Let’s take a little trip through history today, with this little gem from our collection of historic Devil’s Lake State Park memorabilia. This vintage tourism brochure produced by the city of Baraboo sometime between the late 1920s or early 1930s offers a fascinating glimpse into how Devil’s Lake State Park and Baraboo once marketed themselves to visitors. The carefully crafted promotional material paints a picture of a destination transitioning from the horse-and-buggy era to the age of automobiles.
The brochure promised visitors “circus-trained saddle horses” for moonlight rides along the bluffs (a nod to Baraboo’s Ringling Brothers heritage), while simultaneously touting its accessibility via the newly established U.S. Highway 12. Beachgoers were assured of “modern” amenities and “the highest sanitary standards” – concerns that were paramount to travelers of that era. (This is not to say that clean bathrooms aren’t on the minds of today’s visitors as well!)
What stands out most is the profound sense of connection and civic pride. According to the text, every Baraboo citizen was “personally pledged” to ensure visitors had a happy vacation – Can you imagine a whole community pledging to provide a great vacation to visitors! (Well, that was probably a bit of a fib anyway.) The brochure even dubbed Baraboo “The St. Petersburg of Northern Resorts,” showing just how ambitious their marketing was and how much our views of the world have changed. It described Devil’s Lake’s dramatic bluffs as “stage scenery for a mighty drama of the gods,” language that feels pretty antiquated but captures the same awe visitors still experience.
While today’s park visitors are more likely to arrive with climbing gear than seeking a “circus trained” horse, the fundamental appeal remains unchanged: those magnificent quartzite bluffs, spring-fed waters, and the natural beauty that make Devil’s Lake State Park, Wisconsin’s most popular.
Want to read the complete text from this brochure? Go to our archive.
For nearly 2 decades the Skillet Creek blog has focused on 3 main goals; To inspire you to visit and explore the Devil’s Lake region, to help you get the most your visit by sharing tips, events, and other helpful information. Lastly to advocate for our environment & wildlife and talk about how we can keep our natural areas amazing now and into the future! That last goal can sometimes cause controversy, but it’s the only way we can accomplish the first two. – Derrick Mayoleth, Owner.
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