This last week of August teachers and students are gearing up for the start of a new school year. While in Massachusetts last week, I went shopping for school supplies with my daughter Ericka and my three grandchildren. There are lots of good bargains to be had!
Back home in Franklin, I’m getting ready to take off again – this time to Green Lake, Wisconsin for an afternoon of writers’ conference. (The conference is set up for the whole week, but this year I only have time for one day.) I always enjoy hearing writers talk about the craft and meeting some of my friends who regularly attend the annual conference. But there’s something about the GLCC setting that keeps calling me back. I love it there!
If you want to see some beautiful pictures of where I’ll be for the next two days, check out the website: http://glcc.org. There’s even a PowerPoint connection, if you want to click on that link. In the meantime, here’s a little history about Green Lake and the Green Lake Conference Center (gleaned from the website):
In 1632 Green Lake was inhabited by the Winnebago (Ho-Chunk) Indians, who lived peacefully with early settlers there. By the early 1800s as many as 500 Indians camped around Green Lake. Believing the Water Spirit lived in Green Lake, every Winnebago had to come here once in their lifetime to worship.
In 1832, a treaty was signed by the Ho-Chunk Indians ceding their lands east of the Fox River, and most were removed to reservations. Caucasian settlers began moving to the area, forming the Village of Dartford (1862); the first summer resort, Oakwood Lodge, was built in 1867, with other resorts soon following. In the summer, many Midwestern visitors arrived by train to rent cottages on the grounds. In 1907 the village changed its name to Green Lake. In the 1940s most of the large wooden hotels of the area were destroyed by fire or torn down. Only a few of the original cottages exist today; one – Oakwood Lodge – now operates as a bed and breakfast.
The grounds now owned by the American Baptist Assembly originally was owned by a wealthy Chicago couple, Victor and Jessie Lawson. With the stock market crash and subsequent Depression era, the land was sold at a modest sum to the ABA, which continues to operate it as a conference center.
Wednesday, August 25. 2010
On the go again
From the GLCC website:
“As the primary developer, Jessie spent several million dollars building a spacious home, 12 miles of paved roads, two sets of farm buildings, a boat house, two greenhouses, a powerhouse, seven water towers, a small golf course, and homes for her workers. The Guernsey barn (1916) with its two silos is the largest barn in Wisconsin. She maintained horses, pigs, sheep, and herds of both Guernsey and Jersey cattle.
“Lawsons's boat, No Hurry (1905) is one of only three made by the Electric Launch Company and was operated by two electric motors powered by 140 batteries. The other two boats were sold to Thomas Edison and Czar of Russia. It was purchased and returned to the Center in 1995 for permanent display and is in a state of ongoing restoration.
“The Boat House (1910) was inspired by one Jessie saw in Switzerland and the green tile on the roof came from Italy. It was built by Mrs. Lawson to accommodate their large boat and re-charge its batteries.
“The large water tower (1908) dominated the landscape and is now named in honor of pioneer Baptist missionaries Ann & Adoniram Judson. Its observation platform is 140 feet above the lake. Its 75,000 gallon tank was filled from a 400 foot well near the boat house. Water from the towers irrigated fields and roads with horse-drawn sprinklers.
“One of Jessie's most expensive projects was the development of the greensward and the island off Lone Tree Point. Two summers and an investment by the Lawsons of eight million dollars was required to complete it. Mrs. Lawson died in 1914, and Mr. Lawson continued to maintain the estate until his death in 1925, when it was sold by heirs to the H.O. Stone Company of Chicago.
“The Tea House (1910), overlooking Green Lake, was the ‘Tee House’ for Jessie's nine-hole golf course. It is now used for meetings and picnics.”
“As the primary developer, Jessie spent several million dollars building a spacious home, 12 miles of paved roads, two sets of farm buildings, a boat house, two greenhouses, a powerhouse, seven water towers, a small golf course, and homes for her workers. The Guernsey barn (1916) with its two silos is the largest barn in Wisconsin. She maintained horses, pigs, sheep, and herds of both Guernsey and Jersey cattle.
“Lawsons's boat, No Hurry (1905) is one of only three made by the Electric Launch Company and was operated by two electric motors powered by 140 batteries. The other two boats were sold to Thomas Edison and Czar of Russia. It was purchased and returned to the Center in 1995 for permanent display and is in a state of ongoing restoration.
“The Boat House (1910) was inspired by one Jessie saw in Switzerland and the green tile on the roof came from Italy. It was built by Mrs. Lawson to accommodate their large boat and re-charge its batteries.
“The large water tower (1908) dominated the landscape and is now named in honor of pioneer Baptist missionaries Ann & Adoniram Judson. Its observation platform is 140 feet above the lake. Its 75,000 gallon tank was filled from a 400 foot well near the boat house. Water from the towers irrigated fields and roads with horse-drawn sprinklers.
“One of Jessie's most expensive projects was the development of the greensward and the island off Lone Tree Point. Two summers and an investment by the Lawsons of eight million dollars was required to complete it. Mrs. Lawson died in 1914, and Mr. Lawson continued to maintain the estate until his death in 1925, when it was sold by heirs to the H.O. Stone Company of Chicago.
“The Tea House (1910), overlooking Green Lake, was the ‘Tee House’ for Jessie's nine-hole golf course. It is now used for meetings and picnics.”
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