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172:, the son of Hercules and Jane (Fisher) Rolette Dousman. His father had been a fur trader and developed great wealth as an investor and entrepreneur on the frontier, influential in expanding railroad construction across the state, exploiting the lumber industry, and investing in real estate. He was a millionaire before he died, when the United States held few figures of such wealth.
223:. In 1879, he constructed a gallery adjoining his St. Louis home to showcase his collection and began opening the gallery to the public. His art collection was eventually published in 1881. Dousman received much attention in both St. Louis and other major cities across the nation for his collection. He served as art director for three years for the St. Louis Fair.
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In the 1880s his interest began to shift. Following the death of his mother in 1882, Dousman sold most of his art collection at auction in New York City. He made plans to return to
Prairie du Chien. He wanted to develop the larger part of his property into a stock farm for the breeding of
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horses. He built a racetrack and started an annual race in July 1883. He returned to the city in 1885, establishing the
Artesian Stock Farm, but died unexpectedly the next year before getting it well underway. His widow closed the farm and named the mansion as
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In 1870, at the age of 22, Dousman began using his inheritance. He demolished the brick house built by his father, where he had grown up, and replaced it with a modern mansion of the era. It was designed in the
Italianate style by
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Dousman's father had also had prominent connections in St. Louis. Dousman readily entered its uppermost social circles. He began a career as an art collector, amassing a collection of nearly a hundred paintings, mostly
179:. His higher education was cut short by the death of his father in 1868. The son returned to Prairie du Chien to take care of his father's estate and help his widowed mother Jane.
235:. Dousman had stables and a racetrack built in Prairie du Chien, and began hosting an annual race in July 1883. He named his estate as the Artesian Stock Farm, because of the
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136:, who had made a career in Prairie du Chien. Dousman had a new mansion built on the site of his family's house, and then soon moved away, living for years in
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in
Prairie du Chien. After Dousman's death, his wife Nina sold the horses and closed the stock farm. She renamed the mansion and its associated property as
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199:, leaving his mother to occupy the Prairie du Chien estate. Owing to his wealth and his father's onetime partnership with
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After his mother's death in 1882, Dousman began to develop the family property to establish a stock farm and racing for
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Dousman's plans for the
Artesian Stock Farm were never fully realized. On January 13, 1886, he died unexpectedly of
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207:, Dousman rose quickly in St. Paul society. In 1873 he married Nina Sturgis, and the couple moved to
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wells on the property. Dousman moved all of his family from St. Louis to
Prairie du Chien in 1885.
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As a child, Louis was privately tutored; he later attended a preparatory school in
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211:. They had five children: Violet, Virginia, Nina, Louis, and Judith Dousman.
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Today Villa Louis is preserved and operated as a museum by the
305:"Dousman Dead: Death Comes to the Well Known Horseman"
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and art collector. He was the heir to the estate of
120:(April 3, 1848 – January 13, 1886), better known as
144:. In both cities he moved in upper social circles.
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192:. Dousman did not stay long in Prairie du Chien.
156:after Louis Dousman. It has been designated as a
313:. Prairie du Chien. January 14, 1886. p. 1
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231:horses, specifically, a line descended from
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195:In 1872, he moved to the larger city of
359:People from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
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279:"History of Villa Louis - Villa Louis"
124:, was notable as a wealthy Midwestern
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168:Louis Dousman was born in 1848 in
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250:in honor of her late husband.
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255:Wisconsin Historical Society
203:, who had earlier served as
321:– via Newspapers.com.
170:Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
69:Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin
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259:National Historic Landmark
158:National Historic Landmark
118:Hercules Louis Dousman II
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257:. It is designated as a
164:Early life and education
349:American art collectors
310:The Daily Northwestern
134:Hercules Louis Dousman
205:Governor of Minnesota
201:Henry Hastings Sibley
197:Saint Paul, Minnesota
354:American socialites
209:St. Louis, Missouri
142:St. Louis, Missouri
138:St. Paul, Minnesota
177:Madison, Wisconsin
285:on August 1, 2012
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80:Nina Linn Sturgis
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281:. Archived from
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62:January 13, 1886
51:Prairie du Chien
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22:H. Louis Dousman
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233:Hambletonian 10
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66:(aged 37)
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47:April 3, 1848
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315:. Retrieved
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287:. Retrieved
283:the original
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244:appendicitis
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229:Standardbred
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217:Academic art
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183:Life as heir
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149:Standardbred
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132:millionaire
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64:(1886-01-13)
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344:1886 deaths
339:1848 births
289:October 20,
248:Villa Louis
154:Villa Louis
53:, Wisconsin
333:Categories
43:1848-04-03
130:Wisconsin
126:socialite
102:Signature
237:artesian
317:July 5,
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221:France
140:, and
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75:Spouse
265:Notes
219:from
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319:2022
291:2009
92:1873
59:Died
37:Born
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88:m.
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