May 23, 2018 at 5:38 p.m.
Pioneer Park Historical Complex has a new coordinator
Pioneer Park Historical Complex has a new coordinator
By Kayla Thomason-
Kerry Bloedorn was hired last year and trained under the previous coordinator, Aprelle Rawski.
His duties will include scheduling, payroll, coordinating volunteers, taking in donations of artifacts and information, advertising and community relations.
"We are open during the Oneida County Fair, which is always a big event for us," he noted.
The Pioneer Park Historical Complex (PPHC) includes the Logging Museum, Rural School Museum, CCC Museum, Antique Sawmill, fire trucks and boats, as well as the Train Depot Museum.
"The Logging Camp Museum, which is made up of an authentic 1880s lumber camp bunkhouse, was actually originally constructed over by the paper mill in 1932 in an effort to preserve Rhinelander's logging history, which is what really founded this community," Bloedorn explained.
The museum features an array of artifacts and information about Rhinelander's logging history, which Bloedorn said also ties into the railroad. The complex also boasts an original narrow-gage rail engine, which was used in the logging industry over the Thunder Lake Lumbar Company.
"Surprisingly the three depots of the three separate lines that were built into Rhinelander exist today," Bloedorn said.
The complex also include a one-room schoolhouse run by retired teachers.
"At one time in the Rhinelander area there was over 100 rural schools, which we have a map in the school museum," Bloedorn explained. "Our Rural School Museum is staffed by all retired teachers so they're very knowledgeable about the rural school aspect and how it pertains to Rhinelander's history."
The Red Marquardt Sawmill Museum was donated by the Marquardt family and includes some antique equipment.
"Rhinelander was a huge sawmill town at one time, having 15 24-hour sawmills," Bloedorn said, adding that most of the mills surrounded Boom Lake, which was used as a logging boomage.
"We also are very fortunate to have one of the most complete CCC museums in the country," he added.
A replica of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) barracks can be found within the complex and includes a representation of the different buildings in a CCC camp.
The park complex also includes a blacksmith shop, an antique fire truck display with some of Rhinelander's earliest horse-drawn fire trucks, and Duke's Outboard Museum, which features a wide variety of antique motors and boats.
"Hundreds of people over the last many decades have put this effort into collecting these artifacts and preserving the history of the community," Bloedorn noted, adding that such exhibits are worthwhile because they connect the community to its past.
"That's so important moving forward into the future because it lets us know that if we work together as a community great things can be achieved," he said.
The complex is open through September. It is closed on Mondays except when a holiday falls on a Monday. Tuesday through Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday hours are noon to 4 p.m. September hours are Friday and Saturday only.
Admission is free but donations are appreciated.
Children under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
Anyone who has a story of being a student or teacher in a one-room schoolhouse is asked to contact the PPHC at [email protected] or 715-550-8221.
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