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The Spooners of Loganville

Wisconsin was a growing frontier in the 1850s and recent settlers wrote glowing letters back to relatives in the East, urging them to make the trek West. One family that made the journey, was Joshua and Hannah Spooner and their sons, Leonard, William, Albert and Beaman. They came from New York State and settled first in Dodgeville, Wisconsin, and later in Loganville, Wisconsin. Another son, Henry and his wife Frances, remained behind in New York, but later were convinced to join their family in Loganville.

By a fortunate stroke of luck, the correspondence between the members of this frontier family has been preserved and passed down through the generations and it gives great insight into how the early settlers lived and prospered in the New Land.

The House at the Bottom of the Hill

This story contains language that may be offensive to some viewers. The Sauk County Historical Society does not condone the use of this language but includes it as an accurate reflection of society in the time it was written.

Baraboo Weekly News, Tuesday March 11,1926

Editor’s Note (1926) – the following is the first of a series of articles about early Baraboo written by Mrs.Rose Anderson, nee Rose La Moreaux, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. La Moreaux. The family came to Baraboo in 1855. The father was a contractor and built many houses in this city. The La Moreaux house was at 402 eighth avenue, diagonally across the street from this house occupied by George W. Burdick.

"David Caldwell Reed, Founder of Reedsburg"

The story of the man who founded a new city in Wisconsin. He arrived in 1847, and along with several other pioneers, set to making a settlement along the Baraboo River. When gold was discovered at Pike's Peak, a cadre of Reedsburg's prominent citizens headed West to seek their fortune. David Reed was one of them. He then disappeared without a trace. This is the story of the founding of a new village, the search for gold and of the search for Mr. Reed. 46 pages, color photographs.

The Deconstruction of the La Valle Mill

During the years of 2008 and 2018, major floods inundated the Village of La Valle and surrounding areas. The DNR determined that the buildings along the Baraboo River were too severely damaged for occupancy and mandated that they be removed. In 2022, that mandate was accomplished. This is the story of the history and deconstruction of those buildings.

The history of the deconstruction of La Valle includes images, story, and video by Bill Schuette compiled for the Sauk County Historical Society.

"Chauncey P. Logan, The Founder and Namesake of Loganville"

Many pioneers headed west in the mid-1800s. Chauncey Logan was one of them. He settled at the foot of a hill along Narrows Creek in Sauk County, Wisconsin.  This story highlights some of the issues involved this venture, and the hearty newcomers who gave up everything in the east, and created a new home in the wilderness of the mid-west. Through census and land records, newspaper articles, and other resources, the story of the lives of the Logan family is revealed on these pages. 56 pages, color photographs.