🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <353E9E7F.29F63F50@ticon.net>,
  Goofy 1 <xgoofy1@ticon.net> wrote:
>
> I must be getting OLD! I enjoyed Wis Dells Much better when there was Fort
dells a
> REAL live fort with Indians and Cowboys and gun fights.
>
> I also liked FamilyLand when they were the FIRST  pay 1 price and ride the
Rides
> all day.That was even before Marriott's opened in Gurnee Ill.To me that was
when I
> liked to go Have never been to anything there since they have all Swicthed
to
> Water Parks Ect.
>
> Hey!
> What was the Nmae of Wis Dells BEFORE it was Wis Dells? The residents wanted
to
> change over to current Name and "try to" become a Tourist town.I LOve
driving thru
> there in December with Snow on the ground.It only takes a Few minutes to
"Swoop
> thru" then.sometimes 35 minutes in Summertime.
>
> kahunaaccidentale@yahoo.com wrote:
>
> > If I understand correctly, Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio makes so much out
of
> > the fact of their having quite a few rollercoasters on their premises,
making
> > them something of a Mecca for rollercoaster fans.
> >
> > Conversely, Wisconsin Dells happens to make quite a lot(?) on their having
> > among three water-fun parks:
> >
> > *four wave pools;
> >
> > *three Lazy Rivers;
> >
> > *23 tube slides (including six dark slides);
> >
> > *14 body slides;
> >
> > *six mat slides;
> >
> > *two water-play areas;
> >
> > *nine kids' water-play areas; plus
> >
> > *the obvious aggolomerations of coin-operated lockers, deck chairs,
changing
> > rooms, food-service areas and gift/souvenir shops.
> >
> > Is there, perhaps, something in the chemistry of the Wisconsin Dells
region as
> > may explain why water-fun parks are just so naturally adaptable to the
> > Wisconsin Dells summertime scene, as opposed to, say,
rollercoaster-dominated
> > attractions?
> >
> > (Not to knock down the Dells' being home to quite a few go-kart tracks and
> > mini-golf courses as have also won something of a cult following, howbeit
not
> > exactly in the same league as the water-fun parks and/or wave pools....)
> >
> > Kahuna Accidentale of the Dells,
> > LARRY ELLIS REED
> > E-mail responses direct to kahunaaccidentale@yahoo.com if desired
> >
> > -----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
> > http://www.dejanews.com/   Now offering spam-free web-based newsreading
>
>
*************

For your information, until 1 April 1931, Wisconsin Dells was known as
Kilbourn. The name itself being derivate from one Byron C. Kilbourn, promoter
of the Milwaukee & LaCrosse Railroad who was himself known for playing down
and dirty in seeking legislative approval for some bonds to finance
construction work on his railroad, even employing wholesale bribery.

(The connexion between Kilbourn and the Dells relates to construction of the
railroad bridge across the Wisconsin River: Originally, plans called for the
Milwaukee & LaCrosse, itself later to become part of the late-lamented
Milwaukee Road (Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific; now part of Canadian
Pacific Railway via Soo Line Railroad Co.'s award of the Milwaukee Road by the
Federal Bankrutcy Court in 1985), cross the Wisconsin at a then-thriving
little settlement called Newport, about a mile and a half downstream from
present-day Wisconsin Dells and essentially within the Lake Delton village
limits presently. However, Kilbourn and his associates had the idea of
conducting a secret moonlight survey just upriver, which concluded that it was
better that the railroad's bridge across the Wisconsin be at what would now be
Wisconsin Dells. Thus sealing the fate of Newport, with many of the buildings
winding up being hauled over to Kilbourn.

(The bridge presently there is actually the third such at the site: The first,
of wooden truss construction, was burned in 1866 in a quite spectacular fire;
in time, it would be replaced by another, sturdier bridge of iron
construction, as would last until 1903, when the current bridge was built. And
until 1956, when what are now the westbound lanes of the Kilbourn Bridge were
opened to traffic, the lower deck of the railroad bridge served vehicular
traffic; in its day, the narrow configuration of that lower deck created a
quite notorious traffic bottleneck. That, and the extremely-sharp curves at
either end of the bridge.)

As a matter of fact, the major reasoning behind the name change from Kilbourn
to Wisconsin Dells was the Great Depression: 1930 wasn't exactly one of the
better summer seasons, to be honest, and the hope was that, by changing the
town's name from Kilbourn to Wisconsin Dells, it might help ameilorate the
Depression's effects in the region with regards to jobs creation. Not to
mention tourist hotels and tourism-promotion outfits having to use the
confusing notation of "The Dells, at Kilbourn, Wis." to explain just where
they were to would-be tourists; by just using "Wisconsin Dells," the hope was
that tourists would be less confused in the end.

Now we know the result.


Kahuna Accidentale of the Dells,
LARRY ELLIS REED
for direct response, kahunaaccidentale@yahoo.com is where to go!

-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
http://www.dejanews.com/   Now offering spam-free web-based newsreading