Finding Rascal by Sterling North in Wisconsin

For someone who likes to read as much as I do, I honestly have not heard of Sterling North. That is, until a visit to Edgerton in Wisconsin. It was one of the suggested stops we visited on a recent trip there. Since the Sterling North Museum is open during one of our free hours, it made sense to stop by. Here is a list of places you can visit if you want to follow in Rascal’s footsteps. Rascal is one of the main characters of the book, Rascal: A Memoir of a Better Era, by Sterling North.

This post is part of our Wisconsin Series. Here are a few more articles when planning a trip to the area:

• 3 Best Things to Do in Osseo Wisconsin
• Janesville Shopping: 10 Distinctive and Unique Shops to Visit
• Finding Rascal by Sterling North in Wisconsin

Thank you to our lovely host, Janesville Area Convention & Visitor’s Bureau, for the recommendation to visit this site!

Who is Sterling North?

Sterling North is an author, known for his children’s/young adult books. He is known notably for Rascal the book. The book is highly successful and adapted into a film by Disney and a famous Japanese anime series. He was born in Wisconsin, and his childhood home turned museum is a must-visit if you’re in the Edgerton/Milton/Janesville area.

What are the books by Sterling North?

If you want to read the books by Sterling North, some of them might be out of print. I’ll focus on the three that were available at the Sterling North Museum. The museum had an agreement with the Sterling North family to reprint some of the books. When I visited, there were three books available: Wolfling, Abe Lincoln, and of course, Rascal. The book, Rascal, is still widely available everywhere. I found it even in my local library. You can easily grab a copy of the Rascal book even on Amazon.

Books by Sterling North: Rascal: A Memoir of a Better Era (1963)

This is the most famous book written by Sterling North. It chronicles his life in Wisconsin when he adopted a raccoon and made it a pet. He called the raccoon, Rascal. The book speaks about Sterling North’s relationship with his family, and his feelings about World War 1 as his brother prepares to fight. When you visit the Sterling North Museum in Edgerton, a volunteer will guide you through the house. He or she will point out some of the rooms that were settings for some of Sterling and Rascal’s antics. This book is technically characterized as Young Adult. However, some of the topics may be written for more mature children.

While I have not read the book, the anime series is cute. For purists though, the main character, Rascal, does not look like your typical raccoon. In the anime series, Rascal is still a raccoon but he’s brown and the bandit look on his eyes has been removed. He looked more like this photo I took while at the museum:

Books by Sterling North: The Wolfling: A Documentary Novel of the 1870s (1969)

The book is a story about a boy with his half-wolf, half-dog pet, named Wolf. It was set in the 1870s and shows the life and times of that era. This book is a work of pure fiction as compared to Rascal.  I have not had a chance to read this book yet, even though I did get a chance to pick up a brand-new copy from the Sterling North Museum. It is currently on my TBR (To Be Read) list and will update this post with a few blurbs on my thoughts when I’m done with it.

Books by Sterling North: Abe Lincoln: From Log Cabin to White House (1956)

Technically older than some of Sterling North’s better-known works, Abe Lincoln is a non-fiction book that tells the story of the people who helped shape Abe Lincoln from his beginnings until his presidency. Abe Lincoln has a bit of a history in Wisconsin, where he spoke in Janesville during his pre-presidential campaign. This is why you’ll see references to Abe Lincoln in one of the murals in Janesville, WI. This book is written for young readers to teach them about one of the more-known US presidents. I for one, have not had a chance to read this book yet. 

Now that we have established who Sterling North is, and the books that he wrote, here’s how you can re-trace the locations that were mentioned in the Rascal book.

Inside the Sterling North Museum in Edgerton, WI

Located in a residential neighborhood in Edgerton, you wouldn’t even guess that one of the houses there is the Sterling North Museum. We just put the coordinates on Google Maps and parked on the street. You won’t miss the house museum, there’s a giant historical plaque in front of the house by the street. It tells the significance of the house and who Sterling North is.

Sterling North Museum’s Hours of Operation

The museum is only open on Sundays from 1 to 4 PM. As small as a window to visit, note that the house is entirely looked after by volunteers. If you do have the time and are in the area at the times that the museum is open, do stop by! The lovely volunteers will gladly guide you through the rooms and tell you a few interesting things about the exhibits.

How much does it cost to enter the Sterling North Museum?

The museum only accepts cash, and it is $5 per adult to enter (as of the time of publishing this post). The gift shop only accepts cash as well, and the items are reasonably priced. There’s so much variety that it’s hard to leave empty-handed! So, as a reminder: bring cash when you enter.

What to expect inside the Sterling North Museum?

You are free to go on a self-guided or guided tour inside the home. The guided tour does not cost extra and only happens if there is a volunteer available to show you around the house. You’re free to walk through the living room, with the Christmas tree that’s fenced since Rascal used to love taking the ornaments from the tree. The living room is also the site where young Sterling North was building his canoe, which created lots of issues for his sister if you can imagine. He did it indoors since Wisconsin winters are notoriously cold and uncomfortable to stay outdoors for long periods.

On the second floor, you’ll get to see some paraphernalia from the Disney movie, Rascal. However, my favorite room is the one that holds memorabilia from the anime series. Japanese fans of the anime series flew across the world to visit this museum in Wisconsin and pay tribute to their favorite raccoon character. One should note that there are no raccoons in Japan, and they are now invasive species in the country because of Rascal the raccoon. There’s toilet paper, toys, household goods, and any other inconceivable item you could think of that’s Rascal-themed. A lot of them are given as presents to the museum, flown in by their Japanese fans.

Rascal the Raccoon All Over the World

I find it amazing that people travel all this way just to see the childhood home of the author who has created a character that’s widely beloved worldwide and lasted all these years. To think the book was published in 1963, 60+ years ago, making it ‘vintage’ in today’s terms! It just shows how characters can live on forever (hey Mickey Mouse), and still be beloved by generations of children and parents alike.

My favorite exhibit on the first floor is small: it is a bookshelf that has different Rascal books translated into multiple languages. I found a Slovak-translated book and showed a photo to my husband while I was in the museum. He got excited to see the book and asked if we could buy it (it was not for sale). If the book is still available in Slovakia bookstores when we next visit, I’ll add it to our to-buy list!

There is a barn behind the house that you are free to visit with a volunteer guide. It serves as a classroom area for bigger groups and has a cutout of Rascal on it.

Is the Sterling North House and Museum Worth Visiting?

In all honesty, yes! I was pleasantly surprised to get a chance to visit the museum and spend more time there than I thought we would. The gift shop is amazing, and it is hard to stick to a budget, as I barely carry any cash with me anywhere. Seeing Rascal items from Japan is a plus, as well as learning how the society helped save the house and curating all the items inside it. It gave me more insight into the character and the two books that caught my eye: Wolfling and Rascal. These books have now been added to the never-ending To Be Read (TBR) list! Want more suggestions on which books and TV Shows to watch? Head on over to our sister site, Binge and Read.

The cost to enter is not that expensive, and you should know that when you pay admission and buy any items from the gift shop, you are helping the society preserve the house and what’s inside it for future visitors. You are helping a good cause when you visit, and I love visiting places like these, which offer unique perspectives and things you may not see elsewhere!

Lake Koshkonong and Rascal

Another site that was mentioned in the Rascal books is Lake Koshkonong. Without trying to spoil the story too much, Lake Koshkonong serves as the final place where Sterling and Rascal will go when Rascal gets to be a bit too unruly to be a pet. Lake Koshkonong is the second biggest lake in Wisconsin and is a great spot to rent a boat or jet ski and go around the lake. If you want to chill and eat, head on to the Buckhorn Supper Club, which has amazing views of the lake. The supper club also has a pier that you use to walk out to over the lake.

Following Rascal’s Footsteps across Edgerton, Wisconsin

While there are not many places mentioned in the Rascal book, The Sterling North Museum, and Lake Koshkonong are beautiful and historical places to visit within the Edgerton, Wisconsin area. If you are traveling through Janesville and Milton, head on over to these spots to learn more about Sterling North and his little raccoon pet, Rascal. Visiting these places gave me a better understanding of the pet raccoon and added to some books I wanted to pick up and read in the future. Will you try to follow Rascal’s footsteps across these places in Wisconsin?

Did I miss any other places that were mentioned in the book in this post? Please feel free to leave them in the comments below.

A special thanks to the Janesville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau for hosting us on a trip to Janesville. I visited the Sterling North Museum during some free time we had during the FAM but got to see Lake Koshkonong thanks to the FAM. All opinions remain my own.