Bring back the beaches. And the drive-in. And....

Why does the issue of not bringing back the drive-in theater not seem to be as common as the issue of "restoring our beaches?"   For many years the Wakanda baseball fields were used but those fields have been added to, in addition a multi-million dollar waterpark was created.

But seemingly no vocal sentimentality on the absence of the drive-in theater.  

Are there other drive-in theaters that pulled people away from Menomonie?   Should the disappearance of the theater also be simply blamed on "the lake?"

Wouldn't the combination of wireless technology and sitting in a climate-controlled automobile (with high-budget sound system inside--we know these exist) be a better way to further isolate people into their own personalized movie experience, becoming something that is even better than having to make a short walk into a standard theater and sit in a room full of strangers?

The reality is that anyone with a net worth of a million dollars could easily re-create the drive-in theater experience and be very successful at it.   It likely wouldn't return a massive amount of money on the "investment."   Some of the kids (full adults, in actuality) in Menomonie that have inherited their net worth would never be willing to part with it.   (they might end up having kids that would have to work for a living.)   The drive-in of modern style would at best be created as someone's private playground surrounded by acres of private land if it was to ever happen at all.


Does that compare to "the lake?"


Maybe.

What experience do people expect?   

What kind of infrastructure is there to meet the expectations?  (In Menomonie, "lake" infrastructure is very outdated, worn, and really stuck in the mid-'60's with some mid-'80's spruce-ups.)

What is the most user-benefit infrastructure that would make "the lake" usable?  (hint:  it is not the green algae.)

If the people of higher net worth won't pay for the benefit of all of us, how much would the rest of us need to pool to make the same "lake for everyone" bill?

Maybe we will never find out?


Maybe the now over $1,000,000 dredging money dumped into the "lake," businesses and people in the city limits of Menomonie will question how they are being nickel and dime billed for it?

If anyone ever remembers it.  

Or notices no effect.

Or are willing to wait out the 20 year projects (17 left on northern Wolske Bay) life expectancy and then make a statement.

Or cares.



Maybe we should go back to the dream world of the post World War 2 years and return to a better living through chemicals on the lawns.

We wouldn't want weeds in our lake., would we?

Menomonie Jarrett Creek delta dredging area

Menomonie dredged the area in red, claiming that in it was "filling in." 

In fact, land pictured was literally flooded.   Today's commerical value marketers made the flooded land as "filling in" as sediment deposition occurred from poor erosion control and water mitigation in southeastern Menomonie.  Disguised as an algae remedy, it was purely lake front property improvement for a very few paid by most.

Where Wilson Meets Menomin

Menomonie

Right of ways on the rail came in after Knapp Stout were in operation.   Obviously, 1880-1890 didn't have much in the say of aerial viewing capability but detailed maps are the next best option for us now.

And obviously, we are no well-paid specialists here with several tens-of-thousands of dollars in equipment to get it much better, so it isn't going to be a perfect.   But this raises a lot for the "lost and gained" discussions and should provide for a good basic reference point.

The main channel of Wilson Creek is still quite deep on the east bank, sediment is more apparent on the west.  

When Knapp Stout built the Wilson Creek shingle mill where they did, they likely didn't choose the west bank for a reason.

The north ends of the Red Cedar River bridges/ North Broadway go right over the old barracks.   Of course, the south end of one bridge goes right over the Wisconsin Milling Company location.   (that was a landmark of Menomonie for about 100 years, btw).

The many structures on Meadow Hill have no trace, but Meadow Hill Road looks like just a centerline at that time.

Uncommon view

Up for auction now, for a limited time, the #1 in the series, view of the Bridge Over The Red Cedar River.   Postmarked 1951, the bridge put in 1942, the centennial banner (1946) on the Wisconsin Milling Company building the background, this is an uncommon view of Menomonie with a solid "when" this view existed.

Too bad the powers of Menomonie chose to have the "biggest lake" as they could get, had they gone with the same level (which was actually an option available) the old 1908 "engineering feat" steel bridge could have been a great location for modern 21st century Menomonites to fish from, to walk or bike across, or just sit and watch the sunrise.  Or the sunset, which would have been spectacular staring down the westward river horizon.

But....  BIGGER, BETTER, FASTER....  all eroding away at the post-lumber company city that existed without it for the 120 years since that concern packed it up.

Menomonie Fish and Game Association 1925

From August, 17, 1925.  The Menomonie Fish and Game Assn. builds a hatchery.  Notice, it isn't the "Dunn County" Fish and Game.

Also, of particular note, is the mention of the local Izaak Walton Club.

A 1920 Canoe Trip to Colfax.

56 Miles,  18 hours paddling, away for 45 hours.

Start to The Large Steel Bridge:   3:30-4:10

Cedar Falls Portage.

Canoe number 6.

Sandbars, Stumps, and Logs on the upper end of Lake Colfax.

Camp  Decomfort.

Pickle Egg Ridge on the Hay River.

Point Neptune.

Krogstad's Landing.

Cedar Falls Dam.

The Knapp, Stout, and Co. shingle mill at Cedar Falls was serviced by the Milwaukee short line that currently forms the outer portion of Wolske Bay.    The rail bed is well submerged from view since the spring waters rose in 1958.     Almost right on the bed have been placed some fish cribs over the years.


Cedar Falls is outside the city limits of Menomonie but has an older dam compared to the Menomonie dam.  While it has had some repair work in the last couple decades it is over 100 years old.  Unlike the Wissota dam that garnered much media attention for the age, the Cedar Falls dam seems to be just there.

Of course, the Tainter Lake area is outside the limits of the city of Menomonie and unlike Lake Menomin, doesn't fit into the commercialization imagery that downtown or Main Street, or UW Stout can use.  

Tainter Lake is the sandy, swampy, wetland, that was beaten into a farming land.    Then the farm was flooded with the creation of the Moore Farm Lake, Lake Colfax, Lake Menomonie, or Lake Tainter.    The new lake didn't seem as planned as Lake Menomin, under the direction of Senator Stout, which did have conservancy and "park" recreation use intended as part of design.    No, Tainter Lake didn't seem to have a consistent name for decades.


Let's take a look at the Cedar Falls dam, the creator of Tainter Lake:

View the dam today here