Manitowoc County Historical Society - Museum and Pinecrest Village

09/05/2026

📅 One week until our Mid-Lakes Agricultural Fair and Thresheree, presented in partnership with the Mid-Lakes Rustic Iron Club. Mark your calendars for September 12 and 13, from 10 am to 4 pm each day.

From the field to the farm and homes, the Fair and Thresheree features agricultural demonstrations, exquisite handiwork and produce, historic trades, and more. Step back in time and see the sights and steam-powered action that bring to life the stories of our heritage. Help us bring in the harvest using methods from centuries past. From vintage tractors to hands-on history, you can relive nostalgia of our agricultural roots.

Be sure to join us:
🚜 A parade through the historic Pinecrest Village will take place each day at 12 pm.
🚜 Make a stop at the Hall of Wonders– A spectacle to behold! What oddities & marvels will you see?
🚜 Visit our historic homes and busy kitchens. Stop at Shadyside School to try some 19th century games on the front lawn. Talk with our tradespeople who practice and preserve timeless skills like cheesemaking and blacksmithing.
🚜 Sun and Silver Photo will be on site creating historic tintypes. Get your image ‘struck’ with your favorite piece of equipment or create a timeless family portrait.

And more! Find a full schedule on our website at https://www.manitowoccountyhistory.org/programs/fair-thresheree

The Mid-Lakes Agricultural Fair and Thresheree is made possible by Country Visions, Dramm Corporation, and WOMT 100.

09/04/2026

"The first labor strike in the history of Two Rivers occurred 130 years ago when nearly all the employees in the mills and factories of the Two Rivers Manufacturing Company quit work from August 29 to September 8, 1895. The woodenware firm, owned and operated by Milwaukee’s Mann Bros. (Joseph, Henry and Leopold), was the largest tub and pail factory in the world."

Read the full blog post at https://www.manitowoccountyhistory.org/stories/strike-1895

09/04/2026

Attention Reenactors and Living Historians! Civil War Remembered is coming up fast! Now is a great time to get registered online so you don't have to worry about it in the midst of set up! See you all soon!

Join us! Reenactors participating in the Civil War School Day may begin to set up on Thursday, September 24. Others may begin set up September 25nd after 3 pm and take down will be after 3 pm on Sunday, September 27th. Civil War Days will be open to the public on Saturday, September 26 from 10 to 4....

09/04/2026

JOIN US TODAY for another episode of "Our History, Our Story" with WOMT Radio!

Today, Devinne gives Terry the rundown of all things happening at the Manitowoc County Historical Society this September!

Check out our upcoming programming: https://www.manitowoccountyhistory.org/programs

Missed an episode? Catch up online: https://www.manitowoccountyhistory.org/podcast

09/03/2026

Thresherees are happening around Wisconsin, and everyone is invited!

A thresheree is a celebration and remembrance of our grain farming history. It showcases historical thresher equipment, which could be steam powered or horse/mule powered. A thresher is a machine used to separate wheat and other small grain and seed crops from their chaff and straw. This is where the expression, “separating the wheat from the chaff”, comes from. Mechanical threshers revolutionized farming when they came out in the 1830s. Prior to that, threshing or thrashing as some say, was done by beating or flailing using human or animal power.

Our Mid-Lakes Agricultural Fair and Thresheree takes place the weekend after Labor Day (September 12 and 13). Find details on our website at https://www.manitowoccountyhistory.org/programs/fair-thresheree

📸: Members of the Klusmeyer family and threshing crew on the Klusmeyer farm, later operated by Ernest Nass in the Town of Newton. This was one of a number of threshing machines brought into the township by Herman Carstens. 90.28.7

09/02/2026

Our fall themed field trip, Your Voice, Your Vote: 19th Century Civics, is coming up on Tuesday, October 27 from 10 am to 2 pm. Reserve your spot today!

Our themed field trips are perfect for homeschool families as well as traditional classrooms. With this program, students can understand democracy and the role they can play. You'll travel around our historic village and hear from the townspeople about issues that are important to them. Then head over to our Poll House to place your vote.

This self-guided field trip features timed programming throughout the Historic Village. Plan for 2-4 hours on site.

Find details and register at https://www.manitowoccountyhistory.org/programs/your-voice-your-vote

09/01/2026

For many folks the last few days - or maybe even weeks - have been filled with school drop-offs, building routines, and getting back into the classroom. Here are some great facts about education in Manitowoc County:

🏫 In Manitowoc County, the first school was established in the winter of 1837-1838. Funding was received from all who had children attending school. S.M. Peake was hired to instruct the children and classes were held in Benjamin Jones’ warehouse at the corner of Sixth and Commercial Streets (now Maritime Drive) in the City of Manitowoc. Twelve students attended this school, which held classes only during winter months.

🏫 Watertown, Wisconsin, has the honor of being the first private kindergarten but Manitowoc was the first in the state to start a public school kindergarten and probably one of the first in the country. St. Louis, Missouri claims that their public school opened in 1873 was the first. It is known that Manitowoc had a kindergarten then also so we must indeed be one of the first! Charles Viebahn was deeply involved in the improvement of education and from the beginning he planned to establish a kindergarten program. A year later, Viebahn attended a school meeting at Osman where he met a young teacher, Miss Emily Richter. She taught the first kindergarten class in Manitowoc in the fall of 1873.

🏫 Our Pinecrest Village is home to Shadyside School. Originally located on State Highway 151 about 5 miles west of the City of Manitowoc, the Shadyside School served School District Number One in the Town of Manitowoc Rapids. Known at various times as the “Irish School” and the “Trainor School” by district residents, it was given the official name “Shadyside” because of the many box elder trees that shaded the school yard.

📷 Shadyside School, 1912

08/28/2026

JOIN US TODAY for another episode of "Our History, Our Story" with WOMT Radio!

Today, Devinne tells Terry all about some teenagers who were caught speeding on the roadways in the 1920s!

Check out our upcoming programming: https://www.manitowoccountyhistory.org/programs

Missed an episode? Catch up online: https://www.manitowoccountyhistory.org/media-center

08/28/2026

Today we wrapped up our summer apprentice program with our blacksmith students. Over the past few months, these students have grown from watching blacksmithing to feeling comfortable at the forge. We hope to inspire a new generation of blacksmiths!

08/27/2026

It’s not too late to book an unforgettable field trip for your students this fall, winter or even 2027! 🗓️

Whether you're exploring our beautiful grounds or diving into a themed field trip experience, our Manitowoc County Historical Society offers an engaging, hands-on learning experience.

🎟️ Spots are filling fast – don’t miss out!
📅 Book your field trip now for fall! Registration is also open for themed field trip dates and fall field trips - including our popular Civil War School Day.
📧 Contact us at: [email protected]

Learn more about homeschool visits, themed opportunities, and more on our website at https://www.manitowoccountyhistory.org/fieldtrips