Society News and Events

Annual Meeting Date Set

Join Us for the Crandon Area Historical Society Annual Meeting at Carter House Museum

We are excited to announce that the Crandon Area Historical Society will be holding its annual meeting on Thursday, September 26 at the historic Carter House Museum, starting at 6:00 p.m.. This is an excellent opportunity for members and the community to come together, learn about the society’s ongoing efforts, and celebrate our shared passion for Forest County’s rich history.

Special Dedication: Honoring Winnie Krueger and Contributors

This year, our annual meeting will include a special dedication ceremony. We will be expressing our heartfelt thanks to Winnie Krueger, the Krueger family, and Northern Lakes Service for their generous contributions to the creation of our new Quaker shed. Although this exciting new exhibit is still a work in progress, we invite you to come see the current displays and hear about the future plans for this historical addition. We look forward to honoring these key contributors for their vital support in making this project a reality.

Enjoy Refreshments & Connect with Fellow Members

The evening will include refreshments and a chance to mingle with fellow history lovers. Whether you’re a long-time member or new to the society, this is the perfect time to catch up on what’s happening, share stories, and make new connections.

Become a Member or Invite a Friend

As always, we are eager to welcome new members into our community. If you know someone who is interested in learning more about Forest County’s history or researching their family roots, please direct them to our new membership flyer for information. They can also join us on Facebook at “Crandon Area Historical Society” to stay up to date on our latest events and news.

Limited-Edition Historical T-Shirts

We still have a limited supply of our popular historical society T-shirts available for purchase. The blue “Blame it all on my Roots” shirt features the original Kentuck family names on the back, while the gray Lulu P. Shaw shirt honors Wisconsin’s first female mayor. Each shirt is $20, and children’s sizes are available as well. To grab one of these unique pieces of Forest County history, email us at forestctyhistory@gmail.com. Supplies are limited, so don’t wait!

A Heartfelt Thanks to Our Community

On behalf of the Crandon Area Historical Society, I want to extend my deep appreciation to all our museum guides, volunteers, fellow board members, and especially you—our members and supporters. Your continued interest, generosity, and involvement make it possible for us to preserve and share the incredible stories of Forest County. We couldn’t do it without you!

We look forward to seeing you at the annual meeting on September 26. Together, let’s celebrate our history, our community, and the exciting future ahead!

Mark your calendars and don’t miss this opportunity to engage with Forest County’s history firsthand. See you at the Carter House Museum!

Kentuck Day T-shirts Now Available

Celebrate your family heritage with a Kentuck Day t-shirt! This fundraiser is available both online and in-person at the Kentuck Day celebration.

To order online, visit http://Creativecrandon.com/crandon-historical

To purchase in-person, visit our museum or our booth at the Kentuck Day festival held Saturday, July 27th from 10-4 in the Courthouse Square.

List of names found on the back of our Kentuck T-shirt fundraiser!

Learn about Metal Detecting

Join members of the N.E.W.’s Metal Detecting Club on Thursday, June 27th at 6:30 p.m. at the Night Owl in Downtown Crandon. Members will discuss the history of metal detecting and how it connects hobbyists to local history. The group will share highlights of their visit to the Carter House museum grounds, as well as the Forest County courthouse grounds in September of 2023.

Kentucky PBS update!

The Crandon Area Historical Society is excited to announce the date/time of Kentucky PBS’ segment featuring Crandon’s Kentuck Day celebration! The Kentucky Life Segment (season 29, episode7) will air LIVE on Kentucky Educational Television on Saturday, March 16th at 7:00 p.m.

There are various ways to watch the segment live, please visit https://ket.org/program/kentucky-life/ to view your options. The segment will be added to their website shortly after it airs live.

The segment was filmed at the 2023 Kentuck Day Festival in Downtown Crandon. Several local Kentuck celebrities and local historians were interviewed as part of their visit. We look forward to sharing our unique heritage with thousands of Kentucky Life viewers!

Give the Gift of Family Heritage

Looking for a thoughtful, fun holiday present for your favorite Forest County Kentuck? We are once again working with Creative Screenprinting in downtown Crandon to offer Forest County Kentuck t-shirts for a limited time.

T-shirt sales are open NOW and orders must be placed by November 30th for delivery by Christmas. Profits from the sales goes directly to support the operations of our local historical society.

Thank you and have a safe and happy Holiday Season!

http://Creativecrandon.com/crandon-historical

Kentuck Day KICK OFF event – 1st Annual Community Support Committee Run/Walk for Charity

Submitted by Jenny Criel, Secretary & Community Support Chair

The Lake Lucerne Advancement Association Community Support Committee’s First Annual 5K-ish Run/Walk to be held on July 29, 2023. This race event was created to support local non-profit and volunteer organizations. This year’s event will raise money to help the local Crandon Area Rescue Squad’s new ambulance cost, with a race donation suggestion of $35.00.

Registration and pick-up will begin at 7:30 AM at the Lake Lucerne Advancement Association Club House (4031 County W, Crandon WI 54520) and closes at 8:40 AM. The race will begin at the north end of Lake Lucerne and end at the Club House. Transportation to the race start will be provided with the last ride leaving at 8:40.

Registration form

History on Tap to feature Moonshine in the Northwoods

The Crandon Area Historical Society is excited to announce the return of their popular History on Tap program scheduled for Wednesday, July 26th at 6:00 p.m. at the Night Owl in Downtown Crandon.

Local Northwoods historian Jim Bokern will present “Moonshine in the Northwoods”, featuring photos, documents, research, and stories that reveal how moonshine operations changed and impacted several Northwoods’ communities including those in Forest County. During Prohibition, visitors and residents to the Northwoods of Wisconsin sought sanctuary from Volstead Act enforcement in remote northern towns and villages.

This program is free and open to the public.  The public is encouraged to attend in their best 1920’s attire but it is not required.  Donations to the Forest County Historical Society’s “Save the Records” Campaign will gladly be accepted.  The campaign is an effort to draw attention to the need to preserve our county’s history by ensuring the records, photos and newspapers in our county are preserved, and digitized for researchers, students and local history efforts. 

For more information about this event, or the Save the Records Campaign, please contact Michelle Gobert at forestctyhistory@gmail.com.

Forest County Historic School Communities

The Forest County Historical and Genealogical Society, Inc., our parent organization, is excited to have received a Wisconsin Humanities Recovery Grant. Our project, Developing a sense of place in Forest County school communities, supports Wisconsin Humanities’ mission to strengthen the roots of community life through educational and cultural programs that inspire civic participation and individual imagination.

The grant will allow us to hire THREE educators over the summer to scan and catalog historic photos and documents related to Forest County historic schools!

This is a great opportunity for history teachers but we are opening this opportunity up to any educator in Forest County and here’s why:

Local history is about using a ​place-based approach to education. It can be incorporated into almost any subject area. This opportunity is about using your community’s history to engage and inspire students to learn and connect to this place we call home.

If this sounds like something you are interested in participating in, please email michelle.gobert@wisc.edu.

Forest County connections to the Great Peshtigo Fire

Today, October 8, 2021, marks the 150th anniversary of the most devastating forest fire in American history, the Peshtigo Fire.

According to the Wisconsin Historical Society at least 1,300 people died in the Peshtigo fire that left 7,500 people homeless. Many people were not aware of the catastrophic nature of the fire due to the great Chicago Fire that made headlines the same day.

150 years ago the land that we now call Forest County was in the same political jurisdiction, Oconto County as the ill-fated Town of Peshtigo. It was not until 1880 that the large county of Oconto was re-mapped and various counties were created.

Wisconsin counties in 1871. Source: Atlas of Historical County Boundaries. Newberry Library.
Date accessed: October 8, 2021]

Forest county archives begin upon the creation of our County in 1885, fourteen years after the fire but numerous mentions of the fire highlight the impact the fire had on the lumber industry, the fear of wild fire and the collective memory of those alive during that time-period.

One of the most interesting stories to note is the recognition that Peshtigo Fire survivors Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Deau moved from Peshtigo to Laona in 1901 and are buried in the Laona Cemetery.

Alexander and Mary Deau were both teenagers when the fire occurred in 1871. According to details published on the Family History website Find-a-grave, Alex Deau recalled that during the fire his father lowered his children “into a well with only a small amount [of] water at the bottom”. His wife Mary Grandaw Deau told her grandchildren the story of the fire which included “how her dad got heavy winter coats and her mother got the other children. They all ran into the river, put the wet coats over their heads and [she told us] how hot the river water was. That’s all that kept them alive.”

Alex and Mary were married a few years after the fire and had eleven children. The family moved to Laona in 1901 where Alexander was employed as a carpenter for the Connor Land and Lumber Co. Alex passed in 1945 and Mary in 1950. Two of their children, daughters Anna Harris and Laura Martin lived in Laona after their parent’s death.

A few of Laona’s families today can trace their roots back to these two children. Anna Harris’ daughter Iola married John Novak and Laura Martin’s daughter Verna married former Town Chairman Edward Bowling.

While this anniversary may serve as a grim remembrance for those who did lose their lives in the fire, it is also an opportunity to reflect on those that survived and the stories they preserved. If you are aware of any additional stories connecting Forest County to the Peshtigo Fire, we’d love to hear them. Email us at forestctyhistory@gmail.com or comment here.

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