Written By: Cathy (Dexter, Momper) Chybowski
Sources: Dexter diaries and preserved documents
The Dexters were among the first to settle the new world according to the Media Research Bureau, Washington D.C. They are descended from Gregory Dexter who was born in 1610 in Northampton, England and arrived on the Mayflower with Roger Williams.
Generations of Dexters have worked for the benefit of their community and country, assuming the responsibility of public service. They fought in many wars and held a variety of government offices. They became prominent and progressive in agriculture, business, and other professions. As avid naturalists, their love for and stewardship of the land became widely known.
John Dexter, after serving his country in the War of 1812, arrived in Pleasant Prairie in 1837. He and his wife, Sophia were proprietors of a stage stop which served as a rest stop for those traveling from Green Bay to Chicago. When their daughter, Louisa died in 1838, John and Sophia donated land for the Spring Brook Cemetery which continues to serve families in Pleasant Prairie.
The red brick home at ML and 31 marks the location of the former Dexter’s Corners, a place where guests were received with well-known hospitality. The home lies just one quarter mile east of the Spring Brook Cemetery.
