OconomowocOconomowoc--"the Newport of the West"--was a summer home and tourist destination for Milwaukee, Chicago, and St. Louis families of prominence from the 1870s through the 1930s. Names like Pabst, Miller, Armour, and Ward built sprawling mansions along the shores of Lac La Belle. They arrived by train every summer to Oconomowoc's stone railroad depot, a popular restaurant today, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. According to local lore, there were 97 millionaires living in the Oconomowoc area during this era of opulence. The lavish living began to wane in the 1930s and drew to a close as a result of World War II, after which Oconomowoc was transformed into a hub of commerce and industry. |
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acres Anchorage Bank Beach Road became Belle and Fowler brick built C. E. Kohl CARNATION MILK PRODUCTS Chicago Cistercian city hall City Park clubhouse Company constructed Danforth Lodge donated downtown Oconomowoc Draper Hall Dupee estate entrance F. F. Esser fireplaces fixtures Fowler Lake Fred Pabst gardens Gifford guests Henry Shufeldt Historic Places Increase Lapham J. A. Herro Jerome Catholic John Dupee's Knollward known Kohl's Kohl's Cottage Lac La Belle Lake Road bridge land Lapham Lindenmere Lutheran Homes Mann block mansion Milwaukee named Nashotah House National Register North Lake Road North Main Street Oconomowoc area Oconomowoc Lake Oconomowoc Public Library Oconomowoc River OCONOMOWOC WIS Paleo Indians Peck Philip Armour Pine Terrace private residence purchased railroad razed Redemptorist fathers regatta Register of Historic resort Rockwell shoreline Shufeldt sold Springbank structure summer Summit Bank town of Summit Townsend House Waukesha County William Shufeldt Wisconsin Avenue Woodlands Hotel