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Wisconsin History

Most People Don’t Know About These Strange Ruins Hiding In Wisconsin

By Nicole | Published February 24, 2018

Indian Lake Park in Cross Plains, Wisconsin is one of the largest parks in Dane County. Its 442 acres hold numerous secrets. Part of the Ice Age Trail is here, as well as a tiny, historic chapel built back in 1857. But one of the most interesting bits of the park is located right near the main entrance.

Just as you enter Indian Lake Park you find something you don't expect to see.

There are hauntingly beautiful and dramatic ruins that sit right inside the park. Sat up on a hill, the ruins look a bit imposing in nice weather and somewhat eerie in the dark.

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This homestead was first settled in 1852. The house was built from local stone by the Matz family about 10 years after father Friedrich returned from the Civil War.

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The nearby barn is in much better condition than the house, which actually makes sense when you read what Friedrich said about his home: "An American farmer isn’t set up right away like a German, he simply builds himself a house, so that he can live, and the barn is finished right away, the sky is the roof and the ground is the floor, that’s the kind I have."

The house was lived in by at least a second generation, as there are pictures of Friedrich's son William and his family in front of it.

The house burned down in 1949, but the ruins live on here in Indian Lake Park, a reminder of a different life.

The Matz Stone Ruins are a strange site to see in a county park, but they tell a story of a different time.

Looking for more hauntingly beautiful spots in Wisconsin? Read about Aztalan State Park here.

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