About

Sisters Anna Kingbaum & Carrie Kingbaum Hellerud
1907 | Brodhead, Wis.

My Research

Our incredible local Historical Society is just a few blocks down from our home, and their archives are simply breathtaking. Thoughtfully preserved, while brimming with history and forgotten stories waiting to be rediscovered. 

I am a research volunteer at the Historical Society specializing in the Brodhead's original pioneers, from the Victorian Era through the Turn of the Century. I created this space to document my initial research, but now all my work is available through Brodhead's Historical Society where I work purely "analogue," and am not publishing online.

Welcome to Lap of Legends. My name is Jessica Colaluca, and I hope you enjoy exploring the history, genealogies, and stories shared on this blog.

Our Home

We are fortunate to call the house Miles M. McNair built our home.  N. K. Aldrich was the architect, and Randall Gardner the builder. 

My passion is not just the history and preservation of our house, but also the stories of folks who have lived here before us, as well as the history of Brodhead.

When we purchased our house in March of 2020, we decided to honor the Victorian tradition and name our home. In brainstorming, we believed a family name should not be attached, as so many have lived here over the past 125 years, and many more for generations to come.

I researched Victorian house names, created a list of contenders, and we unanimously chose:

Sunnyside Manor

As a result, you will see my referring to  Sunnyside, meaning the house Miles McNair built in 1896.

 

Why "Lap of Legends"

Grace Elizabeth McNair, daughter of the Miles, was a fascinating and well educated woman. The name of this blog is inspired from her University of Wisconsin yearbook byline: 

"In lap of legends old."

This quote is from a John Keats' poem, "The Eve of St. Agnes," which is a beautiful story of a love so strong, it is literally a heavenly experience.