The smoldering powder keg that is Central Wisconsin tourism again exploded as a time-honored and historic billboard for House On The Rock (one of the Seven Wonders of Roadside America ) was disrespected, dismantled and discarded. As Susan Lampert Smith, supposedly an unbiased reporter for the Wisconsin State Journal wrote, "It was down with the big and gaudy and up with the small and tasteful Monday as workers changed a sign for House on the Rock along Highway 23."

The small town of Wyoming, WI, is ground zero. The town claimed that a House On The Rock billboard violated a town ordinance. However, the real problem was that the billboard was directly across from 600 acres of Frank Lloyd Wright buildings at the la-de-dah Taliesin Fellowship.

House On The Rock's creator, Alex Jordan, and Frank Lloyd Wright were enemies generations ago. And their two legacy attractions still duke it out, on either end of Wyoming, though Jordan's creation gets 10 times the visitors, and has clearly won the battle for hearts and minds.

When this part of Hwy. 23 was renovated several years ago, "sensitive" planners made sure to bend over backwards for Taliesin, even edging the road "with a special color of gravel." The design recently won a national award, obviously given by those who blindly kowtow to the angry-browed visage of the great and powerful Lloyd Wright.

House On The Rock's billboard didn't fit with the new plan (which obviously didn't harmonize with the extant environment, or the billboard would have fit). The large neon-green advertisement -- its form following its function (which was to grab the attention of speeding motorists) -- was taken down during construction, and naturally, when construction was completed, HoR thought it could simply replace its sign.

But the Wyoming Plan Commission, clearly in Taliesin's hip pocket, voted to remove the billboard entirely. Then the full town board, timid but not corrupt, compromised by approving a smaller, understated House on the Rock sign.

This could signal a despicable all-out assault on House On The Rock's hundreds of other advertisements. Ironically, just this past week, The Chicago Tribune named Hwy. 23 -- "gaudy."

[06/22/1997]