Yellowstone Trail
From The Thorp Courier (Thorp, WI) April 12, 2006
Transcribed by Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon.
Yellowstone Trail Excitement Revs Up
City Park to be Renamed Thorp Yellowstone Trail Park
As the Highway 29 Partnership prepares for its remarking of the historic Yellowstone Trail from Curtiss to Cadott, communities all along the route as revving up their plans for this commemorative event.
On April 19, Trail Days will include each community along this section of the Yellowstone Trail placing their signs or painting and placing bright yellow boulders, marking their portion of the trail as motorists would have seen it back in 1915.
The Yellowstone Trail was an early 1900’s automobile road which began on the east coast at Plymouth Rock and meandered its way across the United States on it s way west to Puget Sound near Seattle, with a spur to the country’s famous Yellowstone National Park. The Yellowstone Trail travels through the Clark County communities of Curtiss, Owen, Withee, and Thorp, and the Chippewa County communities of Stanley, Cadott, and Boyd. This trail was the nation’s first automobile highway to be completed through the country’s northern tier.
Beginning approximately April 15, the History Channel, Discovery Channel, Travel Channel, CNN, and FOX News will be running spot ads between 6:00 and 11:00 p.m. featuring the area’s upcoming May 5 celebration that will officially reopen the Yellowstone Trail from Curtiss to Cadott.
The Trail Days and Trail Dedication Caravan are the first steps to retrace the trail and mark it with historic signage throughout Clark County and the State of Wisconsin. At their monthly meeting held Monday night, April 10, the Thorp City Council voted to change the name of the Thorp City Park to Thorp Yellowstone Trail Park. The City’s Tourism Commission hopes that this name change for the park alongside the trail will draw increased visitors to the community and thus aid tourism trade. The Commission has agreed to cover the cost of a new park sign, with the Parks and Recreation Department assisting with the cost of sign installation.
Alderman, (and incoming mayor) Rich Wnek expressed concern that there will no longer be a park named after the city; however, his dissension was outvoted by other council members who believe that the name change has a strong, positive, and historical purpose that can benefit the community. Alderperson Laurie Nolechek, who sits on the Tourism Commission, stressed the need for the City to take its time with the sign so that it will be of high, lasting quality and its money well-spent. Mayor Diane Lesniewski noted, “This will be generating tourism dollars. This money (for installation) is budgeted to improve the parks.” Alderman Ray Teclaw, who sits on the Highway 29 Partnership, commented, “Six other towns are also doing something, and some are spending a lot more money to do it.”
Please check the Highway 29 website (www.partner29.com) and the Yellowstone Trail website (www.yellowstonetrail.org) for more information. Brochures telling travelers how to traverse the Trail are available at The Thorp courier and other area businesses. With the Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor’s attendance at the may 5th event, Thorp will likely be a focal point of the day.
Thorp Courier (Thorp, WI) April 26, 2006
Lt. Gov. to Speak at Thorp’s Yellowstone Trail Ceremony
Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton will be the featured speaker on Friday, May 5, when the City of Thorp, in conjunction with the Highway 29 Partnership, officially reopens its segment of the Yellowstone Trail. A new sign will be unveiled in the newly renamed Thorp Yellowstone Park on East Stanley Street (formerly City Park), which is right along the trail route and in coming months will provide an inviting spot for tourists to stop for a rest. All along the route from Curtiss to Cadott on Friday, communities will reopen their portions of the Trail.
State Senator Dave Zien intends to be on hand for this historic event, as well as students from Thorp Elementary School, who are studying Wisconsin’s history this year. Events in Thorp will begin at approximately 9:45 a.m.
Local members of the Highway 29 Partnership have been working for the past several months in preparation for the reopening of the Yellowstone Trail. Large bright yellow boulders have been placed along the trail (Stanley Street) from one end of town to the other, remarking the trail that meandered through the countryside in the early 1900’s, attracting tourists back then just as it is hoped to do again today. Road signs with the Trails logo also mark the way. The public is urged to attend this momentous event and be a part of this newly reopened chapter of Wisconsin history.