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Lafayette County

One of the most interesting historic sites in Lafayette County is the Lafayette County Courthouse. The Courthouse was built between 1905 and 1907 at a total cost of $136,556.17. When Mr. Matt Murphy from Benton, Wisconsin, died in 1903, he requested that 70% of his estate be used toward the construction of a County Courthouse. Today, Lafayette County has the distinction of having the only Courthouse still in use in the United States that was for paid solely by one man. Lafayette County is also the home of Wisconsin’s first State Capitol located just outside Belmont, Wisconsin. This Capitol and Supreme Court building were in use only once during the 1836 session before the Capitol moved to Madison.

The 47-mile Cheese Country Trail is a multi-use trail which begins in Monroe and ends in Mineral Point. Along the way, the trail passes through portions of Green, Lafayette, and Iowa counties. The Cheese Country Trail was conceived by local volunteers and financed from snowmobile and ATV registrations. The trail is open to all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), off-road dirt bikes, mopeds, motorcycles, horses and horse-drawn conveyances, bicycles, and hikers. Lodging options along the trail range from campgrounds and motels, to RV parks.

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Darlington Chamber / Main Street Program

439 Main Street • Darlington, WI 53530
Phone: (608) 776-3067

North Northeast Southeast South Central West Central