Willowbrook 1872: Behind the name
It all started in 1872 when a farmer, William Bartel, purchased the 80-acre dairy farm for his growing family at the age of 52. They ran the farm and lived in a small one-room stone farmhouse.
William’s son, Martin grew up as a farmer and continued his father’s legacy by taking over the farm when his father could no longer work.
Martin and his wife Hanna raised three children: Ida, Hertha, and Arthur.
They were a close-knit loving family who worked hard, valued education, and had lots of fun together. Friends and family loved visiting the farm, which was often a very lively place.
Their oldest daughter, Hertha became a governess and moved to Milwaukee. She never married or had children.
One day in 1917 a traveling salesman named “Dickie” visited the farm. It didn’t take long for him and Arthur to become friends. One day, Dickie brought his brother Herbert to meet the Bartel family. Herbert was very fond of Ida and the feelings were mutual. They spent a lot of time on the farm building their relationship and grew very close.
Meanwhile, Arthur was falling in love with his sister Ida’s best friend, Felicite. He proposed to her with an engagement ring that he made from a pink pearl he found in their creek. Shortly before the wedding, Felicite became ill and passed away. Arthur was heartbroken. She was the love of his life. No other woman could compare to her and as a result, Arther spent the rest of his life a single man.
Ida and Herbert were married and moved to Sheboygan.
They had two daughters, Felicite (named after her late best friend) and Marian. They visited the farm often and the young girls absolutely treasured those moments. During their visits, Arthur would give them tractor rides and show them how to milk cows.
When Arthur was 39 years old, he purchased the farm from his parents for $60 + 5 barrels of flour, 300 pounds of pork, and 20 bushels of potatoes each year for the remainder of their lives. The deed also stated that he would provide them a comfortable dwelling within the present house and maintain the property.
He was a man of his word. He provided for his parents and made several improvements and repairs on the farmhouse. One of Arthur’s most notable projects was resurfacing the farmhouse with hand-split stones he found around the property.
When he no longer had the strength to keep it running, he sold the back fields to support himself.
In his later years, he lived on the remaining 12 acres. These acres possess the most exquisite features of the property. Large expansive willow trees line the creek where he found that precious pearl.
Deer and other wildlife are often found feeding on this shallow stream of water as it winds around the hand-crafted stone farmhouse where Arthur lived his entire life.
Arthur Bartel lived on Willowbrook farm longer than any other person. He is the one who gave it the name “Willowbrook”. He tended the fields and the cattle with devotion for many years.
After his death in 1968, the property was handed down to his nieces Felicite and Marian. Felicite married an inventor and moved to North Carolina where she opened the first women’s shelter in the state. Felicite stayed very busy raising 8 children and was appointed national chairman for the Girl Scouts.
Marian, a sculptor, married an architect named David Jacob. They lived in Connecticut with their five children
As much as Arthur’s nieces loved the farm and cherished their uncle’s memory, their busy lives prevented them from finding a way back to Willowbrook Farm.
Our family purchased the property in 2016 with the intention of preserving its history. At the time of purchase, we did not know a whole lot but we knew this place was special. It wasn’t until Arthur’s great-niece sent us old photos and a letter explaining its opulent past. We found comfort and an even deeper connection to the land after learning how much love and joy this place has brought to so many people.
A special thanks to Dana (Arthur’s great niece) who provide most of the details found in this story. Here is a direct quote from her letter:
“Now Willowbrook is poised to host a new family and watch a new story unfold. We wish you many years of happiness on this lovely, unique, and cherished piece of land.”
- Dana Jacobs
