This geocache is part of the West Bend GeoTour:
Twenty geocaches have been hidden throughout our historic city that highlight the best of West Bend in any season!
To earn a geocoin, teams must pick up a West Bend GeoTour Passport from the Chamber of Commerce (preferred method) or download a passport. Collect 25 points as detailed in the passport.Link to Updated Passport: West Bend GeoTour Passport.
Remember to record the password from this cache in your GeoTour Passport!
GeoTour Stop #5: West Bend Sculpture Walk
Welcome to Riverside Park, on the Riverfront Parkway, and one of the many stops on West Bend's Sculpture Walk. The sculpture collection is based on three important heritages of the West Bend community: its industrial history of making products, similar to the fabrication of sculptures; its commitment to beautiful parks; and its connection to the Milwaukee River and the Riverfront Parkway. There are currently 36 sculptures in the collection. If you would like to enjoy the entire sculpture walk around West Bend, visit westbendsculpture.org for a complete list and map.
Riverside Park was built in what was once the basin of a large mill pond behind the West Bend Woolen Mills Dam. The dam was removed in 1988 allowing the river to run freely and rehabilitate the area. Native grasses with their singing birds now live in areas once covered with silt. The beautiful walking path meanders through the park and features several unique old rail bridges spanning the river. In addition, Riverside Park boasts a disk golf course, tennis, sand volleyball courts, baseball diamonds, play equipment, permanent restrooms, and grills.
From the geocache coordinates in the park, you can see the Gehl Company Headquarters, an important part of West Bend's industrial history. In 1859, Louis Lucas opened a small blacksmith shop in West Bend to supply the area with farm machinery. In 1889, the Hexelbank Ensilage Cutter revolutionized the way farmers made food for livestock. The company changed hands, and John Gehl purchased it in 1902. Many innovations followed, including an auto-steering manure spreader in 1927 and a forage harvester in 1942. In 1973, the Gehl company started manufacturing skid loaders, and are still a world leader in production of heavy equipment.
The Geocache: You are looking for a small clear lock-n-lock container. I don't recommend trackables in this cache due to high muggle activity. Be stealthy since this is a busy park. For the GeoTour Password, you will have to answer a question located inside the cache container. Permission was granted to hide this cache by West Bend Parks and Rec.