Local Features

Arts and crafts style furniture ⁠— first produced in the early 1900s ⁠— is considered by many to be the hallmark of American design and artisanship. Original pieces can go for millions of dollars at auction and furniture made in that style today can be sold for tens of thousands of dollars. Today WXPR contributor Jim Skibo continues our We Live Up Here series with the story of a man in Antigo who has mastered the style at a unique time in his life.

In anticipation of the upcoming Labor Day weekend, we’re remembering a Labor Day celebration that took place in Rhinelander in the early 1900’s today. Gary Entz has the story for this week’s A Northwoods Moment in History. Another Labor Day is almost here, and many visitors and residents alike will be spending the holiday by enjoying all that the Northwoods has to offer. But Labor Day is about more than simply time off to enjoy one last, long summer weekend. Labor Day is a celebration of the

In this week’s Wildlife Matters, the Masked Biologist talks a bit about plastic shopping bags in response to a Curious North question.

If you’re a fisherman in the Northwoods, you’re well aware of the decline in walleye populations over the last few years. Why is this happening, though? And is there a way to reverse the trend?

There is a lot of choice when it comes to refrigerators today... Back in the day, though, the popular brand to buy was Rhinelander. And it was less of a refrigerator and more of an icebox. Gary Entz tells us the story for this week's A Northwoods Moment in History. When shopping for a new refrigerator there are many popular brands that people may choose from today. But one hundred years ago, one of the leading names in food refrigeration was Rhinelander, and the Rhinelander Refrigerator had a

When’s the last time you thought about a thistle as beneficial? In this week’s Wildlife Matters, the Masked Biologist makes a case for loving the thistle. When last we spoke, I talked about the American Goldfinch, and its notable relationship with thistles. Of all the seeds that goldfinches eat, thistle seeds are by far their favorite. Even if you are not a biologist, if you feed birds you probably know your best chance of seeing goldfinches is if you put out a thistle sock or thistle tube.

There are several Masonic Lodges of Freemasons here in the Northwoods, but the network has always had an air of mystery. Recently we received a Curious North question asking us to investigate the history of local Masonic Temples, which led us to wonder… what is the role of a Masonic Temple in a community? Mackenzie Martin headed to the Rhinelander Masonic Temple and the former Wausau Masonic Temple to find out. Famous Masonic Temples are often an impressive sight to behold, featuring large white

The Northwoods had quite the reputation as a “gangster haven” back in the Prohibition era of the 1920’s and early 1930’s. Gary Entz tells us about one particular incident that took place in Eagle River back in 1931 for this week’s A Northwoods Moment in History. During the Prohibition era of the 1920s and early 1930s, the Northwoods saw plenty of infamous gangsters pass through the region. Al Capone, Baby Face Nelson, and John Dillinger are just a few of recognizable underworld personalities

Susan Knight of UW-Madison’s Trout Lake Station is enjoying her summer by doing aquatic plant surveys, and she may be coming to your lake soon. She tells us about it for this month's Field Notes. It is summer, and lots of folks are out waterskiing, fishing or paddle boarding on our area lakes. That is all well and good, but for me, the best way to enjoy a lake is to do an aquatic plant survey. Yes, I am a complete plant nerd, but, honestly, these really are fun and even important. There is a

While we are accustomed to birds nesting in spring, we have one bird species here that is just finishing their nesting season. The American Goldfinch is the subject of this week’s Wildlife Matters. Recently my wife and I were driving one of the beat-up roads out by the Rhinelander airport, and a brief golden flash caught my eye. “Look! My first goldfinch sighting of the year” I exclaimed. It was a brilliantly colored male, but he disappeared in an instant amongst the young aspen trees outside