Grafton Historical Society of WI

09/12/2026

A packed house gathered at Rose‑Harms Legion on Thursday, September 10, to hear Rochelle Pennington bring the story of the Edmund Fitzgerald that sank on November 10, 1975 to life — from the brutal “Witch of November” storm to the ship’s final radio message, “We are holding our own.”

Her vivid retelling of the freighter’s disappearance in 530 feet of water captivated the standing‑room‑only crowd and underscored how deeply Great Lakes history resonates in our community.

Grafton Historical Society is proud to share this intriguing story.

All Things 53024. Grafton, WI
Grafton Area Chamber of Commerce
Rose-Harms Legion Post 355 Grafton, WI
Port Washington Historical Society
Explore Ozaukee
Grafton Lions Club of Wi

09/06/2026

Join the Grafton Historic Society on Thursday, October 15th and learn about the history of the Amish community in Wisconsin

08/06/2026

Mark you calendars for September 10th and learn about the devastating sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975. We welcome back Rochelle Pennington who had an interesting talk last year on the Christmas Tree Ship.

Grafton Area Chamber of Commerce
Rose-Harms Legion Post 355 Grafton, WI
Port Washington Historical Society
Explore Ozaukee
All Things 53024. Grafton, WI
Grafton Lions Club of Wi

08/06/2026

Grafton Historical Society Board Members Phyllis Wiggins and Emily Engstrom greet visitors that are part of this year's Ladies Night Out.
Many attendees learned about Grafton Historical Society.

Grafton Area Chamber of Commerce
Rose-Harms Legion Post 355 Grafton, WI
Port Washington Historical Society
Grafton Lions Club of Wi
All Things 53024. Grafton, WI
Ozaukee Central Fire Department
Explore Ozaukee

08/06/2026

Grafton Historical Society
August, 2026 Up-date

Don’t Miss it: Popular speaker Rochelle Pennington returns for a special program on the Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck. The program is set for Thursday, September 10th at 6:00 p.m. at the Rose-Harms Legion Post at 1540 13th Avenue.

Exciting News! Mark your calendars for September 21st-26th. The Grafton Culver’s restaurant has generously offered the GHS these dates as “Give Back Nights” during the restaurant’s grand opening. During the Give Back Nights, our group will receive a percentage of the sales that take place from 5-8 p.m. and gift cards that are purchased anytime during the day. More information to come…

Fall Program set: The GHS will host Dr. Mark Louden for a program on The Amish in Wisconsin on Thursday, October 15 at 6:00 p.m. at the Rose-Harms Legion Post at 1540 13th Avenue.

Archives Growing: We have recently added a significant amount of historic photos and items to our archives. Many thanks to all who have contributed to preserve these items for future generations.

New Fundraising Opportunity: The GHS is now a part of the Raise Right fundraising program. RaiseRight is the top fundraiser for non-profits,schools, churches, bands and sports teams. Watch your e-mail for a complete description of how all our members can participate.

Remember to: Visit our GHS website, and like us on Facebook.

Grafton Historical Society
P.O. Box 481
Grafton, WI 53024

Facebook:
Grafton Historical Society of
Wisconsin

WEBSITE:
www.graftonareahistory.org

EMAIL:
[email protected]

Grafton Area Chamber of Commerce
Rose-Harms Legion Post 355 Grafton, WI
Port Washington Historical Society
Grafton Lions Club of Wi
All Things 53024. Grafton, WI
Explore Ozaukee

The Grafton Historical Society is a non-profit which collects, preserves and shares the history of the Village/Town of Grafton, Wisconsin.

07/20/2026

Please join and have some fun and help support local Grafton Lions Charities.

Grafton Area Chamber of Commerce
Port Washington Historical Society
Rose-Harms Legion Post 355 Grafton, WI
Explore Ozaukee
Port Washington Lions Club

07/15/2026

Grafton Historical Society
July 2026 Update


Sneak Preview: Popular speaker Rochelle Pennington returns for a special program on the Edmund Fitzgerald shipwreck. The program is set for Thursday, September 10th at 6:00 p.m. at the Rose-Harms Legion Post at 1540 13th Avenue.

New Board Member: Welcome to new board member Jim Miller. Jim is a long time resident of the Village. He is a second generation Village Trustee and a member of the Park and Recreation Board for many years. He graduated from Grafton High School and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Jim looks forward to working with the Grafton Historical Society.

Spirit Rock Plaque: The GHS is moving closer to having a plaque installed at the Spirit Rock location in Lime Kiln Park. Wording for the plaque is being finalized and quotes are being obtained for the purchase of the actual plaque.

Thanks to Culver’s: The Grafton Culver’s restaurant has offered the GHS a significant amount of time during the restaurant’s grand opening for a “Give Back Night.” During the Give Back Nights, our group will receive a percentage of the sales for the evening. More information to come…

Did you know? Between 1929 and 1932, dozens of legendary blues artists—and hundreds of musicians overall --traveled to Grafton to record for Paramount Records. During this brief "golden era," the studio cut over 1,600 songs, producing roughly one-quarter of all of this Blues music in the United States.

Remember to: Visit our GHS website, and like us on Facebook.

Grafton Historical Society
P.O. Box 481
Grafton, WI 53024

Facebook:
Grafton Historical Society of
Wisconsin


WEBSITE:
www.graftonareahistory.org


EMAIL:
[email protected]

Grafton Area Chamber of Commerce
Rose-Harms Legion Post 355 Grafton, WI
Grafton Lions Club of Wi
Port Washington Historical Society

The Grafton Historical Society is a non-profit which collects, preserves and shares the history of the Village/Town of Grafton, Wisconsin.

06/16/2026

The Grafton Historical Society was delighted to present journalist and author Dean Robbins for an inspiring presentation on his new book Wisconsin Idols. His stories of 100 remarkable people with Wisconsin ties reminded us how much history, creativity, and courage come from our state.

Grafton Area Chamber of Commerce
Grafton Lions Club of Wi
Rose-Harms Legion Post 355 Grafton, WI
Ozaukee County Tourism Council
Port Washington Historical Society