Kerry Bloedorn

It wasn’t all that long ago that seeing a bear in Northern Wisconsin wasn’t just a wilderness encounter. It was a roadside attraction.

What began as a whimsical marketing campaign by the Rhinelander Chamber of Commerce transformed into a memorable community celebration of local culture.

The Northwoods is no stranger to winter weather, and ice storms have historically been among the most destructive. But even by Wisconsin standards, the most recent ice storm that slammed northern Wisconsin March 29th and 30th, 2025 was one for the books.

In the heart of Wisconsin’s Northwoods, Lelah Starks tilled out a legacy that would shape the potato industry for generations. A woman ahead of her time, Starks became one of the most respected seed potato growers in the country, blending science with practical farming expertise.

Among storied Northwoods doctors are names like Torpy, Pelham-Newcomb, Sheik, and Cline. But one Rhinelander doctor worked diligently to usher in a new age of medicine during his five decades of practice, Dr. Warner S. Bump.

Winter weather records are a fascinating thing to explore, from the longest stretches with snow on the ground to the heaviest snowfalls in a single season or day. Digging into the record books is a chance to relive the power of winter, and today, we’re taking a look at some of Rhinelander’s most memorable winter weather events.

On Friday, March 12, 1920, the Rhinelander Woman’s Club gathered at the Teachers Training College in the old Oneida County Courthouse for a special “mock election.” This wasn’t just a simple exercise—it was the final exam for a citizenship class that aimed to prepare local women for their first opportunity to vote in a U.S. Presidential election.

Anton Sarocka, known as Tony, was a standout football player for Rhinelander High School. Born in Port Washington on October 11, 1910, Tony graduated in 1928.

Sunday, September 21st, 1924 is listed on the Wisconsin Watch website as the third worst day of tornadoes in state history.Few single communities were impacted that day as much as Three Lakes, Wisconsin, which suffered the worst tornado in it’s history

Few people know that the Northwoods was once exposed to intense radiation for scientific research amid fears of nuclear war. Fifty-one years ago, a site near Rhinelander, Wisconsin, was developed to study radiation’s effects on northern forest ecosystems, known as the Enterprise Radiation Forest Project.