A Brief History of Askeaton

The community of Askeaton is within the Township of Holland and was founded in the mid-1800s by Irish-Catholic immigrants attempting to escape religious persecution and the potato famine in their homeland. These immigrants bought land in the Town of Holland from Hoel S. Wright, and the settlers lovingly named their new community Askeaton after their hometown of Askeaton in Limerick, Ireland.

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The early settlers of Askeaton quickly got to work on farms and began building up their community. A small log school was built in 1858, along with a small log church named after the patron saint of Ireland, St. Patrick. The church that exists today on St. Pats Road was built in 1908 and is now part of St. Clare Parish, which includes three churches: St. Patrick in Askeaton, St. Mary in Greenleaf, and St. Paul in Wrightstown. The church was a focal point in the community and fostered clubs, fundraisers, and sports.

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Over time, the community expanded to welcome other immigrants, including German-Catholics, many of whom were escaping the same problems and persecutions as their Irish counterparts. A one-room brick building replaced the original log schoolhouse in 1890, and in 1916, a larger schoolhouse was built just across the road to accommodate the growing community. In 1963, Joint School District #2, Askeaton, was absorbed into the Wrightstown School District. The larger schoolhouse was then used for religious education and storage until recent years.

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Farming was the main occupation of Askeaton’s residents from early on, and the remnants of this can still be seen today. Small businesses also helped shape the community, including Kelly’s Tavern—a saloon and general store that hosted sporting events upstairs.

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Information for this paragraph comes from Askeaton From the Old Sod to the New by John F. Hart and Brillion News Vol. 124, No. 50 article “End of the line for old Askeaton School” by Emily M. Rotzenberg