There’s a small town in western Wisconsin where country and small town folks mingle. This city goes far beyond its schools, small stores, and boutiques. If you dig a little deeper, you’ll find some hidden gems and learn a few interesting things about the city of Menomonie.
Menomonie was named after the historic Native American tribe, the Menominee, inhabitants who pre-dated the state. The earliest known residents of the area were people from the Trempealeau Hopewell Culture of the Middle Woodland Period from 1-400 AD. Evidence of their culture includes a mound from the Wakanda Mounds Group in Wakanda Park, along the western shore of Lake Menomin. The next known population group was the Santee Dakota in the 1600’s and 1700’s. They engaged in conflicts with the Ojibwe people who migrated west.
In 1788, French Canadian fur trader and schoolmaster Jean Baptiste Perrault established a trading post and fort on the Red Cedar River, very close to Menomonie. The lumber industry brought Menomonie permanent settlement and economic prosperity in the 1800’s. Within the next 82 years, Menomonie became incorporated.
Wisconsin State Senator, James Huff Stout, founded a manual training school, the first of several educational enterprises he launched in Menomonie. These educational programs were combined into the Stout Institute in 1908 and still stand as the University of Wisconsin-Stout.
The Mabel Tainter Memorial Building, a local landmark, was built in 1890 by Tainter in honor of his daughter Mabel. Mabel Tainter died in 1886, at the age of 19. The center is believed to be haunted still today by the ghost who may just be Mabel herself. Other ghosts have been reported there as well who tinker with sound boards or show up as mysterious lighting around in the storage area.
Caddie Woodlawn, a Newbery Award-winning novel, was based on the girlhood adventures of Caroline Augusta Woodhouse, who lived about ten miles south of Menomonie. The novel was written by Woodhouse’s granddaughter, Carol Ryrie Brink and published in 1936.
Whether you’re driving through town or live in Menomonie, it’s rich history and beautiful country landscape will leave you feeling a sense of peace and make you feel right at home. You don’t need to go too far to see all that Menomonie, Wisconsin has to offer!