One thing to look out for when you're wandering a new town are old cemeteries, and with this in mind my first stop was the Riverside Cemetery in the city of Oshkosh. This is a city best known for Oshkosh Overalls, a company my wife single-handedly kept in business while each of our kids were toddlers. I pulled into the cemetery with no idea of what I would find.
The Visitor's Chair
Nathaniel "Than" Young passed away at 39 years of age, and although he battled health issues most of his life, his outlook was always positive, he continually sought new pleasures and experiences, and among his final wishes was that everyone "be kind to one another." Without actually knowing him, I'd say we could always use a few more Thans in our world.
His obituary, which I came across after googling the names on this grave, welcomes anyone who finds themselves near Riverside Cemetery to "come and sit in the big chair ... hang out with Than and his brother, Andy. They always liked company." I wouldn't have touched the grave on my own, but now that I've found this invitation, the next time I'm in the area I'll be sure to have a seat and offer up Than some company.
Mystery Stone Dog
If you're like me you will look at this next picture and see three stuffed animals - two bears and a dog. And like me you would be 67% correct. The bears are both stuffed, but the dog they are snuggling with has been carved out of stone.
This was a cool little find on its own, but it became a lot more fun after I researched it and found the below article from the Oshkosh Northwestern Newspaper, dated 1963. It describes how the dog has no inscription on it, and although it sits near a hundred year old monument for the Spaulding Family - and presumably belongs to them - no mention of the dog was ever made. A head scratcher, the mystery was deepened by the fact that flowers were regularly placed alongside the dog by a young girl. That young girl would be of retirement age by now, but someone is still regularly coming by, and they are still regularly leaving gifts for this little fellow.
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| September 13, 1963 - Oshkosh Northwestern |
A Derelict Truck
Leaving the cemetery I spotted this old truck in a field next to a private dirt road. I drove down the road, pretended to be lost, snapped this picture, then pretended to suddenly remember where I was going again and scrammed it off the property.
The Recording Angel
Listed in the National Register of Historic Places is the Recording Angel of Waupun, Wisconsin. Commissioned by local philanthropist Clarence Shaler for his wife Blanche, this angel is the main attraction of the Forest Mound Cemetery. To capture its size, I adjusted my parking job to make sure my rental car was within the picture's frame.
A Yard Full of Curiosities
Driving along Route 45 in Oshkosh I spotted what could almost be described as a museum-sized collection of lawn ornaments strewn about an adjacent property, so I took the next exit and wound my way back. I'm still not sure what it is I stumbled upon, because when I say lawn ornaments I'm not talking about the cute little gnomes people like to place in their gardens. I'm talking larger than life replicas of all types of animals, plus a host of other cool things.
Some of the statues were based on real animals, but others were straight out of the fantasy books.
There were also staged scenes such as this rhino about to flip over a safari vehicle, with two mannequins along for the ride. I wondered if this might be a recreation of some movie scene, but Google told me it didn't think so.
You can't put this many great things on your front lawn without expecting people to stop and check them out, so I parked in the driveway and wandered the property - tentatively at first - admiring the collection. I half-hoped someone would spot me and come out to chat and give me the story behind all this, but I also half-hoped nobody would spot me, for fear they might come out swinging. In the end, nobody noticed my presence and I was left to explore in peace.
I didn't snap pictures of everything, but I did capture enough to show to broad variety - and the craziness - of this collection. And when I say craziness, I'm saying it 100% as a compliment.
So many situations in life can be taken in different ways. A business trip consisting of long days at the office, combined with beer and catching up on emails back at the hotel, could very well have been the story of this week. And there are times when I have happily chosen that path. But those aren't the memories that stand the test of time. Exploring a new city and chasing down all sorts of curiosities however? That's a memory I'll cherish for as long as I'm out there attacking every new opportunity life throws my way.
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