THE HISTORY OF ROCKWOOD – THE EARLY YEARS
(As Reported by Rockwood Member Cheryl Sanderlin)
First reported in “The Lakeland times” newspaper in 1910, Sidney E. Florsheim of Chicago
arrived to spend the summer at Rockwood Farm on Lake Shishebogama. Mr. Florsheim made
his fortune in selling horse harnesses and ladies’ undergarments and was the brother of the
famous shoe maker. Sidney raised prize winning Guernsey cattle at Rockwood and ran a model
dairy farm. On a Tuesday night in August of 1916, his three-year old barn burned to the ground
with an estimated loss of $30,000 - $50,000. Fortunately, the Guernsey cattle were not in the
barn, but the entire hay and grain supply was lost.
In the early part of the 1900’s, there was a resort on part of the Rockwood property that
would now be reached by Pointview Drive and View Court. At some point, the resort became
part of the Rockwood property, but it is not exactly known when. The resort was known as
Darrow’s Resort from 1907-1917. In 1918, the resort was purchased by G. H. Reinberger. Mr.
Reinberger was in the garment business in Chicago and returned to his office frequently during
the summers. The resort became known as the Lakewood Pine Resort and it was managed by
Reinberger for many years.
In 1921, Sidney E. Florsheim reported plans to open a summer resort at Rockwood Dairy
Farm. The resort was to consist of separate modern cottages including being equipped with
running water and showers. It was also reported that in 1922 Mr. Florsheim began giving away
six pure-blood calves from his herd to people of Oneida and Vilas Counties. The free bulls were
to go to farmers who met his requirements to encourage new settlers to develop herds in the
Northwood’s area.
In 2008, Member Cheryl Sanderlin talked to Mr. Marshall Mauer of Missouri. Mr. Mauer,
then in his 90’s, worked at the resort during the summers of 1936 and 1937 while he was in
college. He mentioned that the resort did not have any running water nor electricity. With six or
seven cabins and a lodge, he described it as “small, quiet, rustic and charming.” Mr. Mauer lived
in what is now the only remaining cabin of the resort. This cabin is on View Court; it was
purchased by Gary and Marydon McCreery in 1993. They made several improvements to it. In
2003 it was purchased by Jeff and Bonnie Hollnbacher and was extensively rebuilt and
modernized. Then in 2006 it was bought by James and Donna Buczek of Orland Park, Illinois
and they continue to own it.
In 1940, Arthur Rubloff, a renowned Chicago realtor, purchased Rockwood Dairy Farm. It
was reported that Rubloff arrived at 4:30 p.m. and that by 4:35 p.m. he made the decision to
purchase the 312-acre property including 1.5 miles of lakefront. According to the Chicago
Tribune, Rubloff was “one of a kind, A Dandy by Way of Duluth.” The Tribune cited him as a
“visionary real estate developer who helped changed the face of Chicago.” It was Rubloff who
coined the term “The Magnificent Mile” in reference to north Michigan Avenue in Chicago.
Nine short years later, in 1949, Rubloff sold his Rockwood Estate to Alvin A. Gould of
Cincinnati, Ohio. Rubloff had made many improvements at Rockwood during his nine years of
ownership and it turned out to be a six-figure sale. With a large tract of pasture land at
Rockwood, Gould intended to bring many of his prize-winning saddle horses to his new
Northwood’s estate. In Ohio, Gould had bred only saddle horses but he planned to begin
breeding trotters at Rockwood. He won various harness racing championships with his award-
winning trotters.
Fourteen years later in 1963, Harold Raben and C. Ward Kief of Seattle, Washington
purchased Rockwood and announced plans for developing the property. Hans Naumann, the
long-time caretaker, was retained through this sale. Most of the real estate was developed into
500 lots about 15,000 square feet in size. The lodge, park grounds, greenhouse, boat house,
etc., were to be left intact and deeded as a non-profit club comprised of all Rockwood lot
owners. Rockwood was advertised as “The Finest Resort Community in Wisconsin”. Prices of
the lots started at $1,095 with $10 down and payments as low as $10 per month. However, most
of the off-water lots were $3,000 to $4,000 with lake lots at a much higher cost. Rigid, restrictive
lot covenants were recorded with each deed. Trailers, hunting and fishing shacks and outhouses
were not allowed. The developers were obligated to provide maintenance services until all but
fifty lots were sold. This goal was never accomplished. The subdivision may have been
developed before the public was ready to buy and it never took off. As of 1963, only about 140
lots had been sold.
In July 1967, the property was sold to a marketing firm, Havasu Sales, for the price of
$750,000. The company, owned by R.E. Thomas, immediately began aggressively marketing
Rockwood lots through ads in Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis newspapers. The ads
promised to house and feed interested buyers who wanted to drive up and see the property.
Then in 1968 Thomas began flying potential buyers to evaluate the development. Many plans
and promises were made and many lots were sold. However, many of these best laid plans were
changed when National Homes came looking for R.E. Thomas.
In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, National Homes was the largest prefab home builder
in the country. In order to hire Mr. Thomas as their marketing vice-president, they agreed to
purchase the entire Rockwood development. National Homes did little to market the property but
continue to provide water, garbage pick-up, pool and boathouse usage and maintenance on the
club property.
In 1976, National Homes reduced the price of lake lots if the buyer contracted to build a
National Home within two years. By 1978, eight to ten new homes were completed. Rockwood
continued to exhibit slow growth until the late 1980’s when National Homes declared bankruptcy.
National Homes attempted to sell Rockwood by auction in August of 1989. This effort motivated
a group of twenty-five homeowners to file a suit to protect their titled ownership of the clubhouse,
the boathouse and connection to the water system. Home owners would lose some of these
rights but in 1993, the litigation was resolved. In August 1993, Rockwood Country Club, Inc.,
was deeded the pump house property, located on Rockwood Drive, Oneida County, and the boat
launch area (Lots 1-9, Block 12, Rockwood Estates North, Division Three, Vilas County). They
also received $20,000 to improve the park and beach area and maintain their water supply. In
late 1993, all of the remaining Rockwood real estate, then owned and part of the bankruptcy
proceedings of National Homes, was purchased by Tom and Mimi Miklautsch.
(NOTE – Rockwood Country Club, effective August 1993, only owns the pumphouse on
Rockwood Drive, and the boat landing site in Vilas County.)
arrived to spend the summer at Rockwood Farm on Lake Shishebogama. Mr. Florsheim made
his fortune in selling horse harnesses and ladies’ undergarments and was the brother of the
famous shoe maker. Sidney raised prize winning Guernsey cattle at Rockwood and ran a model
dairy farm. On a Tuesday night in August of 1916, his three-year old barn burned to the ground
with an estimated loss of $30,000 - $50,000. Fortunately, the Guernsey cattle were not in the
barn, but the entire hay and grain supply was lost.
In the early part of the 1900’s, there was a resort on part of the Rockwood property that
would now be reached by Pointview Drive and View Court. At some point, the resort became
part of the Rockwood property, but it is not exactly known when. The resort was known as
Darrow’s Resort from 1907-1917. In 1918, the resort was purchased by G. H. Reinberger. Mr.
Reinberger was in the garment business in Chicago and returned to his office frequently during
the summers. The resort became known as the Lakewood Pine Resort and it was managed by
Reinberger for many years.
In 1921, Sidney E. Florsheim reported plans to open a summer resort at Rockwood Dairy
Farm. The resort was to consist of separate modern cottages including being equipped with
running water and showers. It was also reported that in 1922 Mr. Florsheim began giving away
six pure-blood calves from his herd to people of Oneida and Vilas Counties. The free bulls were
to go to farmers who met his requirements to encourage new settlers to develop herds in the
Northwood’s area.
In 2008, Member Cheryl Sanderlin talked to Mr. Marshall Mauer of Missouri. Mr. Mauer,
then in his 90’s, worked at the resort during the summers of 1936 and 1937 while he was in
college. He mentioned that the resort did not have any running water nor electricity. With six or
seven cabins and a lodge, he described it as “small, quiet, rustic and charming.” Mr. Mauer lived
in what is now the only remaining cabin of the resort. This cabin is on View Court; it was
purchased by Gary and Marydon McCreery in 1993. They made several improvements to it. In
2003 it was purchased by Jeff and Bonnie Hollnbacher and was extensively rebuilt and
modernized. Then in 2006 it was bought by James and Donna Buczek of Orland Park, Illinois
and they continue to own it.
In 1940, Arthur Rubloff, a renowned Chicago realtor, purchased Rockwood Dairy Farm. It
was reported that Rubloff arrived at 4:30 p.m. and that by 4:35 p.m. he made the decision to
purchase the 312-acre property including 1.5 miles of lakefront. According to the Chicago
Tribune, Rubloff was “one of a kind, A Dandy by Way of Duluth.” The Tribune cited him as a
“visionary real estate developer who helped changed the face of Chicago.” It was Rubloff who
coined the term “The Magnificent Mile” in reference to north Michigan Avenue in Chicago.
Nine short years later, in 1949, Rubloff sold his Rockwood Estate to Alvin A. Gould of
Cincinnati, Ohio. Rubloff had made many improvements at Rockwood during his nine years of
ownership and it turned out to be a six-figure sale. With a large tract of pasture land at
Rockwood, Gould intended to bring many of his prize-winning saddle horses to his new
Northwood’s estate. In Ohio, Gould had bred only saddle horses but he planned to begin
breeding trotters at Rockwood. He won various harness racing championships with his award-
winning trotters.
Fourteen years later in 1963, Harold Raben and C. Ward Kief of Seattle, Washington
purchased Rockwood and announced plans for developing the property. Hans Naumann, the
long-time caretaker, was retained through this sale. Most of the real estate was developed into
500 lots about 15,000 square feet in size. The lodge, park grounds, greenhouse, boat house,
etc., were to be left intact and deeded as a non-profit club comprised of all Rockwood lot
owners. Rockwood was advertised as “The Finest Resort Community in Wisconsin”. Prices of
the lots started at $1,095 with $10 down and payments as low as $10 per month. However, most
of the off-water lots were $3,000 to $4,000 with lake lots at a much higher cost. Rigid, restrictive
lot covenants were recorded with each deed. Trailers, hunting and fishing shacks and outhouses
were not allowed. The developers were obligated to provide maintenance services until all but
fifty lots were sold. This goal was never accomplished. The subdivision may have been
developed before the public was ready to buy and it never took off. As of 1963, only about 140
lots had been sold.
In July 1967, the property was sold to a marketing firm, Havasu Sales, for the price of
$750,000. The company, owned by R.E. Thomas, immediately began aggressively marketing
Rockwood lots through ads in Chicago, Milwaukee and Minneapolis newspapers. The ads
promised to house and feed interested buyers who wanted to drive up and see the property.
Then in 1968 Thomas began flying potential buyers to evaluate the development. Many plans
and promises were made and many lots were sold. However, many of these best laid plans were
changed when National Homes came looking for R.E. Thomas.
In the late 1960’s and early 1970’s, National Homes was the largest prefab home builder
in the country. In order to hire Mr. Thomas as their marketing vice-president, they agreed to
purchase the entire Rockwood development. National Homes did little to market the property but
continue to provide water, garbage pick-up, pool and boathouse usage and maintenance on the
club property.
In 1976, National Homes reduced the price of lake lots if the buyer contracted to build a
National Home within two years. By 1978, eight to ten new homes were completed. Rockwood
continued to exhibit slow growth until the late 1980’s when National Homes declared bankruptcy.
National Homes attempted to sell Rockwood by auction in August of 1989. This effort motivated
a group of twenty-five homeowners to file a suit to protect their titled ownership of the clubhouse,
the boathouse and connection to the water system. Home owners would lose some of these
rights but in 1993, the litigation was resolved. In August 1993, Rockwood Country Club, Inc.,
was deeded the pump house property, located on Rockwood Drive, Oneida County, and the boat
launch area (Lots 1-9, Block 12, Rockwood Estates North, Division Three, Vilas County). They
also received $20,000 to improve the park and beach area and maintain their water supply. In
late 1993, all of the remaining Rockwood real estate, then owned and part of the bankruptcy
proceedings of National Homes, was purchased by Tom and Mimi Miklautsch.
(NOTE – Rockwood Country Club, effective August 1993, only owns the pumphouse on
Rockwood Drive, and the boat landing site in Vilas County.)