Cedarburg History Museum

Cedarburg History Museum Small town big history. Located in the heart of historic downtown Cedarburg.

I shared these back in 2023 when Bonnie Porteus sent them to me, but many of the followers are new since then. These wer...
06/02/2026

I shared these back in 2023 when Bonnie Porteus sent them to me, but many of the followers are new since then. These were part of an exhibit that year at the Cedarburg Art Museum . Charles Porteus is the grandfather-in-law of Bonnie and he was a talented Wax Figure Modeler and Scene Painter for true to life historical displays at the Milwaukee Public Museum from 1919 to 1940. His fluid and loosely brushed renderings with oil and tempera paint fully realize his true artistry in capturing people and places of the time. These are two black in white photos at the Hilgen Spring Park boat launch on Cedar Creek (notice a second canoe) that Bonnie shared with us and the one finished painting the art museum used to advertise their exhibit. This historically mirrors the Cedarburg Artist's Guild Plein Air now going on in Cedarburg.

Join us in a couple of weeks for this talk on Teddy Roosevelt and the Spanish-American War by Dr. Patrick Steele. Thank ...
05/31/2026

Join us in a couple of weeks for this talk on Teddy Roosevelt and the Spanish-American War by Dr. Patrick Steele. Thank you to Cedarburg's Chay's Tae Kwon Do for sponsoring this talk. Please RSVP to the Cedarburg History Museum or [email protected] for this FREE event. Light refreshments served as well.

Late night scanning session because history is fun! Another c.1910 postcard of Hilgen Spring Park. The back helps date i...
05/31/2026

Late night scanning session because history is fun! Another c.1910 postcard of Hilgen Spring Park. The back helps date it as does the bridge which appears relatively new construction. Montgomery-Walter was a Wisconsin photographic postcard publisher active in the early 20th century, particularly during the peak Real Photo Postcard era (roughly 1905–1925). Because it might be harder to see on a small screen, I've highlighted the buildings/structures. It looks like terraced flower gardens through the trees and I've put a star around what appears to be the fountain from the Springs, which was near Cedar Creek. So we might be standing by the fish ponds in this photo.

❤️ These handmade thank you note drawings from local third graders absolutely made our day! Many thanks to the students,...
05/31/2026

❤️
These handmade thank you note drawings from local third graders absolutely made our day! Many thanks to the students, teachers chaperones and the many volunteers who helped make this year's school tours a success!

So cool how so many different parts of the tours were their favorite things.

Two photo postcards of Hilgen Spring Park that I haven't shared before. I find these two interesting because the same ca...
05/29/2026

Two photo postcards of Hilgen Spring Park that I haven't shared before. I find these two interesting because the same car is parked in front of the Rathskeller. The date of these postcards are about 1920 and they were taken by a Hartford photographer, Joseph F. Seidl. I've included the map Mal Hepburn created showing the park at about the same time period as these photos. Later in the 30s and 40s there was amusement park rides set up and in the 40s and 50s an outdoor basketball court too.

(1953) "Illness can't keep Vince Cibik (right) from lending a hand with the football team at Cedarburg high school. Cibi...
05/28/2026

(1953) "Illness can't keep Vince Cibik (right) from lending a hand with the football team at Cedarburg high school. Cibik, who has coached at the school since 1942, confers with Johnny Barth, who is now in charge of the team. Cibik's teams have won 69 out of 74 games. His record also includes nine conference championships out of the ten seasons and a 32-game winning streak between 1948 to 1951." Coach Cibik passed away from cancer in December 1954. Photo from Cedarburg Parks & Rec history.

Lores Klingbeil, the last teacher at the octagon schoolhouse on Pleasant Valley Road. donated a few items to the museum ...
05/28/2026

Lores Klingbeil, the last teacher at the octagon schoolhouse on Pleasant Valley Road. donated a few items to the museum including the handbell used to call the students to class. The bell is well used, the clapper stem is replaced with wire and there's a crack in the rim. She writes that it's unknown but it might possibly be the original bell.

From some files belonging to Cedarburg Parks & Rec (Coach Vince Cibik & Coach John Barth) are these three photos of foot...
05/27/2026

From some files belonging to Cedarburg Parks & Rec (Coach Vince Cibik & Coach John Barth) are these three photos of football team and cheerleaders being served at Fizz's Coffee Pot. Do you remember indoor pay phone booths like that? And now we have tiny cell phones instead. The photos are so clear that you can even see the designs on the wallpaper!

Do you recognize anyone in the photos?

From a 1954 News Graphic Memorial Day newspaer. (I colorized it)
05/26/2026

From a 1954 News Graphic Memorial Day newspaer. (I colorized it)

Part of a 1917 Memorial Day parade. Originally labeled as "Girl Scouts", Cedarburg did not yet have a Girl Scout troop b...
05/24/2026

Part of a 1917 Memorial Day parade. Originally labeled as "Girl Scouts", Cedarburg did not yet have a Girl Scout troop but we had "Campfire Girls". They also learned some outdoor skills and pioneering interests like songs, needlepoint, etc. As a fundraiser, the Campfire Girls had two directors that used Kellogg's Rice Krispies and Campfire brand marshmallows to create what we now call Rice Krispie Treats! (The background building is the Wirth Dept Store, now Real Health & Fitness).

The photos of Rice Krispies and Campfire marshmallows are from our collection on display.

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Address

N58W6194 Columbia Road
Cedarburg, WI
53012

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 12pm - 4pm

Telephone

+12627462099

Website

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