Every story needs a setting. Some stories have several of them. While Legend Has It has a few locations, its primary setting is in the Village of Mukwonago, specifically on the site of the former Rainbow Springs Resort.
Seth McCartney and his five friends discover a legendary haunted house attraction on this site and soon realize its sinister nature. In real life, this site has a storied history, which involves a local developer, a grand dream and even an actual haunted house attraction so many years later.
Let's start with Mukwonago, a small village in southern Wisconsin roughly half an hour west of Milwaukee. Known for its museums and beautiful lakes, the village provides a nice escape for those looking to connect with nature (lots of hiking trails, boating, fishing) or learn more about Wisconsin's rich history. According to the 2020 census, the village has a population of 8,262.
Within the confines of the village is the Rainbow Springs site. Milwaukee builder Francis Schroedel targeted this location for a grand resort and convention center, one that he hoped would be internationally known. The history I'm about to share comes from articles in The Milwaukee Journal, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal, the Mukwonago Historical Society and the Rainbow Springs Country Club Mukwonago Facebook group.
In 1959, Schroedel opened the Rainbow Springs Country Club on the shores of Rainbow Springs Lake. The lodge included a lounge, two dining rooms, conference rooms, an indoor swimming pool and 42 guest rooms. Roughly three years later, Schroedel constructed an 18-hole golf course on the property.
By April 1963, Schroedel revealed the full scope of his grand vision - the Rainbow Springs Resort and Convention Center. On the 970-acre property, Schroedel looked to construct a 50,400-square-foot central lodge with a 135-ton fieldstone fireplace, a 400-seating capacity dining room, and two banquet and meeting rooms designed to accommodate 700 people. Additionally, Schroedel's plan included a 756-room hotel (designed as a series of interconnected buildings) spanning a quarter of a mile. For entertainment purposes, guests would have access to a lower level Carnival Street, which included shops and bars. Lastly, the plan also included a 90,000-square-foot conference center with a 24,000-square-foot exhibit hall.
Schroedel envisioned completing construction on the entire project by 1966. But one year prior, the funding ran out. As the years progressed, Schroedel was unable to find financing for his dream. Some reports state his friends encouraged him to open the parts of the resort that were completed, but he insisted he wanted to open it all at once when it was completed. Other reports state he turned down financing offers because he didn't want a partner who could interfere with his vision or take over controlling interests.
In 1973, Schroedel's dream died when M&I Marshall & Ilsley Bank foreclosed on the resort's mortgage. Schroedel died in 1976 at the age of 67. Before his passing, however, reports have stated he put a curse on the property, stating, "If I can't open it, no one will."
Several efforts followed after the foreclosure to repurpose the property. Many suitors disclosed plans for the property over the next decade, including a retirement village, a religious retreat sanctuary, a job center, condos, a health spa and a resort in line with what Schroedel envisioned.
None of these plans ever materialized, however. The site and its structures sat vacant during this time. While I don't have the exact history of this next piece of information, I do have my memory. In 2000 (and possibly earlier), the site housed a haunted house attraction, using the remains of the lodge and hotel.
To me, this served as the perfect setting for a haunted house. To access this haunt, you had to drive down a narrow road roughly half a mile into the woods. Part of the journey involves passing through a covered bridge, which looks creepy even in sunlight. Upon arrival, you were greeted by decrepit structures that didn't require much work to convince you they were haunted. It was a foreboding atmosphere, one that has stuck with me ever since. A fire destroyed nearly two-thirds of the hotel in 2002.
Today, you can still access the site, but all that remains of the Rainbow Springs Resort is the imprint of an unrealized dream. I admire Schroedel's ambition to bring something unique to the area. Had it gone as planned, it could have been a statewide marvel and turned Mukwonago into a national destination.
Fortunately, in the realm of fiction, it can be a destination, but not in the way Schroedel envisioned. Because in Legend Has It, the Rainbow Springs site hosts a grand structure, one designed by a cryptic host with an interesting (and lengthy) past. The purpose of this structure is suspect, and Seth and his friends will discover the true nature of despair ... if they can survive long enough to experience it.
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