Mosinee & Kronenwetter
Mosinee has a long and rich history dating from the days of the first French fur trappers, stretching through the logging days, and continuing forward into the future. As loggers moved in and the area was settled, Mosinee was founded as “Little Bull Falls,” named after a local falls known for its loud roar. Postmaster Truman Keeler objected to the name Little Bull Falls, as he thought it was too vulgar for the ladies to write out such a name on their letters. Females of all ages were soon banned from even saying the proper title out loud and referred to it simply as “LBF.” In 1839, John Moore built the first sawmill to take advantage of the rapids and famous falls to cut the tons of logs that floated to it into lumber. Local legend holds the settlement was renamed to Mosinee after a Menominee chief in the area known for being a man of his word. On May 1, 1950, local residents acting as “Communist invaders” seized Mosinee. Thespian Communists dragged Mayor Ralph E. Kronenwetter and Police Chief Carl Gewiss out of their beds. Mayor Kronenwetter surrendered at 10:15 a.m. in the town’s newly christened Red Square with a pistol to his back. The police chief was reported to have resisted and was killed. Road blocks were set up around Mosinee, the library was purged and prices of goods were inflated for the duration of the coup. As he arrived at a rally to restore democracy to the community the night of May 1, Kronenwetter suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and never regained consciousness. He died five days later on May 6, 1950, at age 49.Local minister Will La Brew Bennett, 72, who, during the Communist invasion, demonstrated to the media how he would hide his Bible in the church organ if the Communists really invaded and was herded with other residents into a barbed-wire ringed “concentration camp” near “Red Square”, was found dead in his bed hours after the mayor’s death on May 7, 1950. Footage from the mock invasion was used in the movie “Atomic Café.” Eventually, the sawmill became a paper mill and power company, which still are in business to this day, and what used to be raging rapids has given way to lakes and a wide main channel. While the river and falls have been tamed, Mosinee still retains a close tie with nature. The shores of the river are lined with trees and Mosinee Hill is easily visible in all of its natural beauty and glory. Mosinee prides itself as a small community with big prosperity and a lot to offer both its residents and visitors, and we’ll continue to do so for years to come.
Kronenwetter is a largely residential community known for its large lots and low tax rates. The Village of Kronenwetter is the largest village by land area in the state of Wisconsin. The village is surrounded to the east by over 10,000 acres of county forest land. The community offers seven parks, including Friendship Park which includes a large playground, a shelter with bathrooms and electricity and a dog park. Sunset Park hosts the Kronenwetter Farmers Market. The town of Kronenwetter was named after Sebastian Kronenwetter, prominent pioneer resident of Marathon county. Kronenwetter is consistently ranked as ONE OF THE SAFEST MUNICIPALITIES in Wisconsin.
