OAHT 1606: Colonel Gustav Pabst
This Geocache WAS part of the 2016 Oconomowoc Area Historical Tour:
**You’ll need a tweezers for this cache**
Colonel Gustav Pabst
Colonel Gustav Pabst was born November 26, 1866, the son of Captain Fred and Marie (Best) Pabst, founders of the Pabst Brewing Company. Gus spent most of his life living and farming in Summit.
Pabst purchased the Leavitt estate on Genesee Lakes about 1910. The Hollyhock Farm adjoining his brother Fred’s farm covered the entire section 22 in the town. The reported cost was $25,000. Pabst set about building a residence and caretaker’s homes on the Middle Genesee Lake estate. He decided to raise purebred Holsteins which he sold in the 1920’s after the Pabst name became highly respected in the stock raising.
Most of his acreage was left in an undeveloped state as he had an interest in the development of wild animal life. He brought ring-necked pheasants, Hungarian partridge and the black squirrel to the state. The black squirrel can still be seen around the area.
Gus continued to expand his real estate and ended up owning Pretty Lake and School Section Lake and stocking them with fish and game. An avid sportsman, parties on his lands. The large red brick homes on Hwy 67 on Genesee Lake were built by Pabst to be used for his hired help. He owned nine large farms by 1925. Those homes and his mansion called the Ventnor are still intact today.
Permission for placement: Village of Summit