Green Lake Conference Center ~ History ~
Winnebago Indians The first people to walk our grounds were Winnebago Indians. By the early 1800s as many as 500 Indians camped around Green Lake. Believing the Water Spirit lived in Green Lake, every Winnebago had to come here once in their lifetime to worship.
Pioneer Settlers Chris Briswold and his family constructed a Log Cabin in the mid 1840s on an 80 acre parcel of land in a part of what is now the conference center’ s property. Their log cabin still stands in the back of the property, preserved as a museum and open in summer for touring.
As the primary developer, Jessie spent several million dollars building a spacious home, 12 miles of paved roads, two sets of farm buildings, a boat house, two greenhouses, a powerhouse, seven water towers, a small golf course, and homes for her workers. The Guernsey barn( 1916) with its two silos is the largest historical barn in Wisconsin. Jessie maintained horses, pigs, sheep, and herds of both Guernsey and Jersey cattle.
Lawson’ s boat, No Hurry( 1905) is one of only three made by the Electric Launch Company and was operated by two electric motors powered by 140 batteries. The other two boats were sold to Thomas Edison and the Czar of Russia. It was purchased and returned to the Center in 1995 for permanent display and is in a state of ongoing restoration.
Bruce Kinney Lodge( 1910), a bull barn in the Lawson era, was renovated and is now used for guest housing.
Lawson Era Victor Lawson, a“ printer’ s devil” in Chicago, was the successful publisher of the Chicago Daily News. He met his eccentric wife Jessie in the church choir. They honeymooned in Green Lake.
In the summer of 1888, Jessie took friends for a boat ride on Green Lake. A sudden storm caused the captain to put in on Lone Tree Point, named because of the large cottonwood tree at its end. There, huddled in a shack, Jessie decided to purchase the very spot as a refuge from the pressures and harried life of the city.
Before the year was over, Lawsons had purchased 10 acres, including the point, and Lone Tree Farm was begun. The Lawsons added farm to farm until the estate included more than 1,100 acres.
12 | Green Lake Conference Center
The Boathouse( 1910) was inspired by one Jessie saw in Switzerland and the green tile on the roof came from Italy. It was built by Mrs. Lawson to accommodate their large boat and re-charge its batteries.
The large water tower( 1908) dominated the landscape and is now named in honor of pioneer Baptist missionaries Ann & Adoniram Judson. Its observation platform is 140 feet above the lake. Its 75,000 gallon tank was filled from a 400 foot well near the boat house. Water from the towers irrigated fields and roads with horse-drawn sprinklers. Tea House( 1910), overlooking Green Lake, was originally named the“ Tee House” for Jessie’ s nine-hole golf course. It is now used for meetings and picnics.