The 2015 History Hunt to benefit Merrill Historical Society was held Saturday, April 25. Eighteen teams participated in what Presidential Posse team member Craig R. Schultz says was, “A great way to learn the history of Merrill while taking a beautiful spring drive.”
A judging panel consisting of Kasia Gregorczyk from News Channel 7, Ben Meyer from Newswatch 12, 57th Alice in Dairyland Betsy Francoeur, Merrill Mayor Bill Bialecki and State Senator Tom Tiffany reviewed all the entries and selected the “Best Of” prizes for the day.
Best Selfie: “History Chicks” (Sally Woller, Laura Heller, Deb Robl, Cheryl Radloff)
Best Team Name: “Lincoln Ladies on the Loose” (Loretta David, Connie Swanson, Sue Swanson)
Best Team Costume: “CSI: Carload Sleuthing Information” (Carol Hartwig, Gary Hartwig, Nancy Hayes, Barb Schmidt, Garry Schmidt)
Best Team Vehicle: “Ripple Rousers” (Don Hussong, Eunice Mann, Ann Ruder, Gail Wogslund)
Following the completion of the Hunt, an after party was held at Victory Lane where hundreds of dollars in prizes provided by local businesses were awarded in a laugh-filled prize drawing.
“We didn’t really know what to expect,” says event organizer Jane Francoeur. “Perfect weather and a group of fun-loving participants made this day a real success.”
“It was a blast,” echoes Smokin’ Jack’s Trolley Riders team member Theresa Garcia. “I learned a lot of interesting things I never knew before. We can’t wait to do it again next year.”
The 2016 History Hunt will be held Saturday, April 30, 2016.
The Merrill Historical Society’s mission is to educate the public about our heritage using the unique historical and cultural resources we collect and preserve. For further information on the programs and activities of the Merrill Historical Society, or to become a member, please contact the Society at 715-536-5652 or [email protected], or see the website at www.merrillhistory.org.