03 Mar 2025 Annual Meeting featured talk on Ho-Chunk history, Tim Mitchell as Volunteer of the Year
The McFarland Historical Society Annual Meeting took place on March 2, 2025 in the Training Room at the McFarland Municipal Building at 5915 Milwaukee Street. At the meeting, Tim Mitchell was honored as MHS 2025 Volunteer of the Year. To see the complete writeup on Tim, along with photos of some of his projects, see his entry on our Volunteer of the Year page.
Bill Quackenbush gave a fascinating presentation on the history and culture of the Ho-Chunk Nation who called Wisconsin their home. One of their villages was located at what is now Babcock County Park along Lake Waubesa. Bill is a Ho-Chunk Deer Clan Tribal Member and serves as the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and Cultural Resources Division Manager for the Ho-Chunk Nation. Attendees enjoyed Bill’s easy and engaging manner as he took us back to the early 1800s and before when his predecessors lived lightly on the land. He also talked about more recent projects and concerns. As a special treat, Bill brought his wooden dugout canoe for us to examine just outside the Municipal Building.
