OAHT 1506: The Griffins
This Geocache is part of the Oconomowoc Area Historical Tour:
We have picked Twenty Five locations that we feel highlight the unique Oconomowoc Area history.
To earn a Geocoin, teams must pick up a 2015 Oconomowoc Area Historical Tour Booklet from the Oconomowoc Area Historical Society & Museum or download the booklet at: http://www.oconomowoc-wi.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=457
Collect 25 points as detailed in the booklet.
Remember to record the code word or stamp your booklet from this cache in your 2015 Oconomowoc Area Historical Tour Booklet.
The exact origin of the griffins is unknown. The Library griffins were either produced for the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition in 1876, or were copied from griffins on display there for the 1893 Chicago Exposition.
Griffins are mythological creatures, half eagle and half lion. They are said to guard precious treasures, which is why we feel they are the perfect guardians and symbols of our Library.
According to Charles Kohl III, a member of the family who once owned the griffins, they first came to light in front of the “Everleigh Sisters” establishment on Indiana Avenue in Chicago. The globes on their heads glowed red at that time.
Charles Kohl Sr. bought the griffins when the Everleigh Sisters’ place was dismantled and put them in front of his “Dime Museums” on State Street in Chicago, where Marshall Field’s now stands.
John Ringling and Mr. Kohl were business partners. John Ringling wanted the griffins in front of his Side Show box office and they were there for years. At John Ringling’s death, Mr. Kohl took them back and moved them to the Kohl home on Lac La Belle, Oconomowoc. When Mrs. Kohl died they were moved to the front of Draper Hall, a hotel on Lake Road owned by the Kohl’s. This old inn (reputed to be the site of the composition, “After the Ball”) later became Villa St. Ann, a Catholic home for elderly women. When the home moved to Racine, the property was sold for future condominiums.
In 1987 the Library moved to its new location on South Street with the griffins continuing to serve as guardians. After standing many years in the front of the new building, the griffins began to deteriorate again. In the fall of 1999 they were moved and stored in one of the city’s buildings to determine what action should be taken for their repair. After consulting again with Frank Boesel of Milwaukee, it was decided that if the griffins were again restored, they should not be exposed to the winter weather.
Mr. Boesel suggested having molds made of the originals and the reproductions made up of a material which could withstand the changing weather. This would allow the original griffins a place of honor inside the lobby. In the summer of 2000, the Library Board applied for a grant from the Scherffius Fund to cover the cost of the restoration and reproduction of the griffins.
In September of 2000, the Scherffius Fund granted $12,000 for the repair and maintenance of the Griffins. And in November 2000, the City of Oconomowoc Utility Committee contributed an additional $10,000 to help cover expenditures. Poseidon and Athena were restored and returned to the library in April of 2002. The reproductions were delivered and mounted on the outside of the Library this summer. The Griffin Unveiling Ceremony was held August 15, 2002 to welcome them home.
The Final cache is hidden at:
N43 06.6A5 W088 30.09B
The answers for A and B will be found at Poseidon
A = The digit of the month Poseidon was named
B = The first digit of the day Poseidon was named
Permission was granted to hide this cache by: Betsy Bleck, Library Director
