(CHIMES)
(MARIAH)
IN THIS EPISODE,
WE ARE EXPLORING 4
HISTORIC DOWNTOWN TOURS.
CARE FOR A STROLL?
(DICK ROSE)
HELLO AND WELCOME TO
DISCOVER WISCONSIN!
(♪ ♪ )
WE ARE STARTING OUR
WALKING TOUR OF
WISCONSIN IN BURLINGTON,
AT THE WHITE RIVER STATE
TRAIL.
IT'S A LONG,
DIVERSE TRAIL AND AS ITS
NAME SUGGESTS,
IT RUNS RIGHT ALONG AND
OVER THE WHITE AND FOX
RIVERS.
THE CONFLUENCE OF THESE
TWO STREAMS IS WHERE IT
ALL BEGAN.
ON A COLD DECEMBER DAY
BACK IN 1835,
BURLINGTON'S FIRST TWO
SETTLERS ARRIVED AT THE
CONVERGENCE OF THE FOX
RIVER AND WHITE RIVER.
WITH THE RIVERS
PROVIDING POWER TO RUN
SAW AND GRIST MILLS,
THE CITY QUICKLY BEGAN
TO GROW AND THRIVE.
LET'S BEGIN IN THE HEART
OF BURLINGTON ON
CHESTNUT STREET,
WHOSE INTRICATELY
DESIGNED BUILDINGS HAVE
SEEN A NUMBER OF
BUSINESSES COME AND GO
OVER THE YEARS.
HOWEVER THE MEINHARDT
BANK BUILDING ACROSS THE
STREET,
NOW OCCUPIED BY CHASE
BANK,
HAPPENS TO BE THE OLDEST
BUILDING IN THE STATE
BUILT FOR AND STILL USED
AS A BANK.
ALTHOUGH NOT NEARLY AS
OLD,
THE STOP ON THIS BEND
THAT GETS THE MOST
TRAFFIC TODAY IS THE
COFFEE HOUSE OF CHESTNUT
AND PINE,
WHERE I MET UP WITH DAN,
A LOCAL HISTORY TEACHER,
TO GET A LITTLE
BACKGROUND ON THE
HISTORY OF BURLINGTON.
(DAN MEDDAUGH)
DON AND HIS TEAM AT THE
HISTORICAL SOCIETY HAVE
DONE A FANTASTIC JOB OF
PUTTING TOGETHER A
WALKING TOUR THAT ANY
AVERAGE CITIZEN CAN DO
ON THEIR OWN.
IT PROVIDES DETAILS OF
WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT,
AS WELL AS THE STEPS OF
WHERE YOU SHOULD GO.
YOU KNOW,
MY GOAL AS A HISTORY
TEACHER GOES MUCH DEEPER
THAN JUST THE CLASSROOM,
I TAKE MY KIDS ALL OVER
THE COUNTRY,
BUT I TRY TO SHOW THEM
THAT SOME OF THE BEST
PLACES TO GO SEE ARE IN
THEIR OWN TOWN,
HERE IN BURLINGTON,
WISCONSIN.
(MARIAH)
THAT'S A GOOD LESSON.
I LOVE THAT.
WHAT IS IT ABOUT THIS
CITY THAT WARRANTS A
HISTORICAL WALKING TOUR
IN THE FIRST PLACE?
(DAN)
A COUPLE OF OUR
CITIZENS HERE IN
BURLINGTON HAVE DONE
SOME REMARKABLE THINGS
AND A LOT OF THE
FOUNDING MEMBERS THAT,
YOU KNOW,
THE MAIN ONE.
IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT
THE BURLINGTON
HISTORICAL WALKING TOUR
IS DR. EDWARD DYER.
NOT ONLY WAS HE A
PHYSICIAN,
BUT HE WAS THE COMMANDER
IN CHIEF OF THE
UNDERGROUND RAILROAD
HERE IN BURLINGTON.
(MARIAH)
SO PRETTY CONTROVERSIAL
BACK THEN.
(DAN)
HE'S A RADICAL.
I MEAN,
THIS IS AGAINST THE LAW.
I MEAN,
THIS IS THIS IS ONE OF
THOSE THINGS WHERE
PEOPLE DON'T RECOGNIZE
THAT HE'S BREAKING THE
LAW BY DOING SOMETHING
THAT WE THINK TODAY AS
ETHICALLY GOOD.
(MARIAH)
RIGHT.
(DAN)
BUT WHAT HE'S ACTUALLY
DOING IS GOING AGAINST
THE UNITED STATES
GOVERNMENT.
(MARIAH)
WITH THE CAFFEINE
FLOWING,
I HEADED TO THE NEXT
STOP ON THE WALKING
TOUR,
THE MUSEUM OF THE
BURLINGTON HISTORICAL
SOCIETY,
TO SEE THE MONUMENT
DEDICATED TO DR. EDWARD
DYER.
THE SCULPTOR,
TOM JONES,
CARVED THE MONUMENT FROM
THE SAME STONE AS HIS
OTHER FAMOUS WORK,
THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN
SOLDIER IN ARLINGTON
NATIONAL CEMETERY.
COMMISSIONED AND DONATED
BY DR. FRANCIS MEINHARDT
IN 1913 AS A WAY TO GIVE
BACK TO HIS HOMETOWN,
THE SCULPTURE IS AN
ORIGINAL AND
UNDUPLICATED WORK OF
CHICAGO ARTIST,
GEORGE ETIENNE GANIERE.
THE MONUMENT DEPICTS
LINCOLN GIVING HIS
SECOND INAUGURAL
ADDRESS,
WORDS OF LASTING PEACE.
AND OUR LAST STOP;
THE REASON FOR
BURLINGTON'S EXISTENCE.
YOU CAN WALK RIGHT UP TO
IT AND STAND AT THE
SPILLWAY.
ONE OF THE VERY FIRST
SETTLERS,
MOSES SMITH,
BUILT HIS
LOG-AND-BOULDER DAM HERE
IN 1836 TO ESSENTIALLY
START A SAWMILL
BUSINESS,
WHICH QUICKLY BLOSSOMED
INTO A FLOURISHING
INDUSTRY AND A BOOMING
TOWN.
HEADING BACK DOWNTOWN,
ON OUR WAY OUT,
WE WERE ABLE TO CATCH A
PERFORMANCE FROM ONE OF
THE OLDEST,
CONTINUOUSLY PERFORMING
THEATER GROUP IN
WISCONSIN,
THE HAYLOFTERS,
WHO'VE BEEN PERFORMING
IN THE AREA SINCE 1932.
PLAN YOUR ADVENTURES IN
EVERY CORNER OF OUR
STATE BY WATCHING
DISCOVER WISCONSIN
ANYTIME,
ANYWHERE!