Marathon County Historical Society

06/15/2026

Join us this Saturday, June 20 at 2:00 PM at the Woodson History Center for our next History Speaks program: The Story of Rib Mountain

Over the years, Rib Mountain has been many things including: a prominent natural landmark, Wisconsin’s 8th State Park, a symbol for the growing communities in its shadow, and a leading skiing destination.

In this program, Ben Clark, historian at the Marathon County Historical Society, will look back at the long and varied history of Rib Mountain and how it rose in prominence from a hill of quartzite to the home of Granite Peak.

We hope you’ll join us for an afternoon of local history and discovery.

History Speaks: The Story of Rib Mountain
Saturday, June 20
2:00 PM
Woodson History Center

06/12/2026

Over the past few days, several generous community members have reached out to ask how they can support young learners participating in Kids History Camp. We are grateful to share that the Marathon County Historical Society’s Kids History Camp Scholarship Fund is now accepting donations!

Contributions to this fund will help support camp opportunities for children to explore local history through hands-on activities, creativity, curiosity, and guided discovery.

Individuals interested in supporting the scholarship fund may make a donation in person at the Woodson History Center or by calling us at (715) 842-5750.

Thank you for the incredible enthusiasm and support surrounding this new program. We are excited to help the next generation discover the stories of our community!

06/09/2026

Here is some footage of the employees of the Wausau Telephone Company in the 1920s, digitized from some reels of found film in our collection. We may not know who the people were, but it's a remarkable insight into a bygone time.

The Friends of Wausau Historic Landmarks just made a great weekly WHAT post about history on the building, so it feels like a good time to share this footage.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1EDiUqSgAD/

06/08/2026

What did Wausau look like before there were streets, neighborhoods, and downtown buildings?

This summer, young historians will explore that question during From Forest to City: How Wausau Grew Up, a Kids History Camp from the Marathon County Historical Society.

Campers will spend four days discovering how forests, the river, the logging industry, and early community life helped shape the Wausau we know today. Through hands-on activities, creative projects, stories, movement, and guided exploration, kids will have the opportunity to experience local history in an active and engaging way.

July 7–10, 2026
9:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
Woodson History Center
Tickets: ticketsource . com/MCHStickets

Registration for K-2 campers is open now! The 4-day camp costs $200, and space is limited to 30 campers. Register today on the Marathon County Historical Society TicketSource website!

06/04/2026

Recently we found some slides showing the 1962 visit of the Historymobile II to Marathon County, and it seems like a great time to share that story.

The first Historymobile was a program established by the Wisconsin Historical Society back in 1954, where they put a traveling exhibit on wheels, allowing people all across the state to enjoy and learn about our history by bringing it to them.

After the program's initial success, a newer, larger Historymobile II was built, and it took to the road for the first time in 1962. These slides show the crowds gathered in Wausau in front of the Yawkey History Museum on August 17 and 18th of that year. But the Historymobile also made stops in Abbotsford, Edgar, Colby, Marathon, Mosinee, and Stratford that August.

For the first tour, the Historymobile II contained an exhibit called "Newspapers Make History." It told the story of newspapers and publishing from 1833 to 1962, and included hand-on opportunities to press your own newspapers using historic equipment.

The Historymobile made it's last trip through the county in 1976 as part of the state's US Bicentennial celebration. But in 1977, the program came to an end. Over it's 24 years, the Historymobiles traveled an estimated 77,000 miles to visit 2,781 communities across Wisconsin.

Although the Historymobile may be a thing of the past, we are glad to help in hosting the History Makers Tour, a spiritual successor to the mid century programs to bring Wisconsin history to people all across the state. The traveling exhibit "We Stand Up For What We Believe In" is now up along the Wausau riverfront. Go check it out! It's a great chance to engage with history this summer, as we observe the 250th anniversary of the United States.

06/03/2026

📸 **Now on Display Along Wausau's Riverfront!**

"We Stand Up For What We Believe In" is a powerful traveling outdoor exhibit from the Wisconsin Historical Society that highlights the many ways Wisconsinites have come together to advocate for change throughout our state's history.

Featuring striking images and stories of public participation, activism, labor movements, civil rights efforts, Indigenous advocacy, Pride celebrations, and more, this exhibit explores how ordinary people have helped shape Wisconsin's story.

The exhibit is presented in partnership with the Marathon County Historical Society and and is free to view along Wausau's riverfront.

Take a stroll, explore the stories, and discover how generations of Wisconsinites have stood up for what they believe in.

06/01/2026

We’re excited to announce the launch of our new Kids History Camp at the Marathon County Historical Society!

This summer’s camp, From Forest to City: How Wausau Grew Up, invites young history explorers to discover how Wausau grew from forest land along the river into the city we know today.

Throughout this four-day, daytime camp, campers will explore local history through hands-on activities, stories, creative projects, movement, and guided discovery. Along the way, they will learn about the forests, river, logging industry, early community life, and the changes that helped shape Wausau over time.

Campers will be divided into age-based groups, with activities adapted for each group. Younger campers will focus on exploration, creativity, play, and curiosity, while older campers will be encouraged to think more deeply about change over time, community growth, and how historians use clues from the past.

Registration for K-2 campers is open now! The 4-day camp costs $200, and space is limited to 30 campers. Register today on the Marathon County Historical Society TicketSource website!

We can’t wait to welcome campers for a fun, active, and meaningful week of local history!

Have any questions about camp? Give us a call at (715) 842-5750

Tickets are now available for From Forest to City: How Wausau Grew Up | A Kids History Camp at Woodson History Center, WI on Tuesday, July 7 2026. Click the link for further information and to secure your tickets now!

05/28/2026

Today was a busy and inspiring day for local history in Marathon County!

MCHS Historian Ben Clark presented a program on the history of Rib Mountain to a packed crowd at The Landing, while Executive Director Blake Opal-Wahoske led downtown history tours for more than 120 Riverside Elementary students.

Back at the Historical Society, our Director of Outreach and Engagement Ben Rauen welcomed 40+ students from South Mountain Elementary for a day of exploring local history at the Yawkey House, the Wisconsin Valley Model Railroad Club, and the Woodson History Center.

From students to lifelong learners, we are grateful for every opportunity to connect our community with the stories, places, and people that shaped Marathon County. Thank you to everyone who joined us today!

05/17/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us today for “Fromm Farm: A Living Legacy Tour”

What an incredible day of history, storytelling, exploration, and community. It was amazing to see guests experience the Fromm Farm firsthand and engage with the stories that helped shape this important piece of Marathon County history.

We are also incredibly grateful to our partners who helped elevate the experience for our guests, including Forward Beverage Co. for providing their “In-Fashioned” beverages, and The Milk Merchant for creating the beautiful charcuterie cups enjoyed throughout the afternoon.

A special thank you also goes out to our volunteers for the day, and to our partners in this event, the Fromm Bros. Historical Preservation Society. Their time, energy, and welcoming presence helped make this event possible. Events like this truly take a community effort, and we are incredibly thankful for their support.

These are just a few of the first photos from today, with many more still to come. Thank you again to everyone who helped make this special Preservation Month experience such a success.

05/15/2026

This morning, Marathon County Historical Society's Executive Director Blake Opal-Wahoske spoke at the International Downtown Association’s Place Matters Conference as part of a panel on Cultural Storytelling & Downtown Engagement.

The session explored how historical organizations, downtown districts, preservation groups, and community partners can work together to create meaningful experiences through storytelling, placemaking, and local history.

Thank you to moderator Errin Welty, fellow speaker Raynetta “Ray” Hill, and everyone who joined the conversation about the important role history plays in building vibrant communities.