Sauk City, Wisconsin

Sauk City is a village in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 3,410 at the 2010 census. The first incorporated village in the state, the community was founded by Agoston Haraszthy and his business partner, Robert Bryant. The village is adjacent to Prairie du Sac; together, these twin villages are referred to as Sauk Prairie.

History

Impressed by the beautiful scenery, Agoston Haraszthy, a charismatic Hungarian sometimes called "Count" Haraszthy, purchased a small plot of land along the Wisconsin River in 1840. Later, with his English-born business partner, Robert Bryant, Haraszthy bought additional land and founded the town of Haraszthy (originally called Széptáj, Hungarian for "beautiful place"). The name of the town was changed to Westfield in 1849 and to Sauk City in 1852. The community was incorporated as a village in 1854, making Sauk City the oldest incorporated village in the state.

German immigrants founded the Sauk City Free Congregation (Freie Gemeinde) in 1852. This group, a liberal religious society, also celebrated German music, literature and culture. It met in a private home until 1884, when Park Hall was built as a meeting house. The building is now home to the Sauk County Free Congregation, a Unitarian Universalist fellowship.