Wisconsin history

 

Actually I had other things in mind (Bald Eagle photography!!) when I went out today for a trip on both sides of the Mississippi River. Despite gorgeous weather it didn't work out and I ended up taking this image of the "Denniston House" from 1836 in Cassville Wisconsin. Before I wreck your nerves with my "Sauerkraut-English" what this house is all about, I like to cite the website www.cassville.org :

DENNISTON HOUSE (1836)

Built by the Daniels-Denniston Company, land speculators from New York, to house legislators and officials should Cassville become the capitol of the new Wisconsin Territory. When Madison was chosen over Cassville to become the capitol, the building and village went into decline until 1855 when former State Governor Nelson Dewey   purchased the Denniston interests. He converted the building into a proper hotel. It operated as a hotel, dining room and bar until 1985. Today it stands empty. Many additions were added to the "Big  Brick" as it was proudly called; but they all have been removed, along with the fifth floor ballroom and widow's walk on the roof.  Built of solid brick on a limestone foundation, bricklayers used the sturdy Flemish bond method of laying brick. You can clearly notice its pattern on the side wall. The building still stands proud, though a bit drab, extolling the dreams of a past era.

It think it is too bad the house is in such bad shape. I'm afraid if all buildings like this will be gone and be replaced by industrial architecture with no "soul" at all, villages like Cassville may have no charm anymore and will be good for passing through only. I just hope this will never happen...

Nature clicks #99 (or Arizona, part 5)

The only wildlife I had in front of my lens in Arizona was this lizard, who was very well camouflaged on this old tree trunk. While I processed the image on my computer I  became aware that this  is actually a "butt shot" and but shots are rude. Lizards are not running around here in Eastern Iowa in great numbers and so I think it is ok to show this picture anyway ;-) . I still like the shot because the lizard placed himself in this sunny spot on the tree trunk. The picture was taken just below the Montezuma Castle, a pueblo that was built in the cliffs of the Verde Valley. The Southern Sinagua, a culture that lived and farmed in the Verde Valley, built these pueblos by about 1150 but they were abandoned by the early 1400s for unknown reasons. Montezuma Castle is one of the best preserved prehistoric structures in the Southwest. (Source: Visitor information brochure Montezuma Castle / Tuzigoot,  National Park Service)