We've been searching, trying to "put a face" to the house. We knew it was old, we knew other people had lived, danced, cried, cooked, loved, and probably died in this house. We knew we had about 100 years of history to trace, give or take, and that it might take a little while to uncover some of the secrets hidden in the crevices of the past. Of course, as with every question I ask, there is a complicated, convoluted answer. "Where is the county seat/county courthouse for Burnett County?" seemed to get some dirty looks and shaking of heads. I was a little confused, it seemed like an easy enough question. I was wrong. Apparently, at one time, there was a big 2 story courthouse about a block from my house. Built in 1888 smack dab in the center of town, it was a point of pride in the townspeople. With sidewalks, manicured flowers and a gazebo, Courthouse Square was the meeting place for bands and celebrations in the often difficult years in the early 1900's.
So, upon hearing these stories, I asked "So, Grantsburg is the county seat?" I was so happy to hear that- it would make my records searching much more convenient. More throat clearing and shuffling of feet indicated that it might not be the case. Grantsburg was a busy little village, and they took true pride in their towns image. Situated within Burnett counties 880 square miles, it was the first welcoming wink to Wisconsin's rolling green hills and hidden lakes when visitors arrived from Minnesota on highway 70. At some point in the 1980's, the city council knew some updating would have to happen on court house square. It had happened a few times before, but it was time for modernization. Then they discovered the courthouse was loaded to the gills with asbestos, and no one was loaded enough to find a way to pay for the expensive hazardous waste handling in addition to the general updates and maintenance. The issue was put on hold, and the courthouse was closed, and operations were temporarily moved elsewhere.
"Ah, so where do I need to go? City Hall? The Library?" I really thought we were done with this long and convoluted discussion about the history of a building I hadn't even known existed. I wanted to move on to researching MY house. More shuffling of feet and furrowed brows implied that our conversation was not over.
Yes, Grantsburg was the gateway to Wisconsin's wonders. According to local legend, other cities in Burnett County were a bit envious of this distinction. During the whole asbestos debacle, and Grantsburg's attempt to receive some funding for restoration of the county wide building left it focused on one thing when it should have been focused on another. Namely, the city of Siren. Somehow, the City of Siren filed to become the county seat. They went through all of the proper process according to state regulations, but the old timers I've spoken to said they came in like a thief in the night and stole away their pride and joy. Taxpayers in the county had to vote on the change, but notifications were only sent to the residents of Siren. It was taken to court, but upheld, and a new fancy brick monstrosity stands characterless at the edge of Siren. Of course, my immediate thought was the irony of Siren's greek namesake, those sneaky little devils that sang ships into the rocky shores, and then realized I'd have to make the 17 mile trek each way to get my research done. At least there is a dairy queen.
