Mr. Carl Bohnsack (also known as Charles) came to America from Germany in the 1850's with his wife Maria.  Carl was an experienced wagon maker, knowing the art of wheel making, blacksmithing and wagon making.  Mr. Bohnsack occupied the southwest corner of Phillips Boulevard (then called Byrant) and John Adams in 1867.  Bohnsack & Son occupied this building until 1902 at which time the business was sold to Mr. Heussel and Mr. Meyer.

Mr. Bohnsack came from Germany with his wife Maria in 1852.   He built the stone structure here at 200 Phillips Blvd between 1886 and 1888 to house is ever growing business needs.  He built a wooden home for his family next to his wagon making business (still standing but seen veneered with stone today).  In 1895, the last addition was added to the building.  Bohnsack and Son's wagons and buggies were well known for their superior work.

Wagon making required a blacksmith, wheelwright and a wagon maker to complete a wagon, buggy or sled.  The blacksmith was needed for the forging of the metal pieces used in a wagon (iron bands).  The blacksmith shop was located in the south end of the building (closest to the current parking lot).  The low windows into the August Derleth room were once an open doorway into the blacksmith shop.  The Wheelwright was needed to create a perfectly rounded, strong, wheel from many small pieces of wood fitted together.  The Wagon maker designed the wagon so that it was strong, yet maneuverable and not too heavy.  The windows on the north side of the building (Phillips blvd.) were once large double doors for entrance into the wagon making shop.  The second story contained the paint shop for the wagons.  Large pulley systems were used to raise and lower sections of the wagon that needed painting.

It is interesting to see that John Adams is still dirt road. It appears that in other pictures from this era that cement sidewalks are being put in the downtown areas. The group of men shown in the picture with the seven horses includes Mr. Bohnsack and Mr. Leinenkugel.

In 1902 Mr. Bohnsack sold the wagon making business to Mr. Fred Hussel and Mr. Joseph Meyer. They initially continued wagon making through the early 1940's, but as automobiles became more prevalent, they abandoned this trade and began selling and repairing farm machinery. Autos and gas powered farm machinery were not in full usage until World War II.

In 1942 Mr. Franz Wyttenbach purchased the wagon shop property and the house next door. Mr Meyer continued to do blacksmith work in his building until 1944 at which time he sold his business to another blacksmith, Mr. Bruno Slotty, and both men continued to work out of the blacksmith shop until the late 1940's.

Upon moving into the original Bohnsack shop, Mr. Wyttenbach expanded his Twin City Dairy operation, becoming the first in the area to offer homogenized as well as pasteurized milk in 1946. A later name was West Side Dairy. Mr. Wyttenbach bought milk from farmers, pasteurized it and delivered quarts (8 cents a quart) to homes. In the late 1940's Mr. Slotty moved his blacksmith business and Mr. Wyttenbach once again expanded his business, which included building a garage on the west end of the building. After remodeling, the Swisstyle Dairy Bar was added featuring fresh-made cheeses and ice cream.

It is believed that during the 1940's the "Boomtown" style raised parapet was added along the main facade. There is also a gable similar to the one on the main facade that projects from the east elevation intersection of the main middle portion. It has a steeply pitched roof, a second story balcony style porch and angled roof extensions over the first floor. The gable covers an enclosed entry pavilion with modern windows and glass and metal doors.

In the 1970's the building was sold to Jim and Linda Weidenfeld. They operated the dairy bar from 1974 to 1979. The next purchaser of this landmark building was the Swistyle Partners, consisting of Dan Heffron, Terry Raymaker and George Shalabi. Under their ownership there was extensive remodeling which turned the building into a full size restaurant.

In 1981 Jim and Janine Leystra leased the building and made it Leystra's Swiss-style Venture Restaurant. In 1991 they purchased the building and the house next door. The name was then changed to Leystra's Venture Restaurant. Over the years they worked together to make it a successful restaurant, serving the "Good Taste of Wisconsin". One room was name "Augies Room" in honor of August Derluth, a local author. During their ownership Janine collected and framed the majority of historical area photos that are still on the walls today.

In 2016 the property was purchased by Richard Gillen. He and his wife Joyce originally used the name Leystra's Restaurant. During early 2018 we closed for 2 months to do a complete interior and kitchen remodeling, changing our name to the Sauk-Prairie Grill. We now offer upgraded menus with only the finest, freshest, local ingredients available which are prepared and served by our experienced Chef's and dedicated staff. Our delectable food is indeed a "The Best Wisconsin has to offer".

Sauk-Prairie Grill™ has hundreds of local historical photos decorating its walls. Come enjoy the local history while enjoying a delicious home cooked meal or one of our famous banana splits!

Thank you, all, for allowing us to come into your community to providing a comfortable and family friendly environment to our old and new customers alike. It really is our pleasure to serve you.

We are committed to continuing to serve all of your favorite foods, baked goods and desserts. And, we'll know you'll be as excited as we are to try some new things too! So, keep an eye on our "Daily Specials" board, and if you find something you love, please let us know. We'll consider adding it to our menu.

Thanks again, to all of you for your warm welcome to Sauk City and we look forward to seeing you over a hot cup of coffee and a slice of your favorite pie.

— Dick & Joyce Gillen & Dedicated Staff.