Isham Day House

Isham Day House. Rotary Riverwalk - a joint project of the Mequon and Thiensville Rotary Clubs. In the late 1830’s a number of settlers moved to this area from the eastern states of the US. Known as “Yankees”, they were attracted by the government’s sale of land at $1.25 per acre. In 1835 land east of Range Line Road was put up for sale, but many “squatters” established claims west of Range Line Road hoping to be able to later buy their land. Among these squatters was the Isham Day family who arrived in 1836. After building a cabin on the west side of the trail that is now Cedarburg Road, the Day family constructed this cottage in 1839 – the same year the government offered land for sale west of Range Line Road. The Days could not afford to pay off their construction material loan and purchase the land so they were forced to vacate their home. The Days’ new cottage and land were sold to a New York speculator, George B. Warren, who never saw the property before reselling it. , The “Isham Day House” is the oldest structure on its original foundation in Ozaukee County. Over the years, portions of this family home also served as the “Mequon River Post Office”, the Xavier Holdenried harness shop, and Charles Zimmermann’s printing shop. The condemned building was purchased by the City of Mequon in 1989 with plans to demolish the home and construct a park at this site. When the history of the building became known, the the cottage was restored to its original condition by the Mequon Historical Society in the 1990’s.