MUSEUM HISTORY
In 1926, Mary Livingston Griggs, a summer resident
of the lake region near Cable, Wis., provided funds to build
a log and fieldstone community house and reading room in Cable.
This building, the Forest Lodge library, has functioned for many
years as the public library for the region. In 1967, the original
building of the Cable Natural History Museum was built from the
Mary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Burke Foundation of St.
Paul, MN, as a tribute to Mrs. Burke's mother and a gift to the
town of Cable. The Forest Lodge library was incorporated with
the Museum at this time and was physically connected to the Museum
by a glass walkway.
 The Museum first showcased the art and
natural history collections of lifelong
Cable resident Lois Nestel, who became
the Museum's first director. Lois was a
self-taught naturalist, taxidermist and
artist. Her collection included paintings
and drawings, taxidermy mounts, natural
history manuscripts, models and preserved specimens.
The Museum has grown a great deal over
the years. Shortly after incorporation,
Mrs. Burke granted the Museum use of 40
acres of her property 10 miles east of
Cable for development of a nature trail.
Subsequently, the Nature Conservancy mortgaged for the Museum
40 adjacent acres that included a house, garage, shed and apartment.
The tenants turned over to the Museum their life lease in 1989
and the Mendelsohn property, as it was called, is now the site
of the Jackson Burke House, a facility that provides housing
for Museum interns and guests. The acreage, together with Mrs.
Burke's property, also is the site of the Forest Lodge Nature
Trail, maintained by the Museum and open to the public.
 The Museum facility itself has been expanded and old exhibits
have been rejuvenated and new ones added. More staff has joined
the Museum and volunteer and internship programs have been developed.
Museum programming today includes an extensive school outreach
program that reaches students and teachers in 14 school districts
across northwestern Wisconsin. Area residents and visitors can
now take advantage of many Museum programs, including the Junior
Naturalists summer program, the summer Joseph Jenkins lecture
series, and field trips throughout the year.
We are now approaching a milestone in Museum history! Due to
a combination of Museum growth and the age and small size of
the original Museum building, in 2005 the board of directors
decided to remove the old structure and build a new, larger facility
that will house exhibits, collections, an educational classroom,
and administrative offices. The construction project began in
2007. In the meantime, the Museum has moved to a temporary facility
at 43570 Kavanaugh Street in Cable.
MUSEUM MISSION
The Cable Natural History
Museum is a regional resource dedicated
to:
• promoting appreciation of nature
• providing opportunities for natural history education
• advocating stewardship for the environment
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