One of the difficulties in telling the story of a rural community is that letters and diaries, newspaper accounts, and formal histories are relatively few in number. Facing that challenge, the Fairwater Historical Society has made an oral history project one of its first priorities. In urging for the project, Fairwater poet and essayist Tom Montag has noted that recording past and present residents as they talk about their experiences may be the only way to give meaning to dates and places. On April 8, Montag, Barbara Vande Brink, and Bob Schuster initiated the project by interviewing Oliver and Frances Stelter, who at age 97 have the village’s longest memories. The interview followed the years from the first decade of the Twentieth Century to 1950, touching on agricultural changes as dairying replaced wheat farming, the arrival of automobiles and paved roads, and the social life of the village. The interview was completed on April 29 with a discussion about the Stelter family, which settled in the village in the 1870’s; William Plocker’s 1848 stagecoach inn, the Stelter family home for more than forty years; and the hemp industry, a prominent part of the area’s economy between 1917 and 1940. Montag and Vande Brink have also completed an interview with Hazel Miller and Gordon Berg, two other longtime residents. Mrs. Miller discussed how as an adolescent, following the early death of her mother, she kept house for her father before area homes were electrified. She also talked about participating in plays held at Daehn’s Opera House, a prominent center of village social life from 1898 to 1940. Berg discussed his family’s move to the Fairwater area from Minnesota, an event which he remembers required four train cars. Schuster has completed an interview with Loma Klossner, daughter of Walter and Mae Knapp and granddaughter of U. L. Johnson, a deacon of Fairwater’s Free Will Baptist church. Mrs. Klossner, who grew up on the Johnson farm south of Fairwater during the 1920’s and 1930’s and attended and taught in the Grand River school south of the village, related her memories of the school and of the Baptist church and its congregation. She also discussed the depression years in the area, her grandfather’s role in the bitter and sometimes violent statewide milk strike of 1933, and her memories of attending Brandon High School. The society plans to extend the scope of the project by taping presentations at its monthly meetings and by asking donors to record their descriptions of items being given to the society. The recordings are being transcribed and will be published by the society as a Fairwater area history. Tax-Exempt Status Clears Way for Restoration Project On April 1, the society received notification that the Internal Revenue Service has approved its application for non-profit, tax-exempt status retroactive to October, 1999.The immediate beneficiary is the society’s major project, the restoration of the Fairwater public school building. The decision clear the way to start the transfer of the property from the Fairwater Lions Club to the society. The old village landmark has had significant water damage in recent years and replacement of the roof this year is critical if the building is to be saved. The building’s heating and electrical systems also must be replaced before restoration can begin. The society estimates the cost of this initial phase, stabilization of the building, at $25,000 and is seeking individual and corporate contributions to get the project underway. It is also pursuing historical registry status, which will make it possible to apply for state and federal assistance for the restoration phase of the project. Leatherberry, Ninneman to SpeakLucille Leatherberry and Mary Ninneman will speak at the society’s meeting on May 6 about their experiences teaching at the Fairwater school. Mrs. Leatherberry began teaching in Fairwater in 1959 and witnessed the Fairwater School District’s consolidation with the Brandon District in 1961. Mrs. Ninneman taught in Fairwater from 1974 to 1981. Society Receives First Contributions from Sorenson, Whitford Ripon attorney Steven Sorenson has made the first gift to the society in memory of lifelong Fairwater resident, Eva Moderow. Sorenson noted that, "I can think of no more fitting memory than a contribution to the preservation of the history of Fairwater." The society has also received a contribution from Kathryn Whitford, who retired to Fairwater after a career as a professor of English at UW-Milwaukee. The society will apply both gifts to the restoration of the Fairwater school. Klossner Offers Society Baptist Church Records Loma Klossner has offered to donate the Fairwater Free Will Baptist church records to the society’s archives. The granddaughter of Uriah Johnson, a deacon and one of the leaders of the Baptist congregation, Klossner feels that the society is a fitting home for the records.Hand-written in the church’s original journal book, the records document the business of the church from its organization in 1850 to its dissolution in the 1940’s and provide an invaluable portrait of the congregation. Dallman Items Donated Sue Brown, goddaughter of Herb and Alma Dallman, has donated a number of their items to the society, including the Dallman’s baptismal and school certificates from Germany, Mrs. Dallman’s 1921 wedding outfit, Mr. Dallman’s wedding tie, a 1930’s scrapbook, and a linen sack, spun in 1860, which they used for their possessions during their emigration to the United States. Radio Program Features Society On April 25, Ripon radio station WRPN-FM interviewed Tom Montag, Arlene Leppin, and Bob Schuster about the the creation of the Fairwater Historical Society and its goals. The broadcast was repeated on the Waupun and Fond du Lac stations. Tour Book Projected for Holidays The society has begun work on a walking tour of the village that will document the 153-year history of the village. The book is expected to be available for purchase late in the fall. Ice Cream Social, Potluck Planned Ice cream socials were a tradition in Fairwater for many years. To commemorate the tradition, the society is discussing interest in an old fashioned social as part of its July 1 meeting. Planning is also underway for a potluck dinner in the fall, which the society hopes to make an annual event for past and present village residents.
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| NEWSLETTER Fairwater Historical Society PO Box 151 Fairwater, Wisconsin 53931
Meetings The Fairwater Historical Society meets the first Saturday of each month at the Fairwater Lion’s Club on south Main Street. An exchange of photographs and information begins at 2:00, followed at 2:30 by the meeting. The public is invited. The annual meeting is held the first Saturday of March. Acquisitions The Fairwater society accepts donations of items with historic ties to the immediate Fairwater area. Contact Lois Schmuhl, accessions officer, at Radio Road, Brandon, WI 53919. Membership Membership in the Fairwater Historical Society is $10 annually for individuals and families, $100 lifetime for individuals. Contact Arlene Leppin, PO Box 151, Fairwater, WI 53931 Web Site The society maintains a Web site on the Wisconsin Local History Network. Featuring projects, activities, calendars, and copies of the FHS newsletter, the society’s site can be browsed at: www.wlhn.org/fairwater_histsoc Newsletter Current issues are available at the Fairwater post office. Past issues and mailings are available through Bob Schuster, 6020 Kristi Circle, Monona, WI 53716 (608-221-1421).
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