Poniatowski in Marathon County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
John Gesicki
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, July 24, 2024
1. John Gesicki Marker
John Gesicki was a lifelong Poniatowski resident who owned and operated Gesicki's Store and Tavern and Moonlight Gardens in Poniatowski for over 50 years. He is credited with promoting the significance of the geographic 45-90 latitude and longitude point, which is the exact center of the Northwest Hemisphere.
In 1969, Marathon County erected a marker and made the area a county park the smallest in the state. Mr. Gesicki then started the 45x90 Club, which gathered thousands of visitors' signatures from around the world, putting the community of Poniatowski on the official state map.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Places. A significant historical year for this entry is 1969.
Location. 45° 0.017′ N, 90° 0.002′ W. Marker is in Poniatowski, Wisconsin, in Marathon County. It is on Meridian Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: R5851 Meridian Rd, Athens WI 54411, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Northern Wisconsin. It is also in the American Midwest, on the Great Lakes, and in the Corn Belt. Globally, it is in North America, the Great North Woods, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture and also the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 3 other markers are within 5 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Latitude & Longitude Explained (here, next to this marker); Geological Marker (within shouting distance of this marker); Baesemann Cemetery (approx. 4.9 miles away).
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Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, July 24, 2024
2. John Gesicki Marker
Photographed by Ian Lefkowitz, July 24, 2024
3. John Gesicki Bench
A nearby bench commemorates John Gesicki.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 21, 2025. It was originally submitted on March 24, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 213 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 24, 2025, by Ian Lefkowitz of New York, New York. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.
