October 11, 2025, from 1:00 to 3:00 pm.
Listen as Janine Yorimoto Boldt, Ph.D., of the Chazen Museum of Art at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, discusses Theodore Robinson’s life, influences, and place in the history of American art.
The Grove Society’s annual History in the Park celebration took place at the Upper Pavilion in Leonard-Leota Park on Sunday, August 24.
The weather was fine and a substantial crowd of local residents and out-of-town visitors gathered for lunch and a lecture.
Lunch fare featured the traditional bratwurst and hotdogs, grilled by Grove Society volunteers on the old fireplace near the pavilion. Ardy Bros. BBQ Catering of Evansville provided food and served.
Dan Stephans, former State Architect, local historian, and long-time Grove Society board member, was the featured speaker.
His topic was the history
of the Pruden Products company (later Varco-Pruden Products), a leading manufacturer of steel buildings that celebrated its 75th anniversary as a mainstay of Evansville’s economy this year.
Exhibits were on display, courtesy of the Grove Society and Gene Prudhon. Noteworthy among these was an architect’s model of the Wisconsin Pavilion from the 1964 World’s Fair.
Visitors were especially interested in the Grove Society’s collection of yearbooks and other memorabilia from the Pruden Companies.
Related: Grove Society Celebrates History in the Park August 24, 2025
The Evansville Grove Society will hold its annual History in the Park gathering on Sunday, August 24, from Noon until 3PM. The gathering will feature a presentation on the history of the Pruden Products Company, a leading manufacturer of steel buildings that came to Evansville in 1954. The event will take place in the Upper Shelter Pavilion at Leonard-Leota Park in Evansville. The event is open to the public; admission is free and lunch will be provided.
In 1968 Pruden Products merged with the Varco Steel Company of Arkansas to become Varco-Pruden, as it was known for many years. Now part of BlueScope Buildings of North America, the company maintains a factory on Water Street in Evansville.
Among other noteworthy contributions, Pruden Products built the Wisconsin Pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair; it also built the pavilion that houses the History in the Park gatherings each year. The company is now celebrating its 75th year as a mainstay of the local economy; the celebration includes a top-to-bottom renovation of the pavilion.
The Grove Society was founded in 1978 as Evansville’s local historical society. It takes its name from the informal title that the town’s first settlers gave to the community.
The Society owns and maintains the historic Baker Office Building, located at Madison Street and Antes Drive, which houses a museum containing photographs, artifacts, and records of local historical significance. The Society also offers programs of local cultural and historical interest from time to time.
History in the Park is the Grove Society’s signature event. Past topics have included the history of Leonard-Leota Park, the Wisconsin Ice Age Trail, and the 150th anniversary of the Baker Manufacturing Company. The Upper Pavilion can accommodate up to 75 people; picnic tables are available but many guests bring their own lawn chairs or seat cushions for the picnic tables. Lunch — provided this year by BlueScope — traditionally features bratwurst and hotdogs cooked on the park’s old stone fireplace.
The featured speaker at this year’s presentation will be Dan Stephans, long-time member of the Grove Society’s Board of Directors and former Chief Architect for the State of Wisconsin. An Evansville resident, Stephans is a widely-recognized authority on Wisconsin History and Architecture.
The Evansville Grove Society is pleased to announce that its headquarters and museum in the historic Baker Building, at the lower entrance to Leonard-Leota Park, will open to the public on Saturday, June 7. Visitors will be welcome from 1 pm to 4 pm, every Saturday until September 30 or by appointment. The one exception will be on the fourth weekend in August, when the Grove Society will host its annual History in the Park observance at the Leonard-Leota Park Upper Pavilion. This year’s History in the Park will feature a presentation on the history of the Varco – Pruden Manufacturing Company of Evansville (now Bluescope Buildings North America).
This year the museum will highlight photographs and artifacts from many of Evansville’s noteworthy businesses over the decades. Grove Society members will be on hand to welcome visitors, explain the exhibits, and talk about the Society’s plans for the upcoming season. The Baker Building formerly served as the administrative headquarters for the Baker Manufacturing Company; the Grove Society led the effort to preserve it at its current location. Also on the site, at the corner of Madison Street and Antes Drive, is the Antes Tourist Cabin, which originally served as overnight lodging for motorists in the 1930s.
Building on its improvements to the site over the past few years, the Grove Society recently reorganized and catalogued its collection of documents and artifacts to make them more accessible to the public. A generous grant from the Evansville Chamber of Commerce paid for museum-quality storage tools to aid in the effort. The Society recently refreshed its website with information about its collections, its work in preserving Evansville history, and its activities past and present. The website can be found at https://grovesociety.org.
2016 – America Loves to Travel
The history of Evansville’s parks, as well as the city’s ties to Highway 14’s recognition as the National Park Highway to Yellowstone Park and other Western destination points, were the major topics of discussion at Leonard-Lake Leota Park.
Grove Society president Jennifer Ehle stated that: “The Grove Society was very pleased with the results of its first ‘America Loves to Travel’ event at Leonard-Lake Leota Park. The weather was perfect without a single raindrop, which had been predicted earlier in the week.” It is estimated that approximately 100 people visited the Museum, Antes Cabin, and Barn Shelter during the one-day event.
Dan Stephans, storyteller and architect specializing in historic preservation, captivated the audience with his knowledge about the development of the roads. A quick summary follows: People started buying cars in the early 1900s and wanted to travel. Tourist camps, like the one at Lake Leota, became popular shortly thereafter and were built along the highways. Car clubs, including the AAA, were formed, which developed road maps and worked to improve the roads. Private citizens and social organizations supported Leonard-Lake Leota Park for the next 95 years.
The following people from Evansville and the surrounding area brought their antique cars to the August 28th event, which were displayed near the Horse Barn. Carl Pyper of Evansville arrived first with his 1932 bright red Ford Truck. Other Evansville owners were Dorothy Helgeson with her 1930 Ford Model A Roadster and Alan Titus of Evansville with his 1938 Ford Fordor. Car show organizer Lee Stock of Belleville brought his 1921 Ford Model A and 1928 Ford Model A Tudor. Gary Splitter of Brooklyn attended with his 1931 Model A Ford Truck. Stoughton was represented by Jeff and Brenda Zarth with his newly-purchased 1951 Ford Tudor and Howard Hanson with his 1928 Ford Roadster. Jeff and Sue Bergey enjoyed a Sunday afternoon drive From Oregon to Evansville in their 1930 Ford Model A Roadster. And, Chris Beebe traveled the road from Cooksville to Evansville in his 1939 MG TB.
Troop 514 and Friends of the Eager Free Public Library sold food and refreshments at the Park Store and Horse Barn. The Museum and Antes Cabin featured photographs, printed news articles, and artifacts from the 1920s to early 1950s about Evansville’s tourist camp. The exhibit also contains information about the federally funded projects, which built the buildings, structures and the viaduct in Leonard-Lake Leota Park,
The exhibits will remain on display at the Museum and Antes Cabin through the month of September, every Saturday 1:00 pm – 3:00 p.m. and by appointment with Jennifer Ehle 608-302-1722. In October, the Museum will begin reduced hours.
The Grove Society would like to thank the Evansville Ford and Symdon Chevrolet for their financial support. Also, members of the planning committee who attended meetings for the past year to organize the event: Dan Stephans for his presentation, Lee Stock for organizing the car show, Troop 514 and Friends of the EFPL for refreshments, and representatives of the committee to complete restoration work of the Antes Cabin. Ray Anderson of the Evansville Parks was very responsive to our requests. Creekside Place provided a microphone and speakers, Larson Acres supplied chairs and a table, and Steve Ehle photographed the event and provided editorial assistance.
Finally, a special thank-you to the car owners who displayed their cars and the many volunteers who served as docents and helpers at the Museum, Antes Cabin and Barn Shelter.
There is potential for a second America Loves to Travel event next year, and potentially several others, but additional volunteers are needed for this to happen. The vintage vehicle car show could continue with the addition of other aspects of Leonard-Lake Leota Park. Please contact Jennifer Ehle, jenniferehle1@gmail.com, phone 608-302-1722, if you, or your organization, would like to help plan an event in 2017. We are analyzing the event and thinking of new ideas.
History in the Park – 2016 Sesquicentennial Celebration
April 18-19, 2025, marks the 250th anniversary of Paul Revere’s Ride of 1775, which began the first armed conflict between British troops and American militias in the American Revolution. The Evansville Grove Society, Inc. – Evansville’s local historical society – will join sister societies all over the United States in a “Two Lights for Tomorrow” observance to commemorate the nation’s 250th birthday.
“Two Lights” refers to the signal that Revere arranged to notify Patriot militias as to which of two routes British troops were going to take when they marched inland from Boston on the night of April 18 to seize weapons and ammunition stored in Concord, some 18 miles northwest of the city. One lantern in the tower of the Old North Church meant that the British were marching by land to Cambridge and then on to Lexington and finally Concord. Two lights signified the shorter route that the British actually took, across water in rowboats to Charlestown and then north.
Revere, meanwhile, rode horseback north from Charlestown while another rider took the land route, warning militia groups along the way that “the British were coming.”
Some 4,000 colonial militia fought that night and the following day, against 1,800 British light-infantry. Fighting began in the pre-dawn hours of April 19th at Lexington and later at Concord. Unsuccessful at capturing either weapons or militia leaders, the British retreated back to Boston, under a gauntlet of well-organized colonial fire along the way.
In all, the British suffered 73 soldiers killed and 200 wounded, to 49 militia killed and 46 wounded. In this first contest as through the remainder of the Revolutionary War, British troops were at a disadvantage because they faced a civilian population in rebellion, rather than a professional army with conventional tactics.
“Two Lights for Tomorrow” is a nationwide initiative to open the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Organizers have called for two lights to be displayed in every statehouse in the nation. Members of the public can participate by displaying two lights in their homes or businesses, either on the nights of April 18th and 19th or throughout the month of April. The Evansville Grove Society will maintain lights at the Historic Baker Building, located at the entrance to Leonard-Leota Park, corner Madison St. and Antes Drive in Evansville. Organizers have also called for a day of service on April 19th, in which citizens will be called to serve their communities with volunteer projects ranging from park and cemetery clean-ups to food drives, card-writing and visits to residents of care facilities, and so on. The Grove Society encourages local residents to contribute to the community in some way, as individuals or in groups, and to take time out to learn something about the American Revolution and what it stands for.
