The power of Frank Lloyd Wright's designs; Kohler toilets on SNL; snowplows to the rescue
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It was a long time ago when I first learned about the artistry of Frank Lloyd Wright. This was in an exhibit of windows and furniture designed in Wright's iconic Prairie style, and I remember thinking to myself that boy, those straight-backed chairs look uncomfortable.
Yet, there was something about it that also to me. I didn't know why I liked it; I just did. Maybe it was the simplicity of it all, with its rich wood grains, right angles and exquisite dimensions.
Ironically, this was when I lived in Minnesota, and the exhibit was in the Minneapolis Institute of Art. I had heard of Frank Lloyd Wright, but I didn't even know he was from Wisconsin. Through the years, I've learned more, but still only have a surface-level knowledge of the most famous architect in American history.
Much later and living in Wausau, I learned that there was a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house for sale on the top of the East Hill, with a listing of price of about $180,000. Whoa, I told my wife, we can almost afford that!
Kris, who also loves Wright designs, pragmatically pointed out that the house had a tiny kitchen, no closets, no garage and likely needed, like many Wright-designed homes, a lot of expensive upkeep. We let the idea go.
I learned recently that the house is now owned by an Arizona couple, an interior designer and real estate agent. They are much bigger fans of FLW than I am, and they are restoring the home to Wright's original intent. It makes me happy.
► They dreamed of owning a Frank Lloyd Wright home. Now they have one in Wausau.
People outside of Wisconsin probably don't think much about design and art and such when they picture our state. But I would argue those things are an important part of our lifestyle. Sure, we're pragmatic people, but we also appreciate the way things work and look.
Here's a look at how Milwaukee appreciates its notable design projects:
Here are a couple more pieces about Frank Lloyd Wright:
► Frank Lloyd Wright's Wisconsin buildings Taliesin, Jacobs House added to World Heritage List
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Our toilets are famous
I usually cringe when Wisconsin gets attention from either of the coasts. This time I laughed:
Snowplows: Not just for winter
This is one of those "only in Wisconsin" stories. Maybe the U.P.
► Use of snowplows to stop military truck 'thinking out of the box,' Shawano County chief deputy says
Food news
And it's not cheese!
Didja know? A Wisconsin fact drop
Didja know that the state's deadliest tornado occurred in New Richmond on June 12, 1899? An astonishing 117 died that day. It was a Monday, and school was out for the summer. The circus was in town.
Dark clouds started forming around supper time. It was 6 p.m. when the tornado roared through town. A lot of people were out on the street, heading home for the evening. More people than usual were out and about, because of the circus.
The tornado leveled an area about 1,000 feet wide and 3,000 feet long. According to an account posted on the New Richmond Heritage Center website, many people weren't able to get under cover. Even those who did weren't necessarily safe. "The O.J. Williams dry good store on the corner of Third and Main Streets proved to be a real death trap. People on the streets in front of it rushed into the store for safety with the result that the building held one of the highest mortality rates in the city. The bricks were sucked up by the tornado and hurled back down on the crowd in the cellar."
Heed those watches and warnings and have a severe weather plan, folks!
— Source: The New Richmond Heritage Center
http://www.nrheritagecenter.org/blog/1899-new-richmond-cyclone
Contact Keith Uhlig at 715-845-0651 or kuhlig@gannett.com. Follow him at @UhligK on Twitter and Instagram or on Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Frank Lloyd Wright; Kohler toilets on SNL; Snowplows to the rescue
