Wisconsin Towns and Places
Darlington
Darlington is the county seat for Lafayette County, located on the southern border with Illinois. The Pecatonica River runs through the town. People once harvested clams from the river to produce pearl button blanks. As a result, some call Darlington the “Pearl of the Pecatonica.”
I was impressed with how the town was laid out and its cleanliness and neatness. Its Main Street is a wide boulevard not often seen in such towns. Main St. is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Mining in this section of the state at one time reigned supreme. The dominant landmark in the city is the Lafayette County Court House. Mat Murphy of Benton funded it. The city says,
“The monumental limestone structure features a central rotunda with an elaborate dome.”
Johnny Depp visited this courthouse. It was featured in the 2009 movie “Public Enemies.”
The area’s Veterans Memorial is in the town center.
So is a statue of a Bald Eagle, standing as a mark of pride.
This is City Service Brewing. It opened in 2017. It is a craft brewing company bringing back some of the old nostalgia. Its brews and homemade sodas have been automotive-themed.
The company says,
“City Service Brewing offers something for everyone, serving up a bit of nostalgia inspired by the past makes for a memorable experience.”
One of the beauties of Darlington is the rolling hills landscape in the city’s near environs.
This particular photo underscores the dairy cattle focus of much of the state. I will say those trees are what caught my attention. Just beautiful!
One final note about this terrific city. This is the Monument to the Soldiers and Sailors of the Civil War in Darlington, smack-dab in the city's center. It was dedicated on October 15, 1889. There is an excellent history behind this monument online.
Inscriptions on the sides read as follows:
On the south
“Lafayette County erects this shaft in memory of her soldiers and sailors.”
facing north
“It shall speak to the young of the honor and dignity of citizenship, of the priceless cost of the country and Union.”
On the east
“To honor the living soldier, to keep green the memory of the heroic dead, a grateful people erect this monument.”
facing west
"They died, the Nation lives."
