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Area Residents Hope to Restore Forgotten Town By MARGARET HERGUTH The only signs of life at 10:30 on a Monday morning were a man who stood fishing in the narrow Fox River, a Catholic nun who walked toward Holy Name Church, a woman and child who glanced at a passing automobile. No one entered a store in the entire town. Wilmot, in southeastern Wisconsin, is a town you could almost miss if you blinked while driving through, a town that was almost forgotten until recently. It covers less than one square mile and has about 200 residents. Some houses have no plumbing, electricity, or central heating. There is no central water supply, central sewage system, professional fire department, or town government (it is protected by Kenosha sheriff's police). Dial phones were not introduced until 1956. But it is a town, too, with charming Victorian homes and a history of 19th Century prosperity, and there is a group of North Shore residents who hope the 20th Century never completely catches up with Wilmot. They are members of the Old Wilmot Village Association, spearheaded largely by John Straub of Highland Park, who last month left a career in advertising to work on Wilmot's restoration. Several Wilmot residents also are interested in restoring the town and preserving an authentic 19th Century appearance while introducing appropriate businesses that will attract visitors. Among them are Mrs. Guy Loftus, who has worked for Mr. Straub in his Post House--antiques-giftsart gallery--since she retired after 50 years with telephone companies. Has Possibilities There isn't another town in southeastern Wisconsin with such possibilities, says Mr. Straub, "though I don't doubt there are some in Illinois and Indiana." Why did Wilmot decline? Partially because the railroad line built through the area around the turn of the century bypassed Wilmot by a few miles. Also, in 1900 a devastating fire burned the Wilmot mill and other buildings. As in any old town, some historical facts are hazy, but members of the village association are compiling a history which they hope to publish next spring--one of the first steps if they want to gain state historical society recognition for the restoration project. "It's easy to get folklore--but difficult to gather facts," says Mrs. Fred Listek of Highland Park, who last January opened the White House, arts, crafts, and gift shop. The first white settler reportedly came in 1837, the first family in 1844. But it was not until 1848--the era of the Wilmot Proviso--that someone suggested jokingly that the new town be named "Wilmot." The dam, a focal point in early W i l m o t , was built on the Fox River in 1846 t o provide power for a prosperous feed and flour mill. Fire reportedly destroyed the mill in 1879, and a second mill in 1900. The dam now is a popular spot with fisherman. Town Prospered The last half of the 19th Century saw Wilmot develop and prosper. Businesses included the flour and feed mill, creamery, cheese factory, blacksmith's shop, shops for personal needs, and the Stage Stop hotel: Wilmot was just a day's ride west from Milwaukee. By the mid-1920s Wilmot's major businesses either had died or been purchased by outside interests and relocated. And though it was developed as a ski area in World War II and became the site of auto races and the Kenosha County Fair, nothing much was done to boost the town's economy year-round. Then, about five years ago, two Highland Park doctors--Dr. George Wendel and Dr. George Olander-- became interested in the town through Rod Winn, whose family owns the Stage Stop and considerable other property in Wilmot. (Continued on page 24) October 20, 1966 The W i l m o t Stage Stop, begun in 1848, is reputedly the oldest t a p and dining room in Wisconsin. Though the first-floor bar and dining room have been modernized, the second and third floors contain relics of 19th century stagestop days. Larry Graff Photos ~v 22 Framed through the front door of the Post House are John Straub of Highland Park, the owner, and Mrs. G u y Loftus of W i l m o t , manager. Once a newspaper plant, clothing store, and butcher shop, the building most recently served as the town post office.