Hist elkhorn 2016

Historical

2016

ELKHORN

A look back at the area’s history

Published by the

Page 2

HISTORICAL ELKHORN • 2016

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Customers select purchases at the E.C. Hubbard Grocery Store in Elkhorn. This photo was taken in 1914.

How the county seat came to be

SUBMITTED PHOTO Historical Elkhorn

A brief history of the City of Elkhorn

By Tracy Ouellette EDITOR

t was Col. Samuel F. Phoenix who named the Elkhorn Prairie in the early 1800s after he found a pair of elk antlers and hung them on a tree to mark a point in his trail between Spring Prairie and Delavan. The area had been crossed by the army and surveyed a year before Phoenix traveled through.

The prairie, the center of four central townships, was staked by Horace Coleman, LeGrand Rockwell and Hollis Latham. Being located on a natural watershed, they thought establishing a village there would be ideal.

Rockwell’s brother, John Starr Rockwell, who was a government clerk in Milwaukee with knowledge of available land claims, helped LeGrand Rockwell and several friends form a syndicate of the purpose of land speculation. This was the first step in

populating the area.

In 1837, LeGrand Rockwell, Daniel E. and Milo E. Bradely put up a tent in the Elkhorn Prairie about a mile east of the center stake and immediately began filing claims. They also started clearing the land for future development.

The first permanent structure, a log shanty, was erected about two weeks later and the men moved in. After setting up the log shanty, Rockwell traveled to Indiana to purchase cows and other livestock to set up a dairy farm. Albert Ogdne and Hollis Latham also came to the prairie at that time and set up separate claims.

Rockwell returned from Indiana after a brutal winter, where provisions ran low for the early settlers, but the land clearing continued with the first real house ready for occupancy in May of 1837.

Rockwell brought with him 25 cows, three yoke of oxen and a horse. Soon after the Bradley family moved from

New York into the newly constructed home.

Elkhorn now had a population of 14 – five men, three women and six children.

Ogden and Latham were the first settlers to cultivate the land in the town

limits; they planted turnips and corn.

The town didn’t build up as fast as other areas in the county. Many settlers chose East Troy or Delavan at the time

See HISTORY, Page 4

Historical Elkhorn 2016

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: ................................... Sue Z. Lange Advertising Director: ........................................... Vicki Vanderwerff For advertising opportunities, call (262) 763-3330.

On the cover Wisconsin Street looking south in Elkhorn in the late 1800s.

The historical photos in this publication are courtesy of the Walworth County Historical Society and community members.

Page 4

HISTORICAL ELKHORN • 2016

• History

(Continued from page 3)

because they had direct transportation lines, where Elkhorn did not.

The original three men who settled the area disbanded their company and the dairy farm they created was gone almost before it began.

The first sheriff in Elkhorn was Gen. Sheldon Walling. He came to the town in 1838 and build a log house on the acreage he purchased, living there with his sons, who were in the retail business.

He became sheriff in 1839.

Also in 1838, Edward Elderkins came to the area to practice law. His wife joined him later in the year.

That was the extent of the new settlers to Elkhorn.

Rockwell constructed two buildings in 1839, a house for a hired hand and an office on the east side of the park, which would later become the courthouse.

There were only two more settlers in the area in 1839, and Elkhorn’s population was at 23.

The territory that the Elkhorn Prairie was a part of, was originally comprised of five towns in the northwest quarter of Walworth County, organized by the territorial legislature in January 1838. They are now known as Elkhorn, LaGrange, Richmond, Sugar Creek and Whitewater.

In 1839, the county commissioners chose a quarter section in the Sugar Creek area for the county buildings and with that move, the county seat was established.

It would be several years before the area’s population would increase much

See HISTORY, Page 5

The Walworth County Fair has been in Elkhorn since 1849.

This photo shows visitors entering the fairgrounds in September 1916.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Historical Elkhorn

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• History

HISTORICAL ELKHORN • 2016

Page 5

(Continued from page 4)

more. There were nine buildings, two of which were stores, and a population of 53 in 1842. That was also the year the village was platted and streets laid out.

Lots were reserved for a park, jail and school as well.

County Supervisor Edward Norris laid out the streets, blocks and lots and Rockwell was named the county agent for the sale of the lots. There were five parallel streets, running north and south.

Beginning with East Street on the section line, the other streets were Washington, Wisconsin, Broad and Church. The eastwest streets were Park (called South then), Walworth, Court, Jefferson and North.

This move seemed to jumpstart the population growth and by 1849, the town had grown to 539 residents and 80 buildings.

However, the village lost many residents to the Gold Rush of 1849.

The rebuilding of the population wasn’t strong until the railroad came to the area. After 1854, the village increased in size and stature and by 1857 the population had reached 1,500 with 220 buildings. But, once again, village expansion lessened after the financial crash of 1857 and before it could rebuild, by the Civil War a few years later.

Government formed in Elkhorn and the first town meeting was on April 7, 1846. Levi Lee was the moderator with Alonzo Platt as secretary. Three supervisors handled government business until the first election in 1892. Harely C. Norris was elected the first village president and there were six trustees.

Elkhorn became a city in 1894 with three wards and was separated from Sugar Creek township.

The city bought land from the Congregational Society in February 1884 to build a city hall.

The automobile made its way into the city and by 1911 Elkhorn had business streets that were oiled. The population was now more than 1,700 residents.

As the city grew, a sewer system was added in 1912 and electricity came to the area in 1916.

The Methodists were the first to establish a church in Elkhorn in 1841, followed by the Congregationalists in 1843, the Baptists in 1852, the Catholics in 1848, the Evangelican Lutherans in 1870 and the Universalists in 1874.

By January of 1918, Elkhorn had home mail delivery and a new State Bank. The Holton Plant was established and produced 25 saxophones weekly.

The Independent also installed a new linotype machine for printing the newspaper.

In 1919, the Wisconsin Butter and Cheese Co. expanded by buying the Troy Creamery.

Concrete roads opened from Elkhorn to Lake Geneva and from Bethel to Elkhorn in 1921. The first veterinarian in the city was Robert Carmoth, who opened his office in 1921.

Over the next several years, Elkhorn built up with new subdivisions opening and more residents moving in.

By 1928, the city had a new post office, Boy Scout Troop and American Legion Post. There was also a move to establish a chamber of commerce at this point.

By 1929, the city had talking pictures at the Sprague Theater, a credit union, new water tower and lumber company.

The city had a semi-professional

basketball team and shuffleboard court at the Community Hall.

The construction of the Matheson Memorial Library was underway by 1930, as was the Highway Building, Christian Science Church and Municipal Building, which would be dedicated the following year along with the library.

A fire broke out and destroyed the old Methodist Church and Legion Hall in 1931.

When the Great Depression hit, and banks were closing across the country, Elkhorn’s financial institutions stayed open, however withdraws far outnumbered deposits. The economy did grow, but slowly.

World War II took many workers from the county and Elkhorn and like the rest of the county it was the women and refugees who filled the empty positions to keep the factories running. And like the rest of the country, the end of the war brought a building boom to the area, as housing was in short supply.

This spurred a post-war growth, which included adding a bus service and airport.

The baby boom and increased housing also led to the growth of the schools, which was common in many municipalities across the nation. Other amenities that came to the city after the war included television, street widening, citywide garbage pick up and more factories.

The 1950s were marked with expansion and improvements from the utilities to the school system to the civic clubs. The booming economy helped establish an armory by the fairgrounds and a new special school.

The school system reorganized in 1956 and a common school district was formed with a seven-member Board of Education.

A referendum in the following year was approved and a new elementary school was built. Tibbets and Bowers schools were built a few years later.

The Walworth County Historical Society bought Joseph Webster’s house in 1957 and turned it into a museum, which is still in operation today.

St. Patrick’s parochial school was opened in the spring of 1959 and a $5 million bond was issued for a new courthouse, which began construction the following year.

The city celebrated its 125th birthday in 1962 with window displays, street dance, and dedication of the new courthouse. This was also the year the band shell was moved to Sunset Park.

In 1964, the new high school referendum passed and the city set about building a school to house 800 students.

The remaining 1960s brought a municipal swimming pool, new supermarkets and restaurants and a super highway at the east end of the city when Route 12 was opened to Genoa City.

In the years since, Elkhorn has seen its population grow to more than 10,000 and industry thrive along with small business. The city has remained the county seat since its establishment and serves the more than 100,000 residents of Walworth County.

Information for this history was taken from the “History of Elkhorn, Wisconsin – Bicentennial Project 1976,” which was written by the Elkhorn History Club and published by the Elkhorn Independent in 1977; and History of Walworth County, Wisconsin, written by Albert C. Beckwith, published 1912.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Historical Elkhorn

The Walworth County Historical Society has a large collection of postcards from the area. This one shows a hand-drawn boat on Green Lake in the Lauderdale Lakes near Elkhorn.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Historical Elkhorn

This postcard is of the Elkhorn House, a popular hotel in downtown Elkhorn.

The postcard was mailed in September 1908.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Historical Elkhorn

The county buildings the downtown Elkhorn Park are pictured on this postcard.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Historical Elkhorn

The old county jail as it appeared in the early 1900s is another postcard.

Improvement association celebrates 110 years Page 6

HISTORICAL ELKHORN • 2016

Group still going strong, continues to provide for members

By Kellen Olshefski STAFF WRITER

The Lauderdale Lakes Improvement Association celebrated its 110th anniversary June 11 at Lutherdale Ministries; and after 110 years, the association still strives to do the same thing.

“To encourage and assist in the general work of protecting, improving and adoring Lauderdale Lakes and the banks and shores,” LLIA Vice President Debbie Ferrari said.

The phrase served as the association’s original mission when it was formed 110 years ago and remains today.

“That, even today, remains as a part of our by-laws as what our objective, goal, mission is as the Lauderdale Lakes Improvement Association,” she said.

Ferrari said the LLIA was originally first formed in 1902 and officially became incorporated 110 years ago in 1906.

According to Ferrari, the association was originally formed to address some concerns around the three lakes that make up the Lauderdale Lakes chain.

Ferrari said one of the first major items the group tackled was the removal of some stumps that blocked the then narrow channels between the lakes, preventing boats from maneuvering from lake to lake.

She said in the early days, the group also focused on dragging weeds from the lake, using teams of horses, and stocking fish.

“They wanted to get people together to

KELLEN OLSHEFSKI Historical Elkhorn

Members of the Lauderdale Lakes Improvement Association who helped to pull together the 110th anniversary celebration for the group Jackie Rumer (from left), Jane Larsen, Jim Dion and Floyd Pochowski gather for a quick group photo in between greeting association members as they arrive at the event.

address that,” she said. “It was groups of people saying we need to come together to address some of the issues and help improve the lake.”

Over the years, Ferrari said the association

had a profound effect on the lakes, taking on numerous responsibilities such as monitoring water levels, maintaining and repairing the dam, weed harvesting and fish stocking.

As the association continued to mature

over the years, other organizations were, in a sense, born out of it.

Ferrari said in the early 1990s, the See ASSOCIATION, Page 15

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A peek at the past HISTORICAL ELKHORN • 2016

Page 7

Time capsule removed from cornerstone of Elkhorn’s former Masonic lodge

By Kellen Olshefski STAFF WRITER

t’s not everyday someone gets to be the first person to touch, feel and look at something more than 100-years-old; however, when crews pulled a time capsule from Elkhorn’s former Masonic lodge Aug. 1, 2015, that’s exactly what some had the opportunity to do.

“It was kind of like Christmas morning a little bit for us,” Senior Warden of the Southern Lakes Masonic Lodge No. 12 Daniel Johnson said.

“You walk in there, you find the present and you don’t know what’s inside and you start opening it and looking. That’s really what the atmosphere was like at the time.”

Johnson said members of the Southern Lakes Masonic Lodge No. 12 learned of the time capsule from the lodge’s records, noting the time capsule has been listed in the records to way back when

the cornerstone was first laid on Aug. 1 in 1914. Johnson said the fact that something was hidden in the cornerstone of the old lodge isn’t necessarily uncommon for masonic lodges.

“So, we had a pretty good idea something was in there,” he said.

Though the Rock of Jesus church had approached them previously about opening the cornerstone, Johnson said the church had wanted to essentially keep what was in there, something they weren’t interested in. Now, with the old lodge fairly recently being purchased

by St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, the building soon to be named the St. Patrick Trinity Center, it finally presented the lodge the opportunity it was looking for.

In an annual fellowship meeting between the masonic lodge and the Knights of Columbus chapter that works out of St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, Johnson said they were approached with See TIME CAPSULE, Page 10

AARON GOTTSCHALK Historical Elkhorn

The Rev. Oriol Regales (from left), Mark Weseman and Bill Petkoff look over a document pulled from the time capsule on Aug. 1, 2015. The copper box was sealed in the cornerstone of the building for 101 years and contained many items, including newspaper clippings, letters documenting the laying of the cornerstone, coins and lists of area masons at the time.

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Collecting, preserving and sharing HISTORICAL ELKHORN • 2016

Page 9

The Walworth County Historical Society is the keeper of the area’s history

By Tracy Ouellette EDITOR

The Walworth County Historical Society is in Elkhorn and includes several buildings and museums. The society’s mission is “Collecting, Preserving and Sharing the rich history of Walworth County, Wisconsin and the United States.”

Husband and wife, Patricia Blackmer and Dan Richardson, of Whitewater, are two of the volunteers who help run the many historical sites in Elkhorn operated by the society.

“We’re an entirely volunteer organization, Blackmer said. “Dan and I are board members and Dan is a past president of the society’s board, but no one earns a salary.”

The Historical Society owns and operates the Webster House Museum, Doris M. Reinke Resource Center, Heritage Hall and Veteran’s Museum, Boyd Carriage Barn, and the Sharon Town Hall and Blooming Prairie School, which are on the Walworth County Fairgrounds.

“The Webster Museum contains some of the personal items of Joseph P. Webster, a noted musician and composer who wrote more than 1,000 pieces of music,” Blackmer said. “The museum annex also has the Howard Cook waterfowl collection, which is coveted by the Smithsonian and Field Museum in Chicago.”

The Veteran’s Museum in Heritage Hall has a large collection of military memorabilia dating from the Spanish

Thank you for all your help!

Southern Lakes Newspapers wishes to thank the Walworth County Historical Society and Patricia Blackmer and Dan Richardson for providing the photos and history in this publication. All the hard work by the society’s volunteers is greatly appreciated.

American War to the present day military conflicts. The artifacts in the museum have been donated by county veterans and families of veterans. Korean War veteran Bob Webster and County Administration Dave Bretl have been among the people who have added to the collection.

“We have a wonderful Civil War collection,” Blackmer said.

The Resource Center is named after Elkhorn historian, and longtime Walworth County Historical Society board of directors member, Doris Reinke. Reinke is a retired Elkhorn schoolteacher and principal and one of the county’s keepers of the history.

Reinke was a columnist for the Elkhorn Independent for many years. She also literally wrote the book on the city’s history, titled “Elkhorn,” which was published in 2004 by Arcadia Publishing.

For the kids One of the Historical Society’s gems is the 1889 Blooming Prairie School House on the Walworth County Fairgrounds.

As part of its “Living History Program” the society sponsors “1880 School Days.”

The programs are held in the former one-room school and teachers conduct sessions in spring, at County Fair time and in the fall.

Children are taught in the morning and tour the Webster Museum in the afternoon. At the end of the session, students receive an 1875 style diploma.

“The kids really have a lot of fun with it,” Blackmer said.

The society has also started holding “Night at the Museum” events for local scout troops and groups.

“We do that at Heritage Hall,” Blackmer said.

Coming soon The society will be opening a new exhibit later this summer called the Elkhorn Independent Print Shop in Heritage Hall.

Former Elkhorn Independent owner/editor Frank Eames, also a member of the Historical Society board, is helping get the exhibit up and running with artifacts from the newspaper, TRACY OUELLETTE Historical Elkhorn Dan Richardson explains how the first post of- which has been in circulation since 1853. fice in the Village of Fayette, now Lyons, worked.

Above: Patricia Blackmer and Dan Richardson, of Whitewater, show off the historical marker at Elkhorn’s Webster House Museum. They are members of the Walworth County Historical Society board of directors and are available during museum hours to give tours and answer questions. Left: Joseph P. Webster (pictured with his wife above the piano) was a noted musician and composer. His two most popular songs were “Lorena” and “Sweet By and By.” TRACY OUELLETTE Historical Elkhorn

“We’re going to have the old printing press on display and other history from the paper,” Blackmer said.

All volunteer The Historical Society is an allvolunteer organization and is operated and maintained by numerous individuals who donate their time and resources. But they are in need of more hands to run the programs and be on hand when the museums are open.

The society is actively seeking docents who are willing to help pass on the area’s history. For more information on how to help, call (262) 723-7848.

As for other ways to help, the society’s big fundraiser is the used book sale at the Walworth County Fair, Aug. 31 to Sept. 5, stop by and buy a book to donate to the cause.

For more information, visit www. walcohistory.org.

Webster House Museum

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Doris M. Reinke Resource Center 210 S. Washington St., Elkhorn Hours of operation: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday, or by appointment.

Veteran’s Museum

103 E. Rockwell St., Elkhorn Hours of operation: 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Wednesday through Saturday For more information the Walworth County Historical Society and its offerings, visit www.walcohistory.org.

Page 10

HISTORICAL ELKHORN • 2016

• Time capsule

AARON GOTTSCHALK Historical Elkhorn

Mark Weseman holds up a copy of the Elkhorn Independent, which was placed among the many items in a time capsule at Elkhorn’s former Masonic lodge.

(Continued from page 7)

the same offer, but this time, the more they discussed it, the time seemed right.

“We decided we’d try to obviously preserve whatever was in there and re-seal it after we looked at whatever was in there to preserve it for the next generation,” he said.

With Aug. 1, 2015, marking the 101st anniversary of when the cornerstone was laid, crews pulled out the bricks on the side of the building and reached inside to remove the time capsule.

“From a historical standpoint, time capsules are one of those things that sort of let you walk back in time and learn a little bit about the previous community and the organizations that used to exist,” Johnson said. “It’s a really neat historical thing for sure.”

Though the masons as an organization is a little smaller than it used to be, Johnson said historically it has served as a pretty large part of society and taking a peek inside the time capsule showed the numerous historical figures who were masons, many of which whose names are still of importance in the community, including the Lauderdales and others that “ring a bell when you look at them.”

Overall, Johnson said the contents of the time capsule – a copper box a little smaller than a shoebox, which contained numerous documents including a listing of the different lodge members of the time, coins, several hand-written letters, a copy of the Elkhorn Independent and more – were remarkably well preserved despite being sealed in a cornerstone for 101 years, battered by brutal winter after winter.

With gloved hands, Johnson said they

removed the top from the copper box and began to sift through the numerous documents and letters, some multiple pages.

“It’s one of those things where you open it and you don’t know what you’re expecting, we didn’t have anything in the lodge listing what the contents were,” he said.

“It was really fascinating because it was almost like a bottomless pit a little bit. Every time you pulled out a document, you thought that was going to be the last thing and there was another thing below it.”

Johnson said, the plan was for the time capsule and its contents to remain on display, along with a photo of the cornerstone being laid in 1914.

Over that time, the idea was to hopefully make some copies and take several photos of the contents for a historical display at places such as Southern Lakes Masonic Lodge No. 12. Then, Johnson said the groups planned to place the items back in the copper box, along with some items from 2015, and seal it back into the building’s cornerstone.

“The idea simply being that we want our members to know what’s in there, but at the same time, it’d be neat for someone 50 years, or 100 years, to dig back in there and rediscover it,” he said.

“It was definitely one of the most moving events that I’ve ever been part of … the whole day itself was just a really neat experience.”

Johnson said Mark Weseman, who represents Elkhorn’s Knights of Columbus chapter, intends to have the display available to anyone who would like to see it.

For more information, call St. Patrick Catholic Parish at (262) 723-5565.

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HISTORICAL ELKHORN • 2016

First Generation – John Reed

Second Generation – Albert Reed

Third Generation – Birdell Reed

Fourth Generation – Mike Reed

Fifth Generation – Albert Reed

Page 11

Sixth Generation – Steve Reed

Still family owned and operated

Reed Furniture celebrates 150 years of business

By Kellen Olshefski STAFF WRITER

ast Thanksgiving Reed Furniture had something very special to be thankful for: 150 years of business.

Reed Furniture, which has been owned and operated by the Reed family since 1865, relocated to its original Elkhorn storefront in 1871, now Friends on the Square.

The family later constructed and opened at its current location, 820 N. Wisconsin St., in 1957, becoming one of the first stores on the northern end of town, according to owner Steve Reed.

Steve Reed, who has run the company since his father Al Reed retired in 1997, said the key to the furniture store’s longevity has all come down to treating people how he would like to be treated and carrying high-quality products at fair prices.

“Quality merchandise, fair prices and keeping a smile on everybody’s face all the time,” he said. “It’s just making sure that through every step from the sale to the delivery the customer has a good experience.”

Just as shopping local and supporting other area vendors is important to him, Steve Reed said the community’s support and dedication has been greatly appreciated over the years.

Likewise, branching out all the time, Steve Reed said they help to bring a lot of business to town from areas like Milwaukee, Janesville and the stateline area.

“We’re bringing to Elkhorn, we’re giving them a reason to come here,” he said. “They can see what Elkhorn has to offer. I’ve lived here my whole life and it’s a great place to raise a family and a great place to have business in.”

During his tenure as owner, Steve Reed said the furniture store has seen the business climate change, noting a big one being the surfacing of the Internet.

Additionally, he said there are so many more options these days, from price points to imports and a full palette of color and pattern choices.

“Every sofa comes in 800 fabrics now,” he said. “That’s a big thing, the amount of options that people have.”

As a result, Steve Reed said while they used to sell a lot more off the sales floor, they’re seeing more people placing orders for exactly what they’re looking for.

SUBMITTED PHOTO Historical Elkhorn

Built in 1957 by Birdell Reed, the North Wisconsin Street location of Reed Furniture is still owned and operated by Steve Reed, the grandson of Birdell Reed. Steve Reed said his sons Jim and Joe Reed will one day take over the store from him, continuing the family’s long legacy in the furniture business.

Looking towards the future, with his sons Joe and Jim Reed eventually taking over and carrying forth the family’s long tradition in furniture sales, Steve Reed said he hopes for things to continue to go well for the family. While furniture stores aren’t as abundant as they once were with big box stores dominating, he said things are still on the bright side for local furniture stores.

“The future seems to be looking pretty bright,” he said. “We’re seeing a rebound for people coming back and shopping small towns … we’re finding people will travel to a small town to buy furniture because they’re looking for something of quality and the personal treatment that you can get.

“We’ve got people who will sit down, work with you and help you pick out and make a conscious decision on furniture that’s going to look great in your house.”

Regardless of what changes may come however, Steve Reed said the store will continue to stay true to its long-running values: providing furniture that is built-tolast with great service and commitment to quality.

“It still comes down to one thing, treating people right and giving them a good product,” he said. “You’re not just a number here. It’s really important to us that

we help you get something that you like.

“I learned from my father and my grandfather how to treat people, what to put into people’s homes, and I’ve instilled that into my kids and they’re doing great.”

A little bit of history Reed Furniture was originally founded in 1865 by John Reed, who opened the family’s first storefront in Palmyra. The business was soon moved to Elkhorn in 1871 and like many stores of the time, focused on much more than a single specialty item, selling furniture, wall paper, blinds, carpeting, picture framing, baby carriages and more.

When John’s son Albert J. Reed became involved in the 1870s he expanded the business further, opening Reed Funeral Home. While the two businesses were never on the same premises, the two business worked hand in hand, as was common for the two industries at the time as both needed a supply of quality lumber and craftsman.

Albert’s son Birdell Reed took over the family business in the 1920s and was responsible for the construction of the family’s new furniture store at 820 N. Wisconsin St., which opened in 1957 and still stands today as the business’s storefront. Selling the funeral home,

Birdell transitioned the company into one that specialized in furniture and carpeting.

Shortly after the construction of the new store, Birdell retired, turning over the store to his sons, Al and Mike Reed, who were able to expand showroom and warehouse space when the economy improved and home construction increased during the 1980s. In 1990, the company left the carpeting business, transitioning to focusing exclusively on furniture.

The store was awarded the Wisconsin Furniture Association Store of the Year award for single location stores in 1995, an honor, which Steve Reed’s son Joe believes speaks to the idea of how they do business.

While a wind shear in 1998 tore the roof off half of the building, the Elkhorn community came together to help rebuild the damaged building and the business, allowing the family to get back to offering the community the same great service as quickly as possible.

In the future, Steve Reed’s sons, Joe and Jim, will follow tradition and take over the family furniture store, continuing the business for yet another generation.

For more information about Reed Furniture, call (262) 723-2686 or visit shopreed.com.

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HISTORICAL ELKHORN • 2016

Clockwise from right: The Elkhorn milk condensery near the turn of the century; downtown was a hive of commerce Elkhorn in the 1930s; Walworth Street looking east about 1910; Moy’s Restaurant has been a mainstay in downtown Elkhorn for years; and the Walworth County Insane Asylum in Elkhorn when it still existed.

A look into the past

HISTORICAL ELKHORN • 2016

Counter clockwise from left: The railroad depot in Elkhorn in 1954; the old Sprague Opera House after it burned down in the late 1920s as seem from the north; the old creamery in Elkhorn, dairy was a major industry in the area; the Lauderdale Lakes area near Sterlingworth Hotel; and Elkhart Veterinary Clinic’s Dr. Coulson and his daughter Mabel (Coulson) Comstock in front of the animal hospital.

Comstock still resides in Elkhorn.

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HISTORICAL ELKHORN • 2016

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Longtime Independent owner/ editor Frank Eames, Elkhorn, has donated the old newspaper press and other items from his years at the newspaper for the exhibit. Eames’ reign the Independent collected five awards from the Wisconsin Newspaper Association from 1974 until 1984. In 1987, after 27 years at the helm of the Independent, Frank Eames retired and sold the family business. Southern Lakes Newspapers is the current publisher. A history of Eames’ work with the newspaper can be found online at mywalworthcounty.com

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HISTORICAL ELKHORN • 2016

• Association

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(Continued from page 6)

Lauderdale Lakes Lake Management District was established by some residents who were active in the association. With the creation of the district, a taxing entity, responsibilities that benefited all residents of the lake – not just members of the LLIA – were shifted over to the district.

“Things like the dam, weed harvesting and water patrol, those are all a part of the lake-district now,” she said.

Ferrari said another organization kind of born out of the LLIA that now not only benefits Lauderdale Lakes, but numerous sites around the county, was the Lauderdale Lakes Conservancy. The conservancy was originally started as a not-for-profit organization to accept the donation of the Petersen Island Woods Preserve, recently named such by the group after its founder.

“The conservancy really kind of took off and is now called the Kettle Moraine Land Trust,” she said. “It started that way and has since expanded and includes a lot more properties, really working within a much larger portion of Walworth County.”

Purpose in today’s world In 2016, Ferrari said one of the LLIA’s most obvious roles is its work with the DNR, organizing, coordinating and financially supporting fish stocking for Lauderdale Lakes.

In addition, Ferrari said the association works closely with the DNR to improve the habitat for fish, specifically through constructing and placing cribs in the lake.

Ferrari said the cribs are typically made from trees that have been cut down by members

and also from wood gathered when work is done to clean up trees that have fallen naturally on the Petersen Island Woods Preserve.

Ferrari said the association also continues to check water quality, as it has for many years, checking things like water clarity, oxygen levels, temperature, chemical analysis and more.

“Again, that’s working with the DNR, but we have volunteers that do that,” she said.

Possibly one of the most important roles the LLIA holds today, however, is not only serving as a voice for members at local town and county meetings, but keeping members informed of decisions and discussions made by government that might affect them.

The LLIA Ferrari said the Lauderdale Lakes Improvement Association is a volunteercoordinated association, made up of an executive committee and numerous subcommittees. Likewise, the Lauderdale Lakes community is divided up into districts, with representatives voted in by members to represent each district.

Ferrari said elected officials handle things like approving the budget, activities and handling community concerns at director meetings throughout the year.

As for benefits to being a member of the association, Ferrari said the LLIA does a lot with communication, for example, providing a directory every other year, something it has done since 1929.

The directory includes things like a

KELLEN OLSHEFSKI Historical Elkhorn

Courtney Rumer (above, left) has her face painted by Margi Kanter of Making Faces Chicago at the June 11 event at Lutherdale Ministries north of Elkhorn.

KELLEN OLSHEFSKI Historical Elkhorn

Autumn Boswell (above) learns how to properly tie off a boat to a dock from members of the Lauderdale Lakes Yacht Club at the association’s anniversary celebration.

listing of members and contact information, information on the lake and surrounding towns, ordinances that affect the lake and more.

“It’s really a good resource,” she said.

The group also releases Shorelines, a quarterly newsletter that goes out to members sharing articles from the LLIA, features on lake history and events, and even articles from the Lauderdale Lakes Yacht Club, the management district and more.

“It’s really kind of a good communication tool for all of the lake organizations,” she said. “It’s a publication that we manage, but we get contributions from throughout the lake community.”

Ferrari, who said she attends most of the town meetings, said the quarterly newsletters are a great way for members – especially those who aren’t permanent residents – to find out what’s brewing in their local government that just might affect their life on the lake.

Annual membership fees are $35 annually and further information and applications for membership can be found online at llia.org.

Last year, the LLIA had about 550 members, according to Ferrari.

“We have a very high-quality lake as far as the environmental side of it and we certainly work very hard with the other organizations to make sure that things stay that way,” Ferrari said.

“You’re joining an organization that’s been around a long, long time and continues to make positive contributions to the lake community,” she said about becoming a member. “We’ve been around since the beginning of the 1900s and we expect to be around a lot longer … we certainly encourage people to join.

“I think it’s certainly not only a good way to help the lake and help the lake community, but also a way to get good information and participate in a way that interests you.”

According to its website (www.llia. org), the objective of the association is to encourage and assist in the general work of protecting, improving and adorning the Lauderdale Lakes, situated in the Townships of La Grange and Sugar Creek and the County of Walworth, and the bank and shores of said lakes to “Help keep the lakes in great shape for fishing, sailing, swimming and water skiing!”

For more information, visit www.llia.org.

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HISTORICAL ELKHORN • 2016

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