Our story
The History of Delavan
From glacial lakes and Mound Builders to a circus capital and lakeside resort town, a community shaped by unlikely turns.
The Delavan Lobe
Glacial activity formed what geologists call "the Delavan lobe." Native Americans inhabited the region from around 1000 BC, followed by Mound Builders of the Woodland culture, who built over 200 effigy mounds along Delavan Lake's shores.
Perkins, the Phoenix Brothers, and a Name
The territory passed from French rule through British control after the French and Indian War, then to U.S. jurisdiction following the 1783 Treaty. Allen Perkins arrived in spring 1836 as the first documented white settler, building a log cabin on what became Walworth Avenue. That same year, Samuel and Henry Phoenix arrived from New York intending to found a temperance colony. Samuel discovered the area after spending a night in an abandoned Potawatomi wigwam. The brothers clashed with Perkins over naming rights; Phoenix ultimately filed "Delavan" with the legislature, honoring E.C. Delavan, a temperance advocate who never saw the town that carries his name.
A Dry Town, By Deed
The Baptist church, founded in 1839, became the settlement's first religious institution and spawned local temperance and anti-slavery movements. Alcohol restrictions were written into property deeds until declared unconstitutional in 1845. A gristmill completed that same year could process 100 barrels of wheat a day and drove the local economy.
America's Circus Capital
Edmund and Jeremiah Mabie established winter quarters for the U.S. Olympic Circus, transforming Delavan into America's circus capital. Over 26 circuses operated here, including P.T. Barnum's, established in 1871. The phenomenon lasted until 1894. More than 150 circus performers and workers are buried locally.
Schools, Mills, and Manufacturing
The Wisconsin School for the Deaf was founded in 1852 on land donated by Franklin Phoenix. Industrialization followed with the Bradley Knitting Company in 1904, which employed up to 1,200 people at its peak. World War II manufacturing contracts placed Delavan among the top ten prime targets for enemy sabotage nationally.
A Lakeside Destination
Lake development accelerated after 1875, turning Delavan Lake into a resort destination for Chicago vacationers, who arrived via rail service running six times a day during the summer months.
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