Telling the Story of Green Lake By Michael Zook - Director of Dartford Historical Society
By Michael R. Zook - Director - Dartford Historical Society
Michael & Gretchen Zook table set-up at The Spring Market at Town Square.
Town Square is celebrating “World Storytelling Day all Month Long.” The Dartford Historical Society is providing a catalyst to this celebration by offering various books about the history of the Green Lake area.
At our kiosk this past Saturday, at the Town Square Spring Market, shoppers looking for produce and crafts dropped by our table to page through our books about Green Lake's history. Almost without exception, these shoppers would pause at a page to tell us stories about their family at Green Lake; a grandfather who taught them to fish, the history of a piece of family land or house, teaching their children to sail or an ice boat that wrecked. The list is endless.
We say offering books with a rich history, written by your past or present neighbors, at Town Square’s Spring Market, is offering “food for the mind.” Do you know the geology of Green Lake? Why is the Lake 237 feet deep when Lake Winnebago is so shallow? You will find the answer in chapter three, starting on page 59 in Green Lake Images by Bret and Kimi Sandleback. How did lake trout get into Green Lake? Just go to page 23 for the answer. Each topic usually evolves into a “that reminds me of the time” story told by the person talking with us.
In the Introduction to Green Lake Images, the Sandlebacks describe their other books: “The other two books in this series, Green Lake Archives, and Green Lake Scenery explore earlier local history. Green Lake Archives tells the history of the Native Americans and the first white settlers in Green Lake before 1870. Green Lake Scenery uses William and Eunice Lockwoods’ stereographic views to illustrate what life was like at the resorts in the 1970s.”
Our most recent offering is Green Lake Memories II 1847 – 2019, A Collection of Personal Narratives Edited by Thomas Genwuch. Memories II is also a memorial to Thomas Gnewuch himself because he passed away earlier this year. We are grateful that his estate has enlisted us to help share his legacy. This book contains the personal narratives of people whose families have been a part of Green Lake life for the past 170 years.
The covers of these books are shown below. We welcome you to visit the Town Square Spring Market in the following weeks so you can see these intriguing books and share your own stories with us.