mythical lumberjack, and drew pictures of the giant at work that became famous. Shepard also started a new legend about a prehistoric monster that roamed the woods of Wisconsin – the hodag. Shepard built the mythical monster out of wood and bull’s horns. He fooled everyone into believing it was alive, allowing it to be viewed only inside a dark tent. The beast was displayed at the Wausau and Antigo county fairs before Shepard admitted it was all a hoax. [Source: Badger saints and sinners, by Fred L. Holmes, p.459-474]
Rhinelander, Wisconsin has adopted the fictitious beast for a mascot, and there’s a music festival that carries the animal’s name.