Historical East Troy 2021

2021

Historical East Troy

A look back at the area’s history

Published by the

A trip down memory lane Page 2

HISTORICAL EAST TROY • 2021

A history of the East Troy area’s origins

By Tracy Ouellette EDITOR

The first settlers in the East Troy area arrived in 1836, according to research done by the Troy Lakes Area Historical Society (now the East Troy Area Historical Society).

The first settlers built their camp on the banks of the Honey Creek in 1836. The Wisconsin Territory, as it was called at the time, attracted many settlers looking to start a new life at that time. The U.S. government allowed the settlers to claim as much land as they could homestead and farm – no more, no less. The settlers were required to stay on the land for several years and raise animals and/or farm crops. They also had to build a home – a permanent structure – within one year of occupying the land.

In 1836, H. Roberts constructed a sawmill on Honey Creek. Within four years, the area had a hotel, general store, sawmill, blacksmith, chapel, school (held in the chapel), post office, doctor, lawyer and justice of the peace.

Sewell Smith opened the first store in East Troy in 1841. The post office was established in 1838 in the home of Henry Powers, who lived close to Potter’s Lake. John F. Potter was the area’s first postmaster. He was also the first attorney in the area. The post office moved to the village in 1841 when a Government Road from Milwaukee to Janesville was built.

Once that road came to town, many of the original settlers moved on to other parts of Southeastern Wisconsin, which opened up the Honey Creek area to attract more settlers.

East Troy was one of the central stopping points for travelers on that road and as more and more people began using that transport route, residents in the area would often offer rooms in their homes to weary travelers. In 1841, the stagecoach from Milwaukee to Beloit came through East Troy on a regular basis, bringing business to the newly established settlement.

The Methodist Church in East Troy was the first to establish a congregation with meetings starting almost as soon as the settlers arrived in 1836. The Methodists met in the home of Daniel Griffin. The church would later become St. James, which is still in operation on the village square. The First Congregational Church began meeting in 1839 and the Catholic Church of East Troy, later known as St. Peter’s Catholic Church, was organized in 1848.

Austin McCracken and Jacob Burgit are considered the founders of the Village of East Troy. They owned all the land in the village when it was platted in 1847. In the spirit of building the community, Burgit and McCracken gave away free lots to anyone wanting to build on them and set aside land for the churches. The village square, which is now called Village Square Park, was a gift from the two men with the condition that no stores or homes ever be built on the property. The land has become the center of the East Troy area and hosts events all year long bringing the people of the community together.

Burgit also built a mill on Honey Creek and dammed the creek for water to run the mill. The dam on Highway G is on the same site as Burgit’s first dam.

The East Troy House was the first permanent structure built on the square and served as an inn for travelers. The original log cabin building is still part of the East Troy House, which is now owned and operated by Dave and Reenie Allen along with Ivan’s On the Square.

Although East Troy would eventually become known for its railroad, there were many attempts in the 1850s to bring the railroad into the area that failed. While the local farmers were in favor of the railroad, the business community opposed it because tavern owners and

shopkeepers feared it would take business away from locally owned establishments. The railroad eventually went through Eagle.

The Troy territory, which is what the entire tri-Troy area was called, was named after Troy, New York, because many of the original settlers came from there. In 1843, the state legislature split up the territory because it was too large. The western part was named Meacham, after an early settler named Jessie Meacham, and the eastern part kept the name of Troy.

The western community was not happy with the change, including Meacham, who traveled to the state capitol to reclaim the name of Troy for his territory. Local legend says Jacob Burgit heard about Meacham’s trip and followed him to keep the Troy name for the eastern territory. Burgit didn’t make it in time and the legislature gave the name of Troy to the western section and the “easterners” were left with the name of East Troy for their township.

East Troy was the site of the first Walworth County Fair

in 1850.

The East Troy Gazette was the first newspaper in the area, established in 1879 by Francis D. Craig. He sold the paper about a year later and bought it back in 1881.

Publication stopped in 1882. In 1885 and 1886 Wilbur G. Weeks published and experimental East Troy edition of the Delavan Republican called the Star; Simeon K. Graves and Washington S. Keats were the local editors.

The East Troy News was established in 1883 by Samuel K. Adams; it is still in publication today and owned by Southern Lakes Newspapers.

Telephone service came to East Troy in 1881 when the East Troy House connected with Mayhew General Store, four miles away.

The first East Troy public school began classes in 1839, at the East Troy Chapel. The school was established by Louise Augur. The first school building was constructed seven years later on Church Street in the village. It only HISTORY • CONTINUED ON PAGE 7

from top: The Village of East Troy downtown business district in 1914. The Village Square has been the heart of East Troy since its creation. While always changing, the square is a thriving hub of shops, restaurants and other businesses; May 6, 1899, was a big day in East Troy when many area farmers drove to the railroad depot for delivery of 50 new shining Champion machines, including binders and mowers. According to newspaper accounts, the procession was led by the old East Troy cornet band, under the direction of William J. Lawler, who was a watchmaker and optometrist in Milwaukee. The proudest men in the procession were, of course, the two equipment salesmen in the carriage at the left of the photo.

EAST TROY AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY Historical East Troy

HISTORICAL EAST TROY • 2021

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About the Historical Society

By Betty Parman CONTRIBUTOR

Keeping a record of the past Historical Society works to preserve area’s history

By Tracy Ouellette EDITOR

When it comes to preserving history, it’s often the older generations who take on the task, their life experience showing them the importance of remembering where we came from.

“It’s not that young people are not interested in history, per say, but they have other priorities,” said East Troy Area Historical Society President John Vilanj.

But one of the priorities of the Historical Society is to recruit some younger members to pass on the torch of history keeping.

“We have had some interest with a few

younger people,” Vilanj said. “But we would really like to see more. The history of this area is so fascinating and we have so much to share.”

He added that all were welcome to join the society and the annual membership fee is $25 and includes access to Ancestry.com.

“It’s kind of a ‘thank you’ for joining,” Vilanj said.

COVID challenges Vilanj said it’s been a tough year for the Historical Society with the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down operations and the loss of their annual fundraisers.

“We’re hoping to bring back full hours on Saturdays in May,” he said. “Right now we’re open from 10 a.m. to noon, but we’re planning on 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

We’re going to hold off opening again on Wednesdays because we just don’t have the traffic and with the upcoming road construction on the Village Square, we think it will stay that way.”

Face masks and social distancing are required for visitors, Vilanj said.

The loss of the fundraisers last year hurt the society financially and they were RECORD • CONTINUED ON PAGE 4

The East Troy Area Historical Society houses many artifacts that have been donated by local residents. The museum is in the process of switching out some of its displays. The society welcomes donations of artifacts, documents, photos and more.

The East Troy Area Historical Society was established in 198384 as a not-for-profit affiliate of the State Historical Society of Wisconsin and the Walworth County Historical Society.

The Historical Society is an allvolunteer group dedicated to the preservation of the rich history of the East Troy area, which includes the Towns of Lafayette, Spring Prairie, Troy, East Troy, and the Village of East Troy. The museum and programs supported by the sociedty engage people of the East Troy area in the exploration of their local, state and national heritage.

To accomplish this mission the Historical Society provides historical displays, aids in genealogical research, supports a historical library of materials, archives, artifacts, provides programs for school children, and presents area wide programs such as lectures with audio-visual presentations. The Historical Society also provides individuals, businesses, schools and other organizations with requested information and materials.

The society seeks volunteer members whose expertise, training, interests; skills, cultural background and community ties bring diversity, energy, and expertise to its programs. The society is governed by a set of approved bylaws and elects five board members to preside over the organization each year – president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and board member-at-large.

Mission The East Troy Area Historical Society creates opportunities for all area community members to engage in historic exploration and understanding. It does so in the belief that such exploration is essential to a worthwhile understanding of our historic past and a healthy vibrant local community.

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TRACY OUELLETTE Historical East Troy

nd ns Trai eeke Ride very W E r obe leys Trol y - Oct d n A Ma

Take scenic 14-mile train rides on historic trolleys or interurban cars on the last remaining segment of the Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Company track. Round trips from our East Troy depot and museum to Indianhead Park in Mukwonago. We stop at the popular Elegant Farmer store and deli. Regular trains Friday-Saturday-Sunday, June through October. Saturday-Sunday only in April and May. Dinner Trains are available throughout the season. Charters available anytime for groups from 25 to 100.

Visit www.easttroyrr.org or call 262.642.3263 for more information

East Troy Railroad Museum Inc.

2002 ChurCh Street, eaSt troy, WI 53120 (262) 642-3263 www.easttroyrr.org

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Historical East Troy 2021 A look back at the area’s history Published by Southern Lakes Newspapers LLC 1102 Ann St., Delavan, WI 53115 • (262) 728-3411

Editor:....................................................................... Tracy Ouellette Creative/Production Manager: .....................................Heidi Schulz Advertising Director: ........................................... Vicki Vanderwerff For advertising opportunities, call (262) 763-2575.

On the cover: Of the several cobblestone structures in the East Troy area, the best known is the Buena Vista House built by Samuel Bradley in the late 1840s. The building, now known at the “Cobblestone” on the East Troy Village Square has fallen into disrepair and is in risk of collapsing. The three-story cobblestone wall construction with unique quoins and other architectural features was named for an American victory at the Battle of Buena Vista during the Mexican-American War of 1847. See Page 6 for more information about the Cobblestone building.

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HISTORICAL EAST TROY • 2021

from far left: The Historical Society offers resources to those researching the area’s history, including past issued of the East Troy News, which are on permanent loan to the society from Southern Lakes Newspapers; Historical documents at the East Troy Area Historical Society include birth and death certificates, diplomas, vaccination records and more.

TRACY OUELLETTE Historical East Troy

Celebrate Founder’s Day

The East Troy Area Historical Society will have its Founder’s Day presentation at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 15, at the St. Peter’s Catholic Cemetery in East Troy.

The society will honor August Wilmer, the first elected board president in the Village of East Troy.

All are welcome to attend the free event. Anyone who has family history or information to add to the event, may contact the Historical Society at 262-642-2642 or on its Facebook page.

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SOCIETY

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looking forward to a more “normal” year in 2021.

“If all goes well, we’re planning on doing the Ghost Walk this year, it was supposed to be last year, but we couldn’t do it,” Vilanj said. “We got a lot of calls, people were really disappointed, but we’re planning on this year. We’re also having our Founders’ Day program and Cemetery Walk and, of course, help out at the brat fest like we always do.”

Vilanj said the society’s members were mulling over

other ideas to help raise funds this year.

“I had an idea of having a photo room where people can come in, dress up in old-time costumes and take photos in a historical setting,” Vilanj said.

“I think it would be a lot of fun.”

Help record history Along with seeking new volunteers, the society is asking area residents help them keep a current record of history as it is happening.

“We’re asking people who are taking pictures of

things around the area to submit them to the society,” Vilanj said. “Things like the razing of the Chester Byrnes building or when the old bank was turned into a brewery are history that we want to record. We have people putting photos like that on our Facebook page and we would love to see more of that.”

The East Troy Area Historical Society is at 2106 Church St. on the East Troy Village Square. For more information, call (262) 6422642 and visit etahs.org.

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Goals In consideration of the aforementioned mission statement, the Historical Society works diligently toward these five goals: • Preserve the history of the East Troy area; • Disseminate historic knowledge to the East Troy area community; • Actively seek ways and means to display and share treasured artifacts; • Educate and enlighten future generations so that they may continue our work; and • Continue to appropriately fund and manage the Kubicki Museum and Heritage Center.

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HISTORICAL EAST TROY • 2021

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Riding the rails of time

East Troy Railroad offers historical perspective The East Troy Railroad Museum operates on the last remaining piece of the original interurban network, which operated in Wisconsin. By 1939, the railroad was retired by The Milwaukee Electric Railway & Light Co. because of lack of ridership.

Since everything from gas to groceries came in to East Troy by the railroad line at that time, the town passed a referendum to purchase the remaining 7.5-mile stretch of track and overhead for freight purposes.

The Village of East Troy operated the railroad until the year 2000 when it was purchased by the Friends of East Troy Railroad. Today, the East Troy Electric Railroad has 32 pieces of equipment with more than 500 members worldwide, 110 active volunteers and 15,000 visitors each year.

To make all this happen, the museum and railroad relies on about 150 dedicated volunteers. About a third of the railroad’s operating budget is funded through fares, with the rest of the money coming from donations.

The train runs its regular schedule on weekends May through October and has multiple special excursions throughout the year.

With the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020-21, the railroad has implemented safety measures, including online ticketing and mask requirements to keep everyone safe. With the roll out of COVID-19 vaccines in 2021, railroad officials were hopeful things would return to “normal” by late summer or early fall.

“As everyone knows, 2020 was not what anyone expected. We operated at reduced capacity last year, with many safety protocols in place, and those safety measures will remain in place to start 2021. We hope you will help us celebrate a return to normal operations as the season progresses,” East Troy Railroad Museum President Ryan Jonas said in the Trolley Times publication.

The railroad is returning its popular Dinner Trains this year along with a family-oriented Picnic Train and Sunday Brunch Trains. Also on the schedule is a Beer Tasting Train on Sept. 4 and “Local Motive” Train on Sept. 11. The regular season wraps Sept. 5, but special event and the annual Christmas Trains will run this year.

The experience The museum’s historic rail cars travel a 10-mile trip from East Troy to Mukwonago, showcasing the beauty of the countyside. Riders can board at either the depot in East Troy or at The Elegant Farmer in Mukwonago (see schedule on this page). The depot museum is open on weekends and kids of all ages can be a trolley motorman, discover the joy of model layouts and learn about electricity. The gift shop also features a unique selection of railroad souvenirs.

And no trip on the rails is complete without a stop at Lauber’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor next to the East Troy Depot (see related story on this page).

What you should know before riding: • Parking is free; • Smoke-free trains run rain or shine; • Boarding is available only at the East Troy Depot during the pandemic; • Visa, Mastercard and Discover are accepted; • Public washrooms are available; • Train schedule, ticket prices and equipment subject to change without notice.

About the railroad The East Troy Electric Railroad is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization run by volunteers committed to the operation and preservation of historic trolleys and railcars. All proceeds and sales benefit the education and preservation work of this museum. Contributions are tax deductible. Visit www.easttroyrr.org to learn more.

Lauber’s Old Fashion Ice Cream shop in the Village of East Troy offers visitors a visit to an old-time soda fountain and candy store.

TRACY OUELLETTE Historical East Troy

Lauber’s is a blast from the past

Old-fashioned ice cream parlor offers historical experience

John Lauber grew up in Milwaukee in the 1950s and 1960s, at a time when there were still many 1930s vintage drugstore soda fountains in operation, especially in the older parts of the city where his grandparents lived. He enjoyed stepping into these drugstores for an ice cream soda, hot fudge sundae or Green River.

In 1969 his great-uncle, Alfred Meyer died, and John received a number of soda fountain items from Meyer’s Pharmacy – his great-uncle’s store.

In addition to enjoying old-time soda fountains, John liked electric trolleys and had been a founding member of The Wisconsin Electric Railway Historical Society, which moved its collection of old trolleys to East Troy in 1972. The society had begun operating a museum and offering trolley rides on the weekends.

In 1973, John was driving down Burleigh Street and saw people carrying boxes out of Rilling’s Drug Store, throwing them into a dumpster. When he stopped to find out what was going on, he found that Mr. Rilling had suffered a stroke and his family was closing – and emptying – the store. John made an offer on the store fixtures and found himself the owner of an original 1930’s drugstore, without a home.

Meanwhile, back in East Troy, John had noticed a vacant building right across the tracks from the East

Troy Depot. He arranged to rent the building from Equity Co-op, re-assembled the drug store fixtures in the new location, and opened Lauber’s Ice Cream Parlor in 1974. Since then, for 46 years, Lauber’s has been providing visitors with a truly authentic 1930s soda fountain experience.

It has always been John’s goal to make entering Lauber’s just like going into the corner drug store 90 years ago.

The worn hardwood floor, tongue and groove ceiling and vintage light fixtures hanging from chains carry you back to the 1930s. Original equipment, including malt mixers, dispensers, scoops, and other items from the 1930s and 1940s were acquired and continue to be used in making ice cream.

The old cabinets around the store, which once contained pharmaceuticals, now hold an array of ice cream collectables: mixers, scoops, dispensers, and vintage advertising. Others still hold vintage drug store items and packaging. The grocery section, from a store at 16th and Mitchell, has a display of grocery items and hosts a large candy counter using vintage containers to display the candy. A 1950 Seeburg jukebox plays hits from the 1920s to the 1950s.

John wants everyone to know that Lauber’s is not self-service and it is not fast food. He asks you to allow enough time to sit back and enjoy the experience, not just the ice cream.

Lauber’s is open May through October. Summer hours are Monday through Thursday from noon to 10 p.m., and Friday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Find J. Lauber’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream at 2010 Church St., East Troy, (262) 642-3679.

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Cobblestone Hotel was a real community treasure This history of the Cobblestone was taken from the May/June 2009 East Troy Historical Society Journal. The Cobblestone might be razed 2021 after the Village Board approved the request from the

By BETTY owner, Kinovie LLC. The PARMAN building is crumbling Contributor and deemed unsafe and too expensive to restore. Concerns about structural integrity during the 2021 road construction and Village Square renovations prompted the request.

However, in an effort to save the building, the East Troy Historical Society and the owners were still looking for investors to fund the building’s restoration.

What places matter?

The answer to that question rests partially, in term of what has been done architecturally in that place.

The topic of architecture falls into the cultural aspects of historical behavior.

The cultural aspect is defined here as how people tend to behave in groups when passing on all the ways of living – traditions – from one generation to the next.

We can learn a great deal about the ways people lived in the past by what they have left behind architecturally.

Did our ancestors place great value on earlier civilization by copying a style of architecture? What can be learned about

those who were in this place before us by the type of building materials they used – be it wood or brick or stone? Why do some buildings become landmarks while others are demolished and replaced by more modern structures or no structure at all? What can be learned of design, craftsmanship and material choice that is relevant to us today?

Some of these questions and others are answered with a look at an interesting form of masonry architecture once popular in the East Troy area – the cobblestones.

According to Richard W.E. Perrin in his book, “Historic Wisconsin Buildings: A survey in Pioneer Architecture 18351870, Second Edition” published by the Milwaukee Public Museum, 1982, Cobblestones are “…an interesting variation of fieldstone masonry…

The use of the fairly uniform, fistsized and larger, well-rounded, eggshaped stones were carried to this area and elsewhere on the North American continent by glacial action thousands of years ago. Yankee settlers in this area likely copied the use of cobblestone walls in their buildings from similar structures they knew in their home states (such as New York) along the east coast of the United States.

“The European ancestor of the cobblestone wall very probably was 16th and 17th century. English flintwork of Suffolk and Cambridgeshire,” according

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took nine years for the village to outgrow the schoolhouse and build another, larger school on Division Street.

The “old red schoolhouse” housed all the kids from kindergarten to high school for four decades. In 1894 a new school was built on the same site and was in use until 1940, when the high school was built.

The lake communities in the area also built up over the same time period. The original Hotel Beulah was built on the shores of “Crooked Lake” which would later become Lake Beulah in the late 1880s by John Porter. The hotel could handle up to 250 guests and had a dance hall, ice cream parlors and sleeping rooms. The hotel burnt down in 1895, but was rebuilt. The new hotel was larger and more elaborate than the original with a reception room, ballroom, writing room several private parlors, large dining room overlooking the lake, billiards room, barber shop and candy and ice cream store.

The hotel changed hands multiple times until 1911 when it burnt to the ground and wasn’t rebuilt.

The Village of East Troy incorporated on March 6, 1990. The election of officers was June 22, 1990. August Wilmer was elected village board president, with trustees A. Noblet, C.W. Smith, O.F. Winne, R. Brownlee, O.H. Marshall and A. Lumsden.

In the years since, East Troy has grown into a thriving, close-knit community that includes the Village of East Troy, Town of East Troy and the Town of Troy.

Information for this history was taken from East Troy News articles, personal letters, artifacts and other publications provided by the East Troy Area Historical Society and “A Century of Commitment to the Community,” published by the State Bank of East Troy in 1992.

EAST TROY AREA HISTORICAL SOCIETY PHOTOS Historical East Troy

top: The Mitten Farm in 1900, pictured from the left are Walter George Mitten, Ellen Mitten and Joseph Mitten. at right: The Aug. 12, 1912, driving of the gold spike at the East Troy Electric Railroad on completion of the railroad line. The railroad is still in operation, offering excursions from East Troy to Mukwonago and back every weekend May through October. below: The Honey Creek in Burlington is completely flooded after the July 11-12, 2017, flood. The Lyons/Burlington area received some of the highest rainfall totals in the historic storm. The Honey Creek overtopped the East Troy Dam, which eventually led to the dam’s failure. As of press time for this publication, the Village of East Troy was waiting on DNR approval to remove the dam and restore the Honey Creek where the former East Troy Lake was located.

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to Perrin.

“In the surviving Wisconsin cobblestone examples the mass of the wall was actually fieldstone rubble, although there area a few instances in which the wall proper was built of brick. In any event, the cobblestone was applied as an outside veneer, requiring a special masonry technique that was painstaking as well as time consuming,” Perrin added.

The quoins at the corners of each of the cobblestones were uniquely cut by each individual mason. The technique for cutting the corner-placed stones was more or less a signature of the mason who helped construct these buildings. They make the place they are built upon matter to us today as historical examples.

Local historian Betty Parman had a semiregular column called “Remember When” in the East Troy newspapers. This column appeared in the July 31, 2019, edition.

MEGHAN GRIFFIN Historical East Troy

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