 Wisconsin Was Forested WildernessPhoto Courtesy of The Wisconsin DNR | Before 1820, all of Wisconsin was the home of Native Americans, fur trappers, and traders. Forested wilderness and open prairie land stretched across the territory. However, when Solomon Juneau built his home in what came to be called Milwaukee, the era of settlement for the Territory now called Wisconsin had begun. |
| On May 7th, 1834, Morris Cutler was the first to build his home near an American Indian settlement on the Fox River in what is now called Waukesha County. The area began to attract others, and soon the community called Prairieville was born. Prairieville grew quickly after the Wisconsin Territory opened up in 1836. And in 1837, Joel Bidwell donated the land to build the first public schoolhouse in the area. In 1840, another institution of education was founded. Prairieville Academy, later to be renamed as Carroll College, was built following a donation of land by William T. Bidwell. In 1846, Waukesha County was organized, and as the county seat, Prairieville changed names to become the Village Of Waukesha. |  Morris Cutler | The early days of Waukesha were very important in establishing the character of the area. Newspapers, mills, hotels, smithies, and quarries sprang up and the population climbed. Shortly before the Civil War, Waukesha came to be known as the "Abolitionist Hole" for the community's adamant support for the freedom of Slaves. Quarry owner Lyman Goodnow conducted a portion of the Underground Railroad by helping a young slave girl escape to Canada. |
