You, Me & I-43: Belgium, Luxembourg linked in Wisconsin
You, Me & I-43: Belgium, Luxembourg linked in Wisconsin
FOX6's Tim Van Vooren and Photojournalist Mickie Leach have been covering the Packers since 1990. They're sharing hidden gems from decades of drives north on I-43 to cover the team. Off of Exit 107, two countries that separated in Europe remain linked in Wisconsin.
MILWAUKEE - FOX6's Tim Van Vooren and Sports Photojournalist Mickie Leach have been leaving our Brown Deer studios to cover the Green Bay Packers – games, drafts, training camps, practices – since Sept. 16, 1990.
They've made a lot of trips to Titletown over the decades and picked up a few interesting things along the way. Now, they're taking you along for a road trip north on I-43. This story is an excerpt from the full-length special: You, Me & I-43.
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EXIT 107: Belgium (Luxembourg) & Lake Church
Why you should care:
The countries of Belgium and Luxembourg separated in Europe – yet they're linked in Wisconsin. A town called Luxembourg sits a little farther north, but the Luxembourg American Cultural Society is situated in Belgium.
"There is a myth that during the time that the two towns were being named, the post offices actually got it wrong, so there was a clerical error – Luxembourg was supposed to be Belgium, and Belgium was supposed be Luxembourg," said Caitlin Armstrong, the LACS's curator of collections and archives. "I do believe it was just started by locals, and it was an explanation for why the two towns are named the way they are.
"The truth is, when Luxembourg immigrants were coming over to this area, they had come from the heart of Luxembourg that had just gone to Belgium. So they had Belgian passports, even though they identified as Luxembourg, hence the name Belgium, Wisconsin."
Luxembourg American Cultural Center in Belgium
How to get there:
Luxembourg American Cultural Society – 100 Peter Thein Ave, Belgium, WI 53004
Packers road trip guide to Lambeau Field: You, Me & I-43
FOX6 Sports Director Tim Van Vooren and Photojournalist Mickie Leach take you to unique places along the I-43 route to Lambeau Field.
The Source: FOX6 Sports Director Tim Van Vooren and Sports Photojournalist Mickie Leach conducted interviews with the subjects of this piece over the course of their commutes from the WITI-TV studio in Brown Deer to Green Bay. Additional details referenced in this piece are sourced through the people and organizations who participated.