Green County 2020 Guide

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UNIVERSALLY PHILANTHROPIC

BADGER STATE TRAIL Starting at the Wisconsin-Illinois border, and traveling through Monroe and Monticello on the way to Belleville. State trail passes are required for bicyclists age 16 and older. Daily passes are $5 and annual passes are $25 – with self-registration available at kiosks along the way. Trail advocates are invited to join up with the Friends of Badger and Sugar River State Trails. Membership fees support trail activities and projects. The group also conducts an annual Trail Explorer program. Participants who like to bike and explore can submit photos of their trail experiences and answer trivia questions to win an award. Visit friendsofbadgerstatetrail.org for maps, meeting dates, and information on trail rides.

Monroe’s Universalist congregation was founded in 1858 by some of the area’s early pioneers who arrived by way of New England, New York, and Pennsylvania. Their church building was completed in 1861. Feminists, abolitionists, and prohibitionists were among the members. Three women served as pastors, including

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one noted as a women’s suffrage lecturer. Notable church goers included General Nathan Twining and Jane Whyte Lysaght. Generals tend to be a bit famous, and here in Monroe there’s a park named in his honor. But who was Jane? Scottish native Jane Whyte arrived in America at age nine. She and her husband William Lysaght, a successful farmer, left considerable assets to charitable organizations focused on compassion for those less fortunate – in Monroe and beyond. Jane memorialized William’s death in 1911 with a donation to a farm boarding school for "needy and unfortunate boys" in Dousman, Wisconsin. When Jane passed away in 1919, a $20,000 trust was established to assist needy residents of Monroe, particularly in relation to hospital and medical treatment. The trust had grown to $73,000 when it was transferred to the Community Foundation of Southern Wisconsin’s Monroe Fund in 2001. If you stop in at Jane’s church (home to the Green County Historical Society Museum since 1966 - see page 13), you’ll see a stained glass window with her name on it. Back in the day, when expensive stained glass windows were installed it was very common for church goer patrons to cover the cost. As an ardent Universalist, it is no surprise that Jane would have funded a window. There’s no record of the charitable giving that occurred in the first 82 years after the trust was established. But since 2001, $43,000 has been gifted through organizations and agencies – for things like hearing aids, diabetic shoes, handicap ramps, a Hoyer Lift for home use, and a pool chair lift for the YMCA. The Fowler Memorial Free Dental Clinic has also been a major beneficiary. Today, more than 100 years after her death, Jane continues to share her good fortune with others. With $84,000 in her fund, Jane’s philanthropic legacy is set to support humanitarian causes in Monroe, for generations to come. Thank you to Matt Figi (local historian) and Linda Gebhardt (Monroe Fund) for their assistance with this article.

Guests can relax in the spacious indoor pool and spa, and enjoy direct access to the Cheese Country and Badger State Trails adjacent to the hotel. Your stay in one of our 54 guest rooms features: ◗ High speed fiber internet ◗ Free local calls, voice mail and cable TV ◗ Complimentary family breakfast ◗ Business Center, fax, and copy service ◗ Guest laundry, lobby with fireplace, meeting room ◗ All rooms include microwave, refrigerator, coffee maker, hair dryer, ironing board ◗ Whirlpool suites, two room suites, and business king rooms available ◗ Travel Green Wisconsin Certified 424 - 4th Avenue, Monroe, WI 53566 608.328.3444 • 608.352.6406 • americinn.com Follow us on Facebook

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