The Octagon House

 

Octagon House

We had our last tourist stop of this trip at the Octagon House in Watertown, WI. I hadn’t been to Watertown since my senior year of high school. At that time, I took first place in the state for my knowledge of the U.S. Constitution.

The Central Staircase

The Octagon House was built in 1854 by John Richards. It has early forms of central heating, running water and ventilation. There is a cistern on the roof of the 5-story house and piping for running water, assuming it rains. The house is fitted with French doors, air vents, and a top hatch for ventilation. Each room as a stove in it with piping to the four chimneys on the roof. The Watertown Historical Society maintains the home with furniture from various times; sixty percent is originals from the family. In the yard is the first kindergarten established in America. 

The Cliff at High Cliff State Park

We continued to High Cliff State Park and had dinner with my brother, Bob, and his wife, Cindy, at the Out of Town Supper Club. We go here every time we’re in the Appleton, Wisconsin area. The most reasonable prices for drinks ($3.75 for an Old fashioned) and delicious steaks and seafood (I had the halibut).

The remainder of our trip was spent visiting relatives in Wisconsin and our daughter's family in Minnesota. We celebrated Claire's fifth birthday and noticed how tall Mallory had become at age seven. In Minnesota, we camped at Lake Elmo Reserve and made use of their beach area. 

Claire, Greg, and Mallory at Lake Elmo