CALENDAR of EVENTS
Evansville Grove Society, Spring 2018
updated 8/18/18
Evansville Grove Society, Spring 2018
updated 8/18/18
ll meetings are free and open to the public.
Thursday, FEB. 1, SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK. Professional genealogist Katherine L. Kemnitz of Beloit will be the presenter for a program on Formatting, Printing and self-publishing a book. Katherine is the published author of a book called Three John Chamberlains and Cornelius Atherton, which received the 2017 Genealogy Book Award from the Wisconsin Historical Society, and is available for purchase on Amazon Books. Location: Creekside Place, 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, MAR. 1, HISTORY OF UNION TOWNSHIP. Historian Ruth Ann Montgomery of Evansville will be the presenter for the March meeting: Early Settlement of Union Township, which will include information on the village of Union’s churches, social organizations, and government. This program is a prelude to the cemetery tour of Union Baptist Church later in the spring. Many of the villages’ early settlers migrated to Evansville, Cooksville, Rutland and the surrounding area. Location: Creekside Place, 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, MAR. 14, BASEBALL! This session is a prelude to the Third Annual History in the Park, which will focus on baseball at Leonard-Leota Park, summer 2018. Bring your stories, photographs and other artifacts for a show-and-tell. Grove Society volunteers will be present to scan your photographs and record your stories for the Society’s collections on Evansville’s rich baseball history. We would like to hear your suggestions on how to plan and organize event this summer’s History in the Park. Location: Creekside Place, 1:00 p.m.
Thursday, APR. 5, "MURDER, SUICIDE, OR ACCIDENT?” Author Doris Green will tell the story of her decades-long quest to learn the cause of her favorite aunt's death, which led to her new book Elsie's Story: Chasing a Family Mystery. Doris will share the traditional genealogy and investigative journalism strategies she used to answer the question, "Murder, suicide, or accident?" as well as a few unconventional approaches. Creekside Place, 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, APR. 11, BASEBALL! Same as March 14th. Location: Creekside Place, 1:00 p.m.
Thursday, APR. 19, ANTES CABIN and the LAKE LEOTA TOURIST CAMP. Dan Stephans of Evansville, architect and noted storyteller, will entertain people with facts, figures and trivia about the development of the road, the formation of car clubs who traveled the roads, and the creation of Evansville’s Tourist Cabins in the 1920s-1050s. His power-point presentation has a great collection of historic photos, maps, and news articles. People are encouraged to bring their historic photographs and memories of Evansville’s tourist camp. Location: The Heights at the Evansville Manor, 201 N 4th St, Evansville, 2:00 p.m.
Thursday, MAY 3, CEMETERY RESEARCH and CEMETERY TOUR. Two programs in one night about cemeteries: What to look for when visiting a cemetery and A Sneak Preview of Union Baptist Cemetery. Presenters: David Bradford and Jenean Hamilton. Location: Creekside Place, 102 Maple Street, Evansville, 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, MAY 12, EVANSVILLE JAYS HOME TALENT BASEBALL ALUMNI APPRECIATION NIGHT. Everyone is invited to come and watch the Evansville Jays Home Talent Baseball team play the Albion Tigers at Leonard-Leota Park, Evansville. The game starts at 6:00 p.m. There is no admission fee for the game. All former Evansville Home Talent players will receive half-priced drinks. People are encouraged to bring scrapbooks, pictures, memorabilia, past jerseys/hats, etc. to display during the game. Location: Upper Baseball Diamond, Leonard-Leota Park, Evansville Park, 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, MAY 19: UNION BAPTIST CEMETERY TOUR. Guided tour of an early Rock County cemetery; the earliest burial was in 1847. The cemetery is located south of Union Tavern, in the village of Union. It is nestled in the middle of the country block and is not visible from the road. Dress appropriately for a walk in the country. You will be walking on grass, uneven terrain. Please carpool to reduce the number of cars. Parking is not permitted on the highway. Authorization has been received from Dan Milz to park in his field, located on the north end of the village, on East Union Road, just past the intersection with Highway 14, on the north side of East Union Road, across the road from Union Tavern. We will assist with shuttling people to the cemetery. There will be some handicapped parking available. Chairs will be provided. Location: Union Baptist Cemetery, village of Union, (north of Evansville), on the east side of Highway 14, 1:00 p.m. Please park cars in the field on East Union Road, across the road and north of Union Tavern. If it is raining, the program will move indoors to a presentation at the Big Barn Storage Self-Storage Facility, 10700 North Highway 59.
Saturday, JUNE 2, GRAND OPENING of Antes Cabin and Museum at the Historic Baker Office Building for the summer. Come and celebrate the Society’s new accomplishments: a new floor at the Antes Cabin, a re-organization of the Archives Dept. with new steel shelves, and a major spring cleaning. You will be impressed! There will be new exhibits at the Museum and several programs this summer about baseball. Location: Antes Cabin and Museum at the Historic Baker Office Building, Leonard-Leota Park, Evansville, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
SUMMER HOURS FOR THE MUSEUM and ANTES CABIN. Come to the Museum and see its collections of Leonard-Leota Park, the circus, and a special exhibit on baseball! Location: Antes Cabin and Museum at the Historic Baker Office Building, Leonard-Leota Park, Evansville. The Museum will be open on Saturday, June 2, 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. for the summer, until August 25th. The museum will be open by appointment after August 25th.
Tuesday, JUNE 19, BEGINNING GENEALOGY CLASS AT COOKSVILLE COMMUNITY CENTER. Have you ever wondered about your family history but have no idea how to begin to find out about it? The Cooksville Community Center is sponsoring a program on Tuesday, June 19, in which Lisa Imhoff will introduce you to the basics of this absorbing pastime. Lisa is a Town of Porter resident who has been researching her family and farm history for over 35 years. The cost is $1 to cover the cost of copies. Bring a pencil and an eraser! Location: Cooksville Community Center, village of Cooksville, Highway 59, 7-9 PM.
Monday, JULY 16th: LET’S PLAY BALL! Newspaper editor Dave Zweifel, a Cubs' fan since his dad took him to Wrigley Field for the first time back in 1948, looks back at decades of heartbreak that is finally rewarded by the team's first World Series win in 108 years. He explains why baseball is his favorite sport and the influence that his father, a New Glarus farmer who retired from farming and bought the bowling lanes in Evansville in 1959, had on Dave's love for the game. Cloyence was a longtime and feisty Home Talent League player and manager in his own youth and the League still confers an award in his name to a deserving recipient after each season. Location: Hose Shelter, Leonard-Leota Park, 7 p.m.. Alternate location, if weather is not appropriate for an outdoor activity, will be at Creekside Place, 102 Maple Street, Evansville, 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, JULY 18, “OLD SETTLERS STORIES WITH RUTH ANN MONTGOMERY,” at the Cooksville Community Center. Ruth Ann will tell stories about some of the early settlers. Location: at the Cooksville Community Center, 7:00 p.m., Cooksville’s historic yellow schoolhouse at the corner of Highway 59 and Church Street, in the village of Cooksville, northern Rock County.
Wednesday, AUGUST 8: LET’S PLAY BALL! Baseball's Negro Leagues: An Introduction. Presenter John Graf of Janesville is a former local sportswriter who is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research and involved with SABR's Negro Leagues Committee. He has been a presenter at the committee's annual Negro Leagues Conference and was the conference's trivia champion two years ago. His introductory talk about what at the time were called the "Negro Leagues" will survey the history and literature of black baseball in the pre-Jackie Robinson era. Location: Creekside Place, 102 Maple Street, Evansville, 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 11: LET'S PLAY BALL! Bernie Golz Day. Come to the Museum on August 11th and talk baseball with Bernie's nephew Larry Luchsinger and other Golz relatives. He will be present at the Museum to talk about his uncle's baseball career.
Saturday, August 25: The Museum will be closed for the season.
Wednesday, Sep. 5: HISTORIC PRESERVATION LAW in Wisconsin. Dan Stephans and John Decker will review the development of historic preservation initiatives and the implementation of preservation laws by legislatures and courts. Local preservation activities conducted by landmarks and preservation commissions that comply with the requirements of federal and state laws, meet best practices, and further community expectations will be highlighted. Location: John M. Evans Hall, 104 W. Main Street, Evansville, at 6:30 pm.
Sunday, SEP. 9, THIRD ANNUAL HISTORY IN THE PARK, (CANCELED DUE TO CONFLICT WITH JAY'S CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, WATCH FOR RESCHEDULE IN MARCH 2019) featuring the presentation "Stan Sperry: A Career in Baseball." Presenter John Graf of Janesville is a former local sportswriter who is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) and is involved in SABR’s Negro Leagues Committee. His interest in Stan “Pop” Sperry, the former major leaguer from Evansville, grew out of his friendship with Stan “Peck” Sperry, Pop’s son. John's presentation will cover Sperry's career drawing upon those sources, as well as Peck Sperry's collection of memorabilia relating to his father. Location: Horse Shelter, Leonard-Leota Park, Evansville, 1:00 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 4th, BEGINNING GENEALOGY (or refresher) course
Lisa Imhoff will introduce beginners to the basics of this absorbing pastime. Lisa is a Town of Porter resident who has been researching her family history and the history of her childhood farm and her current farm, including the families who lived on the farms before her. The cost is $1 to cover the cost of copies. Bring a pencil and an eraser! Location: Creekside Place, 102 Maple Street, Evansville, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018 EVANSVILLE GROVE SOCIETY ANNUAL MEETING
Come join us for appetizers and coffee, water or cash bar while we conduct the annual membership meeting of the Evansville Grove Society. We look forward to your input. We will be voting on new board members and presenting awards for excellance in historic preservation. Plus, Owen Landsverk and Daniel Stephans will be speaking on the Importance of Building Maintenance and Historic Structures after the business meeting. Location: Creekside Place, 102 Maple St, Evansville. 6:00 - 8:00 pm.
Thursday, Nov. 1, 'FAMILY TREE ON THE QUICK - What can be done in a WEEK or Less.'
Chuck Bailey, of Janesville, WI. will share knowledge and techniques that he learned after compiling a family tree for a friend’s family gathering after a sudden death. He will present an interesting summary of what he learned and what can be done. Location: Creekside Place, 6:00 p.m.-8 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 8, AMERICAN LEGION and its Auxiliary. Speaker Ruth Ann Montgomery will tell the story of the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary’s long history of community service in Evansville. Location: The Heights at the Evansville Manor, 201 N 4th Street, Evansville, 2:00 PM.
Thursday, FEB. 1, SELF-PUBLISHING A BOOK. Professional genealogist Katherine L. Kemnitz of Beloit will be the presenter for a program on Formatting, Printing and self-publishing a book. Katherine is the published author of a book called Three John Chamberlains and Cornelius Atherton, which received the 2017 Genealogy Book Award from the Wisconsin Historical Society, and is available for purchase on Amazon Books. Location: Creekside Place, 6:00 p.m.
Thursday, MAR. 1, HISTORY OF UNION TOWNSHIP. Historian Ruth Ann Montgomery of Evansville will be the presenter for the March meeting: Early Settlement of Union Township, which will include information on the village of Union’s churches, social organizations, and government. This program is a prelude to the cemetery tour of Union Baptist Church later in the spring. Many of the villages’ early settlers migrated to Evansville, Cooksville, Rutland and the surrounding area. Location: Creekside Place, 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, MAR. 14, BASEBALL! This session is a prelude to the Third Annual History in the Park, which will focus on baseball at Leonard-Leota Park, summer 2018. Bring your stories, photographs and other artifacts for a show-and-tell. Grove Society volunteers will be present to scan your photographs and record your stories for the Society’s collections on Evansville’s rich baseball history. We would like to hear your suggestions on how to plan and organize event this summer’s History in the Park. Location: Creekside Place, 1:00 p.m.
Thursday, APR. 5, "MURDER, SUICIDE, OR ACCIDENT?” Author Doris Green will tell the story of her decades-long quest to learn the cause of her favorite aunt's death, which led to her new book Elsie's Story: Chasing a Family Mystery. Doris will share the traditional genealogy and investigative journalism strategies she used to answer the question, "Murder, suicide, or accident?" as well as a few unconventional approaches. Creekside Place, 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, APR. 11, BASEBALL! Same as March 14th. Location: Creekside Place, 1:00 p.m.
Thursday, APR. 19, ANTES CABIN and the LAKE LEOTA TOURIST CAMP. Dan Stephans of Evansville, architect and noted storyteller, will entertain people with facts, figures and trivia about the development of the road, the formation of car clubs who traveled the roads, and the creation of Evansville’s Tourist Cabins in the 1920s-1050s. His power-point presentation has a great collection of historic photos, maps, and news articles. People are encouraged to bring their historic photographs and memories of Evansville’s tourist camp. Location: The Heights at the Evansville Manor, 201 N 4th St, Evansville, 2:00 p.m.
Thursday, MAY 3, CEMETERY RESEARCH and CEMETERY TOUR. Two programs in one night about cemeteries: What to look for when visiting a cemetery and A Sneak Preview of Union Baptist Cemetery. Presenters: David Bradford and Jenean Hamilton. Location: Creekside Place, 102 Maple Street, Evansville, 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, MAY 12, EVANSVILLE JAYS HOME TALENT BASEBALL ALUMNI APPRECIATION NIGHT. Everyone is invited to come and watch the Evansville Jays Home Talent Baseball team play the Albion Tigers at Leonard-Leota Park, Evansville. The game starts at 6:00 p.m. There is no admission fee for the game. All former Evansville Home Talent players will receive half-priced drinks. People are encouraged to bring scrapbooks, pictures, memorabilia, past jerseys/hats, etc. to display during the game. Location: Upper Baseball Diamond, Leonard-Leota Park, Evansville Park, 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, MAY 19: UNION BAPTIST CEMETERY TOUR. Guided tour of an early Rock County cemetery; the earliest burial was in 1847. The cemetery is located south of Union Tavern, in the village of Union. It is nestled in the middle of the country block and is not visible from the road. Dress appropriately for a walk in the country. You will be walking on grass, uneven terrain. Please carpool to reduce the number of cars. Parking is not permitted on the highway. Authorization has been received from Dan Milz to park in his field, located on the north end of the village, on East Union Road, just past the intersection with Highway 14, on the north side of East Union Road, across the road from Union Tavern. We will assist with shuttling people to the cemetery. There will be some handicapped parking available. Chairs will be provided. Location: Union Baptist Cemetery, village of Union, (north of Evansville), on the east side of Highway 14, 1:00 p.m. Please park cars in the field on East Union Road, across the road and north of Union Tavern. If it is raining, the program will move indoors to a presentation at the Big Barn Storage Self-Storage Facility, 10700 North Highway 59.
Saturday, JUNE 2, GRAND OPENING of Antes Cabin and Museum at the Historic Baker Office Building for the summer. Come and celebrate the Society’s new accomplishments: a new floor at the Antes Cabin, a re-organization of the Archives Dept. with new steel shelves, and a major spring cleaning. You will be impressed! There will be new exhibits at the Museum and several programs this summer about baseball. Location: Antes Cabin and Museum at the Historic Baker Office Building, Leonard-Leota Park, Evansville, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
SUMMER HOURS FOR THE MUSEUM and ANTES CABIN. Come to the Museum and see its collections of Leonard-Leota Park, the circus, and a special exhibit on baseball! Location: Antes Cabin and Museum at the Historic Baker Office Building, Leonard-Leota Park, Evansville. The Museum will be open on Saturday, June 2, 1:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. for the summer, until August 25th. The museum will be open by appointment after August 25th.
Tuesday, JUNE 19, BEGINNING GENEALOGY CLASS AT COOKSVILLE COMMUNITY CENTER. Have you ever wondered about your family history but have no idea how to begin to find out about it? The Cooksville Community Center is sponsoring a program on Tuesday, June 19, in which Lisa Imhoff will introduce you to the basics of this absorbing pastime. Lisa is a Town of Porter resident who has been researching her family and farm history for over 35 years. The cost is $1 to cover the cost of copies. Bring a pencil and an eraser! Location: Cooksville Community Center, village of Cooksville, Highway 59, 7-9 PM.
Monday, JULY 16th: LET’S PLAY BALL! Newspaper editor Dave Zweifel, a Cubs' fan since his dad took him to Wrigley Field for the first time back in 1948, looks back at decades of heartbreak that is finally rewarded by the team's first World Series win in 108 years. He explains why baseball is his favorite sport and the influence that his father, a New Glarus farmer who retired from farming and bought the bowling lanes in Evansville in 1959, had on Dave's love for the game. Cloyence was a longtime and feisty Home Talent League player and manager in his own youth and the League still confers an award in his name to a deserving recipient after each season. Location: Hose Shelter, Leonard-Leota Park, 7 p.m.. Alternate location, if weather is not appropriate for an outdoor activity, will be at Creekside Place, 102 Maple Street, Evansville, 7:00 p.m.
Wednesday, JULY 18, “OLD SETTLERS STORIES WITH RUTH ANN MONTGOMERY,” at the Cooksville Community Center. Ruth Ann will tell stories about some of the early settlers. Location: at the Cooksville Community Center, 7:00 p.m., Cooksville’s historic yellow schoolhouse at the corner of Highway 59 and Church Street, in the village of Cooksville, northern Rock County.
Wednesday, AUGUST 8: LET’S PLAY BALL! Baseball's Negro Leagues: An Introduction. Presenter John Graf of Janesville is a former local sportswriter who is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research and involved with SABR's Negro Leagues Committee. He has been a presenter at the committee's annual Negro Leagues Conference and was the conference's trivia champion two years ago. His introductory talk about what at the time were called the "Negro Leagues" will survey the history and literature of black baseball in the pre-Jackie Robinson era. Location: Creekside Place, 102 Maple Street, Evansville, 6:00 p.m.
Saturday, August 11: LET'S PLAY BALL! Bernie Golz Day. Come to the Museum on August 11th and talk baseball with Bernie's nephew Larry Luchsinger and other Golz relatives. He will be present at the Museum to talk about his uncle's baseball career.
Saturday, August 25: The Museum will be closed for the season.
Wednesday, Sep. 5: HISTORIC PRESERVATION LAW in Wisconsin. Dan Stephans and John Decker will review the development of historic preservation initiatives and the implementation of preservation laws by legislatures and courts. Local preservation activities conducted by landmarks and preservation commissions that comply with the requirements of federal and state laws, meet best practices, and further community expectations will be highlighted. Location: John M. Evans Hall, 104 W. Main Street, Evansville, at 6:30 pm.
Sunday, SEP. 9, THIRD ANNUAL HISTORY IN THE PARK, (CANCELED DUE TO CONFLICT WITH JAY'S CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, WATCH FOR RESCHEDULE IN MARCH 2019) featuring the presentation "Stan Sperry: A Career in Baseball." Presenter John Graf of Janesville is a former local sportswriter who is a member of the Society for American Baseball Research (SABR) and is involved in SABR’s Negro Leagues Committee. His interest in Stan “Pop” Sperry, the former major leaguer from Evansville, grew out of his friendship with Stan “Peck” Sperry, Pop’s son. John's presentation will cover Sperry's career drawing upon those sources, as well as Peck Sperry's collection of memorabilia relating to his father. Location: Horse Shelter, Leonard-Leota Park, Evansville, 1:00 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 4th, BEGINNING GENEALOGY (or refresher) course
Lisa Imhoff will introduce beginners to the basics of this absorbing pastime. Lisa is a Town of Porter resident who has been researching her family history and the history of her childhood farm and her current farm, including the families who lived on the farms before her. The cost is $1 to cover the cost of copies. Bring a pencil and an eraser! Location: Creekside Place, 102 Maple Street, Evansville, 6:00-8:00 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 18, 2018 EVANSVILLE GROVE SOCIETY ANNUAL MEETING
Come join us for appetizers and coffee, water or cash bar while we conduct the annual membership meeting of the Evansville Grove Society. We look forward to your input. We will be voting on new board members and presenting awards for excellance in historic preservation. Plus, Owen Landsverk and Daniel Stephans will be speaking on the Importance of Building Maintenance and Historic Structures after the business meeting. Location: Creekside Place, 102 Maple St, Evansville. 6:00 - 8:00 pm.
Thursday, Nov. 1, 'FAMILY TREE ON THE QUICK - What can be done in a WEEK or Less.'
Chuck Bailey, of Janesville, WI. will share knowledge and techniques that he learned after compiling a family tree for a friend’s family gathering after a sudden death. He will present an interesting summary of what he learned and what can be done. Location: Creekside Place, 6:00 p.m.-8 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 8, AMERICAN LEGION and its Auxiliary. Speaker Ruth Ann Montgomery will tell the story of the American Legion and the American Legion Auxiliary’s long history of community service in Evansville. Location: The Heights at the Evansville Manor, 201 N 4th Street, Evansville, 2:00 PM.