Waupun Historical Society

05/30/2026

In the summer of 1949 a local incident would put Waupun in the national spotlight. Local migrant children would be denied access to the pool at the Fond du Lac County Park for racial reasons. Out of incidents like this and others would grow the Migrant Project, a local program established by Waupun residents to offer education, nutrition and other benefits to the young children of migrant workers who worked in the area during the harvest season. More on the Migrant Project in a future post. Clippings from the Omaha World Herald and San Antonio Express, July 23, 1949.

05/01/2026

A couple of then/now images of a scan-and-return donation from Sue Koehorn. Anyone who lived in town on the evening of Sept. 7, 1977 was likely downtown watching the fire that started in the Meenk & Riel store. Jud's Bowling (formerly Darling's) was destroyed. The mostly empty and soon to be demolished Exchange Hotel was razed as a fire break to halt the further spread of the fire. Thanks Sue for the awesome images of an unforgettable event.

04/25/2026

A great bit of local Americana from a recent digital donation. Shown is Esther Braun in front of the Braun's new 1948 Pontiac. Ambrose and Esther Braun ran Braun's Restaurant at 435 E Main St. from 1941-1971.

The Waupun Historical Society is always on the lookout for images of Waupun to add to our collection. If you have film or slides scans you would like to donate, we'd love to have them. We can also scan prints, slides and 8mm movie film.

04/21/2026

Tonight! Waupun Public Library, 6 pm. It'll be as "wet" as this last week's weather.

03/16/2026

How are the roads to Fond du Lac you ask? During the Great Blizzard of 1936 they were a lot worse. From a local farmer putting up 30 people enroute to Fond du Lac to coal and fuel oil shortages due to trains not running, it was much harder going 90 years ago. These articles and more are available to search on our patron access computer during open hours and by appointment.

03/16/2026

Now that's a blizzard! While it's true the area did see significantly more snow in years past, we'll get through this one as well. The first image by Stanley Johnson shows Main Street looking west from Madison in 1918. The second shows a crew trying to clear snow on Hwy 151 north of Waupun in 1936. This would be North Fond du Lac St. at the time. The blizzard of 1936 was rated as one of the worst in recorded history, lasting over several days with below zero temperatures following.

03/05/2026

Presenting “Make it a Double, with a twist” Waupun during Prohibition Prairie Ridge Assisted Living!

03/03/2026

Hello followers. We had a phone call at the museum from a gentleman who graduated WHS in 1978. He was looking for pictures of a men’s class ring from that year, specifically the sides and top. He contacted Jostens but their records, surprisingly, don’t go back that far. Any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated.

02/28/2026

This coming Thursday, March 5th at 2pm we will giving a preview of our Prohibition in Waupun presentation at Prairie Ridge for our seniors who might not be able to attend the presentation at the Waupun Public Library on April 21st. March 5, 1926, 100 years ago, happens to be the last appearance in Waupun of a controversial group with ties to the Temperance movement. Curious? Join us on March 5th, or wait until the April 21st library presentation.

Send a message to learn more

02/24/2026

She would have used rivets that came from Waupun, winning the war from the Homefront. Thank you Lila and the countless women who went to work when their men went to fight.
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BAILEIGH RADAR ALERT 🚨 Our hearts break as we bid farewell to “Rosie the Riveter” Lila Tomek, who has passed at 101, a quiet giant of the Greatest Generation, a woman whose courage echoed far beyond the factory walls she once stood within. At just 19, while others clung to comfort, Lila stepped into history. She left behind her office job in Pawnee City, Nebraska, as her two younger brothers marched toward war, one to the battlefields of Europe, the other into the vast uncertainty of the Pacific. She could not carry a rifle, but she carried something just as powerful: resolve. And so she chose her battlefield, the roaring production lines of the Glenn L. Martin Bomber Plant near Omaha.🕊️🇺🇸

Amid thunderous machinery and the constant hum of urgency, her steady hands helped build the B-26 Marauder and the B-29 Superfortress, aircraft that bore the weight of hope for a world desperate for peace. Each rivet she fastened was an act of defiance against tyranny. Each shift she worked was a prayer for her brothers’ safe return.

As victory crept closer, Lila was entrusted with a mission cloaked in secrecy, preparing aircraft for a purpose history would later reveal. She asked no questions. She sought no praise. She simply served. Because true bravery does not always stand on the front lines. Sometimes, it stands at a workbench, sleeves rolled, heart steadfast.

When the war finally fell silent, she returned home not as someone seeking recognition, but as someone ready to build again, this time a family, a marriage with her beloved Rudy Tomek, and a lifetime of service to her community. Her strength was never loud. Her humility never wavered. Her legacy never needed applause.

Today, we do more than remember her, we honor her. A woman who helped forge victory with her bare hands. A sister who carried fear and faith in equal measure. A hero who proved that sacrifice wears many faces.