When it comes to April Fool's jokes, one of the best pranksters in the Rhinelander community was Gene Shepard. Known for wild tales and and far-fetched business ideas, it's no surprise that Shepard would bring a mythical creature to nationwide fame. Shepard introduced the Hodag to the public for the first time through an adventurous tale in the New North, and then created a model out of ox hide and horns, often displaying it in dimly lit rooms. Pictured here in a postcard mailed by Shepard in 1906, news of the Hodag reached as far as New York and Texas. Its "den" was in Shepard's home on Pelham Street. By the time Shepard moved to Prospect Street, the original Hodag had been destroyed by fire.
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