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News Point Past Issues: MineralPoint:
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MINERAL POINT IS NAMED
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News Point Past Issues: MineralPoint: |
FINDING HOME - Chapter 3 |
By Joy Gieseke |
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It was a totally innocent discovery and a screen
door that led to a complete change of life plans for one of Mineral
Point’s newest residents. Shari had lived in the Twin Cities
all her life. Her friends and family were all there. She was contented
with life in the city, and she had no intention of moving. She
was however going to take a short vacation. Together with a girlfriend,
they chose Winnipeg as their destination. But then the hurricanes
hit New Orleans, gas prices started rising, and they decided to
stay a little closer to home. Neither of them had ever been to
Southwest Wisconsin, but they had heard of all the attractions
here. So the plans were made. Shari booked a room at the Comfort
Inn in Mineral Point. The next morning, they enjoyed breakfast
at The Red Rooster. Then they spent time walking downtown Mineral
Point before their scheduled tour at Taliesin, the home and studio
built by Frank Lloyd Wright. On the way home Shari kept telling herself, “Once I go home the magic will be gone. It was just a vacation fantasy.” But it didn’t. A week or two later, Shari came back to Mineral Point on her own. She walked around town, went to the library and wandered around again, wanting to rid herself of her persistent thoughts about moving. But she couldn’t. She stopped at Town and Country and talked to Mary about what it was REALLY like to live here. Mary confirmed her feelings by telling her that Mineral Point really IS a wonderful place, it IS friendly, it IS what you see. Once more, she returned to Minneapolis, but this time she called Potterton Rule and talked to Danielle about houses. That’s when she started getting scared and questioning her sanity. The next week, (trip #3) she came and looked at 3 houses, then came another time (#4) to take a second look at one of the houses and made an offer to purchase. All the while her children were actually encouraging her, which wasn’t helping matters. Her son reminded her that the dream of owning a screen door might just lead somewhere that was really good if she just followed it. Reactions from her friends in Minneapolis were completely unexpected.
No one called her crazy, no one questioned what she was going
to do for a job, no one thought it strange to move to a place
where she knew no one. Instead, they admired her courage and
were probably a little jealous of the adventure she was about
to embark upon. |
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News Point Past Issues: MineralPoint:
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ALLEY STAGE TO OPEN THIS SUMMER |
This summer, Mineral Point’s Shake Rag Alley
Center for the Arts will cut the ribbon on a new outdoor theatre
- Alley Stage - in a rustic, historic setting on the Shake Rag
Alley campus. Our grand opening weekend continues on July 1 with a matinee children’s show, “Dancing Dog Radio” with Willie and Diane Sterba. Willie's music has been delighting audiences since 1986 - both children and adults. His CDs, (Chickens in my Hair, The Dog Wants Chips, and Reindeer Jamboree - new music for Christmas) are fun for children as well as parents and grandparents. July 5-29, watch for the premiere of a new play by Mineral Point
playwright, Coleman, Class. In 1968, Riceville, Iowa third-grade
teacher, Jane Elliott, wanted to teach her students a lesson
about prejudice. The lesson she taught worked so well it resulted
two documentaries (by Frontline and PBS) and forever changed
the lives of her students. In this two-act modern re-telling,
the teacher is confronted by an angry parent accompanied by the
school principal. But the parent and the principal quickly become
students themselves, and learn the lesson with hilarious and
tragic consequences. Class will be directed by Platteville artist
Doug Mackie. Three special performances will also be offered in August: August 10 – Deep Magic with Josh Lozoff, a magic show for adults and kids; August 11 – The Last Laugh, a world premiere of a new play by Bill Svanoe starring Emmy award-winning actress Joan Darling; August 19 – Cool Café Jazz with The Stellanovas. We will celebrate the closing of the first season with a 24 hour Play Festival, September 1 and 2. We will gather 6 playwrights and a dozen (or so) actors in a room at 6pm on a Friday evening. This motley crew will have 24 hours to write and rehearse 6 new short plays, which will be presented on the Alley Stage for two performances. Tickets can be ordered at 800 838-3006, or online at www.alleystage.com . |
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News Point Past Issues: MineralPoint: |
MINERAL
POINT RAILROAD DEPOT CELEBRATES 150 YEARS |
One hundred and fifty years ago, the first train arrived in Mineral Point as described in the following article from the Mineral Point Tribune "The Mineral Point R. R. Through at last": The track of the Mineral Point Railroad is now laid to the Depot in Mineral Point, and this day, June 16th (1857), the cars for the first time have arrived at that point. This news will be truly gratifying to a large class of our readers, and we are sure the Company will have no objections to its being made known. Four years ago, on the 30th of May, the ground was first broken, and we well remember, as Col. Abner Nichols, on that occasion raised the first shovel-full of earth from the track, the shouts of joy that rent the air, in anticipation of a speedy completion of the project. Since then the History of the Road has been a peculiar one. The Col. who broke the first ground on section two, with the bright hope of welcoming the Iron Horse to our town, has long since slept beneath the shade of the shrubbery that adorns our burying ground, and most of our citizens had despaired of seeing the road completed. But time has finally brought about the long desired consummation of their hopes. We shall next week lay before our readers a sketch of the history of this Road -- such as we are able to gather, reminding them, however, that much of its history will probably remain unwritten. But let us rejoice over the arrival of the cars at the Mineral Point Depot." Now a museum dedicated to telling the story of railroading, the
Depot structure is truly a testament to the dedication to historic
preservation in Mineral Point. I often refer to the project as
much more than a restoration project. Given the condition that
the building was in, it could more accurately be described as a
resurrection. Thanks to the foresight and persistence of Bob Grishaber
and the dedication of many who joined in to help, the Depot was
restored and re-opened in September of 2004.
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News Point Past Issues: MineralPoint: | |
The 2nd Annual Founders' Day Celebration takes place on July 26,
as the Mineral Point Historical Society takes you "Back to the Forties" (1940s) with
live music and dancing, costumes, dinner and drinks and fun at the "Stage
Door Canteen." |
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 One of the highlights of a trip to Mineral Point is
a stop for a tour at Pendarvis State Historic Site. The 2007 season
opens on May 9th and runs through October. In addition to the regular
tour season, two Pub Nights are scheduled. Come and enjoy an evening
of song and celebration of Midsummer's arrival in the cozy confines
of the Pendarvis Kiddleywink Pub on June 16. Enjoy live music by
Mineral Point’s own Point Five and a cash bar featuring a variety
of wines and non-alcoholic beverages. The second Pub Night is Friday,
September 29, kicking off a weekend of Cornish Festival activities.
A new exhibit this year, entitled “Equal to Any in the Market;
The Furniture Trade in Mineral Point Wisconsin” showcases 19th
and 20th century furniture from the area. The exhibit, featuring
research by Emily Pfotenhauer with support from the Chipstone Foundation
will be on display in the Pendarvis Exhibit Gallery. Watch for updates
and more details on the Pendarvis website: www.wisconsinhistory.org/pendarvis/ |
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News Point Past Issues: MineralPoint: |
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Ready to get out and see some art? At least three featured galleries host special exhibits
on each Gallery Night. A number of area restaurants will extend
their hours to allow gallery goers an opportunity to enjoy both
art and dining that evening. For more information, please contact
Philip Mrozinski at M.Studio, 608-987-2039 (e-mail: info@emstudio.com). |
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 It’s an obvious sign of spring and another approaching summer when the Mineral Point Market reappears on Saturday mornings. Ask anyone who has attended our Market and you will discover that it has a loyal bunch of supporters. The Market has gained a reputation as one of the very best. We think it IS the best one around. You can certainly find bigger markets, but we doubt very much you can find the quality any better than you’ll find here. From tasty salad greens to juicy beefsteaks to homemade soap and homegrown flowers, plus artisan breads, crafts and fine art, honey, syrup and so much more, you’ll be surprised and delighted with the locally produced goods available in our open-air market. All that is accompanied by some really friendly folks who are genuinely happy to see you and will remember you when you return – and you will want to do just that. Don’t miss it. It’s a great slice of Midwestern hospitality and wonderful Wisconsin-made products. |
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April May June FOR MORE INFORMATION |
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There was music by Point Five,
a favorite local band, free food prepared by the Old Royal Inn,
and the reading of some of our favorite “rumors” about
what the announcement might have been.
She was finding Mineral Point to be a virtual screen
door heaven – everywhere they went there was another wooden screen door.
We take them for granted, but most have been replaced for efficiency. Sometime
during their wanderings through town, they stopped at Livery Antiques. Shari
found a great screen door there, but there was no way to get it back to Minneapolis
on this trip, so she was going to go home and “think about it”. At
the same stop, while browsing at Serendipity, she found a photo greeting card
with a picture of her “dream house”. She bought it to take home and
post on her refrigerator as a reminder of her goal. When she brought the card
to the counter, DJ told her “that’s one of ours – and it’s
for sale”. That evening, Shari and her friend paused at Potterton Rule
Realtors, looked through the window at all the houses for sale and wrote down
phone numbers. Shari really wanted to look at the house pictured on her card,
but it was Sunday morning and her girlfriend talked her out of it, saying, “Come
on, you’re not going to buy it or anything, because you’re not really
moving.” 
ng tradition in
Mineral Point. For our grand opening weekend, June 28 and 29, we honor that tradition,
with the Alley Stage Storytellers Festival, showcasing the best storytellers
our state has to offer. Stories from the heart. Personal stories. All true ...
with a little yarn knitted in.
On June 16th and 17th
the Mineral Point Railroad Society will be hosting a Centennial
celebration. No admission will be charged on both days! But donations
will surely be accepted. All presentations and book signings are
on Saturday, June 16 starting at 11:00 am with Luther Gette's hobo
presentation. The next lecture starts at 1:00 pm and they continue
throughout the afternoon. Early plans include the following:
Orchard Lawn, the restored estate of merchant Joseph
Gundry, is open for tours from June 1 to Mid-September, and a variety
of events are scheduled for the summer season.
Here's a reason
to do just that - the first of Mineral Point's 2007 series of Gallery
Nights took place on Saturday, April 7th! Other dates for the
2007 Gallery Nights are June 2nd, August 4th, and December 1st.
From 5 until 9 PM, at least 16 galleries will have their doors
open. You'll be able to see special offerings of fine art and hand-made
craft objects including painting, sculpture, collage, jewelry,
basketry, ceramics, weaving, glass, furniture, photography and
mixed media. In addition, many of Mineral Point's other unique,
independently-owned shops and restaurants will also be open late.
Visitors often comment on how much they enjoy the increasingly
unusual activity of simply strolling along sidewalks in companionship
with their fellow artlovers. Since almost all of these shops and
galleries are located in the compact historic business district,
walking among them is in itself a delight! |
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