(MARIAH)
IN THIS EPISODE,
WE ARE EXPLORING 4
HISTORIC DOWNTOWN TOURS.
CARE FOR A STROLL?
(DICK ROSE)
HELLO AND WELCOME TO
DISCOVER WISCONSIN!
ORIGINALLY CALLED,
PRAIRIE VILLAGE,
THE CITY OF WAUKESHA IS
LOCATED ON THE BANKS OF
THE FOX RIVER.
THE FIRST SIGN OF
INDUSTRY CAME IN 1838
WHEN A SAWMILL WAS
CONSTRUCTED ALONG THE
RIVER TO SUPPLY LUMBER
FOR COMMUNITY BUILDING
PROJECTS.
FROM THERE,
THE CITY GREW
EXPONENTIALLY.
IN 2012 AND 2013,
GIBSON GUITAR COMPANY
SELECTED WAUKESHA FOR
ITS EIGHTH AND NINTH
WORLDWIDE GUITARTOWN
DESIGNATION TO HONOR THE
BIRTH AND FINAL RESTING
PLACE OF GUITAR LEGEND
LES PAUL.
I KICKED OFF MY WAUKESHA
TOUR AT A PERFORMANCE
CENTER IN CUTLER PARK
DEDICATED TO THE
LEGENDARY MUSICIAN.
LET ME START OFF RIGHT
UP FRONT WITH LES PAUL.
WHO WAS HE EXACTLY,
AND WHAT WAS HIS
CONNECTION TO WAUKESHA,
WISCONSIN?
(SUE)
LES PAUL IS THE ONLY
PERSON WHO IS IN BOTH
THE ROCK AND ROLL HALL
OF FAME AND THE NATIONAL
INVENTORS HALL OF FAME,
WHICH SORT OF TELLS YOU
WHO HE WAS.
HE WAS A GOLD RECORD
PERFORMER,
AND HE ALSO WAS THE
INVENTOR OF THE SOLID
BODY,
ELECTRIC GUITAR AND MANY
RECORDING INDUSTRY
INVENTIONS.
(MARIAH)
YOU MENTIONED THAT HE
HAD SPENT THE MAJORITY
OF HIS LIFE OUT IN NEW
JERSEY,
BUT HE DECIDED TO BE
BURIED HERE WHEN HE
PASSED AWAY,
WHICH I THINK IS VERY
TELLING AS TO HOW MUCH
THIS COMMUNITY IMPACTED
HIM.
(SUE)
I THINK IT DID.
I WAS VERY SURPRISED
WHEN HE TOLD ME HE
WANTED TO BE BURIED
HERE.
AND I SAID,
‘LES,
WHY?
THAT’S GREAT.
I’M THRILLED.
BUT,
WHY?’ AND HE SAID,
‘IT ALL STARTED IN
WAUKESHA.
AND THE PEOPLE OF
WAUKESHA ALWAYS
SUPPORTED ME.’ AND HE
SAID IT SEEMED LOGICAL
TO ME THAT I SHOULD COME
BACK TO WAUKESHA.
IT STARTED HERE.
SHOULD END HERE.
(MARIAH)
SOUNDS LIKE HE NEVER
FORGOT WHERE HE CAME
FROM.
(SUE)
HE DIDN’T.
AND IF PEOPLE WANT TO
KNOW ABOUT LES,
IT'S FUN TO TAKE THE
TOUR,
BUT THEY REALLY SHOULD
START AT THE WAUKESHA
COUNTY MUSEUM SO THAT
YOU GET AN OVERALL VIEW
OF WHO HE WAS AND WHAT
AFFECTED HIM AND HOW HE
AFFECTED OTHER PEOPLE.
AND THEN I THINK AS YOU
GO AROUND THE CITY,
YOU WILL GO,
‘OH,
OK.
THAT'S WHERE THAT
HAPPENED’,
AND THE PIECES WILL COME
TOGETHER FOR YOU.
(MARIAH)
WE TOOK SUE’S ADVICE TO
HEART AND WENT STRAIGHT
TO THE WAUKESHA COUNTY
MUSEUM FOR THE LES PAUL
EXPERIENCE.
FROM HIS BEGINNINGS IN
HIS “LIVING ROOM
LABORATORY”,
EXPERIMENTING WITH HIS
MOTHER’S PLAYER PIANO,
TO HIS WORK IN
PERFECTING WHAT WOULD
BECOME THE GIBSON SOLID
BODY ELECTRIC GUITAR,
THE IMMERSIVE EXHIBIT
EXPLORES THE INNOVATIVE
AND TENACIOUS SPIRIT OF
LES.
THERE’S SO MUCH TO SEE
IN THIS DOWNTOWN,
WITH SCULPTURES
EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK.
AND IN 2013,
WALLDOGS MADE THEIR MARK
HERE AS WELL WITH THEIR
VIBRANT COLORS AND
CREATED DESIGNS WORKING
ALONGSIDE LOCAL ARTISTS.
(LYNN)
THEY WERE A FUN GROUP.
YEAH,
THE MURAL PAINTING WAS
VERY INTERESTING.
AS YOU CAN SEE,
SOME OF THESE WERE
PAINTED ON PANELS,
NOT DIRECTLY ON THE
WALLS.
WE ARE A VERY OLD TOWN.
SO SOME OF THE BUILDINGS
- THIS IS ONE OF THE
HISTORIC ONES WITH THE
LAND AND STONE.
WE WOULDN'T WANT TO
PAINT ON THOSE.
THEY MAY NOT BE THE BEST
SURFACES.
(MARIAH)
WELL,
AND THIS IS ONE OF THE
MORE INTRICATE MURALS
I'VE SEEN.
I MEAN,
THAT'S THERE'S A LOT OF
DETAIL ON THIS ONE.
AND WE'RE SEEING THE
FARMER'S MARKET,
THE ART CRAWL,
AND FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE
HERE,
ALL ON ONE MURAL.
I LOVE SEEING A CITY
THAT CLEARLY IS REALLY
EMBRACING ITS HISTORY.
AND ALSO REALLY JUST AS
YOU SAID,
EMBRACING THE ART AND
THE MUSIC,
TOO.
YOU DON'T ALWAYS SEE
THAT.
IT'S REALLY COOL.
IT'S CLEARLY CELEBRATED
HERE IN WAUKESHA.
(LYNN)
BEING AN ARTIST AND A
MUSICIAN MY ENTIRE LIFE,
THAT'S THE TWO MOST
IMPORTANT THINGS TO ME.
I AM FOURTH GENERATION
WAUKESHA,
AND ONCE I RETIRED,
THIS IS WHAT I WANTED TO
DO.
IT’S BEEN VERY
SUCCESSFUL.
WE'VE BEEN VERY
FORTUNATE.
(MARIAH)
LES PAUL’S SPIRIT COMES
ALIVE IN DOWNTOWN
WAUKESHA IN THE SUMMER.
EACH WEEK,
FRIDAY NIGHT LIVE BRINGS
OUT A VARIETY OF LIVE
MUSIC,
AND LOCALS,
THAT WILL LINE THE
STREETS FOR BLOCKS.
I THINK WALKING TOURS
ARE A FANTASTIC WAY TO
GET TO KNOW A CITY AND
THE PEOPLE IN IT.
SUDDENLY,
WHEN YOU'RE ON FOOT IN A
DOWNTOWN AREA,
YOU KIND OF TAKE THINGS
IN AT A MUCH SLOWER
PACE.
I HAD MY CAMERA WITH ME
THE WHOLE TIME AND
TAKING IN EVERYTHING
FROM THE PEOPLE TO THE
ARCHITECTURE TO THE
STOREFRONTS TO JUST THE
SCENERY IN GENERAL.
I DON'T KNOW OF A BETTER
WAY TO TAKE IN A TOWN.
AND I THINK MY FAVORITE
PART OF THESE WALKING
TOURS IS THE PEOPLE THAT
WE’VE MET,
THAT ARE SO PASSIONATE
ABOUT TELLING THE STORY
OF THEIR COMMUNITY.
THE INTERESTING HISTORY
OF THESE LOCATIONS,
THE STRUCTURES,
THE LEGENDS THAT ONCE
WALKED THESE ROADS;
THAT’S WHAT WE WANT TO
LEARN ABOUT.
BUT IT’S THE PEOPLE THAT
HELP MAKE THESE TOURS
AND PROJECTS POSSIBLE,
THAT IGNITE THE PAST AND
BRING IT ALIVE FOR US
TODAY.