Knickerbocker Ice House on the south shore of Rock Lake, Lake Mills, Wi Ice harvesting in the northern United States dates back to colonial times, when winter ice was stored for summer use to preserve meat and dairy products. By 1799, blocks of ice were being shipped commercially from New York City to Charleston, South Carolina. During the 1800s, this trade expanded rapidly into a major industry, with breweries and meat packers becoming the largest consumers. Early settlers in the Lake Mills...

Tyranena Golf Course circa 1930's The Tyranena Golf Club traces its beginnings to 1926, when a group of Lake Mills businessmen purchased the former George Everson farm, an 80-acre property first settled in 1866. The old farmhouse on the land was adapted into a clubhouse and, despite many additions over the decades, still forms the heart of the building today. In 1927, 140 men invested in the dream of a hometown course, formally organizing the Tyranena Golf Club with Ty Neupert as its first...

Today’s, December 6, 2025, performance by the Bell Crazy Handbell Ensemble  celebrates a remarkable chapter of Lake Mills history—one shaped by the life and legacy of early handbell pioneer Raymond Royce (1855–1945) . This information and photos from the display board are posted on our website blog: lakemillsaztalanhistory.com Ray’s story began just a few blocks from where community life still thrives today. Born in Wisconsin in 1855, he moved with his mother to Lake Mills at age three,...