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Irish Roots Run Deep in Waukesha!
Richard Dunbar, born in County Mayo, Ireland, came to the United States
in the 1840's. Working as a civil engineer in the construction of the
railroads, Dunbar arrived in Wisconsin around 1850. After marrying a
Village of Waukesha woman, Dunbar became involved in the War Between the
States. In 1868, Col. Dunbar was informed by his doctor that he was
dying from diabetes. On a visit with his sister-in-law back in
Waukesha, she introduced him to a spring along the Fox River. For four
days he returned to the spring to rest and indulged in drinks of the
refreshing spring water. He came to believe the waters contained
healing properties. This would change the history of the village as he
began to proclaim the water's restoring aspects and commercialize what he
came to call the Bethesda Mineral Spring. The Springs Era had begun!
Tom Spence, born near Belfast, Ireland (Northern Ireland was not
partitioned until 1921), arrived on the shores of the United States in 1844.
He arrived in Milwaukee in 1848 and then soon onto the Village of Waukesha.
Successful in his business endeavors and aware that change was soon to take
place in the village, Spence purchased Horeb Spring and a parcel of land.
In 1880 he began to develop the Horeb Spring Resort. From its vantage
point high above the Fox River and the city below, the resort flourished and
the Horeb Spring Company profited on sales of its water, from Montreal to
New Orleans.
On February 4, 1896, the City of Waukesha came to be. Voted on by
referendum vote, the village became incorporated by a vote of 1036 to 746.
The opposition to the move felt that a village sounded more appealing to
visitors drawn in by the healing waters of Waukesha. However, due in
part to the growth spurred by the lure of Waukesha as a quiet escape, the
population was growing too large to remain a village. Waukesha was in
the midst of the Spring Era.
In November of 2000, House of Guinness opened their doors on West
Main Street to become the first nightlife hot spot of the new millennium in
Historic Downtown Waukesha. Proudly serving cold draught imports and
celebrating Irish music, this is a true Irish pub that Waukesha forefathers
would surely have frequented. Our Irish predecessors were a part of
putting Waukesha on the map at the turn of the 20th Century. House
of Guinness is determined to be a part of Waukesha's return to splendor,
100 years later. The H.o.G. Era has begun!
For a more detailed exploration of the history of Waukesha, visit
http://www.ci.waukesha.wi.us/web/guest/cityhistory.
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