The gift of history

The Saukville Area Historical Society is dissolving, but its legacy will remain as the group presented a check for $120,000 to the Ozaukee County Historical Society

The Saukville group, which will be dissolving in the coming weeks, also will be donating to the OCHS a 1937 GMC fire truck, 1912 pumper wagon, their archives and other artifacts, including the historic fire station in downtown Saukville, which the county group plans to move to Pioneer Village at Hawthorne Hills County Park.

The donation was made Monday during the OCHS meeting at the Peter Wollner Post 288 American Legion Hall in Cedarburg.

“OCHS plans to restore the 1912 Saukville Firehouse, ensuring the landmark continues to tell the story of community service, civic duty and volunteer firefighting for generations to come,” the group said in a press release.

The two-story brick firehouse, located at 200 N. Mill St., served as the home of the Saukville Fire Department for nearly 50 years.

In 1988 it was bought by the Saukville Area Historical Society, which converted it into its headquarters.

From there, it operated the annual Crossroads Rendezvous for many years beginning in 1991 to celebrate Saukville’s history as a gathering spot for pioneers, explorers and Native Americans.

It brought thousands of people to the village each year but ended in 2006.

The Saukville society announced last summer it was dissolving due to a shortage of volunteers.

“Like many organizations, there just aren’t enough volunteers,” President Nola Scherr-Luft said. “There are only five or six of us and we’re getting to that age where we just can’t do it all.

“It is sad for all the people who have been involved and put so much time and effort into it and the fundraising that’s gone on since 1988,” she said.

That’s also why the county group is moving the fire station instead of taking it over.

“We have three properties and don’t have the volunteers to operate another,” Ozaukee County Historical Society President Mary Ann Velnetske said last summer. “We have limits. We just could not see taking on another property. The best way to preserve it and show it would be to move it to Pioneer Village.”

OCHS, which was founded in 1960, also owns and operates the Hazel Wirth Archives and Research Center in Cedarburg and Stony Hill School in Fredonia, the birthplace of Flag Day.

The back two-thirds of the fire station building, which dates to the 1940s, was purchased by village resident Dieter Zenikel for $120,000.

He told the Village Board he plans to store his collection of cars there.

The OCHS plans to remove the front third of the building and move the 25-foot-tall station the five miles to Pioneer Village by August, officials say.

Transporting the building will require We Energies to take down power lines along Highway O out to Hawthorne Hills.

“This building represents far more than bricks and mortar,” Velnetske said. “It tells the story of people in the village stepping up for one another. Preserving it allows us to honor the firefighters who for decades protected this community while inspiring future generations to appreciate that legacy.”

Restoration of the firehouse will include returning it to its original 1912 appearance as part of an interactive exhibit focused on local firefighting history.

“At full build out, visitors will be able to explore original firefighting equipment, read firsthand accounts of historic fires and engage with hands-on exhibits designed for families and school groups,” according to the press release.

OCHS has launched a fundraising campaign titled, “Ignite the Fire.”

The organization wants to raise $250,000 by July. Donations from individuals and businesses will be matched dollar-for-dollar by a private donor.

OCHS also has received a $15,000 donation from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Velnetske said.

“This is a rare opportunity to restore a historic structure such as this,” Velnetske said. “When our members, business sponsors and the community come together around projects like this, history doesn’t just survive, it becomes a reality for people to experience.”

Plans call for setting the fire station on a foundation at the east end of Pioneer Village near the 1912 train station and 1940s-era caboose, she said.

OCHS leases 7.5 acres at Pioneer Village from Ozaukee County and has moved more than two dozen historic buildings, dating from 1840 to the early 1900s to the site, including a one-room school house, blacksmith shop and train station.

OCHS has developed and maintained the site for more than 45 years.

Pioneer Village is open from noon to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays from May 21 through Oct. 30 and for special events.

Visit ochs.co.ozaukee.wi.us or the OCHS Facebook page for more information about the project, fundraising progress, and ways to donate.