January 31, 2007

Two small buildings on the Satter Building property may be saved from demolition and moved to the Fort Crawford Museum property in Prairie du Chien.

Mary Antoine of the Prairie du Chien Historical Society said that the Historical Society Board is conducting research into the history of the two buildings and into the costs of moving and preserving the buildings. The board will meet on Feb. 20 and will probably make a decision about the two buildings at that time.

The board has been in contact with the new owner of the Satter Building property and has discussed the possibility of preserving and moving the two buildings. The new owner, Tom Gialamas, purchased the Satter Building property from the county on Dec. 29, 2006 for $350,000. Gialamas, who also owns Blackhawk Junction Mall, plans to tear down the Satter Building and construct an office park on the property.

"They seem to be very sympathetic to that," Antoine said about Gialamas and his representatives and their willingness to consider the possibility of preserving and moving the two small buildings.

What was originally two small buildings, is now actually one, house-like structure that is attached to the southwest corner of the Satter Building near the south parking lot. This attached building has wood siding, which is painted white.

A large white house, which was built in 1837, and later attached to the Satter Building was torn down in the early 1950s. The Satter Building was built in 1905.

While nothing has been finalized yet, the preservation and relocation of the two small buildings is definitely being discussed.

"It is in the works," said Prairie du Chien City Planner Marty Larson about the proposed preservation of the two buildings. Larson said that if the Historical Society decides to preserve and move the buildings, they will need to file a site plan with the city. Larson would then review the site plan to see if it complies with regulations. He said that the "built area" should not be more than 30 percent of the property.

"We don't anticipate any difficulty," said Larson, who noted that the Fort Crawford Museum property is more than large enough to accomodate the two buildings.

The annual Eagles' telethon held last weekend brought in a total of $39,595 to be used for cancer and heart research.

The majority of that total came from pledges and sale of auction items during the telethon. However, $8,900 was raised by the Eagle's club at their Jan. 27 dinner, auction and raffle.

Father Jack Wambach was named recipient of the Danny Ruehlow award, presented in memory of Danny, who died of leukemia at the age of 15, and had been a telethon emcee for several years.

The award goes annually to someone who has been active in spreading the word about cancer and cancer research. Father Jack, a cancer survivor and supporter of the telethon and Relay for Life, was very close to Danny as well.

With the 57th Ice Fisheree scheduled for this weekend, and overnight temperatures expected to be a bit on the chilly side, Dick Markham of Cassville can tell you that's nothing compared to the very first Ice Fisheree, when the temperature dipped to 32 below.

Markham was one of the winners from the that first Fisheree, and recalls that he won the prize for the first fish of the day and for the most fish. He also recalls that it was extremely cold.

Markham was 11 years old when his picture was taken along with other winners, J.R. Hood, who caught the largest fish, Joe Cosgriff and Chuck Kezel.

He remembers that, for a young boy, he won a lot of good prizes: a tackle box, some lures and a fishing pole.

Both his parents, George and Marie, were active in the city, and he went to school at St. Gabe's.

The family moved to Omaha, Nebraska in 1954. Later, Markham owned a tavern near Madison; then lived in Michigan for 32 years.

He and his wife, Mary, just celebrated their 44th anniversary. They retired and moved back to the area almost seven years ago. They now live in Cassville.

Prairie du Chien will host Bald Eagle Appreciation Day on Saturday, February 3, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Running concurrently with the 57th Annual Fisheree, bald eagle activities will be centered along the Mississippi River at the location of the Prairie du Chien Chamber of Commerce offices on the grounds of the Wisconsin Welcome Center, 211 S Main Street, and the adjacent AmericInn Lodge and Suites. Complimentary hot beverages will be available at the AmericInn.

Bald Eagle Appreciation Day will offer outdoor viewing of bald eagles through spotting scopes and other educational opportunities for families and outdoor enthusiasts Ð including live bald eagle programs, eagle and raptor exhibits and presentations, children's craft activities, a life-size eagle nest replica, eagle drawings by Prairie du Chien students, and artwork and photography by local artists.

Birding experts will be on hand at the primary event locations; maps and information related to other nearby bald eagle watching locations will be available for those interested in self guided eagle watching field trips.

In addition to wild eagles in view along the river, live bald eagle programs will be presented by Mary Beth Garrigan, Director of the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, Minnesota, at 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. in the lobby of the AmericInn.

These live bald eagle programs will be preceded at 9:30 a.m. and 12 p.m. by "Bald Eagles at Home on the Upper Mississippi River National Wildlife and Fish Refuge," presented by McGregor District Manager Tim Yager, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Eagle-related artwork by Ed Lawrence, eagle photographs by Don Valley and eagle sculptures (in wood) by Ali Spurr will be on display throughout the day. As part of the Annual Fisheree, ice sculptures will be located at the AmericInn and other Prairie du Chien locations.

The Upper Mississippi River is home to the largest concentration of wintering bald eagles in the lower 48 states. According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Upper Mississippi River Refuge is believed to host more eagles and nests than any other refuge in the United States, excluding refuges in Alaska.

Nearly 100 active bald eagle nests were counted and an estimated 79 eaglets were produced from those nests within the McGregor District. In 1972, there was only one known eagle nest on the whole Upper Mississippi River Refuge.

Bald Eagle Appreciation Day is a collaborative project of the Prairie du Chien Area Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Council; partner agencies providing staff and expertise include Effigy Mounds National Monument, Wyalusing State Park, Pike's Peak State Park, Wisconsin DNR, Iowa DNR, Upper Mississippi Wildlife & Fish Refuge, Upper Iowa Audubon Society and Osborne Nature Center. The AmericInn co-sponsors the event as one of the host sites.

Although the warm winters of the last few years have presented a challenge to those hosting the annual Ice Fisheree, 57 years ago the very first Fisheree was almost done in by weather problems of the opposite kind. The temperature was 32 degrees below zero, and very few fishermen were willing to risk frostbite standing on the open lake.

The event, then sponsored by the VFW, had been organized to pay off debt incurred by some ill-fated stock car races. Many members favored scrapping the Fisheree, too, before going deeper in debt, but a few members saved it by offering to make up any losses on future events. That was the last year the VFW lost money, and within a few years, they were able to pay off all their debts.

According to Day's notes, the aim from the beginning was to make it the largest winter sporting event in the Midwest, and it must have come close.

Tate Cummings, a well known radio and TV sports commentator from Cedar Rapids, broadcast his sports program live from the Fisheree banquet and jamboree. Members of the committee appeared on his TV show regularly to generate publicity.

In 1953 the event was held on two consecutive weekends. The VFW hosted an open house for out-of-towners, and they initiated a queen contest and banquet. Day noted that the queen contest "developed into one of the most popular contests ever held in this city."

The banquets and dances were held at Geisler's Blue Heaven, located in what is now the Lori Knapp building, the Checkerboard Ballroom, which which is now Fireworks and More, and the armory. It was noted that, in 1953 or 1954, 1100 people were served at the banquet.

To keep things rolling, the Fisheree committee started planning the next event just as one finished. Within two or three weeks after the event, they sent letters to all who attended, thanking them and giving them the next year's dates. One year, they had 2,000 advance reservations from four states. Motels, Day noted, were filled within a 50 to 60 mile radius. They sponsored tours for spouses and other people who didn't want to fish.

The date isn't noted, but Day's notes say "I remember one year when Bruce Hutchins was sheriff. He and a deputy came to...control traffic. Almost immediately he put in a call for more deputies. Bruce estimated upwards of 10,000 people were at the Ice Fisheree site."

As the contest grew in popularity, committee members noticed that many people didn't know how to drill their own holes, so they purchased an ice driller. That, attached to a tractor, worked beautifully except for one year when the ice was thicker than the 30-inch reach of the drill, and fishermen had to do it by hand from that point.

One year, however, the drill and its operator almost met with disaster. Jake Keane, who was to operate the drill, didn't see a patch of open water and drove right into it. Day and a friend stood on the ice and grabbed Keane's hair and jacket to pull him out. The drill and tractor, however, had to be removed with a wrecker. Day noted that it cost $600 to restore the tractor, belonging to John Cota, to operating condition.

In 1964, the Chamber of Commerce became a co-sponsor, and assumed total responsibility for the event between 1999 and 2000.