Aunt Polly’s Wash Tub | |
---|---|
Soft Water Lake | |
Location | Wisconsin |
Coordinates | 43°5′5.1486″N 88°27′49.3294″W / 43.084763500°N 88.463702611°W |
Primary inflows | none |
Primary outflows | none |
Average depth | 10 feet (3.0 m) [1] |
Islands | none |
Settlements | Oconomowoc, formerly Summit |
Aunt Polly’s Wash Tub is a lake in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. It is the only lake in the area that has soft water. [2]
It was previously called Soft Water Lake [3] until it was named for Polly Gage (1805–1882) [4] who lived on the lake and took advantage of the water’s softness for the laundry of the Nashotah Mission. [5] Gage lived there until 1880 when the property was foreclosed. [6] The family of Laura Tallmadge (1842–1879) also lived on the lake. [5]
The area once was called “Pabst Swamp Preserve”. [1] After the Gages left, the son of Frederick Pabst, Fred Pabst, jr. , purchased the land around the lake for Pabst Farms, and farm employees would ice skate on the lake in winter. [7]
The lake is now in Chapman Park , which was named for former city attorney Bill Chapman. [8]
The lake was once stocked with German carp and bullfrogs. [5] Fred Pabst, Jr. later stocked it with goldfish. [7]
Mrs. Polly Gage, of Nashotah, aged 76 years, fell asleep at St. John's Church Home, in this city, on Friday evening.