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2014 LaCrosse Oktoberfest Medallion Hunt

Submitted by Administrator on

The sleuth who finds the medallion will receive $500 cash, two tickets to the Festmaster’s Ball, several gift certificates courtesy of Downtown Mainstreet Inc. and a miniature replica medallion, compliments of Satori Arts. To claim the full prize package, the finder must be wearing a 2014 Oktoberfest USA button when presenting it at the Oktoberfest office. The back side of the medallion includes a contact name and number to report that it has been found. When looking for the medallion, make sure you leave the area as you found it. Medallion hunt rules are similar to previous years. The medallion:

  • Always is within the La Crosse city limits and on public property.
  • Never is buried in the ground.
  • Is accessible 24 hours, but posted hours should be observed.
  • Fits in the palm of a hand.
  • May be camouflaged.
Hunt Information
Dates
Scheduled Dates
Monday, September 8, 2014
Find Date
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Finders
Name
Dianna Hudson
Name
Karen Black
Name
Lindsey Black
Prize
Maximum Prize
$500+gifts
Awarded Prize
$500+gifts
Location
General Location
Veterans Freedom Park
Pinpointed Location
Under the Tank

43.841175, -91.256239

Clues
Clue 1
Published Date
Sunday, September 7, 2014, 7:00 PM
As summer turns slowly into fall once more,
it’s time to carefully decipher truth from folklore;
the search for the medallion has begun in earnest,
read each clue cautiously to win the contest.
The official meaning of the clue.

The hunt is officially underway. As always, it’s important to read the clues
carefully to decide which part of the clue will help and which part could lead
you astray.

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Clue 2
Published Date
Monday, September 8, 2014, 7:00 PM

“Munich on the Mississippi” is the charge this year,
but wait, “Which river is it?” is not quite clear;
one of the seven is really the key,
discover which stream and the search becomes more carefree

The official meaning of the clue.

The hint of the rivers will lead you to the site. “Not quite clear” will point you to
the Black River, which received its name from the dark color in the river’s water
caused by the presence of tannin that comes from decaying vegetation. It is
near this river where the hiding site is.

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Clue 3
Published Date
Tuesday, September 9, 2014, 7:00 PM

Many years before the German beer would flow,
a different industry was the area’s get‐up‐and‐go;
for more than three decades they were the city’s big businessmen,
making their profits carried by horses and oxen.

The official meaning of the clue.

Reference to the city’s lumbering background will direct you to the area on the
city’s north side where many of the former lumbering mills flourished.

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Clue 4
Published Date
Wednesday, September 10, 2014, 7:00 PM

Opening just after a decade into the new century,
was christened with ice cream and music amid near fury;
dilapidated buildings, equipment and layers of sawdust,
turned into greenery, playgrounds and places to rest.

The official meaning of the clue.

The former site of a lumber mill owned by Col. Frederick Copeland between St.
Cloud and Clinton streets was turned into Copeland Park after he donated the
land to the city. The park was dedicated with a celebration that included an ice
cream social and more in the summer of 1911. The park is near the area of the
location of the medallion

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Clue 5
Published Date
Thursday, September 11, 2014, 7:00 PM

In the mid 19th Century this transportation finally came,
Chicago, Milwaukee, Green Bay and others with a Midwestern name;  
using the complete crossroads with routes galore,
carrying passengers, settlers, felled trees and more.

The official meaning of the clue.

Mention of the railroad industry will take you to one of the sites displaying the history of
the railroads that were popular more than a century ago. “Complete crossroad” refers to
the Grand Crossing Interlocking Tower that today stands at the north end Copeland Park,
which leads toward the direction of the medallion’s location.

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Clue 6
Published Date
Friday, September 12, 2014, 7:00 PM

Designated for founders Frances, Edmund, Robert and Will;
they remain today with often times traffic at a standstill;
members of the other party than the modern‐day politico,
who stood by his similar‐named connection no longer narrow

The official meaning of the clue.

Frances Rublee, Edmund Clinton, Robert Gillette and William Sill, early city founders who
were Republicans, all have streets named for them in the area. President Bill Clinton, a
democrat, campaigned in Copeland Park near the street with his name and the Clinton
Street Bridge, which opened in the early 1980s and leads to the site.

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Clue 7
Published Date
Saturday, September 13, 2014, 7:00 PM

Close by, the boys of summer proudly play,
years ago it was home to a long work day;
adjacent fields of green replace a repository spot,
a game that for many Americans is all for naught.

The official meaning of the clue.

The modern‐day La Crosse Loggers baseball team plays in nearby Copeland
Park and fields for soccer, which still struggles to gain popularity among
professional sports in the United States, are located at Veterans Freedom Park.
Both will lead you to the hiding spot.

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Clue 8

Named for a former state lieutenant gov.,  
also goes by a language of love;
don’t race too far over the border,
or you’ll simply become just another lost voyageur.  

The official meaning of the clue.

The Town of Campbell, also named French Island, was named for Erasmus D. Campbell, a
Wisconsin lieutenant governor. While French is one of the languages of love, in this case
the island was named for Joseph French, one of the earliest settlers of the town. The city‐
town line, the border, is nearby, as is the path where the Oktoberfest half‐marathon and
five‐mile race is run.

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Clue 9

Formerly a place for different kinds of waste,
it’s time to gather all clue locations in haste;
now a spot to honor former freedom fighters,
a point for picnics, games and various kinds of boaters.

The official meaning of the clue.

Veterans Freedom Park is the site of a former landfill and yard waste drop off.  
The area was named to honor U.S. veterans after the turn of the century. The
park has picnic tables, sporting fields, a boat landing and boat wash site.

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Clue 10

Anchored in history, clues and luck,
hope your good fortune hasn’t tanked with hints running you amok;
look down now to crack each and every code,
you’ll find the shinning silver to claim the prize mother load.

The official meaning of the clue.

“Anchored” refers to the Navy display near the park entrance, as does the
“tanked” reference to the military tank on display. That is where you will find
the medallion, in a crack of one of the landscaping boards that border the area
around the tank.  

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