Saturday, May 16 , 2026 at 2:00pm

The frontier days were dangerous times. Injuries from hunting and farming happened without cell phones to call for an ambulance. Without a pharmacy, there was no way to purchase medicine to bring down a child’s fever or soothe a cough. Doctors were in very short supply, if they existed at all in the area. So, what did the people who lived in the communities along the Mississippi River and the surrounding rural communities do when their lives were in danger?

Sara Thielen is the Public Health nurse with Buffalo County Public Health. In her spare time, she reads and studies history. She has combined her love of nursing, history, and Western Wisconsin in this presentation. She will explore the different diseases and common medical treatments of the past. It might not be a surprise that it wasn’t much different than today.

Castlerock Museum has over two thousand years of history in a building that looks like a castle! See authentic arms and armor from Romans, Dark Age Warriors, Vikings, Crusader Knights, and Renaissance "Knights in Shining Armor." New galleries cover American history from the Colonial Era through the late 1800's and include a hundred period firearms.

402 South 2nd Street
Alma, WI
608.685.4231
castlerockmuseum.com

The Alma Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center is located in the Wings Over Alma Building on Main Street. Let us know if you have any questions or comments. We are happy to provide more details. Please email us 24/7 or call us to learn more.