Sauk Prairie, Wisconsin (if you are a visitor, you can't tell that it's really two villages)...Named after the Sac Indians, the Native Americans living and farming here in the 1700s, the area is still known today as the Sauk Prairie. The English explorer Jonathon Carver declared the Sauk Indian village as the “largest and best built Indian town” he had ever seen. With the introduction of European immigrants, the twin villages developed their own identities. The southern village became Sauk City and is the oldest incorporated village in Wisconsin. It was founded by the colorful Hungarian Count Agoston Haraszthy who, in 1847, built what is today Wollersheim Winery before heading to California where he became the father of the California wineries.
Winding your way north along the Wisconsin River, you’ll find the northern twin village of Prairie du Sac. This village kept its French fur trading name meaning “Prairie of the Sac Indians.” Prairie du Sac is home to many fine examples of turn-of-the-last-century architecture. The majestic homes along the tree-lined Park Avenue and Water Street take visitors back to early days along the river. Eagle Island in downtown Prairie du Sac is a one-of-a-kind location where Eagles roost each winter as they soar along the bluffs and dive head-long into the Wisconsin River.