Driftless Spirits is a work of fiction, of course, but I like to sprinkle historical events, lore and even items in my writing that exist in real life. This post tries to capture links to those things in case you’d like to find out more. Please note that all reference to real events, objects, etc. are used fictitiously and may be extended in a fictional way to tell my stories. Below you can find information on the real versions.
The Driftless Area
Of course, the Driftless Area is a real terrain feature in Wisconsin, as well as extending into neighboring states. There is an online magazine dedicated to promoting the towns and events therein, and their site is a good place to explore all the Driftless Area has to offer. They also have a page describing what the Driftless Area is in detail. Fundamentally, it’s an area of rugged terrain caused in part by the lack of glacial deposits and in part by the actions of the upper Mississippi River and others nearby.
Gemütlichkeit
Absolutely a real German word, and a real Wisconsin tourism ad campaign as well. The Bucky Badger mascot statue bearing the word on its base stood in the Welcome Center – Beloit last time I checked and may still be there. Its picture is still on the website.
Walpurgis Night
This is a real holiday, mostly celebrated in Europe. I am not sure how I stumbled upon it when writing Driftless Spirits, but it fit perfectly for my story. I fictionalized entirely how Casten’s Horn celebrates it, although bonfires are a common theme in real versions. You can find out more about Walpurgis Night on Wikipedia.
15th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment
Two characters in the history of Casten’s Horn are noted to have served in this regiment. While the characters are entirely fictional, this volunteer regiment itself was real and made up of mostly Scandinavian immigrants. The Wisconsin Historical Society has a page dedicated to this group, as well as Wikipedia. The 15th Wisconsin Infantry did actually fight in the Battle of Chickamauga. Also of note, the little tidbit in Driftless Spirits about embalming during the Civil War is also factual.
