History

The history of the Village of Reeseville began when the Reese family came to Wisconsin, then almost an unbroken wilderness, in 1844.
The father Samuel Reese, Sr. and his son Samuel, Jr. were farmers. The father was born in 1795 and died in 1875 in Reeseville at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Wm. Hilliker. He is buried in the Reeseville cemetery.

Adam Reese was born in 1818 in New York state and married Mary a Bass in 1841. In 1844 they came to Jefferson County and later moved to Dodge County. He tilled his land, taught school in winters, and as the country became more settled was elected supervisor, assessor, justice of the peace and county superintendent of schools. After the railroad was built through his farm a station was built of which he took charge and it was later named for him----Reeseville. He also became postmaster, express agent and grain buyer. In 1869 he and his family moved to Sycamore, Il. where he died in 1888. Adam Reese had four children. Two years before the founding of Reeseville, the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad wanted to establish a short route to Portage and that meant crossing the marsh known as Mud Lake. In 1858 the railroad sent its first train west of Watertown over a route that extended through Reeseville to Portage and then to St. Paul. Sound tests of the swamp land were made. Bars were sunk 150 feet into the muck without reaching a bottom that engineers believed substantial enough to lay a foundation. When the railroad came through in 1858 the depot carried the name "Lowell Station," but was changed to Reeseville in 1865. With the establishment of the railroad came the growth of the village. A general store was built, the railroad company needed wood for its locomotives. Hundreds of cords were piled up on the road leading to
a canning factory. Ed. Finnien opened up the first blacksmith shop. The blacksmith shop was sold and turned into a saloon.

Soon after the Civil War the village experienced another boom when the first lumber yard was established. Other business's established during this boom were a general merchandise business, a harness shop, saloon,grocery store,the 20th Century Glove factory,a grain elevator. George Rauschenberger established a wheelwright business. Datus Wright opened the first hotel in the village. Mr. Anhauser conducted Reeseville's first furniture store. He was also the leader of a band and orchestra. Other businesses at that time were Wobig and Ortmand blacksmith shop, Snyder Wagon shop, Holz-kamper Shop, Miller-Dauffenbach Meat Market and John Polifka's Hop Yard. On October 26,1889 the Village was incorporated. A new commercial growth began shortly after the incorporation. From 1890 to 1895 established businesses either sold out or the owners retired. Among the new businesses to become established was the villages first drug store. Mr. Johnnson conducted the first jewelry store in the Fisher drug store. In 1902 The building called the Sell Block was erected The south half housed the drug store and printing office for the Reeseville Review and the north half was used as the Post Office. C.C. Miller operated a photo gallery on the north side of the village. He later discontinued the business and opened a gallery in Columbus. P.J. Connery, Reeseville's first barber,despite the handicap of being deaf and dumb, became popular with the town's men.