If These Woods Could Talk

10/07/2025

TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE!
If these woods could talk, they might be "next." I got to speak with Dr. Scott Bonn about a different sort of history than usual! He talked a bit about his philosophy on media portrayals of grisly events and what to expect from his upcoming presentation at Nicolet College Library.

This Sunday, October 12, come see renowned criminologist, author, and professor Scott Bonn talk about the allure of serial killers and why we love monsters. To be followed by a Q&A.

Knowledgeable, well-spoken, and easy to talk to. 𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙧𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙮𝙤𝙪'𝙙 𝙚𝙣𝙟𝙤𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙘, 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙥𝙪𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚!

Tickets are available online at https://rdlfoundation.org/doc-bonn/ or in-person at the Rhinelander District Library.

See you there!

Criminologist, author, and professor Scott Bonn is bringing his experience studying the worst elements of humanity to Rhinelander! Dr. Bonn has made a name f...

09/17/2025

🌳🌲If these woods could talk, they might tell you a whole bunch of stories–and like, at the drop of a hat, too, and just go and go because they love it and because they can.🌲🪚

Tales of the Northwoods: Echoes From Rhinelander's Past is the title of two volumes of lore collected and published in 2002 and 2004. After 21 years of living life, author Mark Miazga has brought us a third collection of stories. He stopped by the library recently to talk about storytelling, his background, and some of his outlook on life and what really matters in history.

“Tales of the Northwoods Vol. 3” will be released on September 19, 2025, and will soon be available at the Hodag Store and online at hodagpress.com

🌳🌲If these woods could talk, they might tell you a whole bunch of stories–and like, at the drop of a hat, too, and just go and go because they love it and ...

09/05/2025

🌳🌲If these woods could talk, they might say…Moo?🌲🐮

Last month I got to go to the Demmer Memorial Library in Three Lakes to participate in their history digitization day. While I was there, I wrangled a few stories out of lifelong Three Lakes resident Bruce Brewster, and learned what a “Cow Pass” is. Now, aren’t you curious, too?

Thanks also to Three Lakes Historical Society and Museum for their part in organizing history digitization day.

You are listening to If These Woods Could Talk, produced by the Rhinelander District Library.🌳🌲If these woods could talk, they might ask, "...what's a cow ...

08/20/2025

Republishing from last September.

Check it out, and check out the book!

If these woods could talk, they might tell you that there is no illegal moonshine operation here, and to beat it, and stop asking questions if you know what’...

08/13/2025

At Demmer Memorial Library in Three Lakes this afternoon for History Digitization Day!
Ready to record. Or just talk about preserving history.

08/12/2025

When we began formulating These Woods, we had a shortlist of people we hoped would record with us. Butch Mattek was at the top of my list. I enjoyed watching him play at Birchwood open mics on Sundays at one time and I had heard stories about his band, Premier, and their regional renown.

I reached out to Butch early on and he agreed readily to participate in our oral history project. In fact, he was the first person to record with me.

I'm not great at interviewing now; I was far worse then. I wish I had done a better job, but he managed to tell some great stories in spite of it.

Thanks, Butch.

When we began formulating this project, we had a shortlist of people we hoped would record with us. Butch was at the top of my list. I enjoyed watching him p...

07/14/2025

🌲🌳If these woods could talk, they might tell you to eat more kale.🌳🥬

The Rhinelander Area Food Pantry was ahead of its time with the addition of its own garden to contribute to their selection of fresh produce. The garden was the focus of this roundtable conversation, as well as how much they all love being a part of this organization.

Follow the link below to learn more about RAFP's initiatives, current events, and how to donate or get involved.
https://www.rhinelanderareafoodpantry.org/

🌲🌳If these woods could talk, they might tell you to eat more kale.🌳🥬The Rhinelander Area Food Pantry was ahead of its time with the addition of its own g...

06/23/2025

The Rhinelander Area Food Pantry was a concept in 2004, and in early 2005 it became a reality.

As they prepare to celebrate their 20th Birthday in style, Executive Director Courtney Smith invited These Woods to come hear the history of the food pantry as told by the volunteers who made it what it is today with their blood, sweat, and tears.

Thank you to all the volunteers who came to share their recollections.

From RAFP:
In celebration of our 20th Anniversary, we are having an Open House Party! You are invited to come take a look behind the scenes and meet the folks at the heart of our work. Come by for tacos, cupcakes, live music, prizes, and tours.
Be sure to enter to win The Legendary Raffle - the perfect Green Bay get-away!

The Rhinelander Area Food Pantry was a concept in 2004, and in early 2005 it became a reality.As they prepare to celebrate their 20th Birthday in style, Exec...

06/10/2025

I've never seen this silly poem before.
Taken from the New North on May 6, 1897 (p. 8 )

My question is: Kentucky?

Monster of Many Horns

A bovine spiritualis, or black hodag, was discovered last fall by E. S. Shepard, of Rhinelander, Wis. --Timberman [??]

The hodag has a curving horn upon its mammoth nose
Another from its head, it seems, to great dimensions grows
With these two terrors, one would think, it might its victims rend
And yet it has another horn upon the other end

And all along its hideous back still other horns appear,
Until one wishes that their use might some time be made clear
For if the hodag chanced to “roll” he’d smash of horns a few
Or else he’d find that upside down he’d stick a day or two

And when attacked, unless by birds, that couldn’t do much harm
There’s little in the row of horns to cause one much alarm
Unless he could turn in the air and make a total wreck
Of anything that was beneath by landing on his neck

And yet, it seems quite possible, so many horns are found
It may be proved a native of the state where “horns” abound
And if it should be really so, as many have maintained,
It hails from old Kentucky and the mystery’s explained

05/21/2025

🌲🌳If these woods could talk, they might tell you about a damp engineer and a missing hat.🌳🎩

A listener recently reached out and asked if I had or could direct them to information about the Hat Rapids Dam. I did some digging and went through a handful of Wisconsin River-related books here at the library, but it turns out there is little in the way of printed scholarship on this particular dam. Instead, I called a Wisconsin River expert who came in to share what he knew. So here is our first return guest, Bob Martini.

🌲🌳If these woods could talk, they might tell you about a damp engineer and a missing hat. 🌳🎩A listener recently reached out and asked if I had or could d...

05/13/2025

🌲🌳If these woods could talk, they might tell you about a spider so big, it made Jaws look like a goldfish.🕷️🌲

I went up to the Superior shore to talk with legendary Wisconsin filmmaker Bill Rebane about his life making independent science fiction movies in Northern Wisconsin, his film studio, and what he fondly–or not–refers to as the “Giant Spider Disaster.”

BILL WILL BE IN RHINELANDER THIS FRIDAY, May 16, 2025 for a special Hodag Heritage Fest showing of his film, "Attack of the Hodag!" as well as a Q&A.

Tickets available at the following link:
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/attack-of-the-hodag-with-bill-rebane-tickets-1310680824629

🌲🌳If these woods could talk, they might tell you about a spider so big, it made Jaws look like a goldfish.🕷️🌲I went up to the Superior shore to talk with...

05/06/2025

Pulled from the Rhinelander District Library archives—another small mystery--
his poster from the library’s 1985 building campaign, given new life last week by Childs Frame Co on Brown, where they very Jaronously offered to frame it for us!

After the original Carnegie building was constructed and opened in 1903, it sat like that for almost 80 years. Eventually, it became clear that the library had, like the city itself, grown well beyond its humble origins. It needed to expand or face the risk--the immediacy of which the sketch accurately portrays--of surpassing the building’s threshold of biblioelastic criticality, and eventually of librothermic detonation.

Physicists still don’t know what would happen if a library went Supernovel (is that a stretch?).

Many of you will recall Pete the Penny and the campaign to raise funds one cent at a time.

Having asked people who were employed at the library during that time, it is clear: nobody remembers. But, we are pretty sure it wasn’t a staff member. May there have been a contest? Maybe you know the person who created it!