Guests to the Manitowoc County Historical Society on Saturday, August 6 will see Pinecrest Village’s Krueger Sawmill in operation from 10 am to 3 pm. The demonstration is included with the museum’s daily admission.

Sawmills were introduced to Manitowoc County very soon after settlers arrived in the 1830s. Because of the importance of wood and wood products to the early settlements and young community, the use of water and steam-powered sawmills spread throughout the county as the population grew during the next 150 years.

After years of development and planning, the permanent sawmill structure was erected to be a part of Pinecrest Village by members of the Mid-Lakes Rustic Iron Club with a sawmill donated by the Krueger family in 2020. The sawmill was operated by Edwin Krueger around the Newton area in the early to mid-1900s. It is possible that this mill was used as the English Lake Mill, prior to the structure being destroyed by a fire. In addition to running the sawmill, Mr. Krueger operated a small dairy farm and was a mason contractor.

The sawmill and drag saw, located just west of the building, help tell the story of lumbering at the turn of the 20th century. In addition to August 6, the sawmill will be operational during the Mid-Lakes Thresheree on September 10 and 11.

The Manitowoc County Historical Society is located at 924 Pinecrest Road in Manitowoc. General admission is $10 for adults, $7 for children age 4 to 17, and under age 4 is free. MCHS members receive free daily admission. For more information about the museum, call (920) 684-4445 or visit ManitowocCountyHistory.org.