A Brief History of Sak’s Woods
Village of Middleton: 1956
The 1956 map of Middleton (above) indicates that the area bounded by Maywood Avenue, Branch Street, and Pheasant Branch Creek (what would soon become “Sak’s Woods 4th Addition”) was still not developed. Sanitary sewer construction in the Pheasant Branch Valley was later performed during 1959-1960; a 1963 development plan for the Saks Woods neighborhood indicated that all the neighborhood streets were finally in place at that date, with the area being served by the Middleton water and sanitary sewerage systems.
Plat Maps: 1873 and 1904
The plat maps from the 1873 Dane County Atlas (above) and the 1904 Atlas of Dane County (below) shows the land that makes up present-day Sak’s Woods was then owned by Dr. Sumner Curtis Coolidge, and later by his wife Clara Coolidge (Dr. Coolidge died in 1900).
Plat Map: 1947
The plat map from 1947 (above) indicated that much of the land had changed ownership from Clara Coolidge to “Saks Inc”. What was to become the Sak’s Woods Neighborhood occupied the area between Middleton and Pheasant Branch, which were still separate villages at that time. Allen Boulevard had not yet been constructed, and Branch Street formed a part of County Highway M.
How Did The “Sak’s Woods” Neighborhood Get The Name?
In the years leading up to development for residential homes in the 1950s and 1960s, the land was owned by Charles Sakrison; the heavily-wooded tract of land became known to Middleton residents as “Sak’s Woods”. Mr. Sakrison built the first home in the neighborhood around 1930 (located on what is now Wood Circle East), and in 1940 opened Sak’s Restaurant and Cheese House (located at the present-day Restaino Bunbury and Associates building, 6650 University Avenue). Open every day...and as the sign said: “Awful Good Food”. The restaurant was known for its tasty chicken dinners -- in fact, chicken pens occupied a large part of the area immediately behind the restaurant, providing an abundant supply of fresh chicken. Today, a significant number of old growth trees still remain in Sak’s Woods (evident in this recent aerial photograph centered on Columbus Drive and Boulder Lane), which adds to the unique and relaxed character of the neighborhood.
Plat Map: 1861
The plat map from 1861 (above) shows that the land in the area of the present-day Sak’s Woods Neighborhood was owned at that time by Thomas T. Whittlesey (what is today called “University Avenue” was originally named “Whittlesey Street”). Whittlesey bought the land from W.B. Slaughter, who first platted the area around Pheasant Branch. Slaughter hoped to name the town “City of Four Lakes”, and he had grand plans to make it the capital of Wisconsin Territory. Note that prior to being named “Middleton”, the village was called “Peatville”, in reference to the large peat bogs that existed just to the northwest -- local businesses cut the peat and sold it for use as heating fuel. “S.H.” is the location of the first school house in the area (near where St. Bernard’s Cemetery is today on Branch Street).
The Early Years of European Exploration: 1820s-1830s
The 1829 mining map (above) shows that prior to being named Wisconsin Territory (in 1836), the region was a part of Michigan Territory. The area that is now Sak’s Woods was just to the north of the “Trace to the portage” (the path that connected Blue Mound and Fort Winnebago in Portage). A small Indian village was shown along the trace, on the northern shore of Lake Mendota (the northernmost of the 4 lakes) -- presumably this is near where Michael St. Cyr (a Canadian trader) later built the first fur trading post in the area (around 1832). The region was then formally surveyed in 1833-1834 (much of our neighborhood is located within the northwest quarter of Section 12, Township 7 North, Range 8 East). The survey plat map (below) shows the Pheasant Branch Creek (meandering through parts of Sections 11, 2, 12, and 1), as well as the military road that connected Blue Mounds to Fort Winnebago. The surveyor notes recorded on September 29, 1833 described the land in Section 12 as “hilly and stony, second rate, and timbered with bur, white, and black oak” (modern-day residents of Sak’s Woods may take issue with the “second rate” description).
Annexed to the Village of Middleton: 1952-1953
The annexation plat from September 1952 (above) shows that the southern portion of the Sak’s Woods neighborhood (west of Branch Street, between University Ave and what is now Maywood Ave) first became a part of the Village of Middleton; the northern portion of the neighborhood was annexed one year later (below). The land where Sauk Trail Elementary School now sits was annexed in May of 1953.
Plat Map: 1955
The plat map from 1955 (above) indicated that the land was still owned by “Saks Inc”. Allen Boulevard had recently been constructed, but Branch Street was still designated as a part of County Highway Q.
