Wisconsin Veterans Home

The city of Waupaca purchased the land and buildings of the defunct Greenwood Park Hotel and donated the grounds to the Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) for the site of a veterans' home.

[1] Civil War physician and GAR member Dr. Frederick Marden was chosen to head a five-member committee to organize a Wisconsin veterans' home.

Marden died on September 24, 1887, a year before the site began operation on August 18, 1888.

[3] However, by the early 2020's the facility had cut employment to 500 total staff, discontinued admitting new retirement cottage residents, disbanded the fire department and consolidated a number of higher acuity units.

In 2016 controversy erupted over the quality of care delivered at the home, chronic staffing shortages and the practice by the state government of redirecting millions of dollars of federal government funding intended for King into other veterans' programs.