Claire the Loon

Mercer lies amidst more than 200 lakes in Northern Wisconsin not far from the Upper Peninsula. Hidden away in the heart of the Northwoods, Mercer is the Loon Capital of the World. If anyone should doubt this claim the town has the loon to prove it. Claire stands 16 foot tall and weighs approximately 2000 pounds. Since 1982 she has been standing proudly as the town's representative.

Claire is not only the representative of the Loon Capital of the World but is herself the World's Largest Loon. She was built at Sparta, Wisconsin by the FAST Corporation. And she does indeed belong to the folks of the Mercer area. They raised $10,000 to help offset her construction costs and a local landscaping company donated the landscaping around where she stands.

Claire's more common relatives stand about 25 inches tall and weigh between eight and eleven pounds. Their wingspread is about five foot. That is a pretty good size for a bird but not when compared to Claire.

Mercer has been home to other interesting residents from time to time. In the early 1930s the Capone brothers, Al, Ralph, George and Matte, vacationed there. While staying at the Jack Solomon lodge they were guided by Mitch Babic and Louis Stephy. Ralph Capone liked the area and built a home there years later. He is remembered as "one of Mercer's most respected, well-liked residents, always ready to help his fellow townspeople."

John Dillenger was known to frequent the Turtle-Flambeau area. Charlie Comiskey, founder of the White Sox baseball team, brought his baseball team with him for relaxation and rest while fishing on nearby Trude Lake.

Earlier this Northwood area has been home to lumber barons, mining interests, railroad builders and fur traders. Different Indian cultures including the Winnebago, Menominee and Santee Dakota have called the flowage area home. The Huron, Iroquois, and the Chippewa have lived here.

But the residents who have called this area home for the longest amount of time are the loons, who are represented today by Claire. The loon is an excellent swimmer and superb divers able to dive to depths of 200 feet and remain submerged for 5 to 10 minutes.

With their unique black and white checkerboard plumage, long tapered beak, greenish black head and red eyes, the loon is a distinctive resident of the Northwood. The loon's calls are distinctive, too. They have four types of calls: Wail, Tremolo, yodel and hoot.

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