Cadott History

Cadott had its earliest beginnings in the 1830's when the Cadotte family from the Lake Superior, Madeline Island area established a fur trading post near the falls of an east-west waterway bisecting huge stands of virgin timber. Robert Marriner, the first permanent settler, came in the summer of 1865 to build a log cabin on the 165 acres of land he had pre-empted six years earlier. His first dam was built to power a small sawmill which began the lumbering and mill industries that served as the foundation of Cadott's first growth.

The Cadott Area Historical Society Museum
The Cadott Area Historical Society began in 1986. Its museum is located on the east side of Highway 27, north of the intersection of Hwy. 27 and 29, opposite
Riverview Park. Three buildings currently their vast collection.

Displays of toys, music, armed forces memorabilia, medical equipment, home furnishings, kitchen utensils, farming equipment, tools, business machines, a 1935 Ford fire truck with a Darley pump, vintage clothing, and many items unique to Cadott are found in the museum, including the last wooden butter churn to be used in Wisconsin.

Atlases, Sagas (the Cadott High School year book), family histories and obituaries, scrapbooks, assorted pictures, and resource books are available in the museum to aid in research of genologies or just to enjoy. Tape recordings of oral history compiled by Historical Society members are in the Cadott Community Library which is located at 331 N. Main Street.

The Museum is open every Monday from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m., excluding holidays. Tours can be arranged by contacting Historical Society President Jeanine Marek at 715-289-4916.

The Baker School Museum is located in Riverview Park, across Highway 27 from the Cadott Area Historical Society Museum. The one-room school house was built in 1865 by Charles Spaeth for $25. It was closed in 1961 when country school districts were consolidated into the Cadott School District #7. In 1987 it was moved to Riverview Park by the Village of Cadott and the Cadott Lions Club and became the first school museum in Chippewa County. It is part of the Cadott Park District and is maintained by the Cadott Woman's Club.

The Museum is open on Sundays from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m. during the summer months of June through August. It is open for longer afternoon hours on the Saturday and Sunday of Cadott Nabor Days. Private tours can be scheduled by contacting Woman's Club President Marcy Jahr at 715-289-4822.

The ZCBJ Lodge #141 was organized on April 17, 1904 as a fraternal association with the sole purpose of benefitting its members. It became the center of social-humanitarian activities for the Czechs who settled north of Cadott in the areas known as Drywood and Crescent. The present Hall was built mostly by donated materials and volunteer labor from these families. The total construction bill was approximately $900. The Hall is located seven miles north of the Village of Cadott on Highway 27.

Z.C.B.J. stands for "Zapadni Cesko Bratrske Jednota" which translates to "Western Bohemian Fraternal Association". As a means of preserving their Czech heritage, the organization provided a support system of social and ethnic activity. In the early years there were monthly meetings and yearly conventions held there. A school to cultivate the "mother tongue" and to teach English was begun in 1912. Plays were held regularly. Two unique features of the Hall are the stage which remains along with floor-to-ceiling curtains painted in 1931 by Emil Piler for the sum of $157.37. They have and continue to serve as backgrounds representing the country of Czechoslovakia. Audiences enjoyed watching the talents of the gymnastic teams (Sokol) that were organized to help the young people become physically and mentally strong. And there were many dances to sounds of polka bands.

On June 14, 1989, the Chippewa County Historical Society designated the Bohemian Hall a Chippewa County historical site. On April 23, 1992, the Hall was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Hall continues to sponsor activities for members of the Cadott community and surrounding area. Along with social activities, there is plenty of good food, including Bohemian specialties such as veprove (pork), knedlicky (dumplings), kysane zeli (sauerkraut), jaternice (sausage), kolace (pastries), and pivo (beer).

There are still a few copies of the WFLA/ZCBJ Bohemian Hall Centennial Keepsake Cookbook available for purchase. The cookbook contains more than 500 favorite recipes, many of which are Czech recipes that have been handed down through generations. Group tours are available upon request.

For more information on taking a tour, purchasing a cookbook, purchasing tickets for events, or renting the Hall for a wedding or other activity, you may write the Bohemian Hall at P.O. Box 177, Cadott, WI 54727 or call Jane Moucha at 715-289-3633.

2008 Calendar of Events

Friday, May 2 ~ 7:00 p.m
"Long Live the Squeezebox"
Accordian and Concertina Concert
$10.00 per ticket
Kolachies, hot beefs, beer and soda for purchase
Advanced tickets available. Call Dana Carlson at 644-0454
All tickets will be available at the door

Copies of the Historical Walking Tour of Downtown Cadott may be picked up at the Cadott Historical Society, the Baker School Museum, the Cadott Public Library, and the Cadott Village Hall, or by writing the Cadott Historical Society, P.O. Box 1, Cadott, WI 54727 to request a copy.