Stone Bank (formerly Newberg) is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a parcel of land that is not governed by a local general-purpose municipal corporation. (At p. 178.) They may be governed or serviced by an encompassing unit (such as a county) or another branch of the state (such as th ...

located in the towns of Merton and Oconomowoc, in

Waukesha County, Wisconsin Waukesha County () is a county (United States), county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. As of the 2020 United States Census, the population was 406,978, making it the third-most populous county in Wisconsin. Its median income of $88,985 placed ...

, United States.

History

Stone Bank was first settled in 1842 and had grist and saw mills. In 1858, the post office opened; a blacksmith shop and grocery store also opened. Churches and a cemetery were also established.

Community services

For over 100 years, the community supported and maintained the Stone Bank Fire Department which served the Towns of Oconomowoc and Merton with Fire, EMS, and Rescue services. The Stone Bank Fire Department also served portions of the Town of Ashippun with EMS services. SBFD dates back to 1907 and averaged 400 calls for service per year. Unfortunately, the fire department was overtaken by Western Lakes Fire District in 2020. Stone Bank School offers kindergarten (K4) through 8th grade and is a part of the Arrowhead Union School District. The son of renowned local architect Alexander C. Eschweiler, Carl Eschweiler, has his diploma hanging in the front office of Stone Bank School.

Geography

Stone Bank is situated about 4.5 miles northeast of the city of Oconomowoc along Waukesha County Highways K and C. It is on the north shore of

Okauchee Lake Okauchee Lake is a census-designated place (CDP) in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 5,094 at the 2020 census. Okauchee Lake is located in the town of Oconomowoc. Geography Okauchee Lake is located at (43.119454, � ...

and also has extensive shorelines with Moose Lake. The surface geology of the Oconomowoc region as a whole is glacial, part of the

Kettle Moraine Kettle Moraine is a large moraine in the state of Wisconsin, United States. It stretches from Walworth County in the south to Kewaunee County in the north. It has also been referred to as the ''Kettle Range'' and, in geological texts, as th ...

region of Southeastern Wisconsin. Okauchee and Moose lakes are both kettle lakes as are all nearby lakes.Wisconsin DNR page on the Kettle Moraine forest's geology
/ref> The soil is, therefore, very rich with clays and organics, suitable for farming. Much of the farming done in Stone Bank is

corn Maize (; ''Zea mays''), also known as corn in North American English, is a tall stout Poaceae, grass that produces cereal grain. It was domesticated by indigenous peoples of Mexico, indigenous peoples in southern Mexico about 9,000 years ago ...

, or

alfalfa Alfalfa () (''Medicago sativa''), also called lucerne, is a perennial plant, perennial flowering plant in the legume family Fabaceae. It is cultivated as an important forage crop in many countries around the world. It is used for grazing, hay, ...

. Because of the urban encroachment from

Milwaukee Milwaukee is the List of cities in Wisconsin, most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located on the western shore of Lake Michigan, it is the List of United States cities by population, 31st-most populous city in the United States ...

, much of this farmland is being subdivided for neighborhoods. One prominent feature in the area is the large ridge between Moose Lake and Okauchee Lake. County Highway C runs along this ridge between

Nashotah Nashotah is a village in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 1,321 at the 2020 census. The village took its name from the nearby Nashotah Lakes. Education Nashotah House, a seminary of The Episcopal Church, is in ...

and its termination at the Stone Bank Market. Downtown is bordered on the East side by this formation and on the west side by another hill that runs just west of Breezy Point Road. This hill terminates at Breezy Point, a small point in Okauchee Lake. At the base of the east hill lies the Oconomowoc River, a stream that runs through North Lake and meets Okauchee Lake in a small marsh between the east hill and Lakeview Drive.

Landmarks

*Stone Bank Community Park

Events

There are many festivals and events held at the Stone Bank Community Park. In addition, the Stone Bank Fire Department typically holds an annual Pancake Breakfast and Open House in May.

References

External links

Stone Bank Fire DepartmentStone Bank School
{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Waukesha County, Wisconsin Unincorporated communities in Wisconsin