The Pub...

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/History/index.html.