Rustic Road 60 Historic Signs

All we need now is to find the resources to create the signs and gather volunteers to help trim the trees and bushes in these areas. Help us create a historic corridor that brings the fascinating, hidden stories of RR60 to life for all who travel it.

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Uncovering the Stories of RR60

Did you know...

Star Lake Was Once Vilas County's Largest Town By 1907, loggers had cut down most of the trees in the Star Lake area. The Star Lake Mill alone processed over four hundred million board feet of logs. In 1907, the last log, draped in an American flag, was shipped out. Soon after, the mill and all but the store closed. The employees, loggers, their families, and even their homes were put on a train and shipped to the next logging community. Star Lake became a ghost town overnight.

The Area Was Home to the Famous "Aqualand" The area was once home to Aqualand, a very well-known wildlife park and petting zoo. School groups by the busload came from all over northern Wisconsin and the UP of Michigan. People still share their memories of feeding frogs to the muskies, the goats walking across the swinging bridge, feeding milk bottles to fawns, and giving “bear brew” to “Kodi” the Kodiak bear.

As described in the Green Bay Press-Gazette (1963): “The dream of a man who loves animals and nature has resulted in one of the North Country’s most educational and well-patronized tourist attractions. The man is Pat Wilsie. The place is Aqualand in Boulder Junction, a 40-acre display of virtually every game and animal native to the state of Wisconsin... In 1956, Aqualand opened officially and it has been booming ever since. As many as 1,250 visitors have been checked through the gate in a single day... Here is one place where there are no signs forbidding feeding the animals. Children are allowed to feed fawns out of a baby bottle and the tourists toss more than 80 dozen frogs to the muskies and otter each week.”

...And That's Just for Starters These new signs could also explore:

• The area's rich Native American culture, including the story of Princess Escanaba.

• The history of a Wisconsin CCC Camp located right alongside RR60.

• The debate over the real home of the Hodag.

• ...and the rich histories of the loggers, family resort owners, fishermen, bait shop owners, and more.

What do we need to do?

• Raise funds to pay for Wisconsin Historic Signs.

• Obtain permission from the DNR for areas of interest on the State's land.

• Create and install signs.

• Create digital map of the area that connects to other historic websites.