July 26, 2021 at 2:34 p.m.
Rhinelander mascot gaining fans through social media
Rhinelander mascot gaining fans through social media
In a presentation to the Rhinelander City Council July 12, Rhinelander Area Chamber of Commerce executive director Lauren Sackett reported that residents of all 50 states have joined the official Hodag Fan Club through the Explore Rhinelander website, www.explorerhinelander.com, and the beast's official TikTok and Instagram accounts are proving to be popular.
"On a fun note, everybody likes talking about the Hodag," Sackett told the council. "Our Hodag TikTok has really taken off. Our Hodag Fan Club reaches all 50 states and there's the little, they're called GIFs, there's the little Hodag face and his eyes move and it has the heart eyes. Our GIF account has reached 70.9 million views. So lots of people have been seeing the Hodag's face on social media."
For the uninitiated, in 1893 local land surveyor and infamous prankster Gene Shepard began telling people he had seen a monster roaming the forests.
According to the Explore Rhinelander website, the Hodag was described has having "the head of a frog, the grinning face of a giant elephant, thick, short legs set off by huge claws, the back of a dinosaur, and a long tail with spears at the end. The Hodag also had green eyes, huge fangs and two horns sprouting from its temples."
It ate "mud turtles and water snakes, oxen and white bulldogs (but only on Sundays)," according to local lore.
In 1896, Shepard claimed to have captured a live Hodag which he took on a tour of the state and exhibited at the county fair.
"In darkened tents, amazed onlookers heard the Hodag growl and even saw the creature move," according to the website.
Eventually, after scientists from the Smithsonian Institution planned a visit to Rhinelander to investigate, Shepard was forced to admit his monster story was an elaborate hoax. The "creature" people had been paying to see was actually made of "wood and oxen leather" and moved with the help of wires. Undeterred, the community embraced the creature. It remains the mascot for Rhinelander sports teams and is used by many local businesses and organizations as an identifier.
The Explore Rhinelander website includes a trove of information about the Rhinelander area and the Hodag, including where to find Hodag merchandise and a Hodag Finder tool.
Heather Schaefer may be reached at [email protected].
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