Early History
The Rich, the Famous, and the Infamous
Stars of Wonder
Art and Architecture
The Walworth County Fair
100
Before this lake side trail winded through the homes of the rich and famous, it connected the Potawatomi villages in present day Lake Geneva, Fontana, and Williams Bay
What is the Lake Path
100
Casa Del Sueno was the home of this writer couple who created the controversial and iconic 1970s soap opera "The Young and the Restless," which they set in fictionalized version of nearby Genoa City
Who are the Bells
Who is Bill and Lee Phillip Bell
100
This scientist studied at Yerkes prior to mentoring a young Bill Nye the Science Guy
Who is Carl Sagan
100
In 2015, this group of muralists descended upon downtown Delavan to paint a series of murals honoring Delavan's past, from the Civil War Muster Tree to the founding of the Wisconsin School for the Deaf
Who are the Walldogs
100
In 1853, the Walworth County Fair briefly moved to Delavan before returning to this county seat where it remains to this day
What is Elkhorn
200
Prior to white settlers arriving on the shores of Lake Delavan, the Native Ho-Chunk called the lake "Kay-chunk-er-rah" while Potowatomi tribes named it after this elegant waterfowl
What is a swan
200
In 1871, this fire set Chicago ablaze, causing a mass exodus of wealthy families to their summer homes in Lake Geneva
What is the Great Chicago Fire
200
During his tour of the United States in 1921, this physicist had one things on his mind: visit the Great Refractor telescope
Who is Albert Einstein
200
The Penwern Estate on Lake Delavan is one of the few remaining examples of this architect's work within Walworth County. Another example, the Lake Geneva Hotel, was torn down in 1970
Who is Frank Lloyd Wright
200
This kind of horse racing was the main attraction for the fairgrounds. The last race was held in the late 2010s, over a hundred years after the scene pictured below
What is harness racing
300
In 1907, Michael Johnson while gardening, dug up the remains of this stocky hairy mammal which was named this, Latin for "Breast tooth"
What is a mastodon
300
During his tours in the 1940s, this North Dakota born band leader often performed at the ballroom at the Lake Lawn Resort. Though the big band ballroom era has been long gone, a mural painted in 2015 honors his contributions to the local music scene
Who is Lawrence Welk
300
Despite being thousands of miles apart, the grounds of Yerkes shares commonality with New York City's Central Park. They were both designed by this architectural firm
What is the Olmsted Brothers
300
Sanford Fillmore Bennett wrote the words to this famous hymn with friend and fellow Elkhorn resident, Joseph Webster who composed the music. Their collaboration took under thirty minutes to create and has been sung by Christians all over for nearly 150 years
What is In the Sweet By and By
300
The first 4-H club in Wisconsin was founded in 1914 at the farm of Mrs May Hatch in this township south of Lake Geneva
What is Linn
400
Though John Brink when he surveyed the area named it after his home in Geneva, New York, the Native tribes named the area after the clear waters of the lake, using this word
What is Kish-Way-Kee-Tow
400
After being accused of a kidnapping, this Capone rival was caught by Walworth County lawmen while on a fishing trip to Wisconsin. He would die a mere twenty-two days after his release from the Walworth County Jail
Who is Roger Touhy
400
The archives of Yerkes include many intriguing and scientifically important images, including many that date back to this decade of the 19th Century
What are the 1890s
400
In 1911, this Delavan native started painting the area that would later become the Indiana Dunes State Park and later, Indiana Dunes National Park. Devoting all of his time to his beloved dunes, he quickly became known as "The Painter of the Dunes" and was an influential advocate for the preservation of the Indiana Dunes
Who is Frank Dudley
400
Prior to the establishment of the Walworth County Fair at its present location, in 1850, the Walworth County Agricultural Society hosted its first ever cattle show in this northernmost town in the county
What is East Troy
500
The Whitewater Effigy Mounds Preserve contains one of the largest and best preserved examples of the effigy mounds created by indigenous tribes between 500 BC and 1200 AD during this pre-Colombian period
What is the Woodland Period
500
This infamous Chicagoland mobster left a lot of legends and sightings during his vacations to Wisconsin, allegedly including a vacation spot on both Lake Como and Lauderdale Lakes
Who is Al Capone
500
During his time at Yerkes, Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar proposed the theoretical existence of this astrological phenomenon, which was thought to be impossible until the 21st Century
What are black holes
What is a black hole
500
Getting his start under Frank Lloyd Wright, this architect went on to become an accomplished and celebrated architect in his own right. He designed the Lake Geneva Public Library in 1954, using angular geometric features combined with soaring views of Geneva Lake's lake front
Who is James Dresser
500
In 1980, the grandstand entertainment included concerts by Sonny James, the Kids from Wisconsin, Don Williams, and this coal miner's daughter turned country singer
Who is Loretta Lynn