Only In Sumpter by Erhart Muell

Powder to the People

This is the second in a series of three DVDs on the history of Badger Ordnance Works/Badger Army Ammunition Plant produced by Dave Erickson, Ootek Productions, Wisconsin Public Television, the Badger History Group.

The following description is a copy of the back label of the DVD

STORIES FROM THE BADGER ARMY AMMUNITION PLANT

It was a shock to rural Sauk County, Wisconsin when the U.S. government announced they were building the world's largest ammunition plant there in 1942. The tens of thousands of rural Wisconsin people who worked at the 7000-acre plant played a big role in the outcomes of World War II, Korea and Vietnam

This program focuses on their stories, full of emotion and humor. Some remember when their farms were taken for construction of the plant. Others who were WOWS ("women ordnance workers") recall the patriotic esprit de corps of the World War II years. Still others describe explosions that took away loved ones and co-workers.

Vietnam era workers recall the protestors who marched to the gates of the plant from Madison. Anti-war activist Karl Armstrong remembers the New Year's Eve he and his brother dropped bombs on it. Workers reflect on the plant's role in the peaceful years since Vietnam and express the hope that its deadly products will never be needed again. Many comment on possible future uses for the decommissioned plant.

POWDER TO THE PEOPLE tells a compelling story of social change in our country during three wars and the 25 years since Vietnam. The show is narrated by Tom Wopat, a nationally-known actor who grew up near the plant. Originally broadcast on public television, it is a co-production of Wisconsin Public Television and the Badger History Group, an organization dedicated to protecting and interpreting the history of the site.