Fire at Knute Reindahl House

Recently, a large fire in Monona caused damage to a site of interest to local historians because of two concerns: local history and Indian burial ground preservation.

On Thursday night April 5, 2007, a fire nearly destroyed the remodeled Knute Reindahl house at 4009 Monona Drive. The Monona Landmarks Commission had officially recognized the site in 1980. Knute Reindahl was a nationally renowned violin maker who built a cottage on the property in 1903 and later built a permanent home around it. Knute died in 1936, but two of his daughters and descendants continued to live in the house until 1985.

At that time the Indian mound on the property was cataloged by the Wisconsin Historical Society as a protected burial site. The Monona Heritage Foundation was created to raise money to support Monona's effort to purchase the house and the mound. The fundraising fell short, the property was sold, the house remodeled and a garage was added.

The funds raised, however, were transferred to the City of Monona expressly to help fund its purchase of the woodland that contained another Indian mound and became Monona Woodlands Park.

The research by state archaeologists, (including the significance of this mound) the ceremonies and events surrounding the protection efforts, and the life story of Knute Reindahl make three interesting stories to be found in the files at the Dean House. For a complete series of articles about Reindahl and his house, please see
http://www.bloominggroviehistory.org/reindahl.php

Historic Front View

Seed Bags and Farm Products Catalogs on Display

On display in the Museum Room are one-bushel canvas seed bags from Madison's own Olds Seed Company and Standard Seed and Feed Co.

They are colorful reminders of the days when most of the township of Blooming Grove was farmed.

Also on display are two seed catalogs (1913 and 1938) from Olds, a catalog from Madison Plow Co. featuring the company's "line of labor saving farm implements" and a Madison Silo Company catalog of their concrete silos made in their factory at 3248 Atwood Ave.

Fauerbach Reunion

Peter, David, and Neil Fauerbach, decendants of the brewing family, who recently revived Madison's historic Fauerbach Beer label, are looking for anyone who had anything to do with the brewery.

They are planning a brewery family reunion later this year for former brewery workers and their descendants to talk about old times, and get an update on the progress of the new beers.

If you or a family member or friend were ever involved with the brewery, leave a note at the Faurebach web site, www.fauerbachbrewery.com or email Neil at nfauerbach@yahoo.com or call Ann at 249-7920 and she will forward the name to Neil. Check the website for updates on time and place.

Current Linear Mound (left) & Burned Lake Side View