Monona's Birthplace
Dissatisfied with the services being provided by the Township of Blooming Grove, five residents of the area - Ernie Ferchland, Ray Owen, Ed Rothman, Walter Simon and Justin Waterman - met in Ernie's Trading Post to discuss secession from the Township of Blooming Grove. With a $300 retainer, they secured legal service regarding the process. Community meetings were held over a span of five months and, in spite of opposition, a referendum to secede was passed (241 to 171) on August 29, 1938. Incorporation papers were signed on September 1, 1938. Monona Village comprised an area of 1.75 sq. miles with 350 families, a population of 1100, and an assessed evaluation of $1.5 million. It also contained seven miles of waterfront, fourteen miles of local streets, 3.5 miles of state highway, five bridges, three school districts and eight park areas.
Justin Waterman was elected the first village president.
Monona's History
Lake Monona and the Yahara River were popular campsites for Monona's early inhabitants. Native Americans, especially the Ho-Chunk, settled near these clean and clear waters for access to food, farming and transportation. At least ten effigy mounds from these early natives remain in Monona.
Incorporation as a village in 1938 changed the landscape from farms and lakeside cottages to include more permanent homes and local businesses.The 1950s saw a surge of home building as the scattered landscape filled in and became a community. Eventually an increase in population led to a need for expanded facilities and services including police and fire protection, and street maintenance. As a result, Monona was chartered as a city in 1969.
With an idyllic lake setting and a civic-minded population, Monona from early days has met its responsibility as an emerging city.
Erected: September 1, 2013
Dane County Historical Society
Monona Landmarks Commission
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