Mukwonago

Mukwonago’s name is said to come from a Potawatomi word meaning ​“Place of the Bear,” and the area was home to significant indigenous settlements. In later eras, the area’s lakes gave rise to many resorts, cabins and camps. The construction of Interstate 43 created a residential boom which defines much of Mukwonago’s character today. Both the town and village maintain a wide range of public parks, including 380 total acres in the village alone. The Elegant Farmer, which started as a dairy farm in 1946, became famous for its Apple Pie Baked in a Paper Bag. It remains a popular destination, drawing crowds to its market and to events like the springtime Maple Fest and Autumn Harvest Festival.

Good to know: In 1843, 20 socialist families from England created a utopian colony on Spring Lake called the Owenites. It broke up seven years later, but some Owenites remained in the area.