Pabst Farms is a development on former farmland in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, about west of Milwaukee. The location currently hosts the YMCA, multiple super markets such as Pick n Save, restaurants and hotels. The planned development will include thousands of homes and significant office space, as well as a small amount of parkland.
Founding
Jacob Best founded the Pabst Brewing company in 1844, which was named after Frederick Pabst in 1889. Pabst Farms began in 1906 when Fred Pabst made his first purchase of land in what was then the Town of Summit in Waukesha County, Wisconsin. 200 acres have been set aside for businesses by Peter Bell and Bill Niemann. Pabst Farms is a full 1,500 acres on both side of interstate 94 at highway 67 being developed that will consist of retail, commercial and residential areas and a village center. The city and the developers came to the agreement that they would delay for at least a year any land sale to Walmart or Sam's Club, both have showed interest in the mall.
Development
The Oconomowoc Fire Station at Pabst Farms is a combination of Oconomowoc and Summit. The station is 14,000 sq. ft. and is designed to blend with the other buildings in Pabst Farms. The station offers housing for full-time EMS and support for eight apparatus. Training is an important to everyone in the station and the new station includes a training room for 60 as well as training stations for firefighters to practice getting in and out of confined places, space entry and rappel practice. Other features include, solar water heating, daylighting, rainwater harvest, LED lighting, and charging stations for electric vehicles. The Department also providing bicycle racks, plug-in charging station for electric vehicles and dedicated parking for low-emitting vehicles. The property was once owned by the Pabst family, of local brewing fame, and was used as a demonstration farm and for recreation.
Founders
Soon after construction had ended Fred and Ida realized that the area desperately needed a school so Fred and Ida gave some land to the school district. So they built one of the best school in the county and everybody called it Pabst School. Soon with work on the farm, they developed a new way to make manufactured cheese called Pabst-ette but soon kraft bought the velvetaa cheese recipe. Fred and Ida were both very generous people with the way they treated the townsfolk, Ida every summer she would get all the children of her husband's workers and take them on the interurban trolley to the state fair where they got ice cream. Fred not only gave all of his workers homes but he also would throw picnics for the townspeople, and every year he would hold a party for all of the people living in Pabst Farms to celebrate the great harvest from that year. Both Fred and Ida lived long and successful lives but sadly Fred died on February 21st, 1958 at the age of 88 Ida died on July 31st, 1968 at age of 93. The entire town of Summit mourned at the death of the people who had made the town what it was and gave many people jobs.
