The Museum is located in the old county jail, which was built in 1908. The sheriff and his family lived in the front and prisoners in the back. It includes a school room, bed rooms, kitchen, county store, jail cells, doctors' room, dispatcher's office, haunted attic, music room, parlor, war room, research room containing obituary & court case indexes, obituaries, genealogy & area history, 5 online computers, archives containing old court cases, newspapers, photos & glass negatives.
There is a thrift shop located in the jail section. The museum is open for research in the basement on Wed. and Thur. 9 a.m.-12 noon. Tours are given Wed. 1-4 p.m. Tours are given Wed. & Sat. 1-4 p.m. Tours take approximately 1 hour, so arrive by 3 p.m.
Photocopies of obituaries and other items can be made for 50 cents each at the museum. Scans of available obituaries can be e-mailed or postal mailed for $3.00 per page.
We also have a genealogy center at the Wautoma Public Library with ancestry.com available on the computer. Historic interviews and Waushara history cassettes can be listened to at the library genealogy center. CD copies of these tapes are available for checkout at the library. Membership forms and current newsletters are available at the museum during open hours.
This Georgian Revival was designed by architect C. H. Williams. It was built in 1908 and first used the county jail with the sheriff's living quarters in front. In 1979 the building became a public museum. It houses so many woonderful artifacts and is a hidden treasure. There is a research room in the basement.
Items from Waushara County, WI
Obituary index for Waushara County cemeteries lists obituaries for those buried in Waushara County. We have lots of obituaries including those who have lived in Waushara County but aren't necessarily buried there. Many family trees and scrapbooks of Waushara County communities.
Plat maps
Historic area photos
Obituary collection
Cemetary Record collection
Photo/article archive
1930s and later directories
Courtcase files
Local genealogies collection
Waushara Civil War collection
Genealogy sessions will be held on the 2nd Saturday and 4th Monday of each month from 1 to 3 p.m. for those interested in learning about what we have at the library and on the genealogy computer. We want to get to know what questions you may have and what you need help with. Learn about free websites, and where to find information to help your family research. Beginners and experienced genealogists of all ages are invited. Our genealogist will get to know what you need help with and what lessons to have ready. If you have any questions you may contact Bruce Runnels at the museum on Wednesdays from 8 to 11 a.m. at 920-787-7584, or e-mail wausharamuseum@yahoo.com.
The museum is the former Waushara County Jail.
We have a 9 member board of directors.
We have internet access to Ancestry.com and other paid websites. We also have access to obituaries of people that may not be buried in the county but may have been affiliated with Waushara at one time. A master list of burials in all of the Waushara county cemeteries is also available. This listing gives the name of the deceased along with the cemetery the deceased is buried in. We are continuously updating our records.
Access: General Public, Students, Scholars, Members
Appointment required: True
Group tours are available to school children by appointment in advance.
We are able to assist you in searching family records, setting up family books, organizing your records and more! Working on your family tree? We can help. We are always busy working on additions to our records. Stop in and see what we have or what can do to help. We are always looking for additions to our family files. Have you added your's yet?