🌲🌳 If these woods could talk, they might get a little big for their birches and cancel their plans with you to go be famous instead.

Just joking, Jackie.

In this episode, NYT best-selling author Jacquelyn Mitchard shares her story about the time she didn't come to a Rhinelander District Library for a book reading/signing. 📚🌲

🌲🌳If These Woods Could Talk, they might offer you $500 to carry a sack of coins a mile. I suppose they’ve said stranger things…

In this episode, Al Lis shares a story about a nice guy who won some easy money (or not), then tells us how and why he came to possess that famous SOO Line caboose on HWY 47 in Newbold. 🌳🚃

If These Woods Could Talk is produced by the Rhinelander District Library. Find us almost where’er you find podcasts, and new episodes will now be available on YouTube, as well. Tell everyone.

If these woods could talk, they might share all the dirt on every teacher who ever graced Rhinelander area schools. Instead, today we have Darlene Machtan, a lifelong educator in the Northwoods. Though I never had Ms. Machtan as a teacher, stories of her good nature and occasional outrageous antics were always floating around, told by former students and colleagues. Listen here as Darlene reminisces about her first year as a teacher.

🌲🌳If these woods could talk, they might whisper disconcerting nothings in the dark cemetery at night. In advance of a historical tour at Forest Home Cemetery in Rhinelander, Historical Society president Bill Vancos stopped by to share some knowledge about the area’s first cemetery.🪦🌲

You can hear more history at the Historical Cemetery Lantern Tour this weekend. Again, that will be Friday October 4th from 6-8pm, and Saturday October 5th from 1-3pm. Tickets are available for purchase online now, or at Sammy Jr.’s on the day of tours–right across the road from Forest Home Cemetery.

Photo by Katie Thoresen/WXPR

If these woods could talk, they might tell you about a rowboat with Rhinelander written all over it. When he was a teen in the forties, Glynn “Bud” Roberts’ family bought a resort in Arbor Vitae. Bud talked about the resort and other memories of the Northwoods, including trips to the Rhinelander Boat Company. Check it out!

You are listening to If These Woods Could Talk, produced by the Rhinelander District Library. More information can be found at rhinelander-library-dot-org. Now follow If These Woods Could Talk on facebook and instagram for new episodes, other history blurbs, and civil discussion. Subscribe to These Woods on your podcast platform of choice to get new episodes as they are released.

🌲🌳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’s good for ya.🐀🌲

We had the chance to talk with Grant Voermans, an author and historian from Harrison who recently released his self-published work, “The Harrison History: 130 years of logging, farming, and bootlegging.” It is filled with decades of research, stories, and some really excellent old photographs from the area.

Check out Grant's book at theharrisonhistory.com/

🌲🌳If these woods could talk, they might read you a Western novel written by a small, bookish fella from Rhinelander. Theodore Victor Olsen, or “T.V.” as he was known to readers, was born in Rhinelander on April 25, 1932. Over his writing career he published dozens of western novels, two of which became Hollywood movies, as well as a few books under pseudonyms, a book of poetry, and his local nonfiction trilogy called the Rhinelander Country concerning the origins of the Northwoods.

T.V.’s nephew, Bob Keith, reached out to us to talk about his beloved Uncle Ted. He also showed up with 3 or 4 totes filled with photo albums, various copies of dozens of books, and all kinds of memorabilia. Our conversation was a bit sprawling, with Bob digging through crates haphazardly and talking about whatever memories his different finds sparked. We were sitting, walking, standing on the other side of the room…and you may notice throughout that our proximity to the microphones varies. I also attempted to rearrange our conversation into an order that makes sense. Whether or not these efforts were worthwhile, I hope you will enjoy hearing about author and lifelong Rhinelander resident, T.V. Olsen.🌳🌲

You are listening to If These Woods Could Talk, produced by the Rhinelander District Library. More information can be found at rhinelanderlibrary.org . Now follow If These Woods Could Talk on facebook and instagram for new episodes, other history blurbs, and civil discussion, and you can subscribe wherever you get podcasts.

If these woods could talk, they might tell you about an exceedingly bright young man in Poland who graduated high school just in time for Nazi occupation; who was torn from his family; who used his intellect to make himself valuable to said occupying forces; and who, after decades of striving, made it to America, reunited his family, and eventually retired to Rhinelander.

I was fortunate to speak with Paul Haftarski in advance of a rare celebration: his 100th birthday. It may sound ripe for Hollywood, but Paul’s story is sensational enough on its own. I hope you enjoy it.

If These Woods Could Talk is produced by the Rhinelander District Library. More information can be found at rhinelanderlibrary.org. Now follow If These Woods Could Talk on Facebook and Instagram for new episodes, other history blurbs, and civil discussion.

If these woods could talk, they might invite you out for a cold product of old Rhinelander. I recently got to sit down with George-Anna Karl, general manager of the Rhinelander Brewing Company Tap Room on Brown Street. George-Anna regaled us with a brief history of Rhinelander brewing, from its initial factory opening in 1893 to prohibition, bankruptcy, until today, well into the brewery’s comeback. In this episode you will hear a few questions that we were unable to answer. If you know something, please let us know on facebook or instagram or email us at [email protected]

I have perhaps never put myself in greater peril than when I visited the Michlig home to hear a ghost story that purportedly occurred within that very house. Hyperbole aside, I will first share some proven facts about this house, and some facts that are accepted, if not verifiable by physical evidence.

This house on Oneida Avenue is among the earliest houses built in Rhinelander. It is said to have been built for a pastor of one denomination for another, and built with leftover materials from the Cranberry Hill building, explaining the hardwood flooring that varies in size and shade from room to room. We know from available records that in 1913 the house belonged to Reverend Grant V. Clark and his wife, Florence. We know, too, that on the evening of Saturday, October 6, 1951, a car accident occurred at the corner where the house in question stands. A woman, the mother of Robert A. Kennedy, a circuit court judge in Forest and Florence Counties, was killed in the accident, her vehicle coming to rest, it is said, against a tree in that very yard. Her name, oddly enough: Florence.

Ghost stories tend to ride the line between what is fact and what is within the realm of mystical possibility. This story is no different. I will ask you to suspend your disbelief while you hear from Tyler Michlig.