Wicked Fox Cities:: The Dark Side of the Valley

by Frank Anderson

Visit the wicked Fox Cities, full of place names like La Grand Butte des Morts (the Big Hill of the Dead") and Winneconne ("the Place of Skulls") that date from an era when "settlement" was frequently synonymous with "slaughter." Even after the firm establishment of modern civilization, there remained an uneasy truce between lined pockets and bared knuckles that was often only brokered by heavy drinking. Stumble across the frozen Fox River and barge into local watering holes, where the only pauses in the revelry are discussions about desecrating Joe McCarthy's grave. Points of interest include the Oshkosh rat-betting scene, the Appleton "Union Street Resorts" and the Neenah tavern, where a world-champion boxer hid from the doctor who had bought his bones."

Genres: Nonfiction, History

96 pages, Paperback

First published June 15, 2010

Reviews

[Bill Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rated this book higher than other reviewers. I guess I'm just a sucker for anecdotal history.

[Mary]

A fascinating, anecdotal history of some unsavory and tragic events that happened in the Fox Cities of NE Wisconsin. Although the tone of the book is sometimes flippant (in my opinion), the stories are mostly horrifically sad. The extermination of the Fox Indians, the destruction of Indian graves, KKK, Joseph McCarthy, prostitution, hobos, the devastation of being found to be mentally ill a the end of the 19th century, labor unrest and injustice.

Haunting stories.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frank Anderson has some great stories to tell and this book has a bunch of them. Not a conventional, linear progression, but a collection of odds and ends that make the Valley what it is. Recommended.

[Shelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Terrible writing. Read it for the stories as they are quite interesting!

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

My main problem was that it was clunky. One story would go into the other without notice

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

very fun read of the hometown and surrounding cities.