Abandoned (Not) by All
One of the greatest dangers to folk art is vandalism — but neglect is what invites it. After Modern Woodmen activities ended and Camp 6190 was deactivated in 1929, the building now known as Wood Hall passed down the Gibeault family tree.
Who Wouldn’t Be a Woodman?
This early 20th-century postcard asks, “Who Wouldn’t Be a Woodman?” Images like this spoke to the heart, promising security, love, and protection for rural families.
The Hidden Story in the Painted Forest Cabin Scene
It’s a small detail, but it tells us a great deal about how Ernest Hüpeden worked.
Window Murals
After completing the dramatic Battle of Manila curtain—an advertisement for the Modern Woodmen of America itself—Hüpeden did turn to the more typical lodge commission: local business advertising but he put them on the window shades.
Restoration Underway
We got it going on!! Our three phase restoration project is underway under the careful direction of David Wells.
Ernest Hüpeden’s Murals
At the turn of the twentieth century, German immigrant artist Ernest Hüpeden quietly gave Valton’s MWA Camp 6190 Hall its lasting visual identity—though it wouldn’t be called the Painted Forest for another 60 years, when Delores Nash gave it the name we still use today.
Curtain Wall
Fun Fact: Cabin Wall Let’s go inside! Beyond their similar exteriors, Modern Woodmen of America (MWA) camp lodges also shared interior layouts with a stage at one end of the building. The stage curtains were used as advertising space for local businesses and were hand-painted. It’s not known exactly how Ernest Hüpeden learned about the new…
Modern Woodmen of America Lodge Halls Across Wisconsin
Modern Woodmen of America Lodge Halls Across Wisconsin Many Modern Woodmen of America lodge halls across Wisconsin and the Midwest look like cousins. Most were simple, boxy buildings with similar fronts and layouts. That wasn’t an accident — local camps ordered their building plans from the MWA Main Office in Rock Island, Illinois. Here in…
All-Seeing Eye
The very first Modern Woodmen of America Fraternity was chartered in 1883 in Lyons, Iowa. The Valton camp, chartered in 1899, is Camp 6190 – an attestation to the rapid growth of the organization.