Telling Stories, Sharing History Interactively
Roaming the 600 acres at Old World Wisconsin transports visitors into seven different cultures, including an 1880s village, and farms of the Yankees, Finns, Danes, Norwegians, Poles and Germans.
History
Charles Wacker and the Elegance of Fair Lawn
Charles Wacker, the man who shaped modern Chicago, spent his leisure time in a Southern Colonial-inspired home on Geneva Lake called Fair Lawn.
Steam, Steel & Smoke: The History of Train Travel to Walworth County
The arrival of passenger trains in Lake Geneva in the 19th century shaped the area into the world-class resort community it is today.
In Full Bloom
We sat down with the Lake Geneva Garden Club and discussed the history of the first 100 years of the club, and what comes next.
The Crane Family & Jerseyhurst Remembered
Richard Teller Crane built one of the most successful businesses in Chicago and then built one of the first big estates, Jerseyhurst, on Geneva Lake.
Twin Pines: Standing the Test of Time
Some people may come across Twin Pines, an elegant Queen Anne Victorian residence located on Geneva Lake’s south shore, and admire its beauty, but pass by without giving it a second thought.
Dungeons & Dragons: A Journey of Imaginations
The iconic fantasy role-playing game invented in Lake Geneva, Dungeons & Dragons, celebrates its 40th anniversary.
Harry Who?
If you do not know who Harry Gordon Selfridge is, you aren’t alone. Until recently, most people in America had little reason to know the name Selfridge.
Delavan Lake was Right for Wright
Early 20th century cottages by the legendary architect Frank Lloyd Wright still grace Delavan Lake’s south shore today.
Sailing through History
The story of the Lake Geneva Yacht Club in its first 140 years on Geneva Lake – and what comes next for this club.
Excerpts from “Mail Jumper! The Story of the First Mail Girl”
Elaine Kanelo’s book, Mail Jumper! can be purchased locally and online. She has graciously allowed us to publish an excerpt of Mail Jumper! here.
The Last House On The Block
We don’t know much about them, only that they were here. Beyond names, dates of birth and death, it’s hard to paint a picture of the men, women and children whose home was the Walworth County Poor Farm and Insane Asylum.
Just Passing Through: The Day Einstein Came To Town
Ninety-one years ago, Albert Einstein came to America for the first time and according to local legend, which may or may not be true, the Nobel Prize-winning scientist asked to see just two places in the United States – Niagra Falls in New York and Yerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, WI.
A Walk Through Pioneer Cemetery
Established in 1837, Pioneer Cemetery, as its name implies, is where many of Lake Geneva’s founding men, women and children were laid to rest.
Rock & Roll in the Country
Residents of Lake Geneva are often surprised to learn that the area once boasted a world-class music recording studio. Despite the string of hits this studio produced, it remains an underappreciated piece of local history.