Over the last month, I’ve challenged you to guess the identity of a mystery man and a mystery woman. Today, see if you can guess this mystery business. Here are the clues. This business

• used to be on Highway 13, but is now in Lake Delton.
• was established in 1882 when Highway 12 was a gravel road. The only other attraction in the area was a campground.
• was owned by two men until they had an argument over a card game and broke up the partnership.
• has only had four owners (three from the same family) in 136 years. 
• was once owned by Priscilla Counsell.
• is presently owned by a woman who claims her father was “a good horse trader.”
  • hosted many summer evening pageants that included entertainment in a natural amphitheater.
• sells high-quality crafts made from local artisans.
• worries about the future, since many of the artisans are elderly and the younger generation aren’t as interested in making crafts.
• has a magnificent collection of useful objects made from the bark of black ash trees.
• is especially proud of their handmade 16-foot birchbark canoes.
• has elaborately decorated dolls from the southwest. If someone was ill, the medicine man would make a doll, take it to the sick person, scare him or her so their sickness transferred to the doll, and then destroy the doll.
• has an authentic 1850 log building on its property that was once a gas station.
• displays many items that would now be illegal to sell, such as an impressive grizzly bear claw necklace.
• showcases two dresses that are adorned with elk teeth.
• has an elaborate feather quill belt. If you look closely, you might find the date 1856.
• displays rope made from bison hair.
• used to host an annual fall friendship pageant. I have fond memories of my first taste of fry bread there. Yum.
• sells jewelry from the Navaho, Hopi, and Zuni as well as impressive beadwork.
• displays ancient stone tools and hand-forged copper arrowheads.
• has an amulet pouch which historically was used to hold a baby’s umbilical cord.
• has a black velvet Ojibwa shirt and two aprons with elaborate beading in floral patterns valued at about $5,000 that were found stuffed in a chimney to keep the cold out.
• used to be a trading post where people exchanged skins and crafts for manufactured goods such as Pendleton blankets.
• allowed me to bring my fourth-grade students to their museum so children could see the fascinating displays and learn about Native American culture. 

Yes, you guessed our mystery business, Parsons Indian Trading Post. Stop in and chat with Larry, Judy, or owners Henry and Candy Lukasavage. You’re sure to be impressed.