ON THIS SPOT _ Issue 1
From the Lake Michigan shoreline to the banks of the Mississippi River, from Bayfield to Beloit, the Union's 30th state boasts an eclectic, fascinating, impressive history that is often overlooked in favor of the east coast colonies. From the first peoples who have cherished the land from time immemorial; to the arrival of the French explorers, "voyageurs" and Catholic missionaries in the 1600's; to the pioneer settlers who arrived in droves from the late-1700's to the mid-1800's, Wisconsin's history has been shaped by an enviable array of people, places, cultures, languages, and events that influence residents and visitors even today. Through interviews with those who placed the markers, ON THIS SPOT augments the popular WisconsinHistoricalMarkers.blogspot.com website and provide readers with a deeper understanding of the history briefly recounted in a marker's content, such that, when in the area, readers may be inspired to "stop and visit the spot".
From the Lake Michigan shoreline to the banks of the
Mississippi River, from Bayfield to Beloit, the Union's 30th state
boasts an eclectic, fascinating, impressive history that is often
overlooked in favor of the east coast colonies. From the first peoples
who have cherished the land from time immemorial; to the arrival of
the French explorers, "voyageurs" and Catholic missionaries in the
1600's; to the pioneer settlers who arrived in droves from the
late-1700's to the mid-1800's, Wisconsin's history has been shaped
by an enviable array of people, places, cultures, languages, and
events that influence residents and visitors even today.
Through interviews with those who placed the markers, ON THIS
SPOT augments the popular WisconsinHistoricalMarkers.blogspot.com website and provide readers with a deeper understanding
of the history briefly recounted in a marker's content,
such that, when in the area, readers may be
inspired to "stop and visit the spot".
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The White Pine<br />
in Neillsville History<br />
A decree for genocide, a revelation from God, an assassination, and, above all else, the<br />
perseverance and determination of men and women of unwavering faith comprise the<br />
fascinating back story of Wisconsin Historical Society "official" marker No. 562.<br />
The first time Mark and Mary<br />
Jurgaitis saw Neillsville was from<br />
a knoll on Highway 10. “As we<br />
looked down on Neillsville the sun<br />
was shining directly on it,” said<br />
Mary. “It was a sign!" added Mark.<br />
Devout members of the Church of<br />
Jesus Christ of LatterDay Saints,<br />
the couple had no idea of the<br />
area's Mormon roots when they<br />
moved to Neillsville from St.<br />
Charles, Illinois, in 1996, with<br />
three of their six children. It was a<br />
rudimentary plaque in nearby<br />
Greenwood that alerted them to a<br />
story of Mormon loggers who had<br />
lived in the area before it was<br />
known as Neillsville. “And I<br />
thought, I wonder if that’s all there<br />
is to it?” said Mark. So he set out<br />
to discover what had brought the<br />
Mormon loggers to Wisconsin.<br />
Mark and Mary Jurgaitis worked together<br />
to research, write, and secure funding for the marker.<br />
Mark's research took him to the<br />
library in Black River Falls, about<br />
30 miles southwest of Neillsville,<br />
in nearby Jackson County. There<br />
he met librarian Mary Woods, who<br />
provided him with a plethora of<br />
documentation. Almost as quickly<br />
as Mark got one question<br />
answered, he found himself<br />
stumbling on even more. Soon he<br />
had a threering binder filled with<br />
information about the loggers.<br />
"What I discovered was<br />
fascinating," said Mark.
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