Arcadia Area Historical Society

12/18/2020

AAHS - Home

Love Lights 2020
The list of memorials and honorees is now on the Arcadia Historical Society web page. Visit arcadiawihistory.org to view them.

, Arcadia

02/14/2020

Beef and Dumpling Dinner this Sunday starting at 11. Join us!!

02/05/2019

Beef and Dumpling Dinner on February 17 from 11 to 1:30
Join us or Take out.

11/20/2018

Arcadia Public Library

It was fun watching these energetic kids.

The children had fun dancing!!

11/15/2018

Love Lights is December 1. Please submit your memorials by November 28.

07/24/2018

Tonight’s the presentation. Don’t miss it.

07/21/2018

Trempealeau County Historical Society

Earl Emil Jensen, 6th Marines, KIA at Vierzy, France on July 19, 1918. He was from Galesville. If anyone reading this more info on Earl E or a picture, please post. It is so sad when these soldiers are forgotten.

07/14/2018

Archaeology Presentation with Ernie Boszhardt and Danielle Benden at the Museum on Tuesday July 24 at 7pm.

05/06/2018

Succulents event tomorrow. Join in the fun.😋

12/03/2017

Love Lights program and lighting ceremony on December 2, 2017.

Love Lights program and lighting ceremony on December 2, 2017.

10/26/2017

Harvest dinner photos.

03/14/2017

Wind Ensemble Concert ... Saturday, March 25 at 7:30

02/18/2017

Beef and Dumpling Dinner is this Sunday from 11 to 1:30 at the Museum. Come on down.

12/09/2016

Gus singing at Love Lights

An excerpt of Gus Barnes singing at Love Lights 2016

12/09/2016

Love Lights 2016 Photos

12/04/2016

Love lights 2016 Saturday Night. Great friends remembering our loved ones.

10/05/2016

The Nativity Window has been repaired and re-covered with a protective clear storm window. Take a look at it sometime. It looks great! Our funding goals were almost met. Thanks to all your generous donations that made this possible.

10/05/2016

Harvest Time Social -- Sunday, October 23 from 11 to 1pm.
Dinner with Turkey, Music and Dancing, Live Auction..
Help us continue to our renovations to the museum.

08/17/2016

Remember the Appraisal Fair Wednesday starting at 6:30pm.

08/03/2016

Antique fair on August 17. Come join in the fun.

04/10/2016

Buffalo County, Wisconsin

WAUMANDEE MILL in Buffalo County WI
19th Century Flouring Mill
Waumandee WI on Waumandee Creek

BACK STORY The Waumandee country was first settled in 1855 by Henry Mueller and Mathia Profitlitch. A short time later Theodore Meuli settled in The Big Waumandee Valley. In 1854 came Ulrich Knect, J H Manz and probably John Bringolf. Robert Henry came that year, and then returned to Racine for his family, which he brought the following spring, making the trip with an ox team and a covered wagon.

At that time there was no mill in operation in the Waumandee valley or neighborhood and the earliest settlers were obliged to go to Rollingstone to get their grain reduced to flour. Groceries and other necessities were to be found in Fountain City or Alma.

The Waumandee Mill was built by John Oschner in 1863 as a flouring mill and operated by himself and his favorite miller for many years, Mr. William Lillywhite. The mill was powered by a mill dam in the Waumandee Creek and a long sluice carried water to the powerful wheel at the water’s end of the mill.

The mill was the only know river-powered mill in the valley and is the oldest mill still standing in Western Wisconsin. Oschner’s flour was the White Rose, and he also made a Wheat Gritz cereal that sold locally in many stores and even to the Queen of England according to some. L Kessinger, author of 1888 History of Buffalo County, Wisconsin, stated that “the Waumandee Mill is located in the most fertile valley of Buffalo County and has the advantage of plenty of water at all times”.

As reported in the Buffalo County Journal, the mill was central to community activities. In 1875 the Waumandee Mill hosted a July 4th celebration when the mill was opened for a dance in the afternoon “inviting friends from far and near to shake their joints and swing their partners on the broad and level floor. Not a few responded to the invitation, of course mostly Teutons, who well know how to make themselves happy on such festive occasions. The young danced and sang to their hearts’ content as the old looked on and smiled as they remembered the time when they also ‘tripped it deftly on the light fantastic toe’.”

Gesell’s 1895 picture of Waumandee Mill captures in time the mill, the sluice and the dam on Waumandee Creek. It is one of his most artistic endeavors. Today you can still see the Waumandee Mill. Located just south of Waumandee, take the Mill Road east off of County Road U, it’s a beautiful backroad drive and seeing the mill is a thrill even if it is only a shadow of its former glory.

03/12/2016

New photo by Robert Gamoke

Remember the Arcadia Drive-In?

03/09/2016

"Healing for the nations" is tonight. Please join us at the museum.

02/13/2016

Remember the Beef and Dumpling dinner on Sunday, February 14 from 11 to 1. Come join us for a great meal.

01/16/2016

Our Membership Drive for 2016 is now underway.
It's only $10 to join the society for the year.
Consider joining us for our ongoing events, potlucks and programs.
If you have an interest in local history, you belong with us.

12/20/2015

Arcadia Area Historical Society, Arcadia Wisconsin

Head on over to the Historical Society web site and take a look at the Love Lights honorees. Visit www.arcadiawihistory.org

The Arcadia Area Historical Society, Arcadia Wisconsin

12/06/2015

Wonderful "Love Lights" ceremony tonight.

11/11/2015

The society has launched a fundraising campaign to make some important repairs to the Nativity window in the museum (former OLPH church). The window's outer protective glass is cracked in a number of places and the wood frame needs critical restoration work. We hope to raise at least $25,000 for the work. Please help us.

11/11/2015

We are sponsoring "Love Lights" at the museum in the English garden this year. A lighting ceremony is planned for December 5 at 6 pm. Remember a loved one with a light. Contact us for more details.

11/11/2015

Our goal is to raise enough money to repair the Nativity Window in the museum (former OLPH church). If you give $100 or more, you will be given the coffee cup with the picture of the window. If you give $1000 or more, you will be given a copy of "Remember When" (a delightful book about the history of Arcadia). Please consider helping us.

10/21/2015

Don't forget the Harvest Dinner, Polka Band and Auction this Sunday at the Museum. Come one, Come all.

07/31/2015

Order from AAHS, Box 211, Arcadia, WI 54612. Add $5 per item for shipping.

Order from AAHS, Box 211, Arcadia, WI 54612. Add $5 per item for shipping.

07/22/2015

The society has published a new book entitled "Remember When". This book is a series of articles written by Casey Fugina about his recollections of days gone by. Originally published in the Arcadia New Leader, it recounts events, people and places in and around Arcadia. Some of Casey's family members will be present to greet and reminisce about the old days. Join us Sunday the 26th from 1 to 3 pm

06/27/2015

Quilt Show this weekend. Come on by to see some fine work.

03/18/2015

The School before the North addition and before the old church was taken down to build the convent. Picture dated 1920.