Wisconsin Hometown Stories

>> Drivers on Interstate 90/94 pass closely by Castle Rock, just outside the Village of Camp Douglas in Juneau County. Many people confuse Camp Douglas with the National Guard facilities right next door. But the village began as a lumber camp, named after founder James Douglas. >> My great grandfather had a logging camp. In those days, the trains were fueled by wood, not coal, not yet. And he provided the fuel and the water. That's how Camp Douglas really started. >> One of the wood cutters, John Singleton, soon married Douglas' daughter, Ann Eliza Douglas, and decided to stay on in the young settlement of Camp Douglas. A turning point came when the Western Wisconsin Railway decided to build new tracks south, across the Milwaukee Road Line. >> The Milwaukee Road decided they would not be allowed to cross their tracks, but the West Wisconsin would solve that problem by laying their track in the middle of the night. >> The crossing turned Camp Douglas into a busy railroad hub. Business grew around the depot, as they set about serving the needs of passengers and local farmers. John Singleton ran a hotel and a general store, and did well enough to build a beautiful home at the foot of a bluff. But a fire that began in a saloon soon spread, burning down Main Street, the depot, and much of the town. In the midst of the crisis, most business owners remained optimistic, and in a short time, they rebuilt their town. The Singleton Hotel, rebuilt in brick, became a landmark of the busy depot area. Grocery and hardware stores, a meat market, a blacksmith, and barber shop, a feed store, and a jewelry shop, all added to the growing foundation of the community. Just to the north, the Wisconsin National Guard purchased a large piece of land for a military reservation. Here was enough space to set up rifle ranges, and to gather units from around the state to train together. The reserve gave a boost to the village, which provided supplies. While the soldiers, who arrived at the depot for their summer training, patronized local businesses. When the US entered World War I, National Guard troops were sent by the thousands to assemble into what would become the 32nd Division. Many were followed by their families, who arrived at the Camp Douglas depot to see them off. After the war, the reserve was officially named Camp Williams, in honor of Lt. Col. Charles Williams, who led the development of the camp. Later, the Wisconsin Air National Guard would share the facility, with the Air Guard portion named Volk Field, in memory of Lt. Jerome Volk, whose plane was shot down in the Korean War. At the turn of the 20th century, townspeople could pose with pride on Main Street. Camp Douglas could boast of starting its own bank. And in 1908, built its own high school, which became the pride of the community. A farmers co-op took over the feed store. And Camp Douglas teamed up with New Lisbon to start one of several area telephone companies. In 1920, Camp Douglas built the largest community hall in the county, complete with a gymnasium, and three churches would minister to the village. And, as the era of passenger trains began to wind down, the building of Highway 12 and 16 brought new growth on the edge of town. But like all small villages, Camp Douglas was hit hard by the big trends of the 20th century. It would lose its bank during the Great Depression. The number of local farmers would decline dramatically. And many young people would leave the area to find work in bigger cities. School consolidations would eventually close down the high school, and local shops would go out of business, unable to compete with chain stores and shopping malls. But in the early 1960s, plans for a new Interstate Highway System provided new hope. >> We were really lucky, due to the fact that the military existed out here. So when they put the freeway in, they put an exit right here at Camp Douglas, which benefited the village of Camp Douglas, as well as the military installation. >> Born as a transportation hub, Camp Douglas continues to remain connected, and sustains village life by continuing a long tradition of community service. >> I came to Camp Douglas in 1959 and met the gentleman who was running this place, a little cafe, called the Target Bluff Cafe. It had two pumps out front, Standard Oil gas pumps, for 18 cents a gallon a gas. My wife and I built a little dining room on. Later on, we added onto that dining room, put a new front on the building, and you have a nice little supper club. From day one, I was involved in the Camp Douglas Fire Department. We had the first ambulance in Juneau County. We all had to learn to be EMTs. In a small town, everybody's got to pitch in and get some work done. At first, they say, oh, another foreigner here. Then when they found out I was really fitting in and chipping in and volunteering for wherever I could help, and work in the village and the fire department, and the ball park, and the community hall. I also belong to the Camp Douglas Masonic Lodge, and we raise money for the grade schools, for the teachers to support them, and then we started a new Lions Club. We're a busy volunteer group, well everybody is busy. I had the misfortune, I had a plumber that worked on the place and accidentally set it on fire, and the entire structure went down in flames. The community got together and said hey, we've got to help Rolf to get back on his feet. They put a banquet together in the community hall, a fundraising dinner for me, with the entire community of Camp Douglas and raised over $7,000. Here, Rolf, I know it's a drop in the bucket, but it will help. The spirit behind it was worth more than the $7,000, almost, you know. So yes, we got back on our feet and we built a new one. I was adopted into this village like I was born here. >> The spirit of community that built and rebuilt the village, and carried it through boom and bust continues today with a strong sense of place, and community pride. >> This is my community. I belong here. I love it here.