History Discovered: Green Lake Area Historical Societies Share Hours and Stories | New

Green Lake and surrounding communities are proud of their rich history. There are many historical societies in the area and all are open for business this summer.

Each historical society has its own story to tell about the historical journey of its city. The small towns of Green Laker Country hold many historical stories that even locals may not know.

Dartford Historical Society

The Dartford Historical Society was established in 1956. On July 4, 1976, as part of Green Lake’s bicentennial celebration, the Depot Museum was opened.

After much growth and expansion, the Depot Museum could not hold all the artifacts and history, so a second building was opened in 1995 after Thomas Caestecker donated a building.

Today the two buildings function to hold over 6,500 artifacts, 15,000 visual images and more.

The Dartford Historical Society is open Wednesdays this summer from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to noon.

The Musée Dépôt is open every Saturday until Labor Day from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Both sites can be visited at other times by appointment.

For more information, call 920-294-6194.

Princeton Historical Society

The Princeton Historical Society recently underwent an expansion and now operates out of two buildings on Water Street, along with the Folklore Museum.

The Princeton Historical Society celebrated its 40th anniversary last June.

The Princeton Historical Society is open Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information, call 920-295-9008.

Berlin Region Historical Society

In the early years there were multiple attempts to establish a historical society for Berlin. It wasn’t until 1962 that the idea finally stuck.

The first historical society building was acquired in 1963. It was a one-room schoolhouse that was built in 1866.

Currently, the Berlin Area Historical Society houses four buildings, two of which are the main museum, which was previously a laundry business and the former Berlin Bottling Co.

Unfortunately, one building was demolished due to storm damage.

“We used to have a blacksmith shop, but it had to be demolished due to a storm a few years ago,” said Berlin Region Historical Society chairman Carlton Nehring.

Other buildings include the Clark School which is on Water Street in the city park, and the recently acquired Johnson Fortnum building which was previously a garage.

The summer hours of the museums of the Historical Society of the Berlin Region are the second and fourth Sundays of June, July and August from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

“All tours can be self-guided or accompanied by a guide,” Nehring said.

For more information, call 920-323-3326.

Markesan Historical Society

The Markesan Historical Society opened in 1991. The Grand River Valley Museum, the main building, is part of a four-building complex of which the main building was donated by Mildred Draeger.

The Agriculture Museum building houses the original yearbooks of Utley Depot, Markesan High School dating back to the early 1900s and more.

The Markesan Train Depot building houses a one-room schoolhouse dedicated to the late Leona Weber, who was a founding member of the historical society. This area also houses a working telegraph.

The Arthur Jahns Memorial Agricultural Museum is home to many horse-powered machinery and equipment.

The new addition to the Markesan Historical Society in 2018, the Kienas Building, sits across from the Grand River Valley Museum.

The Kienas Building was a blacksmith shop owned by Herman Butenhoff in 1899 and was eventually purchased by Walter O. Kienas, who converted the shop into a storage unit for his apple orchard.

Today, the Kienas building houses archives and information about the town of Markesan.

The Markesan Historical Society museum buildings are open Saturday through September 30 from 1-4 p.m. or by appointment. To make an appointment, call 920-398-3945.

Kingston Historic Preservation Society

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Kingston Historical Preservation Society.

To celebrate this feat, commemorative t-shirts and two historical books are sold throughout the year.

Funds from shirts and books are allocated to the new building added to the west of the American Legion building in Kingston.

During Kingston’s ChubFest/Krazy Days, taking place on Saturday, August 27, the historical society will celebrate its anniversary with the city.

The Kingston Historical Preservation Society has a legend they share about the famous Kingston House restaurant, which is now closed.

In the early 1900s, an old man known as “Uncle George” lived in the area above the Kingston house. He offered people gold coins.

“Many years later, an itinerant worker was hired by then-owner Clarence Lueck to demolish an old pyre attached to a back corner,” said Kingston Historical Preservation Society President Leila Ziebell. “Suddenly, one morning, the worker left his job and disappeared, [only] return to the village about a week later with gold coins in his pocket.

He never admitted finding the gold coins at the Kingston House, and that remains a mystery.

“Had he stumbled across Uncle George’s cace in the old wall that adjoined his shabby old attic? Zibell asked.

The Kingston Historical Preservation Society’s summer hours are Tuesdays from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

For more information, email [email protected].

Marquette Historical Society

Each Memorial Day, the Marquette Historical Society hosts an open house for the enjoyment of the community. This year was more than just an open house.

The Marquette Methodist Episcopal Church Museum has been recognized on the National Register of Historic Places listing.

This announcement to the Marquette community was made by the president of the Marquette Historical Society, Art Cybul, during the unveiling ceremony on May 29.

For information on visiting hours, call 920-394-9361.