PONIATOWSKI – Have you been to the smallest county park in the state of Wisconsin?
It also marks the exact center of the northwestern hemisphere and is located in Poniatowski, Wisconsin, an unincorporated community in the town of Rietbrock in Marathon County. It’s about 21 miles west of Wausau and about 29 miles northeast of Marshfield.
My dad had visited the site a few times over the last 30 years, and my parents made the short hike a few years ago and picked up commemorative coins to mark the trip.
So, when my fellow USA TODAY NETWORK colleagues in central Wisconsin and I started talking about a summer series highlighting local “Hidden Gems” for people to visit for fun in the area, I recalled my parents talking about their experience and the coins they picked up.
I recently tapped “45 x 90” into my phone’s map to find the 45 X 90 Geographical Marker and drove out to the site with my dad along for the ride. Here’s what you can find at the Geographical Marker and some of my recommendations if you do visit.
What is the significance of this site?
The spot in Poniatowski marks the exact center of the northwestern hemisphere, where the 45th Parallel of Latitude intersects the 90th Meridian of Longitude. There are four 45° – 90° points on earth. The 45°S – 90°E marker stands in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The 45°S – 90°W marker stands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The 45°N – 90°E marker stands in a mountainous region of China and is difficult for people to access. The 45°N – 90°W Geographic Marker is the most accessible option for people to visit.
In 1969, Marathon County made this geographic site a county park – the smallest county park in the state of Wisconsin. John Gesicki, a lifelong Poniatowski resident and owner and operator of Gesicki’s Store and Tavern and Moonlight Gardens, promoted the geographic significance of the site and started the 45×90 Club. Thousands of visitors from all over the world have visited the site and have become members of the 45×90 Club, signing their names on local registries.
How do you get there?
Various signs along the highways point drivers to the 45°N – 90°W Geographic Marker where they can park in a small gravel parking lot. Signs in the parking lot welcome visitors to the Geographic Marker at the start of a trail leading to the exact center of the northwestern hemisphere.
It’s about a quarter-mile walk from the actual parking lot to the park and the marker with signs educating visitors about the significance of the site.
What will you find at the park?
When you first get to the parking lot and start along the trail, you will find various signs explaining the significance of the site, a list of Geographic Marker donors and more information about section corner monumentation. You can see the park from the car as you walk through a gravel trail.
At the park itself, you can learn more about global positioning systems, latitude, longitude and Gesicki.
A few benches also stand in the park, offering places for guests to sit and enjoy the area.
At the end of a fenced-in area, you will find a circle area, lining the longitude and latitude lines, leading to the exact center of the northwestern hemisphere.
While it’s not a hard or very long walk, I would recommend shoes comfortable to walk in. If it has rained recently, the gravel trail may have some puddles or mud along the way.
How do you find a commemorative coin?
Visitors who see the geographic marker are welcomed to the 45×90 Club, created by Gesicki. Commemorative coins can be picked up at LaQuinta Inn at 1910 Stewart Ave. in Wausau or at A&L Oil & Convenience Store at 245 Mueller St. in Athens. Coins can also be mailed out for a fee by emailing info@visitwausau.com.
The experience itself is free, although donations are accepted by Visit Wausau to help keep the program going wherever you pick up your commemorative coin.
Share your favorite ‘hidden gems’ in central Wisconsin
What are your favorite “hidden gems” in central Wisconsin? Share them with us! We’ll be highlighting some of the lesser-known places to visit and activities to participate in across central Wisconsin this summer. Think of it as your guide to summer day trips as gas prices remain high and the kids are out of school. Suggestions should be within about a 45-mile drive of central Wisconsin communities like Wausau, Marshfield, Stevens Point and Wisconsin Rapids. Places and activities must be family friendly, and we are also looking for places that are cost-conscious. If you know the perfect spot, let us know. You can email me at cshuda@usatodayco.com.
Contact Caitlin at cshuda@usatodayco.com or follow her on Twitter @CaitlinShuda.
This article originally appeared on Wausau Daily Herald: Discover the center of the northwestern hemisphere in Marathon County
Reporting by Caitlin Shuda, USA TODAY NETWORK – Wisconsin / Wausau Daily Herald
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Caitlin Shuda, USA TODAY NETWORK – Wisconsin | USA TODAY Network
