About Kiwanis Club of Wausau

In January 1921, the Wausau Kiwanis Club received its charter from Kiwanis International. Those 87 years have seen the club grow steadily. How has Kiwanis been of service to the citizens of Wausau and the surrounding area? The list which follows is certainly not all inclusive, but identifies some of the more significant services and projects undertaken by the club over the past 80 plus years.

• In 1922, Kiwanis purchased 120 acres of land on the top of Rib Mountain and deeded it over to the State of Wisconsin to develop a State Park. Interest by the club in this land has been an ongoing thing since that time.
• One of the very early efforts to help in the community was to provide money for the purchase of band uniforms for Wausau High School.
• About 1933 Kiwanis Club of Wausau was involved in the building of a Handicraft Lodge at the Boy Scout Camp.
• When the Rib Mountain State Park was dedicated in September 1934, Kiwanis was there, having donated added funds to help build a road from County Trunk NN up to top of the mountain. Governor A.G. Schmediman was the speaker at this dedication.
• In 1936, the Kiwanis Club of Wausau spearheaded a community drive for funds to widen the road way to Rib Mountain Park to 200 feet. This was necessary before the Federal government would undertake major improvements in the park. This also provides for a road on the north side with a 200 foot width.
• Starting in 1939 the first annual hobby show was sponsored by Kiwanis. In the first show, one hundred and fifty five hobbies were represented.
• One of the club's budget projects carried on during the 1950's was its purchase of acreage for reforestation and conservation practices. In 1950 a total of 65 acres was purchased southeast of Wausau on the Eau Claire River on which many thousands of trees were planted by club members, This acreage was then turned over to the Girl Scouts and YMCA in December 1955; most of this area is now the Camp Del Eau Claire Girl Scout Camp and adjacent to the YMCA Camp Sturtevant.
• Two years later a new area was purchased for reforestation in the Town of Texas, northeast of Wausau. The new area was dedicated on May 13, 1957 in cooperation with Trees for Tomorrow Inc. Since then, thousands of trees have been planted there by club members. In the last few years, with a timber stand now approaching 40 years of age, some trees have been harvested for pulp and the proceeds used for club projects.