Weird Wisconsin

Before exorcisms became horror movies, a Wisconsin priest was performing them. In 1928, Father Theophilus Riesinger entered an Iowa convent to confront what witnesses believed was demonic possession. Nearly a century later, the question isn't just what happened in that room. It's which version of the story to believe. In episode seven of Weird Wisconsin, I explore Riesinger's exorcisms and the woman commonly identified as Anna Ecklund or Emma Schmidt. The pamphlet Begone, Satan! describes a victory over demonic forces. A lesser-known account tells a more complicated story, with repeated exorcisms, controversial revelations and predictions about the end of the world. Dr. Joseph Laycock, a religious studies scholar at Texas State University, examines these conflicting accounts, the extraordinary claims they contain and the questions the surviving documents leave unanswered. Reports of unfamiliar languages, reactions to sacred objects and a woman clinging to a wall helped make this case notorious. But how much can we establish about what actually happened? Catholic priest Father Edward Looney provides the religious perspective, explaining the distinctions between possession and oppression, what separates a formal exorcism from a blessing, and how the Church evaluates requests for an exorcism. Together, these conversations explore the history, faith and uncertainty surrounding Riesinger's most famous case, along with the influence of exorcism stories on films like The Exorcist. 🎧 Listen everywhere Follow Weird Wisconsin: Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Featured in This Episode: Father Edward Looney Catholic priest and author YouTube Facebook Dr. Joseph Laycock Religious studies scholar, Texas State University Faculty Profile Books Episode Artwork by Rachal Duggan Instagram Website Original Theme by Tyler Quinn Website

Whitewater, Wisconsin, has a reputation for witch legends, spiritualism and haunted places. Among its most recognizable landmarks is the Hamilton House, a Victorian mansion with a history stretching back to 1861 and ghost stories that have followed it for generations. But what was it like to actually live there? In episode six of Weird Wisconsin, the first installment of Wisconsin's Most Haunted, I explore the history and reported hauntings of this 23-room house through someone who called it home. DJ Phoenix lived in the Hamilton House from 1974 to 1983 while his family operated an antique business downstairs. He recalls unexplained activity throughout the house, a boy who appeared in his bedroom, a doll whose eyes seemed to glow red, and a photograph he believes captured two spirits. He also shares the increasingly troubling experiences that ultimately led his family to leave. Carol Cartwright, president of the Whitewater Historical Society, provides the historical perspective. She traces the house's owners, explains how Whitewater's spiritualist history became entangled with its witch legends, and examines claims of secret tunnels connected to the Underground Railroad. Some details have historical support. Others remain unverified. Together, these accounts explore the history, folklore and deeply personal experiences behind one of Whitewater's best-known haunted houses. 🎧 Listen everywhere Follow Weird Wisconsin: Facebook Instagram TikTok YouTube Featured in This Episode: DJ Phoenix Antique dealer, toy collector and former Hamilton House resident Website Carol Cartwright President, Whitewater Historical Society Website Episode Artwork by Rachal Duggan Instagram Website Original Theme by Tyler Quinn Website

Welcome back to This Week in Weird Wisconsin, a weekly mini episode highlighting the people, places, and events that happened during this week in Wisconsin history. This week, Wisconsin shuts down public gathering places during the 1918 influenza pandemic, and exactly 39 years later Milwaukee celebrates a World Series championship. We'll also revisit the bizarre Eagle Diamond case, where a woman sold a stone for $1 only to discover it was one of the largest diamonds ever found in America. And finally, we head to Milwaukee in 1912, where Theodore Roosevelt is shot in the chest before a campaign speech and decides to speak for roughly 80 minutes anyway. Explore this week's event: Halloween Legends & Lore at Old World Wisconsin Tickets 🎧 Listen everywhere Follow Weird Wisconsin: Facebook Instagram TikTok Original Theme by Tyler Quinn Website

Welcome back to This Week in Weird Wisconsin, a weekly mini episode highlighting the people, places, and events that happened during this week in Wisconsin history. This week, we dig into the bizarre early history of Bucky Badger, including the live badger that kept escaping and a raccoon named Regdab that somehow became part of the mascot story. We'll also revisit a major 1962 civil rights protest in Madison, the 1912 American Grand Prix raced on public roads around Milwaukee, the flood that nearly erased downtown Black River Falls, and the Milwaukee Police Band's unlikely path from whistling officers to performing with John Philip Sousa. And finally, we look back at the Peshtigo Fire of October 8, 1871, the deadliest wildfire in American history. Explore this week's events: Spiritualism in the Victorian Era at Black Point Estate October 2 in Lake Geneva Bayfield Apple Festival October 2–4 in Bayfield 🎧 Listen everywhere Follow Weird Wisconsin: Facebook Instagram TikTok Original Theme by Tyler Quinn Website

Welcome back to This Week in Weird Wisconsin, a weekly mini episode highlighting the people, places, and events that happened during this week in Wisconsin history. This week, Manitowoc holds an actual funeral for a steamship, Wisconsin's most famous Civil War eagle gets honored at the 1876 Centennial Exhibition, and the very first Smokey Bear costume makes its public debut in Wausau. We'll also revisit the first regular-season game played at what became Lambeau Field, the Treaty of La Pointe, and Wisconsin's very first State Fair—where one of the biggest attractions was a 200-pound squash. And if that somehow isn't weird enough, Mount Horeb is also preparing to burn a giant troll. Explore this week's event: Burning Troll September 26 near Mount Horeb 🎧 Listen everywhere Follow Weird Wisconsin: Facebook Instagram TikTok Original Theme by Tyler Quinn Instagram