Over 30 Iola Lions Club members and guests gathered at the grounds of the old Iola High School building to witness the unveiling of the Iola Historical Society’s Historical Marker 27 saluting Iola Lionism.
Cliff Mishler, IHS president, presented a brief history of the club, which has made important contributions to the communities of Iola and Scandinavia and beyond.
Greg Loescher, president of the Iola-Scandinavia Chamber of Commerce and an IHS member, spoke about the historical marker program, which he conceived and initiated in 2010 with the first marker at the Iola Winter Sports Club’s chalet in honor of its 100th anniversary.
Iola Historic Marker 27 carries the headline, “Iola Lions – In Service to Community
Needs”. The text carried on both sides of the marker is accompanied by an Iola Herald photo of the Charter Night Banquet in the old high school gym on Feb. 14, 1949.
The marker reads:
Among the larger and more active Lions Club chapters in Wisconsin, the present Iola Lions Club’s origins track back to November 1948 when attorney DeLyle Omholt was visited by Henry W. Friberg, a traveling missionary for the Lions International organization, who advanced a proposal to undertake such an initiative. Enlisting the support of James Twetan, Frank Smith, Gene Taylor and John Groenier, an organizational meeting attended by 30 local businessmen, along with 12 members of the sponsoring Manawa Lions Club, was held on Nov. 30, 1948.
The Iola Lions Club Charter Night Banquet was held on Feb. 14, 1949, at the then-existing high school gymnasium on West Iola Street, with 180 members, spouses, official Lions guests and other invitees in attendance. The speaker for the evening was then-Lions International (founded in 1917) director Clarence Sturm of Manawa, who also subsequently served as its president.
The Iola Lions Club celebrated its 25th anniversary on Dec. 3, 1973, at which time its active membership was 62. By the time it observed its 40th anniversary in 1989 the active membership crested at in excess of 140; today that number has dropped back down to the 60s range. While the membership initially reflected Iola’s business community, today professionals and retirees dominate its ranks.
The backside of the marker continues with the history.
Through the years, Iola Lions have been dedicated to meeting a wide variety of community support activities and needs. They have included support of the school system functions, winter sports activities, the Iola Hospital, village park facilities, the Iola Lions River Walk, spring and fall community clean-up nights, and public safety and wellness programs. Its contributions include some 55 years of central involvement in Iola Car Show activities.
Reports published in the Iola Herald indicate that an earlier Iola Lions Club was organized during a meeting of 25 interested individuals on Nov. 4, 1929, under the leadership of Timothy Powers and DR. C.E. Lee, at the home of H.W. Ihlenfeld. It was believed there were at that time about 200 Lions members serving in the clubs around Waupaca County, including Manawa, Waupaca, and Weyauwega.
Starting off quite active, the Iola Lions Club met weekly “to promote civic affairs,” according to a July 14, 1930, Iola Herald article, wherein a “vacation” from further meetings until October was announced. Subsequently, the club likely quickly succumbed to the rigors of the Great Depression’s onset, as not future references have been noted until the June 30, 1940, issue when “efforts to reorganize a Lion’s club (sic) are being made” was announced; nothing materialized at that time.
Historic Iola markers preserve the community’s past one sign at a time
The story of Iola’s past came into sharper focus for residents and visitors when the Iola Historical Society launched its Historic Iola marker program more than a decade ago. What began as an effort tied to one of the village’s foundational industrial sites grew into a community-wide initiative that has placed dozens of signs highlighting the small Waupaca County village’s rich heritage.
The foundation for the local program dates to 2008, when the Wisconsin Historical Society erected an official marker at the Iola Mills site on North Main Street. That marker commemorates the 1853 construction of the village’s first dam and sawmill by Col. J.W. Chandler, S.S. Chandler, and S. Miller. The partners soon added a grist mill and flour mill. In 1860, Henry Wipf acquired a controlling interest, and the operation passed to his sons Jacob and Conrad, who ran it as J. & C. Wipf Mills. Four generations of the Wipf family operated the mills for more than a century until the complex closed in 1963.
Inspired in part by the visibility and educational value of that state marker, the Iola Historical Society developed its own series of “Historic Iola” markers. The local program launched around 2010 with its first sign placed at the entrance to the Iola Winter Sports Club chalet, recognizing the area’s long tradition of skiing and outdoor recreation that stretches back more than a century.
Society members assumed full responsibility for the project. They conducted historical research, raised funds, designed the markers, arranged for fabrication and installation, and organized public dedication ceremonies. Early markers addressed topics close to the community’s identity, including its milling history, the Father’s Day Fire of 1999, Chester Krause and Krause Publications, the Iola Car Show, churches, and Iola’s Native American heritage, to name a few.
Over the years, the program expanded steadily. By the mid-2010s, the society had dedicated its seventh marker in the Depot Street area known as Spud Alley. As of 2025, more than two dozen Historic Iola markers stood throughout downtown, at historic locations, and near the Iola Winter Sports Club.
The markers tell a broad range of stories. Some highlight the early settlement in the area, which opened for development after the 1848 treaty. Others recognize Native American heritage dating back thousands of years, local businesses, devastating fires, community leaders, and institutions such as churches and schools. Several markers stand near the Iola Mills complex itself, creating a cluster of interpretive signs that help visitors understand the industrial heart of the young village.
Society leaders pursued the program for clear reasons. They sought to strengthen community pride by reminding residents of the hard work and vision that built Iola. They aimed to educate younger generations and newcomers about local roots. They hoped to boost tourism by giving visitors easy-to-find, informative stops as they traveled through the village. Above all, members wanted to ensure that important local stories did not fade from memory as time passed and older generations gave way to new ones.
The effort reflected the society’s broader mission. In addition to the marker program, the organization maintains a historical village complex with preserved buildings, including a 1894 depot, a log cabin, a one-room schoolhouse, and a replicated firehouse. Those exhibits and the markers together create a living outdoor museum that connects past and present in this community of roughly 1,300 people.
Dedication ceremonies for new markers often drew crowds of residents, former residents, and local officials. Speakers shared personal memories, historians offered context, and children learned firsthand about the people and events that shaped their hometown. The society continued to research and install new markers into 2025, including one focused on Native American heritage dedicated that June near the mill pond.
Through its marker program, the Iola Historical Society turned scattered pieces of local history into a connected public narrative. What started with a single state marker at the old mills site evolved into a grassroots project that continues to help preserve and share the stories that make Iola unique. Several new markers are added each year, with 2027 already having three scheduled.
As the village moves forward, those signs stand as quiet but enduring reminders of the community’s determination to remember its roots.
