Green Lake Conference Center 2014 Special Edition Volume 46 | Page 44

The Green Lake Story - Our Rich 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. When you see
the size of this one room cabin, you wonder how Chris,
his wife, and five children could ever exist in such a small
area!

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, the 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.
BRUCE KINNEY
LODGE (1910), a bull
barn in the Lawson era,
was renovated in 1997.
It is now used for guest
housing.

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

42

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.

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.

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.
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.

One of Jessie’s most expensi