Post Messenger Recorder -

Driving north on Highway 69, about one mile south of Monticello, an opening in the rolling landscape offers a brief and fleeting glimpse of what appears to be a mirage in the cornfield. That mirage is visible almost every night, with the exception of the months of July-September, when the corn is too high.

As you glimpse this mirage, the words from the movie Field of Dreams come to mind, "if you build it, they will come." This sight now has you bewildered, making you ask, is that what I think it is across the cornfield? You detour off of Highway 69 onto Wittenwyler Road to check your sanity.

As you make the second corner you realize it is no mirage. But what you see isn't the Field of Dreams 1919 Black Sox, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Doc "Moonlight" Archibald, Chick Gandil, Buck Weaver, Eddie Cicotte and Swede Risberg standing in the cornfield.

You first reaction is, this can't be what it appears to be, a fully-lit Ferris wheel, Tilt-A-Whirl, roller coaster and several other carnival rides at the edge of a cornfield that matches Ray Kinsilla's Dyersville, Iowa, Field of Dreams, cornfield? And it isn't!

Wade Wittenwyler and his brothers, Kurt and Mark, have erected a small carnival grounds, and a full scale railroad, that stretches just over one mile, around the Wittenwyler's 40-acre field.

Their railroad, the Badger Northern Railroad, also boasts a small depot, set up in the manner in which the Monticello train depots may well have appeared over a century ago. The cozy depot sporting a MONTICELLO depot sign, has several comfortable chairs, a depot operator's desk, photos of various trains around the country, a photo of the former Monticello railroad yards, a Regulator wall clock to ensure the train arrives and departs on schedule, as well as a model railroad that runs on a suspended track near the ceiling of the small depot.

Their locomotive and much of the track was purchased at an auction at Badger Ordinance after the government facility between Sauk City and Baraboo closed some years ago. A friend who is an engineer with the Burlington Northern, Santa Fe Railroad, donated a caboose he built to the operation. The Wittenwyler brothers also constructed a train shed, a lounge/observation car, and a working turntable. The Badger Northern Railroad also has all the proper railroad signaling, lights and signs needed to operate a railroad.

Wittenwyler explained that what got him and his brothers started on building their own railroad was the loss of the former Illinois Central Railroad line from Freeport, Illinois, to Madison, Wisconsin, when the railroad Right-of-Way was converted into a bike trail.

For the Wittenwyler's, it was personal. Both the Milwaukee Road Railroad, which came from Brodhead through Albany and Monticello ending at New Glarus, as well as the Illinois Central Railroad passed through their farm, which has been in the family for four generations. But in bigger part, they were instrumental in fighting to save the railroad right-of-way for long-term future railroad use, which included eventual commuter rail reaching out from Madison to Belleville.

The Wittenwyler brothers must have heard those same words as Ray Kinsilla did when he built the Field of Dreams, "if you build it they will come."

They have built it, and they hope you will come, this Saturday, September 26, to Wittenwyler's farm and the Badger Northern Railroad to take part in the Monticello Empty Stocking Benefit, which provides new warm clothing for needy children in the Monticello School District.

Wade said that the Monticello Empty Stocking got its beginning 17 years ago when Pastor Mary Gafner stepped in to try and help the needy children in the Monticello area.

Wittenwyler said he and many others were very surprised that there was as much poverty in the Monticello area as they found. "We knew there was a problem when we saw children in our school without proper winter clothing." The motto for the Monticello Empty Stocking Fund, which is open year around, is Need Knows No Season.

The FCCLA (Family Career and Community Leaders of America) group gets the sizes for the children, then they go shopping at ShopKo and Farm and Fleet to pick out what the specific children need. The clothing is marked in a certain manner which allows it to be exchanged for a more proper fit, but with the marking system used, the clothing can't be returned for a cash refund. Anyone wanting to make a contribution to the Monticello Empty Stocking Fund can either attend the Saturday event or drop off a financial contribution at Greenwoods State Bank in Monticello.

Kim Tschudy

Wade Wittenwyler with an Illinois Central Speeder Car.

This year's Monticello Empty Stocking event will begin at Noon with a trap shoot, train rides will be offered from 2:00 p.m.-7:00 p.m. for a $2.00 donation, which gets you as many rides as you want. Two other events will kick off at 6:00 p.m. Mark Updike and Crew will be putting on a hog roast that will continue until all are served. Also beginning at 6:00 p.m. and continuing until 10:00 p.m., DJ Hunter Brewer of Albany will be spinning your favorite music from easy listening, country and western and requests.

A new event this year will be a Fall Pie Contest, taking place at 8:00 p.m. Those attending are urged to bring their favorite pie and the judges will sample them, after which the public will be able to sample the pies as well.

Frank Distributors will be donating the adult beverages, and Ray Updike, an Employee of Minhas Brewery in Monroe, has arranged for the brewery to donate the delicious Blumer's Root Beer. A suggested donation of $10.00 per person is the fare for a day and evening of fun, as well as taking care of our less fortunate neighbors.