The Raab Room

About the Raab Family

George Raab was born in 1864 in Sheboygan, Wisconsin. Helen Hammond Ware Raab (pictured) was born in 1889 in Nuckolls County, Nebraska. In 1912, Helen and George Raab were married.

Helen was an eccentric world traveler and a lover of the arts. She was very involved and influential in the art world. She started the Milwaukee Open Forum lecture series in 1919 which brought in many famous people. Her love of the arts led to her developing friendships with Frank Lloyd Wright and Agnes Moorehead.

George Raab was a painter and also taught art at Milliken University and managed some prominent galleries in Milwaukee.

After 12 years of marriage, Helen and George got divorced in 1924. George still remained a part of Helen’s life until his death in 1943 at age 79, as he had legally adopted Helen’s son from her first marriage, Kirby.

The last family to live full-time in Dawn Manor, the Raab family owned the manor over several generations from the 1940s until Uphoff Resorts purchased it in 2018.

Helen Raab and Dawn Manor

In 1929, Helen began purchasing land in the Lower Dells area. She began acquiring portions of Dawn Manor from the Lake Delton Holding Company in 1946 and completed the acquisition of Dawn Manor in 1953. Helen always maintained her love for the arts – several paintings by George hung in Dawn Manor and she hosted tea at the manor every Saturday with interesting and influential people from the area. Helen was the owner of Dawn Manor until her death in 1970. The manor was then passed down to her son, Kirby, and it stayed with the Raab family for about fifty more years.

Helen Raab’s legacy at Dawn Manor can still be seen at the manor today. The Frank Lloyd Wright room is inspired by her friendship with the famous architect. Her research into the manor’s ties to Abraham Lincoln led to her creation of the original Lincoln Room. Her display and preservation of her husband’s art helped inspire the Raab Room itself.