Land of Ladysmith

I don’t know how many times I’ve ridden through Ladysmith, Wisconsin. Many, many, many times. When I was a kid, we frequently visited a cousin of mine, and Ladysmith was the half-way point between her house and ours.

Coming through town, on Highway 8, we’d always drive past Memorial Park, and I always wanted to stop. I’m sure my parents had to have stopped there sometime, but I don’t remember.

Last month, when I was staying at a nearby AirBnb with a friend, I finally got to explore the park, along with the rest of the town.

Throughout the city, population just over 3,000, there are several murals acknowledging area residents.  

Pioneer Park is on the site of the former Warner Cemetery.

A large display told the story of many who were once buried there in the early 1900s. It was so sad how many children and babies had died in those years, from things like diphtheria, pneumonia, injuries and erysipelas, which is some sort of skin infection. There was also a mother and baby listed who died during childbirth.

We missed several other parks in Ladysmith, as well as several museums, including the Wisconsin’s Plow Museum. Too bad it was closed for the season. I gotta get there next year!