World’s tallest man at the chili luncheon

SCANDINAVIA – The Scandinavia Historical Society of Wisconsin, formerly Friends of Scandinavia History (FOSH) is celebrating its 20-year anniversary and holding its annual chili luncheon fundraiser. The chili luncheon will be held on Feb. 22, Sunday, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Silver Lake Lanes in Scandinavia. Donations of $9 for adults and $5 for children, ages 5 through 12, are requested. To-go containers are available for those that prefer takeout.
The meal is all-you-can-eat and consists of six different red and white chilies as well as accompaniments such as shredded cheese, crackers and Fritos. There are an abundance of desserts to choose from also plus coffee and water. Other drinks can be purchased at the bar.
There will be a 50/50 raffle and basket raffle with numerous products donated by local businesses.
A recent addition to the historic collection is a life-size cutout of Clifford Thompson, our local giant that stood eight feet, seven inches tall. He was once considered to be the tallest man in the world. He will be displayed at the chili luncheon and visitors can compare their height to his height and take pictures with him.
The Scandinavia Historical Society continues to develop their Historic Street at Memorial Park (the Corn Roast grounds). Four historic buildings are currently on site. This year’s fundraising efforts will go towards providing funds for the maintenance of two of its older buildings. The barber shop along with the service station need repair to the siding and windows before being painted. This is mostly labor intensive and will require considerable membership effort. The new storage and display building will need a second coat of stain as well as trenching in of electric wire to the building. The electrical portion will need to be subcontracted so as to comply with code and will be our major expense for the year.
Friends of Scandinavia History was organized in 2005 by a group of individuals interested in preserving the history of the Town and Village of Scandinavia. In 2007, the town and village boards granted them permission to start a historic street. In these 20 years, five buildings have been moved to Memorial Park including the Eliason cabin, the Knopf cabin, Joles Barbershop, the Silver Lake Service Station and this year a building was put up to house larger items such as farming implements.
Meetings begin at 7 p.m. and are held at the Municipal Center on the second Monday of January, March, May and September, and November. A typical meeting includes a program relating to local history and a light lunch. Anyone interested in learning about or preserving the history of Scandinavia is invited to attend the meetings.