County leaders discuss tourism, history, economic development

The Clark County Economic Development Corporation and Tourism Bureau (CCEDC) committee met June 18 at the Branstiter “Old Streets of Greenwood” Museum to discuss various issues and opportunities affecting economic growth and tourism in the area.

Dave Jankoski, president of the Stanley Area Historical Society and former Stanley mayor, shared about the Clark County Historical Society meeting, co-hosted by the Woodland Hotel and Owen-Withee Area Historical Society, which was held June 7 at the Woodland Hotel in Owen. The meeting consisted of a gathering of all the Clark County towns’ historical societies, which get together twice a year to share resources and ideas.

They discussed the Owen centennial.An official “birthday bash” and tree planting was held April 26. Celebrations will continue with the Marshall Star Band performing July 19 from 6-10 p.m., with fireworks to follow by Big Daddy’s Fireworks; and the Timberworks Lumberjack Show on Aug. 16, with showtimes at 12, 2, and 4 p.m. The Curtiss Corners Quilt Club is also making a City of Owen Centennial Quilt, which was nearly complete as of June 20. Members created quilt blocks reflecting Owen’s logging history, railroads, and Yellowstone Trail segment. The finished quilt will be on display at the Aug. 2 quilt show in Curtiss and then given to Owen-Withee Area Historical Society.

Jankoski also reported that the Stanley rodeo June 12-15 had strong attendance. The arena seats 2,700 and sold out for the Saturday show. The Friday show saw 2,200 people attend.

Also, on June 25, a ground breaking ceremony was held for Stanley’s D.R. Moon Memorial Library expansion. The project was made possible with a $4.1 million grant from the Evers administration, and Gov. Tony Evers was present at the ceremony, which took place 124 years after the first ground breaking. Per a press release from the governor, the expansion will benefit over 6,600 individuals by expanding ADA accessibility throughout the library; building a fully equipped, flexible community room and dedicated space for kids, teens, and families; adding two computer labs; expanding the library’s collection; and establishing meeting rooms.

Jankoski also reported that his historical society had become a geocaching location. He said visitors had left agates and whalebone for others to find. He said most of the geocachers were from outside the area, with the first one coming from Bemidji, Minn. After geocachers visit, the museum receives an online report. Jankoski encouraged other local museums to consider becoming geocache sites.

Jankoski shared that several Stanley organizations were working together to host a big Independence Day celebration on July 5 in Chapman Park. They planned to give out free ice cream and hot dogs to the first 4,000 people. He said the event was geared toward kids and would include bounce houses, temporary tattoos, a Plinko game, and a rock wall, as well as a 1,300-ticket raffle with the grand prize being a Ford Explorer.

Rich Sorenson of the Clark County Dairy Promotion Committee shared that he was pleased to see Jared Schutz of Wisco Dive Bars had recently visited Woodland Tap Room in the basement of the Woodland Hotel in Owen. Schutz also visited I.G.Y.S. Bar and Grill in Withee and RedDaisyGirl in Owen, a craft store that also has a liquor license and full-blown bar, and gave positive reviews of all three facilities. Short videos of the visits can be found on the CCEDC Facebook page.

Shirley Anderson reported on the jail museum/former sheriff’s residence in Neillsville. The 1897 Clark County Jail Museum has fallen into disrepair, and the cost to make the necessary repairs is more than the nonprofit group who previously ran the museum is able to handle. The group, 1897 Clark County Jailhouse Museum Inc., moved many items from the jail museum to the History Room on Hewett Street and the jail museum has been closed to the public. The group also invited other local museums to see if they wanted any of their items. The jail museum has been turned over to the county and a notification has been sent to the State Register of Historic Places of the possibility of the building being razed.

After publishing a letter last December in local newspapers calling any interested parties to come forward if they had an idea to save the historic structure, Anderson said the future of the jail museum remains in limbo.

“The county doesn’t seem to want to make a decision on it,” said Anderson.

“Well, the county is using that garage, number one. The county wants to keep the land, number two,” said Dorris Bakker, Clark County Board member.

“But it’s costly to remove it, so where’s that balance to think through what’s the best way to deal with it?” asked Sheila Nyberg, CCEDC director.

“I have mixed feelings on why it got to that point in the first place and why no action was taken sooner,” said Bakker.

“More than once in the 50-plus years since it was a museum, there was roof work done. And there was a continual problem, and the same problem popped up again and again and again. So they never could get someone who knew what they were doing, I think, to fix the roof properly,” said Anderson.

“And I go back to the fact that there should have been a sit-down of understanding, thinking it through, long-term planning, and financing and that never got done, and to this moment it needs to be done,” said Nyberg. “And that’s something we’re not going to fix here, but that’s where the hole is,” “It’s sad,” said Bakker. In other news, Anderson noted that the Neillsville history group was in the process of digitizing records and was looking for ways to increase foot traffic to the History Room.

Nyberg reported that CCEDC would be present at the Clark County Fair this year, being held Aug. 6-10. They will again be stationed at the DNR building, which is on the Midway roughly across from the WCCN radio tent.

Nyberg reported that Clark County collected $3,087,235.75 in sales tax last year, which was 0.45% of the state total sales tax. In 2023, the county collected $2,898,618.75, which was 0.47% of the state total. So although the county collected more in sales tax in 2024 than in 2023, it was a slightly smaller percentage.

Nyberg said her office had been hard at work creating an outdoor recreation map for Clark County, which includes parks, trails, walking and biking paths, baseball and softball fields, historic buildings that can be accessed by walking, campgrounds, and any other point of interest that involves the outdoors. People should contact the CCEDC at 715-255-9100 if they have any outdoor landmarks they know of that people might not be aware of.

Nyberg is also working on a digital footprint project that aims to increase the online visibility of the businesses and services Clark County has to offer. Google defines a business’ digital footprint as “the complete collection of data generated by its online activities, including its own actions and those of others related to the business. This footprint encompasses everything from website activity and social media presence to customer reviews and online mentions, forming a lasting record of the business’s online presence and reputation.”

Nyberg said Clark County did not do a great job of promoting itself online. Some businesses have never updated their Google page, making it hard for customers to find them or know when they are open. Nyberg wants to change that. She had her first meeting for this project with a professor and plans to coordinate with school groups such as Future Business Leaders of America to help.

“If we don’t identify our important spots, how do we promote ourselves?” she asked.

The CCEDC committee also discussed a program called Harvest Hosts, which people can sign up for online. It gives self-contained RVers unlimited overnight stays at 9,613-plus unique host locations across the country, with no camping fees. Harvest Host members are encouraged to spend a minimum of $30 at the property where they stay, whether it’s purchasing wine, a meal, maple syrup, honey, or some other homemade product; or paying a museum admission fee. Host sites must register to be a part of the Harvest Host network. Travelers can plan a route online using the Harvest Host map and can also leave reviews on how much they liked the site.

CCEDC committee members were saying the program could be good in drawing more people to the area, but did not necessarily equal more tourism dollars, and it could also mean fewer people staying at campgrounds and thus not spending money there.

Currently the closest Harvest Host sites to the TRG area are Wedges Creek Hideaway in rural Greenwood, BFF Kombucha in rural Spencer, and the Marshfield Speedway.

Nyberg also gave an overview of current CCEDC initiatives. She said a lot of focus has gone to outdoor recreation, since Clark County has many opportunities for that already. Local communities have been working on maps for Safe Routes to School grants.

“With housing development, we’re working on some things. We did have a developer come to town Monday and we’re working with three towns. You’ll hear more about that soon. If we can put agreements to do housing development and get it going faster, that land is available,” said Nyberg. “To keep building, you really need that housing piece.”

She also noted that 2026 would be the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and our nation’s founding.

To stay up-to-date with the latest Clark County happenings, visit clarkcountywi.org/calendar/ or visit the “Clark County Economic Development Corporation and Tourism Bureau” Facebook page.