Baraboo Tent & Awning, Inc.

Baraboo Tent & Awning, Inc. started as a one-person shop in 1926 with the main customer being the railroad. Art Thayer would haul an old Singer sewing machine into an empty railroad car filled with torn pads from between the passenger cars, repair them all the way to LaCrosse and finally, jump on the next train back to Baraboo.

In the 1930’s, The Ringling Brothers Circus asked Baraboo Tent and Awning to make repairs on their big circus tents. Other contracts included the manufacturing of rubber aprons for the University of Wisconsin Chemistry Department and boat cushions for the Dells Boat Tours.