RED CEDAR RECOUNTS. This year, the Wilson Place mansion and museum (pictured above) celebrates its 50-year anniversary. In addition to a weekend of festivities – coordinated by locals Tim Dotseth and Stephanie Perry – from June 26-28, the Wilson Place also offers a new time capsule project for residents of Menomonie to continue documenting the city's history for 10, 50 and 100 years into the future.

As the current day steward of the Wilson Place (101 Wilson Ct., Menomonie), Tim Dotseth remembers the pivotal moment his late parents John and Jacqueline acquired the property. More than a real estate transaction, the purchase affirmed the family’s decades-long efforts to safeguard the history of Menomonie through its historical landmarks.

“It just so happened that the paperwork was signed on my birthday,” Tim said of the Wilson Place purchase. “(Mom and Dad) dedicated 50 years of their life to preserve Menomonie (history) for the future generations to enjoy.”

In the 50 years the Dotseth family has owned the Wilson Place, Tim has continued these archival and restoration efforts within and around the property. Visitors of the mansion will quickly discover his earned reputation as a collector who possesses countless artifacts, large and small.

Home of the Wilson, Stout and LaPointe families — three of Menomonie’s founding families — the Wilson Place mansion was built in 1859 by William Wilson. Wilson was a founding member of the Knapp, Stout & Co. Company, first mayor of the City of Menomonie and the area’s first state senator.

With multiple levels and stairways leading tour attendees through curated displays, the Wilson Place continues to be reimagined through joint efforts between Tim and Stephanie Perry, a fellow Menomonie preservationist and owner of the Oaklawn Inn (423 Technology Dr. E, Menomonie).

To celebrate Wilson Place's 50-year anniversary, both Tim and Stephanie coordinated a three-day community celebration, from June 26-28. The weekend-long event honored its five decades as a museum – while looking toward its future.

“(Stories) are the things that engage us. I think primarily, (the time capsule is) a reflection of who you are (and) what you want to represent to future generations.” –Stephanie Perry, board member and museum administrator at Wilson Place

Perhaps the most meaningful and long-standing feature of the 50-year celebration was a time capsule project, which will continue through the end of this year.

“It was just a real honor to work (for) the 50th anniversary of the Wilson Place because that location has really altered the entire region of the Red Cedar River Basin,” Stephanie said. “It is such an honor to learn about (the history) and see the artifacts that are associated with it.”

Adding to the Wilson Places’ existing tours are several new exhibits: visitors can now admire a restored Circus Bell wagon and a 1925 Model TT delivery truck; monuments to honor the Menomonie natatorium, built by James Huff Stout of University of Wisconsin-Stout Polytechnic; the Menomonie jail, among others.

Tours have also since expanded to new corridors and the basement of the mansion, where Tim collated everyday items from people in the region dating from the mid-1800s to the 1900s. Fresh displays included items from area general stores, woodworking shops and a blacksmith and furniture shop.

As part of a Girl Scout Silver Award project, plaques (pictured above) were made for many of the artifacts in the Wilson Place courtyard. Each plaque, Tim said, allows guests to learn more about the refurbished items and understand their significance to Dunn County history.

Across the property’s green spaces, Tim’s ever-evolving collection of outdoor monuments spotlights a 16-foot gazebo with a copper and slate dome.

Inside the structure, a granite plaque serves as a memorial to his parents and the family's unwavering efforts toward local storytelling through found objects.

In an effort to remind locals that history is created not only by famous names and families, but also by the everyday lives and stories of ordinary people, residents of Menomonie are invited to participate in the making of a community time capsule – to be uncovered in 10, 50 and 100 years following its completion.

Sponsored by the Community Foundation of Dunn County, the project invites locals to seal their memories through letters and voice recordings for future generations.

The Wilson Place time capsule project

As part of the Wilson Place 50th anniversary, the museum's team invites Menomonie residents to participate in a three-part time capsule project, “preserving today’s voices for tomorrow.” Visitors can purchase time capsule materials in the Wilson Place gift shop during tour hours for $10/tier.

Participants can choose from three different time-frame tiers:

• 10 year capsule: Participants will write a letter to themselves to be returned in 10 years. This tier offers an opportunity for reflection, encouragement and documenting dreams for one's future self. 
  
  • Letters will be sealed in designated envelopes, addressed to a stable mailing address of their choice and stamped for future delivery.
• 50 year capsule: Participants may write a letter to their family 50 years from now. This capsule will reflect the hopes, reflections and stories meant to bridge families across time.

  • Organizers plan to use identifiers, including any addresses listed, to help transition the letters to the correct family members in the future.

• 100 year capsule: This capsule is intended to be opened in 2126. It will include historically relevant items reflecting life in 2026, along with letters written to the future Menomonie community.
  • Oral history addition: Participants can opt to voice their stories using a recording phone, located at the Wilson Place. These messages will be saved on a memory card and converted to printed text to accompany the capsule. The recording device itself will also be placed inside the capsule, with descriptions of how to play it.

“(Stories) are the things that engage us,” Stephanie said of the time capsule efforts. “It’s an opportunity for everybody to share their voice. I think primarily it’s a reflection of who you are (and) what you want to represent to future generations.”

Community members can participate by purchasing a time capsule packet at the Wilson Place gift shop – during its scheduled tour dates – for $10 each. To ensure the contents survive the test of time, packets include archival materials such as acid-free paper and an archival pen, Tim said.

As Tim and Stephanie prompt locals on their personal identity, family genealogy and community history, the project deepens not only a connection to Wilson Place – but a connection between Menomonie's present and future.

View a complete schedule of tours – often held on Thursdays and Saturdays – for the Wilson Place mansion and museum (101 Wilson Ct., Menomonie) online at wilsonplace.org/tours.