The 2024 medallion was found in the Eagle Watch area during the morning of Sunday, September 22. Congratulations to Willie Bittner and Kerry Pishke!
The Oktoberfest USA Medallion Hunt is sponsored by Emerj360. One clue per day will be issued starting Monday, September 16, 2024. Clues are posted on the Oktoberfest USA Facebook and Instagram at approximately 6:30 a.m. each day. Ten clues have been prepared and will be shared in order until the medallion is found or all ten are used (whichever comes first). Prizes awaiting the person finding the medallion include: $500 cash, and a souvenir medallion provided by Satori Arts.
Medallion Hunt rules are similar to previous years. The 2024 Oktoberfest Medallion:
- Is always located within the La Crosse city limits
- Is never buried in the ground
- Is always on public property
- Is accessible 24 hours, but posted hours should be observed
- Fits in the palm of a hand
- May be camouflaged
Medallion hunters are encouraged to work in teams, as some hiding spots will have limited accessibility.
Oktoberfest USA requests that all medallion hunters respect public and private property (as well as their fellow hunters) while trying to locate the medallion. In addition to not damaging foliage while searching for the medallion.
Clue #1 – Monday, September 16
Oktoberfest 2024: Friendship, Gemütlichkeit and More!
The festivities begin soon so head out to explore;
The little, round disc is out there again and hidden,
Join with others to read, decipher and search on this annual mission.
Key: The first clue traditionally signifies that the annual Oktoberfest Medallion Hunt is underway. A place where people explore is a subtle hint of the site.
Clue #2 – Tuesday, September 17
The new brand was created by Gathering Waters Design,
It became the area’s new moniker in an attempt to streamline;
Mississippi, Kickapoo, La Crosse and Root,
Add in Black, Trempealeau and Bad Axe to boot.
Key: The moniker, “7 Rivers Region,” signifies the importance of one of the area’s rivers is to the hiding spot. Eventually, hunters will discover that river is the Black.
Clue #3 – Wednesday, September 18
A pioneer in a vital industry amid the city’s lore,
Left and returned and even held the title of mayor;
With his business partner sawed log after log,
Sold millions of feet to serve the country’s lumber cog.
Key: Albert Pettibone and his business partner, F.W. Rublee, were prominent early lumber barons in the city. The area where the medallion is hidden is on one of the early lumber thoroughfares and near Rublee Steet, named for the businessman.
Clue #4 – Thursday, September 19
Pines and hardwoods were prominent around the Coulee Region,
Floated down river along with more each season;
Goddards’, Crosby’s, Sawyer & Austin’s among many other,
Was the region’s late 1800s chief economic shopkeeper.
Key: The white pine and other hardwoods were floated down the Black River where the mouth became the Midwest’s hub of sawmills. The hiding area is near where many of those mills were located.
Clue #5 – Friday, September 20
The dual name is confusing to only sometime meddlers,
Named for a statewide politician and one of the area’s early settlers;
Today thriving businesses and an area honoring vets and others,
A definite change from earlier settlers and voyageurs.
Key: French Island and Campbell occupy the same land northwest of the Black River mouth, with some of the area in the City of La Crosse and other in the Town of Campbell. The island was named for early area settler Joseph French, while Campbell was named after Erasmus Campbell, a former Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor. The eastern shores of the area are clearly seen from the hiding area.
Clue #6 – Saturday, September 21
Early white settlers saw them out on the prairies,
Named the area for the game played by the Indigenous townees;
Those natives gave many of the region’s landmarks their name,
Though switched to English they remain their claim to fame.
Key: Early white settlers saw natives play lacrosse, and a Welcome to La Crosse statue with the depiction of the game is nearby. The Black River, which natives coined Nee saip, leads seekers to the spot.
Clue #7 – Sunday, September 22
With origins in the new transportation making the city grow,
A mid-century purchase for more recreational mojo;
Its first name decided by an elementary school group;
Eventually badgered to honor a member of the city council troop.
Key: The Badger Hickey Park was purchased in 1958 as a former railroad right-of-way. The railroad was the growing transportation at the turn of the 20th Century. In 1959 the city council asked the Roosevelt Elementary School PTA to name the new recreational area, and it became Badger Playground. In 1981, the council renamed it Badger Hickey Park, honoring the memory of Council Member George Hickey. This further directs seekers to the area of the spot.
Clue #8 — Monday, September 23
Known for the lovely fragrance, appearance and popularity,
But in this case named for a close friend of a founding father of this grand city;
Nearby, another thoroughfare named for a city official,
Head north and you’ll even add another Campbell.
Key: The more prominent street in the area, Rose Street, was named for State Sen. L.S. Rose of Beaver Dam, a close friend of early city official Dugald Cameron. Also, Rublee Street is named for city forefather, Frances Rublee, and North Street is nearby.
Clue #9 — Tuesday, September 24
In the late ’50s it was numbered and became the nation’s longest route,
From Washington to Massachusetts, it’s the northernmost standout;
A decade later the Mighty Miss was spanned at Dresbach,
In 2016 a replacement brought smoother sailing on track.
Key: I-90 was officially named by the federal government in 1957, becoming the country’s longest intercontinental highway. In 1967, The Dresbach Bridge open, linking La Crosse and Dresbach. Nearly a half-century later a new bridge was built to replace the original structure. The highway is very prominent to the hiding spot.
Clue #10 — Wednesday, September 25
The third exit is the best choice to take,
Blue steel and a big sail will help you claim your stake;
An eagle eye is needed for the ultimate find,
Look closely and don’t get stone blind.
Key: I-90’s Exit 3 is one of the direct paths to the Eagle Watch wayside on Rose Street along the Black River. The medallion is hidden in the wayside area, which offers a prime viewing spot for viewing the nation’s symbol, the Bald Eagle.