OAHT 1625: Dupee Family
This Geocache WAS part of the 2016 Oconomowoc Area Historical Tour:
***This Geocache can only be reached by a Kayak***
The surrounding area is private property. The cache is located on the Town of Oconomowoc property.
Dupee Family
Wheat broker John Dupee (1840-1922) and his wife, Evelyn Winslow, bought Buzzard Point for $6000 in 1872 from Willis Spaulding. The Dupees had two sons, Walter and Charles. Their daughter, Eleanor died of cancer in 1908.
Dupee created a private peninsula located on Buzzard’s Point down Blackhawk Drive after dredging and creating a seven acre island in 1881, named “Edgemoor”. A 30-foot bridge with delicate wrought iron trim served the island with 2000 feet of shoreline. The still existing stone wall which surrounded the full 28-acre estate has Dupee’s name on it with the date 1907. John Dupee was one of the founders of the Oconomowoc Waterways Company. He took his naphtha (a flammable oil containing various hydrocarbons, obtained by the dry distillation of organic substances such as coal, shale, or petroleum) launch named, “Minnie”, down the canals in June 1901 for one of its first voyages.
The 53-room island house had nine tiled bathrooms, 18 bedrooms, mosaic floors, Tiffany light fixtures and gold hardware. There were guest cottages, stables, servant’s quarters, greenhouses, an ice house and a water tower. Porches had mosaic floors and “all walls and floors were lined with asbestos”.
John Dupee was worth $4 million when he retired. The Dupees were good friends with the Kohl family. He also had the first car in Oconomowoc.
From the Dupee Estate, the gardener’s house still stand, looks similar to gate keeper’s house, a bit farther to the east. The boat house is still there as well as the Care taker’s (gate keeper) house. And you can still see some of the original stone steps. History courtesy of the book "Oconomowoc Barons to Bootleggers" by Barquist. Picture courtesy of the Oconomowoc Area Historical Society and Museum.
The Geocache Notification Form has been submitted to of the Wisconsin DNR. Geocaches placed on Wisconsin Department of Natural Resource managed lands require permission by means of a notification form. Please print out a paper copy of the notification form, fill in all required information, then submit it to the land manager. DNR Notification form and land manager information can be obtained at: http://dnr.wi.gov/files/PDF/forms/2500/2500-118.pdf
Permission for placement: Kelly VanBeek, State of Wisconsin, Department of Natural Resources and Town of Oconomowoc