Ralph “Bottles” Capone, brother of mobster Al Capone, was one of Mercer’s more infamous residents. He moved to a family-owned lodge on Big Martha Lake in Mercer in 1942 and later worked as the manager of Billy’s Bar and the Rex Hotel, which stood where the Krist Oil gas station in downtown Mercer is today. Despite his checkered past Ralph is remembered well in Mercer as a businessman and occasional philanthropist, with many residents telling stories of the small donations he made to local charities and needy families. Ralph died in Hurley in 1974, and is buried in the Capone family plot in Illinois.
http://americanmafiahistory.com/ralph-capone/
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Mercer Bike Trail
The new scenic Mercer Bike & Hike trail is a 7 mile section and the northernmost segment of the Northern Highlands Regional Nonmotorized Trail. The trail begins at the Great Northern Motel in Mercer and continues south along US Highway 51 to the Vilas County line. Three segments of the trail are asphalted and the other three segments follow the rarely used Plunkett, Manitowish Access, and Old Hwy 51 roads. At this time there are no designated parking areas or access points, although there are many cross roads and public parking areas that make it easy to get on the trail. Enjoy your ride!
Please note: The caches in this series are placed along the new bike & hike trail in the area, NOT located at the historic sites I have described.
You are looking for a micro-sized container with logbook and pencil. Many thanks to Wandering Tracks, who helped me place these caches and “shared the trail” with me.
The Geocache Notification Form has been submitted to the Northern Highland American Legion State Forest administrator. Geocaches placed on Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource managed lands require permission by means of a notification form. The DNR Geocache Placement Notification form and land manager information can be found here.