top of page

Historical Overview

Find an overview of the story of the Historic Indian Agency House, built in 1832 for U.S. Indian sub-agent John Harris Kinzie and his wife, Juliette.

John & Juliette Kinzie

John and Juliette Kinzie were the first residents of the Historic Indian Agency House.

Ho-Chunk Nation

This region was the Ho-Chunk Nation's homeland until their forced removal which commenced in 1833.

Wau-Bun

In 1856, Juliette Kinzie published a riveting book about her family's experiences in the "Early Day" in the frontier Midwest. It is the story of our site.

Museum History

The Historic Indian Agency House was rescued and restored during the Great Depression and has been a museum since 1932.

Our Mission

Understand who we are, what we do, and why we do it.

Significance of Our Site

The Historic Indian Agency House (previously known as the Old Indian Agency House) was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. In 2012, the house and the site on which it sits were elevated to Nationally Significant status.

HIAH_illustrated-1.jpg

About

bottom of page