Fire damages 131-year-old Wis. business

FOUNTAIN CITY, Wis -- The Golden Frog is a bar and restaurant that has been around for 131 years.  It's one of the great landmarks in the small town.

Gwen Katula is the owner of a gift shop and bakery just across the street.

"It's a cornerstone, the locals go there to catch up on news and chit-chat," Katula said.  "The atmosphere hasn't changed and it's the same setup."

This block will be a lot different for a while, since their Thanksgiving Day fire.  Flames and smoke filled the air for more than two hours Thursday, hitting the interior with major damage.  The bar opened at 5 p.m., with the fire happening just before 5:45. 

"I heard the sirens, I thought 'oh no,' what a terrible day to have an accident," Katula said.

Katula's business has actually benefited because of all the foot traffic The Golden Frog has brought over the years. 

"We kind of feed eachother," Katula said. 

People that frequent The Frog are now found at another place a block away.

"It's a bummer, I'm glad it didn't burn down, it's history," Hap Lettner said. 

Lettner has great memories.

"My mother and father would take us to The Frog, it would be a special night out, farm people didn't get out to town back in those days," Lettner said.

"It's a historical place, you know," Bakalars said.

Chris Bakalars' grandfather and great grandfather often visited decades ago, before passing away.  One of them was a Blacksmith next door.  Old pictures of them have hung on the wall for years.  Now, those memories may have permanently burned.

"It's horrible, I was hoping to inherit those photos and hang on to them someday," Bakalars said.  "When I found out The Frog burned, it hurt me."

Co-owner John Jaszewski said his business will not die in 2009 and hopes to reopen in January.  A co-owner and bartender were inside the bar when the fire happened.  No one was hurt.

Crews from Fountain City, Tri Community and Arcadia-Glencoe fire departments were called to the scene.  They cut holes into the building's ceiling and pried off large sections of the building's tin metal roof to attack hot spots.

Fire officials confirmed the fire started on the first floor.  There is limited damage to the building's exterior.

The cause of the fire is unknown at this time.

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