Hatchville, Wisconsin (huh?) 

No, I haven't lost my way, but it isn't always about me.

If Hatchville in Falmouth, MA is an improbable village of horse and farm country today within a sea of suburbia (and I believe it is), then Hatchville in Wisconsin is a ghost village. It no longer exits.

Hatchville, WI was located in three western counties where Dunn, St. Croix and Pierce Counties abut and within four different townships. See the orange dot.

Hatch family there ---

Like Hatchville in Massachusetts, when the federal government established a post office in 1889, this tiny village’s name derived from the postmaster’s surname. The PO was within the home of Frank Hatch who was the postmaster until the feds closed it in 1903. Frank’s father was born in New York, but Frank was born in Wisconsin in 1861.

In 1898 Ed and Frank Hatch built a general store. The second floor of the store was a community hall for social events. Fire destroyed their store in 1911. Frank was 17 years senior to his wife, Ethel. They had two children, Wesley and Grace. In 1912 Frank and Ethel rebuilt a larger store and hall on the same site. In 1916 they sold the store. Ed, who worked at a local sawmill, was killed on the job.

Hatchville also had a cooperative creamery in 1912 and a blacksmith shop, and in 1916, a cheese factory.

Sources:

U.S. Census

Wisconsin Historical Society Library-Archives,

Dunn County Historical Society

http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/WI/WI-idx?id=WI.IHDunnCounty

Coonamessett Pond Association 

Have you heard about this group of concerned citizens? 

Since 1985 they have worked "to enhance and maintain the ecological balance that gives Hatchville, and especially the area including and surrounding the Coonamessett Pond, its special character." 

They don't just talk: they speak and act whenever inappropriate development schemes threaten historic Hatchville. Moreover, they work with the Town of Falmouth and The 300 Committee as stewards of the important conservation parcels in the neighborhood.

To get involved, contact: Jim Hain-- jhain@earthlink.net

Finding Historic Hatchville

In a Capecodonline.com July 6, 2014 review of Historic Hatchville, Melanie Lauwers wrote a too true statement:

"Many Cape Codders may not know where to find Hatchville on a map, but this area between Mashpee and East Falmouth has a rich history and amateur historian Les Garrick has discovered it for the rest of us."

I've often wondered why there is no publicly posted  "Welcome to Hatchville" sign on the major roads. So how would anyone know they are in Hatchville?  

If you are on Route 151 between the Cape Cod Fairgrounds and Route 28 (North Falmouth) or if you are on Sandwich Road between Brick Kiln Road and Route 151, YOU ARE IN HATCHVILLE. 

Likewise, if you are golfing  at the Cape Cod Country Club or Paul Harney Golf Club or walking the trails at Mass Audubon's Holly Sanctuary, the Frances A. Crane Wildlife Management Area or the Coonamessett Reservation, YOU ARE IN HATCHVILLE.

Explore Historic Hatchville

Historic Hatchville - radio interview WCAI

I had a great time at NPR station WCAI, 90.1 FM in Woods Hole for an interview by Mindy Todd about my book, Historic Hatchville. 

We taped the show which was broadcast on her program, The Point, on July 3. Listen

Review of Historic Hatchville

I'd like to share this review with you. Click here for concise review of my book.

Hatchville Images

Before the next round of World Cup matches

check out these Hatchville images at My Flickr Page.

Historic Hatchville Book

My Book

Historic Hatchville is an original book-length narrative about a small, centuries-old farming village of Falmouth, Massachusetts on Cape Cod that today has a special sense of place – specifically, horse and farm country and much serene open space – within this cosmopolitan tourist town. It is an accurate record of the events, some of them quite improbable involving big personalities, which has resulted in historic Hatchville retaining its wild character instead of becoming more residential homes.  

It was the challenge of discovering how historic Hatchville became a semi-rural island containing over 2,000 acres of conservation land and open space within a cosmopolitan, seaside resort town with a significant tourist-based economy that engaged me.

Surely some of the natural beauty of historic Hatchville would have been lost without successful battles to restrict inappropriate residential development during the late 20^th Century Cape Cod land boom.