Happy New Years Forest County Residents!
This interesting nugget of history technically does not take place in Forest County but is very close by. Around this time of year in 1936 the residents of Florence almost lost their town Christmas tree because of squirrel whiskey. According to the Forest Republican two men living in Florence attempted to cut down the Christmas tree in the center of town with a cross cut saw. They were spotted just in time before the cut the tree all the way through. The men were convicted and made to pay a fine. The tree was propped up again and lit nightly with over 150 colored lights which spread the joy of the holidays around the town. The men supposedly committed the crime because they were hopped up on “squirrel whiskey” which is a type of moonshine that got its name because it makes men crazy and want to climb up trees. Please everyone have fun on New Year’s Eve but drink responsibly and stay away from whiskey of the “squirrel” variety.
www.wisconsinhistory.org