LIVING HERE
The first Hillmoor Commission meeting included a brief presentation of the recent archeological study and a bit of history on the Hillmoor property.
People have been living in this area for 12,000 years since the glaciers receded. There are more than 120 archeological sites that have been recorded in the Lake Geneva and Lake Como area including prehistoric, indigenous, and early historic. There are known archeological sites near the Hillmoor property, but until recently the Hillmoor property was never professionally surveyed. Archeological resources are non-renewable, once they are gone, they are destroyed they are gone forever.
The Hillmoor ad hoc5 committee understood this and agreed the grant must be applied for and the study must be done before any work begins. The grant was applied for in November 2023 and was awarded in February 2024. The cost was estimated to be $30,000.00 and the grant was enough to cover the cost. Field work on Hillmoor began as well as some educational events with local schools. The final report of investigations is not yet completed. Preliminary results indicate two archeological sites on Hillmoor. The first is the James Haskin Farmstead located near Haskin Street barn and silo foundations are present.
The second site is the historic engine house next to the old railroad and north of the city parking lot where the disc golf is T-1 to be exact. There were thirty acres surveyed, and these are the two significant findings although there are many stories from the past that indicate informal indigenous findings occurred on the Hillmoor property. Archeologists from Madison working with the Friends of Hillmoor will give a public presentation on the findings and history of the property at the end of April. The exact time and place have not yet been finalized. Stay tuned for this fabulous event. The full report will be at the Lake Geneva Library for all to enjoy some time this summer.
