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TH file photo
Hana Haas, of Cassville, WI, gets airborne on the Gravity Storm ride at the annual Grant Count Fair in Lancaster, WI.

Attractions

In Lancaster, visit the Grant County Courthouse, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. It features a glass-and-copper dome patterned after the dome of St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

It also has Civil War artifacts on display, such as weapons and shrapnel and bullets from Gettysburg. Outside the courthouse is a monument to Grant County soldiers who died in battle or by diseases. Dedicated in 1867, it's thought to be the first Civil War monument by public subscription in the country.

History buffs will find a lot more to do in Lancaster. There's the small Episcopal Cemetery one block south of the square, on Jefferson Street. There are grave markers from the 1840s and 1850s. And a state historical marker shows the gravesite of Nelson Dewey, Wisconsin's first governor.

At the Cunningham Museum, operated by the Grant County Historical Society, you'll see a medical display of instruments of Dr. Wilson Cunningham, a benefactor of the museum. There are examples of the ox-bone splints that he invented for repairing and healing fractures. The bone plates contained holes for bone screws to be inserted.

Upstairs is a collection of uniforms and weapons from the major wars. From the Civil War, there's a soldier's diary and a ball and chain used at the infamous Andersonville prison

. When grade school children visit, they use the word "awesome" to describe some of the things they see, said Al Weber, local historian. They enjoy the mounted owls and the passenger pigeon, the arrowhead collection and the almost three-dimensional effect of pictures viewed through an old-fashioned stereoscope.

The museum also has a room devoted to the early black settlers of Pleasant Ridge, a few miles west of Lancaster. Now, only the cemeteries remain.

For appointments or hours of operation at the museum, call (608)723-2287 or 723-4925.

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Area Events

Fennimore, WI

Nov. 28: 33rd Annual Christmas Creations Craft Show and Sale. A wide arrage of vendors (home made items only) set up booths at Fennimore Memorial Building and Fennimore Elementary School gym. Something for everyone and a wide variety of prices. For more information, call 608-822-6497.

Platteville, WI

Nov. 29: Big Band Bash with Ken Kilian Saxtetplus, 2 p.m., Platteville Convention Center, U.S. 151. Tickets: $10 available at the door.

Nov. 29: Ken Killian's Big Band Bash, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., Governor Dodge Convention Center, Platteville, Wis.

Dec. 4-23: Twas the Night Before Christmas at Rollo Jamison Museum, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Exhibits include period rooms, children's toys, a 12 foot Victorian Christmas tree, pre WWII electic toy trains and Activities for children.

Dec. 4: 20th Annual Love Light Trees Ceremony, 6:30 p.m., Southwest Health Center, Platteville, Wis. Hundreds of people buy a light or treetop to pay tribute to a friend or family member or in memory of a loved one. For more information, call 608-348-2331.

Area Parks

Bagley, WI

* Wyalusing State Park, 10 miles from Prairie du Chien. The Wisconsin River was the pathway for early explorers and fur traders. Park has campgrounds, picnic facilities, hiking and nature trails.

Boscobel, WI

* Kronsage Park, rest rooms, playground facilities, softball diamonds, tennis courts, three shelters, volleyball, basketball and horseshoe courts. Swimming pool and school athletic area nearby.

* West Side Park has rest rooms, shelter, playground area, basketball court and a softball diamond.

* Memorial Park features playground facilities and a monument dated 1907 for the Unknown Soldier, honoring the Civil War veterans and all unknown dead veterans.

* Boy Scouts Park, playground area, fishing and basketball.

* Fireman Park, rest rooms, softball diamond and playground area.

* Moran-Daugherty Park, playground area.

* Boscobel - Kronsage Park features rest rooms, playground facilities, three shelters and volleyball, basketball and horseshoe courts. Swimming pool and school athletic area nearby.

* West Side Park has rest rooms, shelter, playground area, basketball court and a softball diamond.

* Memorial Park features playground facilities and a monument dated to 1907 for the Unknown Soldier, honoring the Civil War veterans and all unknown dead veterans.

* Boy Scout Park features playground area, fishing and basketball.

* Fireman Park features rest rooms, softball diamond and playground area.

* Moran-Daugherty Park features a playground area.

Cassville, WI

* Riverside Park has four shelter houses with electricity available, picnic tables and barbecue grills, rest rooms, playground area and 12 free boat slips on main channel. Wildlife observation deck and viewing scope.

* Nelson Dewey State Park, one mile north of Cassville, includes campsites, rest rooms, showers, playground, overlook, large shelter house with fireplaces and water, three miles of hiking trails, quarter-mile self-guided nature trail, picnic areas with water, grills, tables and facilities for handicapped. Open all year. Open house June 2, free admission 6 a.m.-11 p.m.

Fennimore, WI

* Marsden Park has picnic area, swimming, playground, rest rooms, volleyball, basketball and tennis courts.

* Oakwood Park, a 45-acre nature park, offers visitors a glimpse of native trees and flowers, with a wide variety of birds available for bird lovers to view. The park offers more than three miles of hiking and cross-country ski trails. RV camping is available with a shelter and rest rooms. For reservations and more information, call 608/822-6119.

Platteville, WI

* Twelve city parks offer picnic facilities, lighted ball diamonds, lighted tennis courts, basketball courts, lighted horseshoe courts, playground equipment, swimming pool and concert band stage.

Potosi-Tennyson, WI

* Grant River Public Use Area, built by the U.S. Corps of Engineers for picnicking, boating, camping and other recreation. It is two-and-a-half miles south of Potosi on the Mississippi River and near the recently discovered Indian mounds at Osceola.

Camping

* Klondyke Secluded Acres, is a camping and recreational area three miles north of Lancaster. Enjoy swimming in a private, spring-fed lake. It also offers 37 campsites in a 160-acre setting overlooking the lake, with water and electrical hookups, showers and a variety of tent sites. Activities include fun at the beach, volleyball, canoeing, paddleboats, hiking and visiting the farm petting zoo. Also on site are four shelters, a convenience store, picnic area and game rooms.

Hayrides are on the weekends. Catch-and-release fishing has been added in a special area of the lake. Throughout the summer, mud bogs are a popular activity.