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 & 5 vintage 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. 8-11 a.m. and Thursday by appointment from 9 to 11 a.m. by calling Regina Wenzel at 920-787-7628. Tours are given Wed. 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 genealogy classes on the 2nd Saturday of the month and 4th Monday of the month from 1 to 3 p.m. 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.

School Room, bed rooms, kitchen, county store, jail cells, doctors room, etc ...

Genealogy records, court cases, newspapers, etc ...

• 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 at the Wautoma Public Library

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.

We have a 9 member board of directors. All staff members are volunteers.

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: Yes

• Waushara County Historical Society Quarterly Newsletter

Group tours

Group tours are available to school children by appointment in advance.

Searching family records

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?