Bulldozers pushed the remains of the barn past its fieldstone foundation on Friday.
A Wisconsin family had farmed the same land in West Bend since 1847, with George Muth becoming the fifth generation of his family to work the farm. The new development is planned to include about 400 multifamily residences. The Muth family’s connection with the property goes back nearly 180 years.
Bulldozers pushed the remains of the barn past its fieldstone foundation while trees in a nearby field were also cut down, according to Washington County Insider. “That was always farm field,” George said. “It was corn, soybeans and hay and I farmed it when I was young and I was fifth generation to farm it,” he said. Paradise Drive, he said, was once “a very skinny, one-lane road.
The property is located at the northwest corner of Paradise Drive and River Road. George Muth recalled how the area looked when he was growing up and farming there. George also remembered a time when all four corners around the area were farmland. The area has since changed, with the family property now being cleared for a residential development. George’s memories of the property are tied to a time when the surrounding area was largely made up of farm fields. The demolition of the barn came as the property was being prepared for the new subdivision. The change has also raised concerns among some neighbours living near Paradise Drive and River Road. Neighbours have expressed concerns about the new development and safety related to additional traffic on River Road. The Muth family had also been known in the area for another business across the road, Egbert & Guido’s Express Inc. George and Kathy Muth owned the business, which operated as a Citgo gas station before it was sold to Kwik Trip.
On Friday, the old barn on the Muth family property was demolished as the land is being cleared for a new housing development.
The Muths had operated the gas station for 21 years before selling it to Kwik Trip in 2018. A sign near the corner of Paradise Drive read, “Thanks for 21 years. Another sign on the door thanked customers and staff for 21 years at the business and expressed the family’s gratitude for their support.
Washington County Insider reported back then that the sale had been confirmed.
“We’ve had a couple tearful days this week along with a lot of our loyal customers who were sad to see us closing the store,” Kathy said. At the time of the sale, George said the family was not retiring. “We are not retiring,” George said. George said the message was the employees’ idea.
Kathy Muth spoke about the reaction from customers and the difficulty of closing the business after more than two decades. “It wasn’t an easy decision but it made sense. The business was named Egbert & Guido’s after George’s father, Egbert, and his uncle, Guido. He explained that the gas station was being sold as a business decision, while the family still had a dairy farm in Fillmore. “It’s just a business we’re selling. We still have the dairy farm in Fillmore. The gas station was something my wife ran. The old gas station site also carried a farewell message after the sale. Bon voyage. Catch the latest World News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.