Gaudenz Witwen

The village of Witwen is situated in the Town of Troy, on County Highway E in Sauk County WI. It was named after one of the first settlers in the area, Gaudenz Witwen, who built a log cabin and settled in the area in 1856.

Other family members soon arrived, and the Witwen brothers built a feed and flour mill on a diverted branch of Honey Creek. They dammed the stream which formed a mill pond to provide power for their new enterprise. During the winter, the pond was a ready source for ice, used to refrigerate perishables during hot summer months.