Whitewater Historical Society

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Whitewater Historical Society

The Whitewater Historical Society is the organization that collects, preserves and interprets the history of Whitewater and surrounding towns.

05/29/2026

It's time once again for with the Whitewater Historical Society.
This post card, probably from the 1920's, is identified as the German M.E. Church. Historic sources state that this church was constructed in 1869 for the German Immanuel Church of the Evangelical Association and the congregation worshipped here until the 1930s. It was one of the many churches established by German immigrants in the 19th century in Wisconsin. In 1934, the Whitewater Fundamental Bible Church acquired the building for their congregation that still holds services today.
For more information on historic churches, go to www.whitewaterhistoricalsociety.org to the Stories tab to see a new article on this subject.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.
(3088PC, Whitewater Historical Society)

05/22/2026

It's time once again for with the Whitewater Historical Society.
This week's image is a long-distance view of Hillside Cemetery and reminds us that the upcoming Memorial Day is not just for cookouts and parties, but for honoring those who have given their lives while in military service.
This image is also being used because a few weeks ago, we posted a post card marked "Trippe Lake." Well, our eagle-eyed and knowledgeable Facebook friends noted that the view was not Trippe Lake, but Cravath Lake because they spotted Hillside Cemetery in the background. Older post cards were produced by out-of-town companies and were prone to errors. This view is somewhat similar to the other view and is unusual in that many images were taken from Hillside Cemetery across the lake showing the downtown, but few were taken from this perspective. And, in this case, the card is correctly marked--I hope!
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.
(5439PC, Whitewater Historical Society)

05/15/2026

It's time once again for with the Whitewater Historical Society. This image is from c.1880 and is the east block of the south side of Main Street.
On Sunday, May 17 at 1:00 at the Cravath Lakefront Community Building, the historical society will hold its annual meeting and program, "Whitewater Stories." The stories are new information that is being posted on our website. One of the stories we will present is a short history of how downtown Whitewater developed over the decades.
This image prominently features the corner building, the First National Bank Block, built in 1873, and attached to an older building on First Street that was built in 1856. Later the home of the First Citizens State Bank, the building has always been a prominent location in the downtown. Note that the building to the left is not the building that is there today. That building was demolished in 1885 for the Stewart Block that stands there today. This helps date the photo to pre-1885.
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(1718ST, edited, Whitewater Historical Society)

05/08/2026

It's time once again for with the Whitewater Historical Society. Sunday is Mother's Day and we wish every mother a wonderful day! This lovely photograph of a mother and child is only identified as Stuart Henry Allen and appears to be from the c.1900 era. Research in the Whitewater Register and City Directories could not find a Stuart Henry Allen, but city directories show that a couple of families with the name Allen lived in Whitewater in the early 20th century. One family under the name William Allen was the depot agent for the railroad during this time. The photo could have been sent to one of the Allens in Whitewater from an out-of-town relative and it eventually ended up in our collections.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.
(3519STU, Whitewater Historical Society)

05/01/2026

It's time once again for with the Whitewater Historical Society. Happy May Day! A few years ago we posted a photo of a May Pole with people that were dressed just like the people in this photo. The photos suggest activities that may have been related to May Day celebrations. After a bit of research in the Whitewater Register, it was discovered that in the 1910s, Normal School (UWW) students put on May Day programs that were quite elaborate. This photo and the previously published May pole photo are images probably taken at one of these programs. Celebrating May Day was a popular activity on campus for many years.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.
(5394PC, Whitewater Historical Society)

04/24/2026

It's time once again for with the Whitewater Historical Society. This week we offer a post card of Trippe Lake. Trippe Lake had its beginnings when James Trippe put in a dam for a sawmill in 1841. The site was an important industrial location for 150 years. In 1859, the sawmill was replaced with a straw paper mill that operated until around 1900. In 1913, the paper mill was replaced with a large milk condensery that became a fluid milk plant after World War II operated by the Hawthorn-Mellody Company. It closed in 1992. Now the lake provides a nice view to owners of condos on the Hawthorn-Mellody site.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.
(5544PC, Whitewater Historical Society)

04/17/2026

It's time once again for with the Whitewater Historical Society. This image is along Whitewater Street, taken some time just before 1900. How do we know this? First, the small shed-like building was the old horse-drawn engine house for the fire department. According to old maps, it was demolished by 1904 after the City Hall was built in 1900 with large fire department quarters. Also, the building to the left, part of the old Wi******er and Partridge wagon factory (closed c.1893) has a sign that reads, "George Kinney & Company Flour, Feed, and Salt." George Kinney started his feed mill business in 1894, but it only lasted a few years. By 1898, the building housed agricultural implements. Historic information is often helpful in dating photographs.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.
(2942GP, Whitewater Historical Society)

04/10/2026

It's time once again for from the Whitewater Historical Society. Floods and high water are often seen in the spring and this week's image shows Cravath Lake flooding by the Milwaukee Street Bridge. The date is unknown but the photo shows a good view of the Old Stone Mill. Here's hoping we don't get big floods this spring.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.
(3719P, Whitewater Historical Society)

04/03/2026

It's time once again for with the Whitewater Historical Society. It's Good Friday and time to wish everyone "Easter Greetings." This is another of our early 20th century holiday greeting post cards. It was chosen because the image shows birds building a nest and this author has been watching a cardinal build a nest out of her office window for the past few days. We hope everyone has a lovely Easter and lots of nest-building scenes this spring.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.
(Whitewater Historical Society post card collection)

03/27/2026

It's time once again for with the Whitewater Historical Society. Our last entry in historic Whitewater fires is one that occurred in 1969. This image of Whitewater Street shows, on the right side, the large mill and grain elevator known for much of the 20th century as the Dadmun Mill, just north of the railroad depot. It was built in the 19th century and served farmers until it burned in May of 1969. Many of the buildings on the left side of the photograph were razed for the Whitewater fire department building constructed in 1968, now the Municipal Building. With the demolition of the buildings for the fire department in 1968, the fire at the Dadmun Mill in 1969, and the big fire north of the Dadmun Mill (part of the old Wi******er and Partridge factory) in 1976, this part of Whitewater Street changed dramatically in the late 20th century.
Join us next week for more from the Whitewater Historical Society.
(5482PC, edited, Whitewater Historical Society)

Address

301 W Whitewater Street
Whitewater, WI
53190

Website

http://whitewaterhistoricalsociety.org/

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