When a strange “booming” noise awoke citizens in the small town of Clintonville early Monday morning, they were confused. When it happened again Tuesday night, some became irritated.
But when it happened three nights in a row without any official explanation, some local business leaders started to see an influx in customers as flocks of people journeyed to the normally sleepy town of 5,000 halfway between Stevens Point and Green Bay to experience and investigate the phenomenon.
Lynn Mommaerts, owner of the Hawg House bar and grill in downtown Clintonville, said it sounded, “kind of like a big train going by, like a rattling.”
The disturbances have baffled city officials and captivated the attention of the nation, with news organizations from Seattle to Washington D.C. turning their attention to the small town.
Some theorized the disturbances were caused by the construction of a KwikTrip gas station in town, while the blog Gawker.com sarcastically proposed there was a “portal to hell opening up under Wisconsin.”
But by Thursday afternoon, city officials finally had an explanation.
At a town meeting at Clintonville High School Thursday night, city officials told the tired citizens that a 1.5 magnitude earthquake early Tuesday morning is the culprit, according to a preliminary review by the U.S. Geological Survey. The reports from Monday morning reflect seismic activity leading up to the actual earthquake.
While Clintonville’s online fame is fleeting by nature, the “massive” influx of people is welcome news to some, who overnight have seen Clintonville become a hub for curious passersby and news organizations.
Mommaerts said she has noticed her bar has received significantly more business as the town cashes in on its brief spotlight.
“A lot of people are coming from out of town, just to check and see what’s going on,” Mommaerts said.
And the Hawg House is only one of the many local businesses that have benefitted from the phenomenon.
“I think its great for some of our businesses,” Director of the Clintonville Chamber of Commerce Sandy Yaeger said Thursday. “I think they’re doing well. The hotels are doing well, the coffee shop, the restaurants and the gas stations, so it’s great for business.”
Yaeger said the last week has been good for Clintonville, bringing in lots of people and some extra revenue, despite the sleepless nights.
