Sauk County Historical Society Newsletters 2021 - 2022

Sauk County  Historical Society  Newsletters

Burning Baraboo February 11 – Online Presentation

THE Baraboo churches had not long since let out when the fire bells started ringing at half past noon. A light snow was still falling, making the thought of a major fire less plausible than in the preceding few months. The dry fall of 1871 in the upper Midwest had culminated in the famous Chicago fire and the overshadowed fire around Peshtigo, Wisconsin. Despite the snow and cold, Baraboo would endure its trial by fire on December 3 when a small blaze on the south side of the square turned into a major conflagration that threatened to destroy the entire downtown. With no fire department, it was up to the store owners and citizens to deal with the fire by any means possible including the proverbial bucket brigade, snowballing and tearing down buildings with brute force to create fire breaks.

As the fire grew along Third Street, men and women battled the blaze and moved goods and fixtures out of burning buildings to the street and courthouse lawn up until the last possible moment. One store owner was nearly killed when the burning façade of his building came crashing down as he tried to escape half blinded from the heat and smoke. A short time later a giant explosion rocked the square as a 25-pound keg of gunpowder in one of the buildings ignited.

The fire was eventually quelled; but in just three short hours, six store buildings were destroyed and others damaged. The loss was estimated at $30,000 at the time, or about $650,000 today.

In the spring of 1872, work began on the construction of new brick buildings to replace the wooden buildings that had been destroyed. Many of these buildings are still in use today as some of the oldest brick buildings on the square. From 1871

to 1886, six major fires cleared the way for many of the historic brick buildings we see in downtown Baraboo today. These fires and the early efforts to create a fire department will be the subject of an online presentation to be given by SCHS Executive Director Paul Wolter on Thursday, February 11 at 7 pm. Members and the public are invited to register for the online presentation by signing up at the Society’s website – saukcountyhistory.org or watch for a link in an upcoming eNewsletter.

This drawing from 1870 shows how the square in Baraboo looked before six massive fires dating from 1871 to 1886 cleared the way for most of the brick buildings that we see today. Most of the early buildings were built of wood and succumbed easily to fire. Only one downtown building from this drawing exists today as a rare wooden survivor.

SCHS Website Hits Milestone

THE new SCHS website which debuted in 2018 continues to grow along with the number of people it has served. Since its inception, over 65,000 people have visited the website. In 2020 alone over 30,000 people made use of the website, a 56% increase over the previous year. The Society’s commitment to online content has existed for years but became all the more important this past year. With over 400 pages of content, the site is one of the largest in the state for a local history organization. If you haven’t visited recently you may be surprised at what you find. New content is being added monthly.

The Society’s Christmas tours at the Van Orden Mansion brought several hundred people to the museum this year, just not all at the same time. Socially distanced small group tours were offered over the course of two weekends so that members and guests could still enjoy the holiday decorations which included eleven trees decorated to the theme of Christmas Across America. Holiday music and personal bags of homemade treats were also part of the tours. The Society would like to thank all of the decorators, volunteers and business sponsors that made Christmas at the Mansion a success.

Strategic Plans for Sacred Sites Adopted

AFTER nearly a year of planning, writing, and seeking expert and public input, the master plans for Man Mound National Historic Landmark and Yellow Thunder Memorial have been completed and adopted by SCHS and the Sauk County Board of Supervisors. The Society would like to thank the staff of the Sauk County Land, Resources, and Environment Department for facilitating the process and Cassandra Fowler in particular for writing the plans. They provide for a twenty-year agreement between the Society which owns the sites and Sauk County which maintains them. Future projects at Man Mound include new mound maintenance and preservation techniques developed in consultation with Bill Quackenbush, the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer of the Ho-Chunk Nation as well as new interpretive panels. At Yellow Thunder Memorial, future plans include a native prairie area and interpretive panels in Ho-Chunk and English. The adopted master plans can be read in full on the Society’s website by clicking on the SACRED SITES link at the top of the homepage.

SCHS

Member Survey

THE Society is asking all members to participate in a member survey to help guide development strategies. The survey debuted at the Society’s annual meeting last fall where it was filled out by attendees. A copy of the survey is included in this newsletter and members are asked to fill it out and return it if they haven’t taken the survey yet. The survey can also be accessed online at the SCHS website – saukcountyhistory.org Click on the survey link at the top of the homepage.

saukcountyhistory.org

Our Board and Staff

Mona Larsen, Society President - Baraboo

Beverly Vaillancourt, Vice President – LaValle

Bill Schuette, Recording Secretary – Reedsburg

Chuck Ecklund, Treasurer – LaValle

Karen Zimmerman - Baraboo

Angela Lowe, Reedsburg

Nicole Morris - Baraboo

Beverly Simonds - Baraboo

Seth Taft – Baraboo

Kristin White Eagle – Baraboo

STAFF

Paul Wolter, Executive Director – Baraboo

Linda Levenhagen, Office/Research Mgr., Bookkeeper – Baraboo

Baraboo Depot Update

OVER the last two and a half months a lot has been happening at the depot. Hasheider Roofing of Prairie du Sac has finished putting a rubber membrane over the entire roof as a temporary fix which will last for years if necessary. The job included covering damaged areas of the roof decking with plywood and building a temporary drip edge along the south side so the rubber could be wrapped under the eaves. The Hasheider crew was not intimidated by the size and condition of the building.

Inside, natural light has penetrated all parts of the building for the first time in fifty years as some of the windows have been opened up. Some openings are being filled with temporary vinyl coverings and others with wooden louvered vents

DEPOT DONATIONS

David Bauman

Susanne Christofersen

Tom Dorner in honor of Dorothy HewittDorner

John Ehlke

Carol Fleishauer

Robert Harmel

Bryant Hazard

Peter & Susan Heide

Mary Henry in memory of Leo Bronkalla

Linda Jenks

Susan Johnson in memory of Michael Johnson

Ralph Justen

John Landers

Lanman & Lanman LLC

Todd Liebman

Riverside Rentals

Bob & Gretchen Roltgen

Sheila Roznos in memory of W.A. Hayes

Mike & Shirley Schmeer

Mary Small

Norma Sophie

Dave & Denise Statz

Susan Ulrich

Paul & Judy Washam

built by volunteer Phil Jauch. The vents will allow the building to dry out.

Now that the building has been weatherized the project moves into the planning phase for future full-scale restoration. A Historic Structures Report will be commissioned from an architectural firm. This detailed planning report will document the history of the building and changes made, assess the current condition of the building for restoration, and provide a guide for moving forward. Donations are needed for this phase of the project and can be sent to the Society or made online at the Society’s website.

Architects Frost & Granger

THE Baraboo depot and division office building was designed by Chicago-based architects Charles Frost (1856-1931) and Alfred Granger (1867-1939) in 1901. Both were college-trained architects and worked with other partners before joining forces in 1898. Family connections brought them together and brought them commissions as both

Hasheider Roofing finished covering the roof of the depot with a rubber membrane in early January. The immense size of the building can be appreciated from this drone shot taken by Bill Johnsen who has been documenting the project from the air. The building is over 170 feet long and over 45 feet high on the north side.

men were married to daughters of Marvin Hughitt, the President of the Chicago and North Western Railroad (C&NW). Alfred Granger married Belle Hughitt in 1893 and Charles Frost married Mary Hughitt in 1897. The firm of Frost & Granger designed over 200 railroad-related buildings, many of them being passenger depots for C&NW. Most were small to mid-sized trackside depots like the one the firm designed for Reedsburg in 1905 but occasionally designs were needed for combination depot / office buildings like Baraboo’s. Another surviving example is the C&NW depot and office building in Green Bay which was constructed in 1898 and is today home to the Titletown Brewery.

In

A six-foot wreath was placed on the depot for the holidays with the help of volunteer Jack Vogel. The wreath framed the carved column situated between the two central arched window openings on the north side of the second floor. The Romanesque detailing was further enhanced by the large arch above the windows which was masterfully filled with brick work done in a basket weave pattern. Photo courtesy of Jack Vogel.

December, Jerry Exterovich let the first ray of sunlight into the men’s waiting room which has been sealed up for fifty years. The depot has over 90 exterior window and door openings.

The depot once featured a thirty-foot flagpole which was anchored to a carved stone shelf that sat just above the word “BARABOO” on the south side of the depot. The shelf was detailed with egg and dart molding.

Executive Director’s Report

WELL, 2020 is now officially “hindsight,” and I imagine most of us are glad that it is over. It has been a truly historic year in many ways. Mixed in with all of the not so good news, there have been some bright spots. One was early last year when the Society was notified that it had been chosen as the winner of the 2020 Reuben Gold Thwaites Award for excellence in local history. Although the traveling trophy could not be awarded at a public ceremony, it was delivered personally by Christian Overland, Director and CEO of the Wisconsin Historical Society. SCHS has a long relationship with the state historical society as one of its earliest affiliates. In fact, 2020 marked the 115th year of operation for the Sauk County Historical Society. In October the Society was able to help Sauk County celebrate its second Indigenous Peoples Day with the installation and dedication of two interpretive panels and a commemorative bench along the Baraboo Riverwalk. The panels commemorate the effigy mounds and Ho-Chunk village that once existed in the area. Another bright spot in 2020 was the completion of master plans with Sauk County for Man Mound and Yellow Thunder Memorials. These plans will guide and define work at these incredibly important sites for

years to come. Acquisition of the historic Baraboo depot was another bright spot. This unique building is one of only a handful of railroad buildings across the state designed as a depot and division office building. When it was completed in 1902 it was a focal point of pride for the city and county. When it is restored and renovated for new uses it will be such a focal point once again as a community gathering site and a place to share more of the incredible history of Sauk County. I would like to thank all of the members and supporters who have helped sustain SCHS through this remarkable year. Your unflagging support helped keep us going and kept these bright spots happening. There are more to come.

MONETARY DONATIONS

November-December, 2020

Fred & Patty Burger

Beverly Cabbage

James Carpenter

Gail Phillips

Beverly Simonds

Book Review by Robert I. Girardi, Author of The Civil War Generals and The New Annals of the Civil War

THOUSANDS of books about the American Civil War have been written. Campaign studies, battle narratives, regimental histories and memoirs and biographies fill countless shelves. Yet, there are few topics that are new or that deal with familiar studies in a uniquely compelling way. Desotell’s The Captured, the Sick and the Dead challenges this view. Desotell has taken a small corner of the conflict and put it under the microscope and woven into the much larger tapestry of the Civil War to provide a panoramic approach to the story

Desotell tells the story of a small group of men who joined three Confederate regiments mainly from Tennessee and Alabama who were captured at Island No. 10 in April 1862. The author also writes about their interaction with soldiers from the 19th Wisconsin who guarded them once they arrived at Camp Randall as prisoners. His attention to detail in all aspects of the story are strengths of his book.

To purchase, contact the publisher at sandbeachpress.com

The Captured, the Sick and the Dead: Confederate Soldiers at Camp Randall by Larry Desotell

Old Sauk Trails • January/February 2021

The Sauk County Historical Society publishes Old Sauk Trails six times each year.

Editor: Bill Schuette • Production: Minuteman Press

The Sauk County Historical Society and Museum

531 Fourth Ave. • PO Box 651 • Baraboo, WI 53913

Van Orden Mansion open May-Oct. 12-4 p.m. Fri. & Sat. History Center, 900 2nd Ave., Open 12-4 p.m. Weds-Fri., Sat. by appointment

(608) 356.1001 • history@saukcountyhistory.org

www.saukcountyhistory.org

(608) 356-1001

January/February 2021

The Sauk County Historical Society

900 Second Avenue

P.O. Box 651

Baraboo, WI 53913

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

New & Renewed Members

THANK YOU TO THESE MEMBERS WHO HAVE JOINED OR RENEWED SINCE OUR LAST NEWSLETTER

INDIVIDUAL

Ankenbrandt, Tom – Baraboo

Bauman, David – Baraboo

Beard, Jeanette – Milton

Birdd, Ron – Reedsburg

Bobholz, Jill – Baraboo

Burke, Joann – Gallup, NM

Cowan, Bergene – Baraboo

DeWall, Janet – Appleton

Dickeman, Mary – Reedsburg

Domeier, Pamela – Lenexa, KS

Ecklund, Charles – La Valle

Ehlke, John – Baraboo

Franzen, Roy & Jane – Baraboo

Girkin, Rod – Madison

Harmel, Robert – Bryan, TX

Haskins, William – Baraboo

Hatfield, Charles – La Farge

Herrick, James – Madison

Jaedike, Dale – North Freedom

Jaeger, Marcus – WI Dells

Kaney, Jerald – Milwaukee

Kieffer, Bob Jr. – Baraboo

LaMar, Larry – Middleton

Negast, Paul – Baraboo

Nelson, Anita – WI Dells

Nyholm, Kristen – LaCrosse

Peters, Norma Jean – Reedsburg

Phillips, Gail – Portage

Rago, Maria – Baraboo

Sacia, Karen – Baraboo

Scott, Kirby – Oshkosh

Shrake, Peter – Baraboo

Spees, Shirley – Baraboo

Steinhorst, Barbara – Reedsburg

Steinhorst, Pat – Reedsburg

Stoeckmann, Judith – Rock Springs

Tribbey, Morgan – Reedsburg

Vielhuber, Linda – LaCrosse

Wilcox, Beverly – Libertyville, IL

FAMILY

Brickner, Greg & Vicki – Wonewoc

Burch/Anstett, Lois/Frank – Rock Springs

Cabbage, Beverly – Spokane Valley, WA

Carroll, Jack & Karole – Baraboo

Christensen, David & Annette – Palatine, IL

Dillman/Moh, Nancy Jo/Helfried – Baraboo

Goc/Weade, Michael/Barbara – Friendship

Grant, Ken & Mary – Baraboo

Guether, Carolyn Wafle – La Honda, CA

Higgins, James & Nancy – Baraboo

Horkan, Robert & Kathy – Lyndon Station

Kolb, Tom & Linda – Baraboo

LaMasney, Roger & Pat – Baraboo

Meyer, John & Susan – Oshkosh

Musgrove, Grace – WI Dells

Rago, Nancy – Baraboo

Ramsey/Manthe, Steve/Richard – Baraboo

Ricci, Rosanne – Mukwonago

Roznos, Sheila – Baraboo

Schultz, Jerald & Zita – Baraboo

FRIEND

Alexander, Carl – Baraboo

Behnke, James H – Reedsburg

Buss, Pam & John – Prairie du Sac

Cole, David & Bevra – Baraboo

Dallmann, David & Carolyn – Baraboo

Eichmann, Charmaine – Baraboo

Frank, Ken & Rhonda – Mazomanie

Frenz, Bob & Chris – Crystal Lake, IL

Isenberg-Abel, Marjorie – Wakefield, KS

Loomis, Dale – Baraboo

Pillsbury, Brian & Diane – Baraboo

Rinella, Linda Michaud – Glenview, IL

Slaats, Glen & Vicki – Reedsburg

SPONSOR

Barrix, Tom & Roberta – Baraboo

Burger, Fred & Patty – Baraboo

Johansen, Wayne & Martha – Baraboo

Klingenmeyer, Mary – Baraboo

Litscher, Joan – Baraboo

McKnight, John – Evanston, IL

Orlowski, Mary – Baraboo

Rogers, Don & Jean – Baraboo

Schroeder/Wendt, Al/Jean – Baraboo

St. John/Finney, Michael/Patricia – Baraboo

Stewart, Mary Anne – Baraboo

Swanson, Marcia – Atlanta, GA

Terbilcox, Colleen – Baraboo

Thompson, Dianne – WI Dells

Weinhold, Frank & Mariana – Madison

Whyte, Robin – Baraboo

Workman/Grosinske, Amy/Jared – Baraboo

Zimmerman, Karen – Baraboo

PATRON

Hanners, Keith & Lori – Baraboo

Lombard, Jim & Andrea – Baraboo

Sorci, Pam & Jason – Baraboo

Stone/DuBois, Tim/Kristi – Baraboo

Umhoefer, Aural – Baraboo

BENEFACTOR

Fleishauer, Carol – Baraboo

VAN ORDEN CIRCLE

Utzinger, Arnold – Baraboo

Vogel, Jack & Deb – Baraboo

Weickgenant, Jim & Myrna – Baraboo

W.H. CANFIELD ASSOCIATE

Sauey, Craig & Bonnie – Baraboo

Society Receives Unexpected Gifts

THE Society is very excited to announce that it has received a gift of $200,000 from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous in honor of Dayl and Carol Sorg, who were long-time residents of Baraboo. The SCHS Board of Directors voted to place half of the anonymous gift in the SCHS endowment fund established at the Community Foundation of South Central Wisconsin (CFSCW) in 2012. At the same time, an SCHS member, who wishes to remain anonymous, generously provided matching funds of another $100,000 to help grow the SCHS endowment managed by CFSCW. The

remaining $100,000 of the Sorg gift will be placed in the SCHS financial portfolio managed by Edward Jones. These gifts financially strengthen the Society as it continues to expand its historical outreach in education and community events, and as it looks to the full restoration of the historically significant Baraboo Train Depot. The SCHS Board of Directors, on behalf of the membership and staff, would like to thank the anonymous donor and the anonymous SCHS member for their generous donations which will have impacts for generations to come.

Dayl and Carol Sorg-

Lives Invested in Community

BORN just over two months apart in 1925 Carol Ziegler and Dayl Sorg were both twenty years old when they were married in Chicago shortly after World War II was over and the end of Dayl’s two-year service with the US Marines. They lived all fiftytwo years of their married life in the Baraboo area. While Dayl was born in Sauk County at Sauk City, Carol was from Iowa and had found her way to Chicago by way of nursing school. In Baraboo, Carol worked at St. Mary’s Ringling Hospital and as a public health nurse while Dayl worked as an engineering clerk at Wisconsin Power & Light.

Their lives took a completely different course in 1954 when they purchased and managed the A&W Root Beer Family Restaurant and Drive-In located in West Baraboo. During the course of their twenty-three years of ownership, the Sorgs employed hundreds of young people from the area who became “Sorg kids.” Dayl Sorg was elected to the West Baraboo village board in 1959

(Continued page 2)

Dayl Sorg and Carol Ziegler were married in 1945 in Chicago and lived all of their married life in the Baraboo area where they invested in the community.

Lives Invested…

and served for fourteen years as tireless promoter of the development of the community. His vision took physical form in 1988 when he created West Dayl Plaza, a shopping center on Highway 12 where Festival Foods and other businesses are located today. A portion of this property was donated by Carol Sorg for the construction of the Baraboo Area Visitors Center which is occupied by the Baraboo Area Chamber of Commerce and the Community Foundation of South Central Wisconsin which owns the building. Both Carol and Dayl were members of numerous veterans and service organizations ranging from the Elks to P.E.O. and were generous donors to the community. The Sorgs are also remembered for the Christmas trees that they grew on their farm in Adams County and sold for decades. The Sorgs

donated pine trees for planting in area parks and public spaces.

Carol served on the board of directors of the Sauk County Historical Society for decades and also was secretary of the Badger History Group dedicated to preserving the history of the former Badger Army Ammunition Plant. Carol donated Christmas trees to the Society every year for Christmas festivities at the Van Orden Mansion and was generous in many other ways. Dayl died unexpectedly at age 71 in May of 1997. Later that year the municipal building in West Baraboo was renamed the Dayl F. Sorg Memorial Village Hall. Carol died in 2005. The probate room on the main floor of the Sauk County History Center has been named the Carol D. and Dayl F. Sorg Room to honor this amazing couple.

Become Part of the SCHS Endowment Fund

IN 2019 the SCHS Board of Directors set a goal of one million dollars for the SCHS endowment fund managed by the Community Foundation of South Central Wisconsin (CFSCW) as part of the Society’s 5-year Strategic Plan. Today CFSCW, located at the Baraboo Area Visitor Center in Baraboo, manages $10 million in over 90 funds started by individuals and agencies from Adams, Columbia, Iowa, Juneau, Richland, Sauk, and Vernon counties. Under the guidance of CFSCW, the SCHS endowment fund has averaged an annual growth of 8% over the past ten years. SCHS will receive a payout of 5% of the total endowment balance each year. These funds will provide much needed operational support.

The fund currently has a value of $220,000, due in large part to two recent and very generous gifts from donors who wish to remain anonymous. Because of these gifts, the fund has grown from 2% to 22% of our $1 million goal. Thanks to these recent gifts, SCHS will have a much more stable future as it expands its educational offerings, presentations, technology outreach, and long term commitment to restoration of the Baraboo Train Depot.

But we are far from our goal as we continue to navigate uncertain times with operational funds

generated basically through memberships, year to year county funding, and donations. We need your help to continue to grow and be true to our mission to preserve and share history. Please consider a generous contribution to the SCHS Endowment Fund. You can rest assured that those funds will receive the utmost care in wealth management as you help the Society reach its $1million goal. We are so very grateful to all of our members for their support. We just couldn’t do what we do without you.

To contribute to the SCHS Endowment Fund to help reach the goal and provide annual support, please contact the Society or the Community Foundation.

Community Foundation of South Central Wisconsin

Executive Director - Robin Whyte

Phone: 608-355-0884

Email: director@cfscw.org

Website: www.cfscw.org

Depot Updates

National Register Process Underway

THE process of listing the Baraboo Depot and Division Headquarters building on the National Register of Historic Places is underway. The building was deemed potentially eligible for the Register several years ago when a preliminary questionnaire was submitted to the Wisconsin Historical Society (WHS). It was determined that the building could qualify for the National Register of Historic Places due to its importance to transportation history and its uniqueness as a combination depot and division headquarters building.

The nomination is being coordinated by the Division of Historic Preservation at the Wisconsin Historical Society and being funded through the Fuldner Heritage Fund. The endowed fund was started with a generous gift from the Jeffris Family Foundation to the Wisconsin Historical Society in 2011 and was named in honor of Henry Fuldner, who devoted himself to the preservation of significant Wisconsin properties and served on the Jeffris Family Foundation board for thirty years.

One purpose of the fund is to recognize Wisconsin heritage by funding the preparation of National Register nominations in the state. The National Register is the nation’s official list of places significant in American history and culture. Listing of the Baraboo Depot will make the property eligible for historic preservation income tax credit programs for rehabilitation and other funding. Beth Miller of Madison has been engaged by WHS to write the nomination for the Baraboo Depot. Miller has written over 100 nominations to the National Register since 1984 and in 2008 wrote the successful nomination for the Chicago & North Western Railroad Depot in West Bend, Wisconsin.

SCHS would like to thank the Wisconsin Historical Society for choosing to fund the nomination with the Fuldner Heritage Fund and for administering the project.

Historic Structure Report

SCHS is currently choosing a qualified firm to prepare the historic structure report for the Baraboo Depot. A request for proposals issued in late January received ten proposals from across the upper Midwest. The SCHS Development Committee has been reviewing the proposals and will make a recommendation to the SCHS Board of Directors by the end of March. The historic structure report will provide a valuable foundation for the rehabilitation of the depot by providing documentary, graphic, and physical information about the depot’s history and existing condition while also addressing goals for its reuse. The report will include schematic programming and design in consultation with SCHS and stakeholders. Cost estimates will also be included for the restoration and reuse of the building.

DEPOT DONATIONS

January-February, 2021

Baraboo State Bank

Richard & Jane Dana

Gerald & Ellen Dargel

Laurie Dummer in honor of Paul & Annie Wolter

Chuck Ecklund in memory of Demi Sprecher

Nijole Etzwiler in memory of David Etzwiler

Mary France in honor of Paul & Annie Wolter

& Laurie France Dummer

Ken & Mary Grant

Robert Harmel

Matt & Joan Hart

Larry C. Lamar

Riverside General Rental Centers, Inc.

Al Schroeder & Jean Wendt

John & Tonia Young

Canfield Day 2021–Sauk County 1859

CANFIELD Day will be held on April 8 with an online presentation to celebrate the birth of Sauk County’s first historian, William H. Canfield, who was born near Syracuse, New York in 1819. When Canfield arrived in Sauk County in 1842, he was 23 years old and his wife, Cordelia, was 19 and pregnant with the couple’s first child. The Canfields settled on Skillet Creek and lived under their dry goods boxes until a small log cabin could be constructed. William Canfield worked as a surveyor to support the family and eventually completed over 3,000 farm surveys. His work took him to all parts of Sauk County, meeting many people and hearing their stories. Canfield’s interest in survey work and history led him to create the first large scale map of Sauk County which was published in 1859. While not exactly a plat map, the map does indicate the names of over 1,700 landowners and their general location as well as 285 points of interest including sawmills, lime kilns, and schools to things far older like effigy mounds. Around the edge of the map Canfield included lithographic images of scenes from around Sauk County to highlight some of the important buildings and businesses in the area. Canfield’s 1859 map and the ten scenes will be the subject of the presentation on Thursday, April 8 at 7 pm. Historic photos exist of many of the places Canfield chose to highlight and will be shown along with the scenes from the map. Modern day images of the same locations will also be

shown and discussed. Registration for the online presentation can be found on the Society websitesaukcountyhistory.org

The annual presentation of the William H. Canfield History Award will be delayed this year until the Society’s annual summer picnic which will be held later this summer if conditions permit.

MONETARY DONATIONS

January-February, 2021

General Operations

Dave & Joanne Gorak

Evelyn Krugman

Anonymous

In Memory of Bill Doepke

Phil Jauch

Linda Levenhagen

Mary Orlowski

Cup of Coffee

Ellen Bueno

Donald Deckman

Chuck Ecklund

Jean Judd

Susan Mossman

James O’Neill

Richard Ringelstetter

Geraldine Wolter

Ann Wolter

www.saukcountyhistory.org

In 1857 Sauk County completed a six-sided stone jail building. Canfield included this extraordinary building on his 1859 map. The lithograph was created from a photo of the building. Today the Baraboo post office sits on the same site.

Early Sauk County Land Records Webinar

LAND records are often one of the overlooked resources when doing genealogy or researching people. Besides telling where a person lived or what property they owned, land records can contain valuable information such as the name of a spouse and where a party was living when they made a purchase or sale of a piece of property. They can also be helpful in finding the names of children and heirs after the death of a property owner. Land records can be daunting, however, when it comes to legal descriptions and types of conveyance like quit claim deeds versus warranty deeds. An online webinar on early Sauk County land records will be held on Thursday, May 6 at 7 pm. Property descriptions, grantor and grantee records, plat maps, mortgage records and other items related to land records will be discussed along with a question-and-answer period. To register for the webinar watch the Society’s eNewsletter for a signup link or email the historical society at history@saukcountyhistory.org

You can subscribe to the twice monthly eNewsletter by visiting the Society website at saukcountyhistory.org and clicking on ENEWS at the top of the homepage.

Executive Director’s Report

AS everyone knows, this March marks the one year anniversary of a different life for everyone. While SCHS has had to adapt just like everyone else, the work of collecting, preserving and sharing the unique history of our area continues and the past year has been marked with milestones. As the pandemic started we learned that SCHS had been chosen to receive the Reuben Gold Thwaites Trophy for excellence in local history. While the typical awards ceremony was scuttled, SCHS was honored to have the trophy hand delivered and presented by Christian Overland the Director of the Wisconsin Historical Society. Over the summer the usual biannual Tour of Historic Homes was canceled but our generous members and donors have helped cover that lost revenue. The 20 year master plans for Man Mound and Yellow Thunder were developed with the staff from the Land, Resources and Environment Department of Sauk County and were approved by the SCHS Board and the Sauk County Board by the end of the year. This past year also saw the debut of our 10 module online history course for elementary school age children (and adults!) In early October the Society helped create two interpretive panels which were installed along the Baraboo Riverwalk for Sauk County’s second annual Indigenous Peoples Day. Later that month the Society was given the historic Baraboo Depot and the race was on to get a temporary rubber roof on the building which was completed in early January.

As we start another year filled with unknowns the Society will continue to adapt. Our email newsletter has nearly 800 subscribers and hits inboxes twice a month with interesting content not covered in our print newsletter. A new YouTube channel is where you can find online presentations and archived recordings. (please subscribe!) This summer the Society will host the Sunday in the Cemetery - Living History Tour at Walnut Hill Cemetery and bring several interesting local people back to life. The work of planning for the historic Baraboo Depot restoration and rehabilitation will continue. All of our activities are made possible by our faithful and generous members and donors. The recent generous gifts from two anonymous donors

will help us continue our work into the future and we are grateful. One day we will be able to look back on the current pandemic as history and also note the growth in the Society that happened in the midst of it.

Member Survey Completed

OVER 150 SCHS members completed the member survey which debuted at the annual meeting last fall at the fairgrounds and continued online and in the January print newsletter. The survey results have provided valuable data to the SCHS Development Committee on member engagement, likes, and ideas for programming. The survey revealed that most respondents heard about SCHS from a member or from attending SCHS events. Data like this will help the committee and staff develop ways for SCHS members to engage non-members and invite them to SCHS events and programs. The Society would like to thank everyone who participated in the survey and for the many positive comments that were included about the Society and the work that it accomplishes.

Museum Keeper - 9 hours per week

Old Sauk Trails •March/April 2021

The Sauk County Historical Society publishes Old Sauk Trails six times each year.

Editor: Bill Schuette • Production: Minuteman Press

The Sauk County Historical Society and Museum

531 Fourth Ave. • PO Box 651 • Baraboo, WI 53913

Van Orden Mansion open May-Oct. 12-4 p.m. Fri. & Sat. History Center, 900 2nd Ave., Open 12-4 p.m. Weds-Fri., Sat. by appointment

(608) 356.1001 • history@saukcountyhistory.org

www.saukcountyhistory.org

(608) 356-1001

March/April 2021

The Sauk County Historical Society

900 Second Avenue

P.O. Box 651

Baraboo, WI 53913

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

New & Renewed Members

THANK YOU TO THESE MEMBERS WHO HAVE JOINED OR RENEWED SINCE OUR LAST NEWSLETTER

INDIVIDUAL

Brice, Jim – Baraboo

Bromley, Ben – Baraboo

Carpenter, James – San Diego, CA

Claudio, Margaret – Toms River, NJ

Ferber, Jim – Wauwatosa

Haas, Gary – Milwaukee

Haller, Angie – Baraboo

Herrick, James M – Madison

Hettrick, Gail – Madison

Honer, Jim – Madison

Kjernes, Sandra – Edgerton

Marini, Fred – Melrose

McCarthy, Tom – Traverse City, MI

McGee, Tim – Sauk City

McNamara, Michael – Reedsburg

Meyer, Joice – Reedsburg

Morgan, JoAnne – South Fork, CO

Morrill, Stef – Spring Green

Reitz,Sheryl – Baraboo

Roltgen, Sara – Baraboo

Savard, Robert – Chanhassen, MN

Soerfass, Susan – Oxford

Sonntag, Heather – Madison

Springer, Edward L – Madison

Steckelberg, Kathryn – Arlington, VA

Stehling, Bill – Sauk City

Stieve, Marjorie – Baraboo

Tesch, Col. Thomas – Reedsburg

Weston, Marshall – Aurora, CO

Wiley, Susan – Torrance, CA

FAMILY

Bates, Charlotte – Twin Valley, MN

Beckett/Rossiter, Steven & Laura – Baraboo

Burmester, Dean & Marian – La Valle

Burton/Mangerson, Michelle & Matt –Milwaukee

Conlon, Mike & Jen – Park Ridge, IL

Cowan, Derek & Katherine – Baraboo

Davis, James & Marsha – Reedsburg

Grosz, Bill & Susan – Baraboo

Hart, John & Jane – Sauk City

Hart, Matt & Joan – Baraboo

Kamps, Fred & Diane – Prairie du Sac

Karr, Craig & Debby – Merrimac

Mentel, Margaret – Baraboo

Mossman, Michael – North Freedom

Nelson, Pam – Baraboo

Ruhland, Marv & Kathy – Cross Plains

Schmiedlin, Robert & Gail – Baraboo

Schneller, Dennis & Linda – Prairie du Sac

FRIEND

Bittner, Bernadette – Reedsburg

Delacour, James B – Stateline, NV

Delacour, Justin O – La Grange, IL

Hearley/Koehler, Julie & Stuart – Baraboo

Hinz, Alice Cass – Dubuque, IA

Kowalke, Dennis & Ruth – Reedsburg

Lamar, Larry C – Middleton

Liston, Pat & Sara – Baraboo

Porth, Guy – Reedsburg

Seymour, Cheryl – Baraboo

Sprecher, Timothy N – Lake Mills

Taapken, John & Donna – Baraboo

Weiler, Lorin & Dayla – Prairie du Sac

SPONSOR

Anderson/Snow, Gregory & Sandra – Baraboo

Archibald, George & Kyoko – Baraboo

Caflisch, Janice – Baraboo

Diehl, Karen – Sauk City

Dummer, Bill & Laurie – Baraboo

Gerdman, Gil & Lynn – Baraboo

Marking, Charles & Jeanne – Baraboo

Muehllehner, Ursula – Wayne, PA

Poster, Jay – Madison

Rundio, Michael & Rebecca – Baraboo

Scoles, Alan H – Wichita, KS

Storch, Jeff & Tiffany – Baraboo

Terbilcox, Betty – Baraboo

PATRON

Bennin, John A – Baraboo

Sophie, Norma – Baraboo

BENEFACTOR

Graupman, Mark & Barb – Reedsburg

Larsen, Gene & Mona – Baraboo

Statz, Roman & Bea – Baraboo

BUSINESS SPONSOR

Farber Funeral Home – Reedsburg

Merry Mac’s Campground – Merrimac

Minuteman Press – Baraboo

Narrows Creek Timber Frames – Loganville

Redlin Funeral Home – Baraboo

Thunderbird Lanes – Baraboo

BUSINESS PATRON

Dental Associates of Baraboo – Baraboo

BUSINESS BENEFACTOR

Pointon Heating & AC – Baraboo