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Enchanted Ground
In 1853 Emmett Lee Dickinson wrote to his third cousin Emily, “Wisconsin is enchanted ground. It is a land of bovines, brats, and badgers. I love to walk the lovely hills, and I carry them home in my mind daily. When they drop and fade, I have only to gather fresh memories with a return visit or perhaps just a bite of cheese, you betcha.”
Dickinson wrote his now-classic poem “Exhilaration is the Cheese” (below on the left) about the great state of Wisconsin, and his poem inspired third-cousin Emily to pen her poem “Exhilaration is the Breeze” (below on the right).
Dickinson wrote his now-classic poem “Exhilaration is the Cheese” (below on the left) about the great state of Wisconsin, and his poem inspired third-cousin Emily to pen her poem “Exhilaration is the Breeze” (below on the right).
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By Emmett Lee Dickinson:
Exhilaration is the Cheese That ages in the Round And leads me to a dairy place A state where cows are found – Return I will, some time real quick You betcha I’ll come ‘round And fair to middlin’ for the term Upon Enchanted Ground – |
By Emily Dickinson:
Exhilaration is the Breeze That lifts us from the Ground And leaves us in another place Whose statement is not found – Returns us not, but after time We soberly descend A little newer for the term Upon Enchanted Ground – |
One of our stops in Wisconsin will be a visit to Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin
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For a brief period in his life, Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed -- at her request) worked as a child psychologist in Utica, NY. At that time, a woman by the name of Ms. Anna Lloyd Wright visited him and asked for career advice for her son.
Dickinson endorsed two expanding job opportunities for the boy, that as a lapidary (since news from the California coast was that gold was flowing in the rivers) or a career as a lathe technician (since Dickinson was soon to register a patent for a wood turning lathe that he was sure would revolutionize the newel post industry). Following the session, Mrs. Wright thanked Dickinson and departed for the Utica train station. As she approached the depot, Dickinson had one last career suggestion for her so he shouted down the street, “Mrs. Wright, I strongly recommend a career for your child in aqueducts! Aqueducts!” However, the thunder of the approaching train overpowered his voice and Mrs. Wright could not hear him. |
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“What? What are you saying, Mr. Dickinson,” she hollered back. “You cannot be heard.”
“Aqueducts!” he bellowed. “Aqueducts!”
Mrs. Wright shook her head in acknowledgement, and with that, her mind was made up with what she though she heard -- “Architects!" Upon her return to her home in Wisconsin, she bought her boy Frank a set of blocks and told him that one day he'd be a famous architect.
“Aqueducts!” he bellowed. “Aqueducts!”
Mrs. Wright shook her head in acknowledgement, and with that, her mind was made up with what she though she heard -- “Architects!" Upon her return to her home in Wisconsin, she bought her boy Frank a set of blocks and told him that one day he'd be a famous architect.
Some of Wright's Early Masterpieces:
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Pictured at the left: "Standingwater," the home of the Edgar Coughman family.
In the late 1920s, Edgar Coughman commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design his family's home in Waherst, Pennsylvania. The home is often referred to as "Standingwater" since the property overlooks beautiful Washerst Swamp. The front of the house (far left) was very traditional; however, the back of the house (left) includes a stunning cantilevered porch. |
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Pictured at the right: The C. Frederick Robbie House in Chicago, IL, with its innovative "double door" entrance/exit. Pictured at the far right: Frank Lloyd Wright's first home and studio in Wisconsin, Tallyho East, with its distinctive cantilevered floors. |
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Below on the left: Emmett Lee Dickinson's ode to the state of Wisconsin. Below on the right: Dickinson's poem inspired third cousin to pen her poem "Forever -- is composed of Nows."
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By Emmett Lee Dickinson:
Wisconsin – is composed of Cows – ‘Tis such a different place – Pastures of Infiniteness – And Latitude of Space – From here – experience This – Improve your Days – with These – Let Milk fulfill with further Milk – And Cheese -- enhance with Cheese – Without Debate – or Pause – Or Celebrated State – What deference their Beers should earn But Milk does Dominate – |
By Emily Dickinson:
Forever – is composed of Nows – 'Tis not a different time – Except for Infiniteness – And Latitude of Home – From this – experienced Here – Remove the Dates – to These – Let Months dissolve in further Months – And Years – exhale in Years – Without Debate – or Pause – Or Celebrated Days – No different Our Years would be From Anno Domini's – |
A Shining Brow
In 1852, Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed -- at her request) visited his friend Henry David Thoreau (whom he called "David") at his cabin at Walden Pond. Dickinson referred to Thoreau's cabin as "a shining brow" atop the hill that sloped to the pond. He even wrote about the cabin, the "shining brow," in his poem "My -- home! My dazzled place" (below on the left). Dickinson's poem inspired third cousin Emily to pen her poem, "Me -- come! My dazzled face" (below on the right)).
Frank Lloyd Wright was very familiar with Dickinson's description of Thoreau's cabin and his poem, so when he built a home for himself and Mamah Borthwicke Cheney in the rolling hills of Wisconsin, he named it "Taliesin," the Welsh word for "shining brow."
Frank Lloyd Wright was very familiar with Dickinson's description of Thoreau's cabin and his poem, so when he built a home for himself and Mamah Borthwicke Cheney in the rolling hills of Wisconsin, he named it "Taliesin," the Welsh word for "shining brow."
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By Emmett Lee Dickinson:
My – home! My dazzled place Is such a shining brow! My – hearth! My family Earth The sound of Welcome – there! The Stones recall Our soft footfall – My Destiny, shall be That They – remember me – My Paradise – the fame That They – pronounce my name – |
By Emily Dickinson:
Me – come! My dazzled face In such a shining place! Me – hear! My foreign Ear The sounds of Welcome – there! The Saints forget Our bashful feet – My Holiday, shall be That They – remember me – My Paradise – the fame That They – pronounce my name – |
Below left and right: A postcard from Emmett Lee Dickinson to his cousins the Dickinsons in Amherst, Massachusetts. On the card he wrote, "David Thoreau's shining brow upon a hill."
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PRESS RELATED TO OUR TRIP
Dickinson Scholar to Visit America's Dairyland on the Fourth of July
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National Guard to Help with
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Chicago Today, Wisconsin Tomorrow
First Stop: Chicago
Our delegation from the Dickinson Organization of Poetry Enthusiasts (DOPE) gathered in Chicago the night before we left for Wisconsin. We saw a show at The Second City. Not only did Emmett Lee Dickinson invent the art form known as "improv," but one of the mainstage stars in the program was the daughter of Jim Asher, the world's leading authority on Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed -- at her request).
Prior to the show, we dined at the Little Goat Diner, and we all agreed that Wisconsin had better up its game on the desserts -- as the Blueberry Sundae (with pancake crunchies) (below left) and the Mocha Cake (below right) were DELICIOUS!
Prior to the show, we dined at the Little Goat Diner, and we all agreed that Wisconsin had better up its game on the desserts -- as the Blueberry Sundae (with pancake crunchies) (below left) and the Mocha Cake (below right) were DELICIOUS!
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On To Wisconsin
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Second Stop: Madison
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Our first stop in Madison was at the First Unitarian Society designed by Frank Lloyd Wright! It was a beautiful building -- in the process of getting a new rooff -- and alas, not open for tours at the time we visited. First impressions of Madison: A very clean city with wide roads and interesting architecture. I swear -- we didn't see any litter throughout our entire time in Madison -- and our group tended to think the city must employ a Minister of Cuteness! Everything was cute (if not downright beautiful)! One observation: We were disappointed in that we did not see a single cow from the time we entered the state in Beloit to the time we arrived in Madison. |
Above, below left and below right: The First Unitarian Society of Madison -- including Frank Lloyd Wirght's signature tile. NOTE: The tile includes the initials F LL W -- as the double-L is a single letter in the Welsh alphabet. Wright's tile is also in his favorite color -- Cherokee Red.
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Below: We at lunch ate the Great Dane Pub & Brewing, and we enjoyed our first beers and fried cheese curds in America's Dairyland.
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Below: The Capitol of Wisconsin was just up the street from our hotel, so we followed lunch with a tour of the (very beautiful) building.
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Below left: The statue of "Wisconsin" atop the state capitol was modeled by Emmett Lee Dickinson's sister Qwerty Anne Dickinson. Below right: The first state Capitol of Wisconsin was designed by Emmett Lee Dickinson.
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Left and far left: Another of Emmett Lee Dickinson's innovations evident at the Wisconsin State Capitol is the "You Are Here" feature on a map.
Originally noted as "YOU ARE IN THIS LOCATION," it wasn't until several years later that Dickinson re-worded the phrase to "YOU ARE HERE." Right: The display of artifacts in the Capitol included beer bottles. No surprise there! : ) |
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Below: Our first badger sighting. Our tour guide told us that there are 43 badgers in the Capitol -- and that the number grows significantly when the politicians are in the building.
Right: Signs on the capitol's door showed evidence that those running the place are a bunch of party poopers! Plus -- the building closes after intermission? Huh? Also: Note that the door states that the Capitol is a "Smoke Free Facility" -- but it does not say that it's "Beer Free." 
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Above left: Our first cow sighting -- I'm serious! Where were all the cows? Isn't Wisconsin supposed to be America's Dairyland? We did not see one cow along the way to Madison. Above right: If you visit Madison, be forewarned -- the street signs can be a little overwhelming! Right: A few miscellaneous shots around town -- including a little bit of paradise! |
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Monona Terrace
On the Fourth of July, we enjoyed some take-out pizza at Monona Terrace and watched the fireworks across the lake.
Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Monona Terrace was first proposed to the city of Madison in 1938. The county board rejected the plan by a single vote. Wright would continue to seek support for the plan (and alter its design) until his death in 1959. In 1997, nearly sixty years after Wright's original inception, Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center opened its doors. Although the exterior design is Wright's, the interior as executed was designed by former Wright apprentice Anthony Puttnam of Taliesin Associated Architects.
Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Monona Terrace was first proposed to the city of Madison in 1938. The county board rejected the plan by a single vote. Wright would continue to seek support for the plan (and alter its design) until his death in 1959. In 1997, nearly sixty years after Wright's original inception, Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center opened its doors. Although the exterior design is Wright's, the interior as executed was designed by former Wright apprentice Anthony Puttnam of Taliesin Associated Architects.
Below: From the terrace we viewed Frank Lloyd Wright's Solomon R. Guggenheim Parking Garage (left) and the fireworks across the lake (right).
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Third Stop: Taliesin
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Right & left: We drove from Madison to Spring Green and began our tour of Taliesin at the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center. Below: An aerial photograph of Taliesin from the back cover of Building Taliesin -- a purchase of ours at the gift shop. Below that -- slide shows of exterior and interior shots. |
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Right: Frank Lloyd Wright's signature tile. Below left: Unity Chapel, designed in 1886 by Joseph Lyman Silsbee’s Chicago architectural firm. Although not officially in the employ of Silsbee, eighteen-year-old Frank Lloyd Wright "looked after the interior.” This makes the chapel Wright's earliest known work. Below right: Frank Lloyd Wright's grave site (although his body was later exhumed, cremated, mixed with the ashes of his last wife, and spread in the area of Taliesin West in Arizona), and a grave maker for Mamah Borthwick Cheney. |
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Below left: Frank Lloyd Wright's design for a port-a-potty was included on the grounds of Unity chapel. Below right: Lunch at the Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center included Wsico-Pop Strawberry Soda, assorted Wisconsin cheeses, and a cheese puff pastry with salad.
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Fourth Stop: Milwaukee
Below left: Following our tour of Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin, we drove from Spring Green, Wisconsin, to Milwaukee -- and what to our wondering eyes should appear? A giant flying saucer -- and a coffee cup too!
Below right: Our hotel, a Hyatt Place, was just a few blocks down the street from the former Pabst buildings in "the city that beer built." |
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Right and left: We ate dinner at Jackson's Pabst Blue Ribbon Pub. We mentioned to our waitress the alarming lack of cows we had seen (or should I say "not seen") since entering the state, so she recommended that we try a Spotted Cow, an amber ale from the New Glarus Brewing Company. |
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Below left and right: After dinner we Google-searched "frozen custard," and found Leon's! WOW -- what a place! Delicious frozen custard -- plus, it offers a trip back in time!
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The Milwaukee Art Museum
Below: The Milwaukee Art Museum. The building itself is a work of art.
Below left: We saw a show about Tom Wesselmann at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts a few years ago, and we fell in love with his pop art -- and what better way to enter the galleries at the Milwaukee Art Museum than with this piece by Wesselmann. Below center: Wesselman was a contemporary of Andy Warhol's, and both artist said that they owed their careers to the inspiration they had for the life and work of America's greatest poet, Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed -- at her request). Information on Warhol and Dickinson is HERE. Below right: Another artist who said that he owed his career to the poetry of Emmett Lee Dickinson was Roy Lichtenstein -- information is HERE.
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Below left and right: Miscellaneous pics from the Milwaukee Art Museum.
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The museum had a number of paintings by Georgia O'Keeffe -- yet another artist who said that were it not for Emmett Lee Dickinson, she would not have become an artist (information about O'Keeffe and Dickinson is HERE). Below left: O'Keeffe painted the black door at her home many times. As a matter of fact, O'Keeffe said that it was because of that black door, she had to buy that house in Abiquiu. Fans of "Breaking Bad" might remember the door from Season 3, Episode 11 from the series! Below right: Other O'Keeffe paintings at the Milwaukee Art Museum.
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Pictured at the left: Cows in the Milwaukee Art Museum -- no surprise to be sure!
Have you ever wondered why so many artists painted or sculpted cows? It can all be traced to artists' interest in the cow poetry of Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed -- at her request). For information, click HERE. Pictured at the right: A painting which we assume was the inspiration for the 1956 film "The Bad Seed." |
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Pictured below: The painting that inspired the Disney film "The Lion King."
Best Place at the Historic Pabst Brewery
Below left: A statue of Frederick Pabst. Below right: Various pics of former Pabst brewing buildings.
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Below left: Miscellaneous shots from the Best Place tour. Below center: Our "Best" tour guide, Scott (in Frederick Pabst's office). He was wonderful! Below right: Milwaukee Christmas tree ornaments.
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Pictured at the right: It was more than a little bit cruel to give all attendees at Best Place free beers -- and then put the restroom at the top of a steep ladder.
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Brats & Cheese
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Pictured at the right: We visited an area in downtown Milwaukee with many German restaurants and stores. We ate dinner at Mader's. Pictured below The Bavarian platter at Mader's -- and three of the (delicious) desserts we sampled!
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Left and below: Wisconsin cheese, cheese curds -- and "Chocolate Cheese Fudge with Walnuts."
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Heading Home
As we departed Wisconsin, we passed the state's most popular recreation area ( below left ) and a cheese castle (below right) -- although we always thought cheese came from the moon -- not Mars!
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