New Ten Club Park – 2024. Collage and Photos by R.E. Gariepy, Sr.

Sometime around 1915, a group of 10 philanthropic business men got together as a club to foster community involvement by sponsoring dances and entertainment as fund raisers. Charter members of the club included Edward Malone – Waterford Post Publisher, Walter Best, Eugene Patrick, Clint Ellis, Edward Kortendick, E.H. Miller, Will Kinney, Fred Johnson, L.F. Kortendick, and Albert Glueck. Others joined the club later including — R.E. Bennett, B.F. Wiemer, A.B, Krakofsky, H.C. Berger, G.H. Thompson, Joseph Kepper, Thomas Ensing, Charles Reeseman ,AM. Rittman, Frank Rambo, Oliver Noll, G.H. Caley, Irving Foat, Jr., Hubert Miller, Harry Mealy, Charles Confer, Dr. F.A. Malone, Geo.W. Shenkenberg, Henry F. Kempken, W.S. Jones, L.C. Storms, and Nic Hauper.

In May – 1919, the group negotiated to buy the land on the east bank of the Fox River from Chas. Noll for $2,000 to develop a village park. 

The site had been an eyesore ever since the Great Fire of July 2, 1898. At a special meeting on May 27, 1919, Ten Club presented the property to the Village Council with the stipulation that it be designated as a village park and that it maintains a sign with the benefactor’s name in letters at least 10 inches tall.

Work began immediately with citizen volunteers recruited to clear trees and brush, while farmers, using teams of horses and wagons, would haul thousands of yards of fill generated from the East Main Street repaving project. A steam shovel was rented from Kroening Construction of Milwaukee for a few days to level the fill. Restoration continued throughout the summer and into the fall.

Foundation blocks from the destroyed three-story Louis Noll store, where the fire originated, were used to build the sea wall along the river. Stone blocks from the foundation of Noll’s store were from the original 1851 St. Thomas Catholic Church when it was torn down in September of 1882. 

Sometime after the fire, the old ice house was purchased by Edward Kortendick, a local meat market owner and charter member of Ten Club. Based on the above photos, restorations were made. In 1919, Kortendick removed all the lumber and blew up the sturdy building with several charges of dynamite. The remnants were used as rough fill for the site, later to be overlayed with soil.

The Waterford Post reports that the old ice house did not go down easily and remnants were found “quite a distance from the park.”

No official dedication ceremony has been found but fund-raising dances and other events were held during the summer and continued into 1921 to develop funding for the project.

In 1921, a pavilion was erected and served the community well for nearly 100 years.

Ten Club Park Winter Scene in 2013. Photo by R.E. Gariepy, Sr.

While the name block on the pavilion shows 1920, it was built in 1921. A cannon built in the late 1880s was donated to the park in May ­of 1920 and remained there until it became badly deteriorated. Efforts are underway to restore it.

1983 and ’84 saw a renaissance of the Ten Club Park pavilion. Once again, community volunteers and the Waterford Chamber of Commerce organized “Septemberfest” to raise funds for the revitalization of the park. The successful effort raised enough money to re-paint, add new lighting, masonry restoration, new windows, new steps, and a new roof.

September 22, 1984 saw the re-dedication of the pavilion during Septemberfest – a fitting tribute to community involvement. Oliver Noll and wife Frances along with TV personalities, Howard and Rosemary Gernette, were on hand for the double-ribbon cutting ceremony. Oliver, then 81, had helped to build the original pavilion as a charter member of Ten Club.

Being exposed to Wisconsin’s harsh weather, structural deterioration of the pavilion contributed to its demise. Forty years later, it was demolished as part of the major reconstruction project started in 2018 to replace the 1938 concrete bridge and enlarge the Ten Club river-front park.

Mead & Hunt, Architects and Engineers, were contracted by the Village to develop plans for an enlarged park – three blocks – 1,100 feet long bordered by First Street and the Fox River.

As a first step, the Village acquired the corner tavern and homes along the west side of First Street to be torn down for the site development.

As completed, it has a year-round appeal with a large playground, splash pad, modern rest rooms, vendor, and picnic area with sidewalks running throughout the park and along the river. An ice-skating rink takes the place of the picnic area for winter activities and has a special cooling feature to maintain ice when the weather is in the 40-s. Ice skates rentals are available when the rink is operational. Large green spaces at the northern and southern end are included to host special events like a Farmers Market, fireworks, community, or private events, etc. This site development along with the new bridge has totally transformed the downtown area of Waterford for many decades to come.

Additional pictures and articles of interest:

Splash Pad and Playground Area at Ten Club Park. Photo by R.E. Gariepy, Sr.

Lead Researcher: Robert E. Gariepy, Sr.

NOTE: Should the reader have further documentation to enhance the content of this web page, please contact the researchers by email at: waterfordwiheritage@gmail.com. We are particularly interested in pictures or historic artifacts that may be shared. Credit will be given.

Sources: Wisconsin Digital Collection, various editions of the Waterford Post and Burlington Free Press.