5 Points Flashback: Feb. 8

Jesse Smith was born in 1804 in Vermont. He moved to Wisconsin with his wife Sylvia in 1837 and the two settled in the town of Vernon, located three miles southwest of Big Bend. Their two-and-a-half story home was completed in 1847 after the original structure was destroyed in a fire. It contains 20 rooms as well as a two story front porch. The exterior walls were constructed of colorful stones collected from local fields.

In addition to raising sheep, the Smiths opened their home to visitors as an inn. Many travelers passed through the area hauling wheat and minerals such as lead. It was not uncommon for the inn to have 100 or more guests at one time.

The inn was also a place for social gatherings for members of the community. The third floor ballroom boasted a spring floor design that gave dancers a sense of floating. This room doubled as a meeting place for a secret society called the International Order of the Good Templars.

Visitors could enjoy food and drink in the spacious dining room and tavern that contained a fireplace and ovens so large they are said to have been able to bake 40 pies at a time. Guests would also relax on the front porch as they waited for the stagecoach that stopped there three times a week.

To see this object and other local artifacts visit the Waukesha County Museum and Behind the Vault: Treasures from the County Museum Collection opening Feb. 28. WCM is open Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and during special programs. For more information visit www.waukeshacountymuseum.org, call (262) 521-2859, or find us on Facebook and Twitter.