Wisconsin Survivors
Created by Founder Serena Reynolds M.D. on Wed Aug 19th, 2026 @ 5:48pm
They stopped running long enough to wonder if they could stay.
After weeks on the road, a large group of survivors finally reached rural Wisconsin and the Stratton/Hale Homestead outside Stevens Point.
At first it was simply another place to sleep. Vehicles became barricades. Fires provided warmth. Supplies remained packed in trailers and trucks.
Then the survivors began planning for winter.
With the nearby Blaine farm providing land, livestock, water, food production and practical infrastructure, the Homestead began changing from a temporary refuge into something more difficult to build: a community.
Near Stevens Point, Wisconsin
15 September 2010
Rural Settlement
Survive Winter
Arrival
On 15 September 2010 the travelling survivors reached the Stratton/Hale property approximately five miles outside Stevens Point.
They arrived exhausted after a long journey from the east. The Homestead was not immediately a finished settlement. Vehicles were positioned around the cabin and barn as a temporary defensive barrier while a communal camp was established.
A long fire pit provided warmth. Food was organised communally. Supplies were inventoried.
Serena began recording each survivor's skills, needs and the work they wanted to learn, marking the first real step from travelling group to organised community.
One Settlement — Two Properties
The Wisconsin community is built around more than one property. The Stratton/Hale Homestead provides the settlement's original destination and gathering point, while the neighbouring Blaine farm brings much of the infrastructure needed for long-term survival.
The initial destination of the convoy and the heart of the new survivor community.
The cabin, barn, garage and surrounding land provide accommodation, storage, workspace and defensive space.
Early construction and repair work focuses on turning the property from a stopover into a viable winter base.
Noah and Molly Blaine maintained a largely self-sufficient farm before and after the Fall.
The property provides livestock, stored food, farmland, a greenhouse, water systems, power and substantial communal sleeping capacity.
Its resources make it one of the settlement's most important long-term assets.
The Blaine Farm
Fields, pasture and a kitchen garden support food production.
Shelter and working space for animals, feed and farm equipment.
Herbs and other produce extend the available growing season.
Canned and preserved food is kept within the property.
Power, Water & Infrastructure
The Blaine Homestead was designed to function with a significant degree of independence even before the outbreak.
Blaine Family Home
The Blaine house is a large family home that was expanded and improved over time. Its size and layout allow it to shelter far more people than an ordinary farmhouse.
Master bedroom
Several living areas
Large kitchen
Large dining room
Two double bedrooms
Bunk room for up to nine
Office with pull-out couch
Double bedroom
Four-person bunk room
Storage areas
Food & Agriculture
Food production is one of the Homestead's greatest advantages. The community is not yet self-sufficient, but it already has a stronger agricultural foundation than most survivor groups.
Existing farmland, kitchen gardens and crops provide both immediate food and the basis for future planting.
Greenhouse herbs include chives and basil, providing fresh produce and useful season extension.
Pressure canning, smoking and stored food are vital to ensuring surplus does not go to waste before winter.
Wheat and other farm production provide the settlement with renewable food rather than dependence on scavenging.
Animals & Livestock
Livestock is central to the Homestead's long-term survival. Exact numbers remain deliberately open where they have not yet been established in play.
Two confirmed
Dairy livestock present
Established breeding stock
Active flock
Active hives
Property security
The animals provide eggs, milk, meat, honey, manure, breeding stock and potentially animal traction. The draft horses become increasingly valuable as fuel becomes harder to replace, while the dogs provide an early-warning system around the property.
Building a Community
The settlement cannot function if everyone only looks after themselves.
By the middle of September, work is increasingly treated as a shared responsibility rather than belonging to a single person or family.
The Homestead's greatest immediate enemy may not be walkers or raiders.
It is winter.
By early October, wood-cutting details are already gathering and drying timber for heating, cooking and construction. A significant storm on 2 October demonstrates how quickly conditions are changing.
Settlement Priorities
Scavenge Radius
The Homestead's rural position provides access to several useful locations without requiring constant travel into Stevens Point.
Hardware, medical supplies, fuel and bulk goods.
Approx. 5 miles • Medium RiskResidential scavenging, garages, small shops and schools.
Approx. 3 miles • Low RiskFishing, game, water access, cabins and outdoor resources.
Approx. 4 miles • Low RiskFarms, tractors, barns, seed stores and agricultural supplies.
Approx. 8 miles • Low RiskFood, schools, repair shops and larger rural resources.
Approx. 14 miles • Medium RiskHunting, fishing, herbs, firewood and off-grid resources.
Approx. 10 miles • Very Low RiskThe dead are no longer the only threat surrounding the Homestead.
An organised militia under Victor Rourke has taken control of Stevens Point.
The existence of an authoritarian armed faction only a few miles away changes every supply run, scouting mission and decision about security.
Homestead Timeline
The main survivor group arrives at the Stratton/Hale Homestead. Vehicles form an initial defensive barrier and the first communal camp is established.
The Blaine Homestead becomes part of the wider settlement. Its farm, animals, water, shelter and food production dramatically improve the group's prospects.
Repairs continue around the garage and barn. Maintaining infrastructure becomes more important than keeping the convoy mobile.
Security, scavenging, food, maintenance and daily routines begin replacing constant travel.
Victor Rourke's militia presence in Stevens Point becomes a significant strategic threat.
Survivors return from scavenging and reinforce the winter base. A fragile sense of domestic routine begins to emerge.
Harley Bell joins the community, bringing substantial ranching and agricultural experience.
Wood-cutting details begin serious winter fuel preparation. The first significant storm of the Homestead storyline arrives.
Even as the world changes, ordinary life continues. Relationships deepen, families adapt, and René proposes to Vienna.
The Wisconsin Homestead has moved beyond being simply a destination.
Its survival now depends upon combining land, infrastructure, specialist skills, agriculture, livestock, stored supplies, medical care, maintenance, winter fuel and security.
For the first time in weeks, the survivors are no longer asking only where they should run next.
View the characters currently connected to the Wisconsin settlement storyline.
View ManifestCategories: No categories found