Evansville has a rich and colorful history. As a new mural at the downtown corner of Main and Madison Streets depicts, it was once home to a traveling circus (complete with leopard escape and elephant’s grave). In the 1920s, Evansville was host to the Rock County Fair. Many fascinating businesses were spawned here, including Baker Manufacturing and Pruden Products (now BlueScope), both of which exhibited at world’s fairs (though in different centuries). The neglected railroad was once pivotal with trains visiting hourly. During the depression, a Civilian Conservation Corps work camp occupied the edge of town. And the only entry for Rock County in the census of 1830 was not along the Rock River, but just outside of Evansville.
One organization, The Evansville Grove Society, has been — and remains — dedicated to preserving and sharing Evansville’s vibrant past. The Society’s first meeting took place on October 5th, 1978. Founding members included Janet Sperry, Sally Eager, Lois Waller, Margaret Brigham, and Betty Dunphy. Evansville’s preeminent historian, Ruth Ann Montgomery, was the first speaker. She recalls discussing early life in the community.
With its first project in 1979, the Grove Society joined forces with the local Jaycees and the Evansville Historic Preservation Commission to host a walking tour of five notable historic homes. The house tours were popular and continued into the early 2000s – in later years sponsored solely by the Grove Society.
One of the Grove Society’s enduring accomplishments was moving and restoring the Baker Office Building from its original home on East Church Street to its present location at the lower entrance to Leonard-Leota Park. That building now serves as the Society’s museum and home to a trove of historical artifacts.
Like many all-volunteer organizations, the Grove Society has experienced waning interest in recent years. Membership that once peaked at over 200, is now well below 100 – though a small group remains dedicated to the mission and is working to restructure the organization and breathe new life into preserving Evansville’s colorful history.
Earlier this year the Society’s executive board chose a new President, Kris Thome. Ms. Thome is an Evansville native, graduating from EHS in 1983. She left town to pursue a career that landed her in California but returned in 2023 to be closer to family.
The Evansville Grove Society recently held its annual meeting at Creekside Place. The assembled members heard of the Society’s work over the last year, much of which revolved around maintaining the Baker building. Necessary upkeep included restoring rotted windows and storms, fresh paint on building trim, and landscaping updates.
During the annual meeting the Society also recognized those who have contributed to its mission. 2024 honorees included:
- Ruth Ann Montgomery, for her newly published book, Evansville Firefighters — 150 Years of Service 1874-2024,
- Annie Larson, artist of the Hall Circus mural,
- Dan Stephans, for his tireless work restoring the historic Baker Office building,
- Donna Pyper, for her years of service on the Grove Society’s Board of Directors,
Those recognized also included two high school students, Zach Jones and Kennedy Sendelbach. Mr. Jones dedicated his Senior project to support and raise funds for the Evansville Grove Society. Ms. Sendelbach created artwork and posters promoting the Society’s work and events.
Society members also learned that the Evansville Grove Society enters the next year on a solid financial footing and that recent maintenance to the Baker building has restored it to good working condition.
Thome and fellow board members are energized with plans to make the organization more visible and create partnerships with other community groups. Says Kris, “This town’s history is worth preserving, there are so many cool things here.” Plans include creating new programming, exploring ways to engage the community’s students, and finding better ways to share the Society’s collection.
Says Kris, “I’m committed to preserving the town’s history.” Hoping to expand programming beyond the annual History in the Park, she sees the Grove Society’s historical collection as an underappreciated asset. “We don’t even know what we have,” referencing the breadth of the artifacts in the collection. Helping document those antiques offers one of the more interesting opportunities for volunteers.
With respect to History in the Park, each year on the last Sunday in August, after a picnic lunch prepared on the CCC-era fireplace in Leonard-Leota Park, the Grove Society hosts notable historians to discuss topics of local interest. In 2024, it was the history of Baker Manufacturing.
Previous years’ topics included the Archeology and Geology of Ice Age Wisconsin (2023), a history of Leonard-Leota Park itself (2022), and the Soundtrack of the Vietnam War (2019).
The Society also hosts open hours at the Baker Office Building Museum on Saturday afternoons throughout the summer. Visitors can browse the Society’s collection of historical artifacts, learn more about Evansville’s colorful history and check out the Antes Tourist Cabin adjacent to the museum. That cabin was one of the tourist vacation rentals that once overlooked Lake Leota.
To learn more about the Grove Society and Evansville’s vibrant history, to explore ways you could play a role in this organization, or to provide financial support and become a member, please visit the Society’s website, https://grovesociety.org/.