You don't have to go back hundreds of years to discover why the Oconomowoc area was settled - the reasons are still here.
It was the area's abundant natural resources that attracted its first recorded settlers, members of the Potowatomi and Winnebago tribes. Deep woodlands and clear lakes provided the tribes with wild game, fish, and the raw materials to build their tools and homes. It was they who named the area "Coo-no-mo-wauk," or "Where the waters meet."
Settlement
The first white settlers were Charles Sheldon and Phil Brewer, who in 1837, built log cabins in the area. Early settler John S. Rockwell was responsible for establishing a great deal of the town's foundation. The young entrepreneur built a grist mill and established the town's first store, hotel, fire department, and library. The "Father of Oconomowoc," as he came to be known, also donated land for the community's churches and started Bord du Lac, a women's seminary.
Incorporation
Oconomowoc was incorporated as city in 1875, and by 1875 its population had grown to almost 3,000. Following the arrival of the railroad, Oconomowoc became a favorite summer retreat of tourists and wealthy vacationers from Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Louis, and other Midwestern cities.
Some of the nation's wealthiest families built stately summer homes on the lakes, and by the 1880s Oconomowoc featured 6 luxury resorts. From the 1870s until the Great Depression, Oconomowoc was known as the "Newport of the West," and visits by Presidents Cleveland, Harrison, Grant, Taft, Coolidge, McKinley, and Theodore Roosevelt earned Main Street the nickname, "Avenue of the presidents."
You can learn more about many of those homes on a self-guided historic walking tour developed by the Oconomowoc Historical Society.
Businesses & Attractions
The area also attracted new businesses, such as the Carnation Company, Brownberry Ovens, and the Oconomowoc Canning Company. Pabst Farms became internationally known for its purebred livestock.
The Oconomowoc Area Historical Society and Museum, recounts local history with a number of artifacts and exhibits.