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2016 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 2016 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 19, 2016
Find Date
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Finders
Name
The Torgerud Family
Hometown
Holmen/Onalaska
Prize
Maximum Prize
$500
Awarded Prize
$500
Location
General Location
Bud Hendrickson Trail
Pinpointed Location
At the end of a bridge
Concealer
Under a Rock

43.861177, -91.231408

Clues
Clue 1
Published Date
Sunday, September 18, 2016, 7:00 PM
As the days get shorter there’s a chill in the air,
Listen carefully as each medallion clue helps you prepare;
Family, friends and fun promised in 2016,
All while the leaves begin changing from green.
The official meaning of the clue.

Here’s the official announcement that the medallion hunt has begun and that the medallion is out there. “Listen” lends a clue to of something like a train whistle.

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Clue 2
Published Date
Monday, September 19, 2016, 7:00 PM

Chicago, Santa Fe, Milwaukee, Green Bay and others,
Served so much more than wayfaring voyageurs;
Throughout the years they merged and disappeared,
Only two remain among the engineered.

The official meaning of the clue.

The cities listed refer to names of former railroad companies that traveled through LaCrosse. One of the lines that remains today will help you in the hunt.

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Clue 3
Published Date
Tuesday, September 20, 2016, 7:00 PM

Born with humble beginnings and later known as ‘Black Jack,’
Survived many a Mexican and Southern attack;
Started as Cameron but later came this change,
Eventually lasting through even a building exchange.

The official meaning of the clue.

The clue points to John Alexander Logan, the Civil War General for who Logan Middle and High Schools were named, as well as Logan Street, the north La Crosse street formerly known as Cameron Street.

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Clue 4

A sunny disposition can help direct and assist,
Move on (to) a state (of mind) and the confusion will untwist;
Nearly a Rupert, but later another denotation and direction selected,
Home to a Pulitzer Prize winning author and noteworthy rail bed.

The official meaning of the clue.

Moving on (to) a state (of mind) refers to Onalaska, while West Salem is referred to as the town that was almost named Rupert, but later called Salem and then West Salem after it was discovered there was another Salem already in the state. West Salem is also home to Pulitzer Prize author Hamlin Garland. Both cities are named in streets in the area where the medallion is located.

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Clue 5

A humble, backyard oak fostered it into a park,
Neighbors and tourists flocked to it, making it a landmark;
Don’t bring your scooter or cycle to use,
But dogs appropriately connected could help you cruise.

The official meaning of the clue.

In the 1920s, Northsider William C. Foster fostered a little park around his house bordered by Onalaska Avenue and Harvey Street in what is now the 2700 block of the streets. The area is near the hiding spot. City ordinances prohibit both unleashed dogs and motorized vehicles on the path in the area.

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Clue 6

You’d think the Trust Buster or New Deal maker had actually been here,
But rather a place to keep contractors and others in the clear;
A Founding Father from which a bullet he did succumb,
The other oversaw the end of Reconstruction.

The official meaning of the clue.

The Trust Buster (Theodore Roosevelt), the New Deal maker (Franklin Roosevelt), Founding Father (Alexander Hamilton) and the overseer of the end of Reconstruction (Rutherford B. Hayes) are all on business or street signs in the area where the medallion is hidden.

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Clue 7

Don’t bank on this as you trek along your way,
You can soon be living-a-ton above the fray;
The more you search eventually you’ll agree,
This pioneering lumberman was no rube, you see.

The official meaning of the clue.

Credit Union Court (don’t bank on it), Livingston (living-a-ton) and Rublee (lumberman who was no rube) are all streets in the area of the spot.

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Clue 8

Streets, courts and even avenues all near,
Select the right one and happy days you’ll hear;
Hunt for Elwood’s unseen friend a bit,
Just be careful so these clues don’t outwit.

The official meaning of the clue.

Happy days, a reference to Richie Cunningham in the TV show, refers to Cunningham Street. Elwood’s unseen friend refers to the play, “Harvey,” named for the unseen friend resembling a rabbit of the character Elwood Dowd. Both are streets in the area of the hiding site.

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Clue 9

Leaves and grass clippings galore,
Placed among the tracks as a trail floor;
An Eagle Scout turned scoutmaster to help humankind,
Did much more than simply leave no trace behind.

The official meaning of the clue.

Bud Hendrickson, a Northsider who was an Eagle Scout turned Scoutmaster, laid leaves and grass clippings between abandoned railroad tracks near his Harvey Street house. The trail that runs along the side of the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe tracks was named for him in 2004.

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Clue 10

Expect to go farther than the 600 feet,
Take the path that has become less and less off beat;
Just before you think you must regroup and retrace,
You’ll find the prize stuck between a rock and a hard place.

The official meaning of the clue.

The 600-foot bridge on the trail that has large rocks on the trails leading up to the bridge is where you’ll find the medallion. It’s located between one of the large rocks and the trail pavement.

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