Zavis: Saved From Oblivion.....

 

Vying for the title of Kewaunee County's most obscuue community is the once thriving West Kewaunee hamlet of Zavis. In its heyday, Joseph Horak ran both grist and saw mills. The place also included a store and post office, however all that remains today are a few remnants of the old mill on the east side of the water's flow, noted as the Mishicott River on the federal postal site document. And, were it not for the postal history, Zavis might have well sunk into oblivion.

Zavis post office came into existence on January 3, 1878 but was discontinued a little less than 18 months later on June 11, 1879. When Viet Rudolph applied to the U.S. Department of Post Office, he said that the office would serve 300 folks. His post office served area residents from its location along the road in the SW 1/4 of Section 32 in the Town of West Kewaunee.

A postal site document dated December 26, 1877 indicates that Zavis was on Route 25365, the route from Casco to Mishicott in Manitowoc County. Montpelier, 4 1/2 miles west, was the nearest post office on the same route. To the east, the nearest post office was Norman, 4 1/2 miles in a southeasterly direction.

The flow of the river, noted as the Mishicott on the U.S. Topographer's map below, was instrumental in the development of the grist mill. A Kewaunee County map from the same period illustrates the flow of the East Twin River through Section 6 and Section 31 of West Kewaunee. Both the gristmill and store were built along the road which was roughly parallel to the river. Early enthusiasm for the mill waned rapidly as the river never reached original expectations. It happened while Zavis was quickly faded into the annals of a history just as obscure as the community.

 

After its 18 months of operation, Postmaster Compensation Records tell us, "1879, Compensation not listed." Patricia Sharp's 2007 photo above shows today's buildings in the area called once called Zavis. More about Zavis is found in Here Comes the Mail: Post Offices of Kewaunee County, c. 2010.