A chance sighting on the side of a Wisconsin road leads to a mystery that will take three years to unravel. This podcast is part 1 of 2.
Flickr – The abandoned farm explored described in the podcast episode.
Abandoned Waupun Farm – The original article about the abandoned farm.
Finding Your Old House – Where contact is made with the person who lived in the house.
Subscribe to the American Urbex Podcast on iTunes or download the episode directly.
Precise location not marked… keep reading.
Sometimes the key to finding an urbex location is to develop a keen instinct for signs along the road. Why does that isolated patch of trees have an electrical box by the curb? Why does the gravel extend beyond the side of the road? Can you sit in the car honey while I wander into the woods alone?
If you develop these instincts they can pay off.
Photo: The house was in terrible shape. The second floor had all but collapsed into the first. It is way too dangerous to enter. Also, black mold. Everywhere.
Photo: Pulling back the door of a collapsed garage revealed a cherry red Volkswagen.
Photo: Whoever lived in this house left a majority of their possessions behind. Homes like these only heighten my curiosity.
In the interest of preservation the exact location of this farmhouse will not be shared. It is a fairly easy to find if you’re willing to drive around Janesville, Wisconsin. Hop on your motorcycle and you’ll be triumphant. (That’s a hint.)
This weekend I stumbled upon an abandoned farmhouse. Rural exploration (rurex) sites often yield a wealth of photographic opportunities. Because of their relatively isolated locations they receive less traffic from vandals, drug users, the homeless and other explorers. They often have personal artifacts left behind in undisturbed states. I was able to locate a phonebook from 1988 on the floor of this farmhouse. There was also a few envelopes full of checks from 1974. All evidence shows that this house is not standing up to the elements. Plants have begun to grow in the woodwork, all of the windows are broken, and the floors are sunken in.
It was also nice to get a text from another urbexer who was a few minutes away at the time. We met up and checked out another abandoned farm close by.
Urbex doesn’t have to be about infiltrating abandoned buildings all the time. Sometimes you just have to walk around the neighborhoods that surround you and talk to people. I spoke with the sister of the home’s owner, who was packing her car. Erin did not know much of the history of the home, but she did tell me about the inside. The basement is a dirt foundation and not currently used for much. The ground level floor has a living room, kitchen, and small dining area. There is indeed a second floor to this home. A very tiny staircase leads to two bedrooms and a bathroom on the second floor. The home is currently occupied by a man, woman, and their young daughter.
One source claims that the house was built in 1855. I will have to return to the library and confirm this.
Heading along H41 in Kaukauna, Wisconsin you’ll pass this dilapidated house. It appears to have been vacated sometime in the 1990’s. Entering through the basement doors reveals a peculiar oddity. The foundation and windows appear to be fairly new, while the main home is clearly quite older. Most of the basement is filled with possessions of the former owner(s). A newer sturdy stairwell leads to what can be assumed to be the former first floor. Heavier items were moved into the living and dining room areas, but not much beyond that. There was a beautiful Waltham piano in the living room, though vandals have since destroyed it completely. The upstairs is almost completely devoid of human traces.
What most likely happened is the house was moved from its original location. In the process the owner must have fallen on hard times or passed away. The property passed on to the next of kin and the property fell into disrepair.
If you don’t get off highway to look at this home, you never see the trail that leads to a forest behind the home. Following it takes you past several abandoned vehicles. For some reason the Oshkosh Police Department saw fit to abandon a vehicle there too. Entering the wooded area leads more trailers to explore.
Protip: Wear heavy boots. This place has a lot of rusty metal littered everywhere.
