Once the Lumber Barons had cleared away the towering trees of McMillan Township in the late 1800's, what remained was rolling farmland adjoining the Little Eau Pleine River. The Lumber Baron's daughter and her new husband Mr. and Mrs. Thorton (Mona McMillan) Green replated a section of the land in white spruce beginning in the 1940's. THe result of their reforestation efforts now towers 40 feet into the sky. Unfortunately, the tree plantation was not harvested and became infected with the 'spruce budworm' (Choristoneura fumiferana Clem) in the 1980's which killed many of the spruce.
In 1978, Dr. Stephen and Linda Schulte purchased the land and began to design and build the two-story brick home. The primary builder was Duane Kortbein and his efforts allowed them to move into their new home one year later - June of 1979. Shortly after moving in, the Schulte's purchased and transported one of Marshfield's remaining brick streets, the "First Street" section along the railroad tracks is from of the LaPoint Hotel - now the 100 block of Veterans Parkway in Marshfield, WI. These recycled street bricks provided the materials for the European circle drive. This experience was to become one of many recycling additions on the long road to developing Foxfire Botanical Gardens.
Foxfire Gardens was born in 1985 and obtained Botanical Garden status in 2002, as well as designation as an American Hosta Society National Hosta Display Garden. |
