Eden's Prairie, California - 1885

It was a good time to live in Eden's Prairie in the 1880s.  The Martin and Webb ranches were running at full capacity,  town-Pomo relations were great, everyone had a Chrissy Cake in their hand, Miller's Mill was pumping a steady stream of lumber to the east, and every new resident seemed to add a new dimension to an already dynamic town.

In the 1880s, rising tensions between France and the second German Empire caused serious strains on the friendship of two people that shouldn't have been friends, but were.  Wolfgang Von Wolfhausen was the son of a Bavarian beer brewer.  Jean-Pierre Michaud's family had owned a winery in France for over a century.  Despite their nationalities, they got along exceedingly well...probably because they both liked alcohol...a lot!

Wolfgang von Wolhausen and Jean-Pierre Michaud pictured by a horrible photographer

They agreed that they needed to flee Europe and settle somewhere in the US.  After much drunken discussion, they decided they couldn't live here without their own wine and beer.  They thought California was best because of the temperate climate and fertile soil.  They proved to be an excellent addition to the town.  They settled on opposite sides of the Walsh River to symbolize the river that separated their native countries.

Mayor Chris Murray welcomes Wolfhausen and Michaud

Michaud's wine was a hit.  He was nearly caught smuggling his grapes into the country, but he wasn't, and his wine was delicious.

Jean-Pierre Michaud's vineyard

Even though his neighbors Ian Martin and Clint Webb drove him nuts, he still enjoyed his prime location to the south of Martin's ranch.

Wolfhausen's brewery was also a success, as many newcomers in town were more comfortable ordering a mug of beer right off the train than a glass of wine.  Philistines...

Wolfgang von Wolfhausen's brewery

He smuggled the hops for his beer from Germany, just like Michaud smuggled his grapes.  He made a barley and a wheat version, and also grew cherries and kept bees for additional flavor varieties.  It made for delicious and authentic German style beers that most of the hardcore whiskey drinkers in town would get drunk from one mug.

Possibly Jill's favorite picture so far

His house was modeled after his Bavarian home, complete with the German flag flying proudly in front.

All in all, it was a wonderful friendship.  However, a man would arrive to town that would ruin the town.  He was so foul, he could turn a mug of Wolfhausen's beer skunky just by looking at it.

It happened one evening as Eden's Prairie was lulling itself to sleep for the night.  Wolfhausen and Michaud were sitting in the tower of the winery looking over the town enjoying a mug of beer and a glass of wine.  The first lights of the evening came on at Ian Martin's ranch, and they could hear Clint Webb shouting obscenities from across the road..  "This seems to be a running theme with this down, doesn't it?" Jean-Pierre said to Wolfgang, "This whole...best friends and bitter rivals thing...?"

"Indeed it does" said Wolfgang as the German and the Frenchman toasted and drank each other's alcohol.

Just then a rumble of horses rode by.

"The approaching dusk seems to be foreshadowing something, doesn't it?" Wolfgang said.  However, Jean-Pierre was passed out and Wolfgang decided it was time to go home.

He rode through town, nearly falling off his horse 18 time before the river (1/4 mile) and decided he needed one last drink before bed, and headed over to his favorite bar.

As he arrived, the bar which was normally bustling with music and boozers was completely quiet.  A man that could only be described as "scary beyond belief" had Mayor Murray at gunpoint.  He was the dreaded gangster "Wild" Willy Jackson.

"Wild" Willy Jackson

He declared that he and his gang were in charge of the town.  He had already looted and burned three other towns that he and his gang took control of.  Needless to say, no one wanted that to happen to Eden's Prairie.  But Wild Willy insisted.  If anyone objected, they had to take it up with he and his gang.  The drunken German offered to challenge them in a duel the next day at dawn.

I didn't have a good place to put this picture...

"Are you serious?  A duel?" said Mayor Murray, "That's only a myth put forward in movies!"

No one knew what he was talking about, as movies had yet to be invented, but Wild Willy thought it was a great idea.  He and his gang would meet the Wolfgang in Main Street at noon the next day.  They left the bar and kicked poor Frederick Green out of his house across the street.

"Finally we can drink," said the drunken German, "I thought they'd never leave."

Everyone sat in shock for a few moments before resuming their conversations and drinks.

The intersection on Main Street with the bar at night

The next day, word had spread about Wolfgang's duel, but no one knew where he was.  Wild Willy and his gang were waiting in the street, while many of the prominent citizens offered to pay them to leave.  Phineas Miller offered the most, but all the offers only made them want to stay more, now that they realized how wealthy the town was.

Main Street at the crack of 3pm

Suddenly another rumble of horses signified another change was on the horizon.  What really was on the horizon was Captain Ronald Burgundy, whose regiment had been tracking down Wild Willy's gang.  Town heroes Ian Martin and Clint Webb had ridden all night to inform him, after a legendarily drunk Wolfgang von Wolfhausen passed out in Webb's doorway and told him of the town's imminent danger...although Wolfgang himself wasn't aware it.  The rest of the town cornered the gang and prevented their escape, while they were captured from behind by Burgundy's squad.  They were taken to Sacramento, formally charged, and hanged in each of the towns they desecrated.

Captain Ron Burgundy

But things were just getting bad for Eden's Prairie.  Captain Burgundy would return.  He deeply resented the town's good relations with the Pomo and sought to "protect" them from future dangers by establishing Fort Pegasus.

Fort Pegasus

The citizens hated it from the start, and began to devise a hilarious and zany method of driving the captain out of town.  The captain, however, didn't live in a comedy movie, and devised a cruel method of driving the Pomo off of the lands to the west of the town.

The eyesore of Fort Pegasus