What Happened To The Biblical Gardens In Wisonsin Dells

Found: CHRIST BEARING THE CROSS, One of many scenes at BIBLICAL GARDENS between Wisconsin Dells
and Lake Delton, Wis. on Hwy. 12. "And he bearing his cross went forth..." St. John 19:17. J2862
Photo by John A. Trumble. Published by DELLS PHOTO SERVICE, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.
Sun Johnson Printing Inc. Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Circa 1970s.

Found: SERMON ON THE MOUNTAIN. One of many scenes at
BIBLICAL GARDEN between Wisconsin Dells and Lake Delton, Wis. on Hwy. 12.
"And seeing the multitude, he went up to the mountain...and taught them
saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."
St. Matthew 5:1,2,3. D204 Photo by John A. Trumble.
Published by DELLS PHOTO SERVICE, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.
Sun Johnson Printing Inc. Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Circa 1970s.

Found: JESUS AND THE CHILDREN. One of many scenes at BIBLICAL GARDENS between Wisconsin Dells
and Lake Delton, Wis. on Hwy. 12. "Suffer the little children to come unto me, amd forbid them not:
for of such is the kingdom of God." St. Mark 10:14. D202 Photo by John A. Trumble.
Published by DELLS PHOTO SERVICE, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. Circa 1970s.

Found: THE CRUCIFIXION. One of many scenes at BIBLICAL GARDENS
between Wisconsin Dells and Lake Delton, Wis. on Hwy. 12.
"And when they were come to the place, which is called Calvary,
there they crucified him..." St. Luke 23:33. J2862 Photo by John A. Trumble.
Published by DELLS PHOTO SERVICE, Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.
Sun Johnson Printing Inc. Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Circa 1970s.

Found: In Biblical Gardens. Mrs. Eva Newsom, owner-artist of Biblical Gardens in
Wisconsin Dells, puts the finishing touches to this figure for the new "Ascension Scene.
There are 13 biblical scenes at the Dells attraction, all in a natural setting of ferns, pine, wild
and cultivated flowers. The Dells area is getting set for a big summer vacation season.
For a list of accommodations write Chamber of Commerce,
Dept. S-T, Wisconsin Dells, Wis 53965. Photo by John A. Trumble,
Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin. Stamped Sun-Times April 5, 1970.

Wisconsin had a rich history of concrete Christian shrines leading up to to Biblical Gardens in Wisconsin Dells. The Dickeyville Grotto (built 1925-1930), Rudolph Grotto Gardens (built 1927-1983), and Necedeh Shrine (circa 1950s) commemorated aspects of biblical and Marian lore with concrete and obsession. Mrs. Eva Newsom constructed her vision starting in 1961 casting each biblical figure from people she knew around her in Dixon, Illinois. She left Dixon to set up and run Biblical Gardens with her husband in Wisconsin Dells where they owned land. The two-thirds scale statues she made weighed as much as 700 pounds. Painted to be as "lifelike" as possible, they were presented in a wooded Wisconsin setting. Photographer John A. Trumble captured the approximately 15 final vignettes, often with a keen eye for dappled light to create drama. He published them on postcards with Bible verses for tourist consumption. The Newsoms project seemed to reach a peak in the 1970s and they retired in 1980 with Biblical Gardens operating until 1997 when their land was sold. Mrs. Newsom wanted the statues to remain together and they did when the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod purchased them at auction in 1997 for $5,000. WELS announced plans to repair and restore them then placed them at their Camp Phillip summer Christian retreat center in Wautoma in April of 2014.