First Look at the Badger Ordnance Works
There's a property not far from me that was the largest ammunition plant in the world. Badger Ordnance Works was announced in 1941. In less than a year, over a hundred area farmers were kicked off their land and forced to sell. Of course, before the farmers, the Ho Chunk Tribe inhabited this area, which was once the largest prairie in all of Wisconsin. Elk would come down from the Baraboo Range to graze here. The ordinance works produced rocket propellant, smokeless powder, and E.C. powder from World War 2 through the Vietnam War and employed more than 23,000 workers. E.C. powder was used in hand grenades. When the plant was built, a 75,000 foot fence circled around the 7500 acre property. In 1977, it was placed on stand-by service. Eventually, the land was designated for recreational use. The land is controlled by the State DNR, the Ho Chunk nation, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Unexpected Reflection There is a plan to restore much of the property to the g
