Many Moto Guzzi riders have a deep sense of history. After all, in production since 1921, Moto Guzzi is one of the most storied brands in the motorcycle industry. Among them is Wisconsin Moto Guzzi Riders President Tom Kelly. At the 2024 Wisconsin Moto Guzzi Rally held at Legion Park in Wonewoc, Wisconsin, on August 2-4, Kelly led the group’s Saturday road ride to a site that has a unique place in both U.S. military history and the history of the state of Wisconsin. That site is the 10,565-acre Badger Army Ammunition Plant, originally constructed as the Badger Ordinance Works.
The riders took scenic back roads from Wonewoc to near Baraboo to visit the Museum of Badger Army Ammunition. There, they learned how, in the desperate race to gear up to produce the massive amounts of ball powder and rocket propellent necessary for defense purposes in World War II, the War Department secured the land in early 1942 to build the Badger Ordnance Works.
Seventy-four farms, 26 cottages, 3 schools, 3 churches, 3 cemeteries, and the town hall had to be vacated in less than three months to clear the way. By the time the facility was closed in 1977, it had produced over 300 million pounds of smokeless powder and nearly 100 million pounds of ball powder. Between construction and production operations, the facility would employ more than 60,000 people in the ensuing years. Initial construction cost $65 million ($1.25 billion in current dollars).
After hearing a presentation of the plant’s fascinating history by Verlyn Mueller and taking in the museum, Kelly led the group out onto the vast facility land, now open for exploration on its miles of old roads that crisscross what had once been one of the most secure facilities in the nation.
Kelly indicated the 2024 Wisconsin Moto Guzzi Rally attendance of 109 riders was down a bit from recent years, despite the event celebrating its 40th annual gathering. However, those who made it enjoyed the best weekend-long weather seen for the event in recent years.
