Thursday, July 19, 2018

It might be small, but Peebles – Fond du Lac’s neighbor to the northeast – has played an integral role in the history of Fond du Lac County. The fascinating story of the rise of Peebles will be presented at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday, July 19, at the Fond du Lac Public Library. The History at Home programs are free; no registration is required.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their own photos of Peebles for sharing and preserving. Following the presentation, photos will be scanned and returned to their owners.

Presenter Jacob Kroll will tell the tale of pioneer Ezra Peebles (pictured) who, with his New York neighbor James Duane Doty, moved west to find his fortune. The two men settled in the Taycheedah area. Doty went on to become Wisconsin Territorial governor. Peebles bought land stretching from the Niagara Escarpment to Lake Winnebago. He cleared forests and ran a successful farm and cheese factory. He was instrumental in the creation of Peebles – a bustling, quaint town with a railroad station, post office, general store and feed mill.

Kroll, a Fond du Lac native and Ezra Peebles descendent, has a deep interest in learning about and documenting local history. He’s studying French and linguistics at UW-Oshkosh, where he recently received a research grant to help examine and preserve the variety of French spoken in the Fond du Lac community.

The History of Peebles is part of the library’s monthly History at Home program, which focuses on local and state history at 6 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month. Many past programs have been recorded on video and uploaded to YouTube. Upcoming programs include:

  • Aug 17: The KKK in FDL at the Turn of the Century
  • Sep 20: The Night the Churches Burned
  • Oct 18: The Long Road Home from WWI
  • Nov 15: If Stones Could Talk: FDL History from Tombstones