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Tuesday 9am - 4:30pm Wednesday 9am - 4:30pm Thursday 9am - 4:30pm Friday 9am - 4:30pm Saturday 1pm - 4:30pm Sunday 1pm - 4:30pm

Marathon County Historical Society

Name: Marathon County Historical Society
Address: 410 McIndoe Street, Wausau, WI, 54403, US
Telephone: (715) 842-5750
Price range: $

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Marathon County Historical Society

Our purpose is to collect, preserve and exhibit materials relating to Marathon County history. We off In 1995, the Society purchased the home of A.P. Maher.

In 1954, Leigh Yawkey Woodson and her daughters donated the home of her late parents, lumberman Cyrus C. Yawkey and Alice Richardson Yawkey, to the Historical Society. In 1974, the house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. A 3 million dollar restoration of the Yawkey estate was completed in 2008. the restoration include the house, the carriage house and the formal gardens. Wood

son and Leigh Yawkey Woodson. The house was built in 1914 and designed by Prairie School architect, George W. The Woodson House contains the library and archives, administrative offices, artifact storage, and the educational exhibit area.

09/01/2026

Here's another bit of pixelated history for this week. Can you guess where in Marathon County this was taken?

This time we'll just blur out the description written on the picture. Because where's the challenge if you can just read the answer?

08/31/2026

Preservation is about more than caring for the past. It’s about ensuring the places that tell our community’s story remain for generations to come.

Restoration work is underway at the Yawkey House Museum as we replace the bases of the impressive front columns that define its entrance. These stunning columns are among the most recognizable architectural features of this Neoclassical Revival home, and preserving them requires both careful planning and skilled craftsmanship.

Leading this project is our Property Manager and finish carpenter extraordinaire, Aaron Griner. Aaron’s expertise, attention to detail, and understanding of historic buildings are invaluable as we work to preserve the architectural character of the Yawkey House.

When you’re working with architectural elements of this size, sometimes you need a little extra muscle! A huge thank you to Schuette Movers for lending their expertise and helping us safely undertake the restoration process.

This important preservation project is made possible through the generous support of the Nancy Woodson Spire Foundation. Their investment in historic preservation allows us to continue caring for one of Marathon County’s most significant historic places.

We’re proud of the skilled hands, generous partners, and community support making the stewardship possible at the Yawkey House Museum.

08/29/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us last night for our final Old-Fashioned Downtown Tour of 2026!

We have had such a wonderful time exploring downtown Wausau with you throughout this season, sharing stories, visiting historic spaces, and looking a little closer at the places that have shaped our community.

A special thank you to Juliett and Peking Restaurant for welcoming our groups and helping bring these tours to life. Partnerships like these make it possible for us to connect local history with the places where it actually happened.

And, of course, thank you to everyone who joined us for an Old-Fashioned Downtown Tour this year. We are grateful for your curiosity, your conversations, and your continued support of our local history.

We’ll see you downtown again next year!

08/26/2026

As many people guessed, the answer to the pixelated history from yesterday is the terminal at the Central Wisconsin Airport, in Mosinee. Even heavily pixelated, it’s hard to miss that distinct roofline, even with recent updates to the building that modernized the window-walls. But the finer details in the original print show that this comes from the opening of the terminal from when the CWA opened in 1970. The original print comes from the Becker-Geisel Collection from the MCHS photo archives.

08/25/2026

Pixelated history time. Can you guess where in Marathon County we are, and maybe when, based on this image from our photo archives?

(Yes, we've added some pixelation to make it more challenging).

edit: As many people guessed, the answer to the pixelated history from Tuesday is the terminal at the Central Wisconsin Airport, in Mosinee. Even heavily pixelated, it’s hard to miss that distinct roofline, even with recent updates to the building that modernized the window-walls. But the finer details in the original print show that this comes from the opening of the terminal from when the CWA opened in 1970. We've added a few more images, showing the unpixelated version, plus a view of the terminal today. The original print comes from the Becker-Geisel Collection from the MCHS photo archives.

08/16/2026

Thank you for celebrating America’s 250th with us!

Yesterday, the Marathon County Historical Society was proud to welcome the community to the Yawkey House Gardens for Marathon County Celebrates America’s 250th, held in partnership with the Wisconsin Historical Society and Marathon County.

Even with the weather trying to throw us for a loop this week, our staff, volunteers, partners, and supporters came together to create a beautiful day of history, community, and celebration. Guests enjoyed historic displays, family activities, an ice cream social, live entertainment, and time spent gathering in one of Wausau’s most beautiful historic spaces.

We are deeply grateful to our community partners who helped make the day possible, including Forward Beverage Co. , Modern Gents of Wausau, and Sweets on 3rd. We also extend our sincere thanks to the Wisconsin Historical Society for their partnership and support.

Thank you to our volunteers, performers, speakers, staff, and everyone who went all hands on deck to bring this event to life. Most of all, thank you to everyone who joined us and helped celebrate America’s 250th anniversary through the stories, traditions, and community spirit of Marathon County.

We are so grateful to share these moments with you.

08/14/2026

You can’t rain on our parade!

After watching the forecast closely, we are happy to share that Marathon County Celebrates America’s 250th is back on at the Yawkey House Gardens.

With the rain chances clearing out, we are returning to our original garden party plan, and we could not be more excited to welcome everyone to this beautiful historic setting tomorrow.

It has been all hands on deck as we decorate, prepare, and bring the celebration together. From the ice cream social and historic displays to family activities, live entertainment, the Ye Olde Beard Conteste, and more, we are looking forward to a memorable day celebrating America’s 250th through the history and community spirit of Marathon County.

Join us tomorrow!

Marathon County Celebrates America’s 250th
Saturday, August 15
11:00 AM–3:00 PM
Yawkey House Gardens
403 McIndoe Street, Wausau, WI 54403
Free admission

08/12/2026

Thank you to everyone who joined us this morning along the Wisconsin River for the dedication of Wausau’s new Log Driver sculpture!

The Marathon County Historical Society had the pleasure of serving as MC for today’s dedication and providing the historical context behind the sculpture, sharing the story of Wausau’s logging heritage, the critical role of the Wisconsin River, and how that history continues to shape the community we know today.

This incredible addition to the River Edge Parkway would not have been possible without the generosity of the Walter Alexander Foundation and the Judd S. Alexander Foundation, which fully funded the sculpture and donated it to the City of Wausau.

We are grateful to artist Cory Clawson for bringing this history to life through his remarkable work, as well as the local professionals who helped make the project a reality: Jim Trzebiatowski of JAT Masonry Concrete for the concrete foundation and site design, Jeff Traska Crane & Roofing for the sculpture installation, and Kyle Vleatstra for the electrical work.

A special thank you as well to the City of Wausau for its partnership and support in bringing this new piece of public art to our community.

One of the most meaningful moments of today’s ceremony came during the official dedication, when water from the Wisconsin River was poured at the base of the sculpture, symbolically reconnecting the Log Driver with the river that once carried millions of logs through our community and served as the economic lifeline of Wausau’s lumber industry.

The Log Driver now stands along those same riverbanks as a lasting reminder of the people, river, and industry that helped build our community.

At the Historical Society, we believe local history is most powerful when it can be experienced in the places where it happened. We are proud to have played a part in today’s celebration and look forward to seeing this sculpture spark questions, conversations, and connections to Wausau’s history for generations to come.

Thank you to everyone who made this project possible and to everyone who came out to celebrate with us today!

08/11/2026

Calling all beards, whiskers, mustaches, and creative facial hair of all kinds!

There is still time to enter the Ye Olde Beard Conteste, part of Marathon County Celebrates America’s 250th on Saturday, August 15 at the Yawkey House Gardens.

Inspired by Wausau’s original 1976 Bicentennial Beard Contest, this friendly competition is bringing back a classic piece of local celebration history. Real beards, historic beards, modern beards, bold beards, and creative fake beards are all welcome.

Winners in each category will receive a gift card to Modern Gents of Wausau, our Beard Competition sponsor. We are grateful to Modern Gents for helping us bring professional grooming expertise and local support to this historic community tradition.

Advance registration is encouraged using the form in the comments, but day-of registration will also be available at the event.

Marathon County Celebrates America’s 250th
Saturday, August 15
11:00 AM–3:00 PM
Yawkey House Gardens
403 McIndoe Street, Wausau, WI 54403
Free admission

Address

410 McIndoe Street
Wausau, WI
54403

Opening Hours

Tuesday	9am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	9am - 4:30pm
Thursday	9am - 4:30pm
Friday	9am - 4:30pm
Saturday	1pm - 4:30pm
Sunday	1pm - 4:30pm

Telephone

(715) 842-5750

Website

http://www.marathoncountyhistory.org/

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