State Historical
Society Division Encourages National Register Application for Fairwater School
Citing enhanced funding opportunities, Brian
McCormick, SHSW Division of Preservation architect, has encouraged the Fairwater
Historical Society to pursue placement of the former Fairwater public school on the
National Register of Historic Places.
The application is a technical one requiring
photographic and architectural documentation as well as evidence of the building’s
historic role in the district. McCormick believes that details about teaching methods at
the school and of any unique instructional programs would enhance the application.
The society’s restoration project for the building includes a
component of documentation, and McCormick was optimistic that the building could receive
registry designation if the community steps forward with information about the
school’s history over nearly seven decades.
Students from the late 1940s. Information about the
classes and names of the students are needed
Historical Society Seeking
Speakers
With its first annual meeting on March 4, the Fairwater society will
have completed its organizational efforts with the election of officers and board of
directors. The society is planning to focus future meetings on topics of area history and
is seeking speakers on a variety of subjects, including Wisconsin’s military road,
civil war recruitment, construction of the Markesan-Brandon railroad, and the hemp
industry between the world wars.
Fairwater Register Article Documents Platting of North Fairwater
A description of the platting of the village north
of the railroad tracks appeared in the November 6, 1903, Fairwater Register along
with a list of the initial owners of the lots. The text of the article follows:
PLAT OF THE NORTH PART OF FAIRWATER
The accompanying plat is one-half size
engraving of the original plat as made by the surveyor of Fond du Lac county, Russell
Stewart, in March, 1903. This plat was made after making the survey of all that part of
the village, and shows in a measure the growth of the town in the past five years and its
possibility for future growth. The land on the north side, east of the highway, is owned
by Josiah Batson with the exception of lot 3, block 8, owned by C. P. Tinkham and lot 6,
block 1, recently purchased by the Free Baptist church and now occupied by their new
building. J. Batson also has a residence on lot 2, block 8. On the west side of the
highway the land is owned by Mrs. E. Newland with the exception of the following lots,
which have been sold by her to parties who have dwellings on the same. Following is a list
of lots which have been sold: Block 7, lot 1, Mrs. C. J. Fry; lot 12, Mrs. M. A. Tinkham;
lot 11, Mr. C. O. Tinkham, lot 10, H. H. Born; lot 9, E. C. True. lot 8, J. W. Lyons; lot
7, C. C. Cease; lot 6, Mrs. C. J. Fry Also in block 6, lot 5, Parker Cease; lot 6, Orville
Vaughan. This leaves on the east side of the highway eleven lots and on the west side
twenty lots.
These lots are offered for sale by the owners and the
prices at which they are held are low in comparison with prices asked and being paid for
lots in other adjoining towns, which have very little if any better advantages to offer
than Fairwater has now. Nearly all lines of trade are represented in our little village
and keen competition in most lines of business and the apparent desire of the merchants to
please their customers has caused the village to prosper and make a rapid growth in the
last six years. All the buildings on the lots in the above plat have been built in the
seven years with the exception of the house near the new bank building now occupied by J.
W. Lyon, and the grain elevator used by Tinkham Bros. This includes seven store buildings,
Cease's hotel, new bank building, and eleven houses. Also during this time Tinkham Bros.
have put in their lumber yard, and other side lines which were not handled in the village
prior to this time.
In the same time there has been additional store buildings
and dwellings built in the other end of the town and a number of dwellings built so
that the appearance is entirely different from what it was a few years ago.
With practically the same train service with the main line, with Wisconsin
telephone exchange, rural lines, and the promise of a rural route in the near future and a
local paper, and last but not least, as good farming country as can be found anywhere in
the state, we see no reason why our village should not continue to grow and prosper.
Sketch of north Fairwater plat from the Fairwater
Register, November 6, 1903.
Workshops offered by State
Historical Society of Wisconsin
The SHSW will hold a series of workshops on March 25
at Sun Prairie and will repeat them on April 1 at Appleton. Topics include preservation of
photographs, fund raising, and oral histories. Members of the Fairwater Historical Society
have been invited to attend, and volunteers are being solicited to represent the society.
Contact Bob Schuster for more information.
Laper’s Dance Pavilion Information Needed
Roger Stelter is interested in building a model of
the Laper dance pavilion, which provided a venue for the Fairwater band and entertainment
for Fairwater area residents during the early 1920s. Among the pavilion’s
distinguished visitors during his years at Ripon College was Spencer Tracy.
No photographs of the pavillion have been located,
and anyone with information is encouraged either to contact Stelter directly or to share
it with the Fairwater Historical Society.
Meeting Information
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 to
attend. The annual meeting is held the first Saturday of March.
Acquisitions
The Fairwater society is now accepting donations of historical materials with
ties to the immediate Fairwater area. Contact Cirena Lenz in Fairwater or Bob Schuster at
6020 Kristi Circle, Monona, WI 53716 (608-221-1421).
Membership
Membership in the Fairwater Historical society is $10 annually for individuals
and families.
FHS Web Site
The Fairwater Historical 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
The FHS Newsletter is published monthly. Current issues are available at the
Fairwater postoffice. Past issues are availsble through Bob Schuster, 6020 Kristi Circle,
Monona, WI 53716 (608-221-1421).
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