The Museum Exhibits are Open!
Make plans to visit our traveling exhibit-
“Neighbors Past and Present-The Wisconsin German Experience”
Our third traveling exhibit of the season covers the history of German immigration to Wisconsin, where people came from, where they settled in Wisconsin, their German dialects, and their effect on Wisconsin, politically and otherwise.
(Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday, 1-4 p.m.)
April 2-May 28th
History of the South Wood County Historical Museum Building
On the site of Isaac’s boyhood home, Anton Billmeyer built Shadowlawn for Isaac Witter in 1907. The house was built on grounds consisting of 230 feet of frontage on Third Street and 230 feet on the Wisconsin River.
The house was built in the neoclassical style, consisting of 23 rooms, not including the large halls, and had a central vacuum system. An elevator was installed after Isaac became ill.
In 1947, Isaac’s brother-in-law, George W. Mead, purchased the Witter home and grounds for $15,000.00 and presented it to the city to house the T.B. Scott Public Library, which opened in 1948.
After the McMillan Memorial Library was built and opened in 1970, the building and land were deeded to the South Wood County Historical Corporation for the museum, which opened in 1972.
Board of Directors
Leon Schmidt, President
J. Marshall Buehler, Vice-President
Sarah Sigler, Secretary
Mary Anne Getzin, Treasurer
Page Casey Clark
Lori Brost
Robert Zimmerman
Pete Smart
Richard Bender
Kathy Daly
Jack Wesley
Phil Brown
Curious about books by Wisconsin Rapids City Historian Dave Engel (LHS ’63), other local authors, or the SWCHC publication Artifacts? Visit our “Publications” Tab!
