Lake Lawn History Lake Lawn is home to a rich history that began
long before Midwestern vacationers discovered its lakeside
charms 130 years ago. From Native Americans to Mabie’s Circus
and Menagerie, Lake Lawn celebrates and continues to build upon
its affluent history. Traces of the past can still be found
throughout the resort today. Lake “Waubashawbess” or “Swan Lake”
was the original name for Delavan Lake, given by the ancient
Native Americans who called it home from 600 – 1200 A.D.
Excavations throughout the last century have revealed the
largest collection of effigy mounds in southern Wisconsin with
over 40 mounds still remaining on the property. Further
excavations in 1911 led to the discovery of hundreds of Native
American artifacts ranging from spearheads to pottery pieces.
Let’s Join the Circus! Once the new town was established, Edmund
Mabie and his brother Jeremiah deemed the Lake Lawn site as the
perfect place to board their traveling circus for the winter of
1847. Nicholas Thorne, one of Delava