Delafield in Waukesha County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Hawks Inn

Photographed by Paul F, September 20, 2009

1. Hawks Inn Marker

Inscription. Built in 1846 of hand-hewn timbers and hand-made nails. Builder & owner was Nelson Paige Hawks (1799-1863), a cultured Yankee, who was Delafield’s first Postmaster, a Justice of the Peace, Town Chairman, owner of a grist & saw mill, & builder of first town hall. This Inn was the most popular stage coach stop between Waukesha & Madison on the Milw.-Madison line. It is one of 13 buildings in Waukesha County cited by the Historic American Bldg. Survey of the U.S. Dept. of Interior.

It was moved from its original site in 1960 by Hawks Inn Historical Society. It now opens its doors to the past.

Erected 1969 by Waukesha County Historical Society. (Marker Number 05-02.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1846.

Location. 43° 3.593′ N, 88° 24.398′ W. Marker is in Delafield, Wisconsin, in Waukesha County. It is on Wells St ¼ mile west of Genessee St (Cnty Rd C), on the left when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Delafield WI 53018, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Southeast Wisconsin and in Greater Milwaukee.

It is also in the American Midwest,

on the Great Lakes,

and in the Corn Belt.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Delafield Fish Hatchery (about 400 feet away, measured in a direct line); St. John Chrysostom Episcopal Church (approx. ¼ mile away);

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St. John's Military Academy (approx. 0.4 miles away); Northwestern Military and Naval Academy (approx. 0.4 miles away); Cushing Memorial Park (approx. 0.4 miles away); Bishop Jackson Kemper Home Built 1849 (approx. one mile away); Nashotah Mission (approx. 1.8 miles away); Lapham Peak (approx. 2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Delafield.

Additional commentary.
1. History of Hawk's Inn
Nelson Hawks and his wife Hannah and family came to Wisconsin from New York state in 1837. Before coming to Wisconsin he was the inventor of the first shingle-making machine in 1836 with a patent signed by President Andrew Jackson. The family first settled in a log cabin on 160 acres in Aztalan in Jefferson County near a Native American village. They sold this land in 1839 and moved to Milwaukee for a short time living at the American House and then purchased the Fountain House. Nelson Crocker Hawks was born there and because of his health, they decided to settle down in a place Mr. Hawks named Delafield. There he built a log cabin and evetually added on a wooden frame

Photographed by Paul F, September 20, 2009

2. Hawks Inn Marker

addition because of all the travelers who stayed with them. He became the first postmaster, justice of the peace, town chairman, owner of a grist mill and saw mill, and builder of the first town hall. Then in 1846 Mr. Hawks built a large Georgian Revival house of hand-hewn timber and hand-made nails which he called the Delafield Inn. It was known as "One of the best-kept hotels in the Territory". Built on the Territorial road from Milwaukee to Madison, the inn was always extremely busy with the many travelers who stopped to rest for the night.

Many teamsters stayed with him en route from Mineral Point to Milwaukee with their iron ore loads. Stagecoaches stopped once a day with travelers who were homesteaders, miners, trappers, traders and territorial politicians.

The inn was moved from its original site to the current museum site in 1960. Today it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is open as an educational museum with the visitor center offering both tours and special events.

— Submitted June 7, 2011, by Linda Hansen of Waukesha, Wisconsin.

Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on June 21, 2010, by Paul Fehrenbach of Richfield, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 2,065 times since then and 37 times this year. Last updated on June 20, 2011, by Paul Fehrenbach of Richfield, Wisconsin. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 21, 2010, by Paul Fehrenbach of Richfield, Wisconsin. • Kevin W. was the editor who published this page.