Sauk County Courthouse on January 20, 2013
Sauk County is located in south-central Wisconsin; the Wisconsin River forms most of the southern and eastern borders of the county. Sauk County was created in 1840 from what is usually described as “unorganized land” but in fact this was part of the original area of Crawford County. The county takes its name from the Native American Sauk nation.
Baraboo is the county seat. It was first settled in 1838 and was originally known as the village of Adams. It became the county seat in 1846 by edging out rival Reedsburg for the honor. The village was renamed Baraboo in 1852, taking the name of the nearby river. Baraboo was incorporated as a city in 1882. Baraboo is is probably best known for being the home of the Ringling Brothers; in the 19th century it was the home of their circus as well as several others. So it was sometimes called “Circus City.” The Circus World Museum is located in Baraboo.
The courthouse is located on 515 Oak Street in Baraboo. It was built in 1905 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as is the Al. Ringling Theatre (built in 1915) which is just across 4th Avenue from the courthouse. We visited in January 2013 on a blustery Sunday afternoon, so we didn’t take many pictures before heading into the Von Klaus winery tasting room to warm up. The courthouse square is very nice, with some well maintained older buildings. In the summer concerts are held on the courthouse lawn.
I visit Sauk County fairly frequently these days, mainly for recreational purposes. Devil’s Lake State Park is located near Baraboo and I often travel to Sauk City and Prairie du Sac for things like the annual Wisconsin State Cow Chip Throw and Festival.