History Speaks
For the Wausau Times
WAUSAU – The Woodson History Center’s next History Speaks will be held at 2 p.m. on April 23 and will feature the curator of the Yawkey House Museum, Erick Konop.
Around the turn of the century, a group of prominent businessmen in Marathon County worked together to leave a lasting legacy for the City they called home. We learn exactly who fits into The Wausau Group and how their efforts developed of the wider region.
Erick Konop is originally from Green Bay, and moved to Wausau in 2021 to begin working for Marathon County Historical Society. Erick oversees daily operations at Yawkey House, as well as, its maintenance and continued restoration, and he runs daily tours of the house museum.
In addition to the in-person presentation, recorded broadcasts will be available for later viewing. And we are very pleased to share that they are also being played on The Wausau Public Access Channel 980.
History Chats: Thursdays at 12:30 p.m.
For April, the Marathon County Historical Society’s History Chats programs will be exploring the myths, misconceptions, and mistakes from local history in Marathon County. These foolish stories will include quack doctors, fabricated trolleys, underground tunnels, and mythical monsters of the Pinery.
All History Chats programs are at 12:30, every Thursdays, streamed on YouTube and Facebook Live. They are also available on those locations as recorded programs if you can’t catch them live. And they are now also being played on Wausau’s public access channel.
April 7: The Traveling Quack Doctor
In the early twentieth century, Marathon County was a frequent stop of a man calling himself “Dr. Turbin.” This so-called Berlin Doctor was in fact a charlatan who claimed to be specialists of all sorts in different parts of the State. Join Ben Clark to learn more about this era of quack medicine in Marathon County and some of the questionable medical practices of the day.
April 14: The Impossible Trolley Postcards of James Colby
The Wausau-based James Colby was among the most prolific producer of postcards. But one curious theme in many of his postcards is the appearance of trolleys in street scenes of towns and villages which never had one. Ben Clark takes us through the story of Colby and how and why he faked so many trolleys (and more) in his postcards.
April 21: The Truth about the Prohibition Tunnels of Wausau
Some people will tell you that the city of Wausau stands on a warren of underground tunnels, dug to hide illicit booze during the days of Prohibition. That’s not exactly true. But this week Gary Gisselman takes us through the reality of Marathon County during the years of Prohibition.
April 28: The Beasts and Monsters of the Pinery
In the pioneering, early days of the lumberjacks, many stories were invented about beasts and monsters that lived in the great Pinery. Although some of these stories have been lost over the years, join us and a guest presenter to learn about some of these mysterious creatures that may still be roaming the woods of central Wisconsin.