Town file
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin
Oconomowoc, Wisconsin (Waukesha County, Wisconsin) is the town in one episode of Small Town Murder, the comedy true-crime podcast: episode 344, "Don't Look In The Stove" (10 December 2022). Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, is a small city about thirty-five minutes west of Milwaukee, and in 1982 it was still surrounded by cornfields.
- Town
- Oconomowoc
- County
- Waukesha County
- State
- Wisconsin
- Country
- USA
- Episodes
- 344
- Approximate location
- 43.101, -88.495
Episode 344 / 10 December 2022 / 71 min / express
Don't Look In The Stove
""We are going on up to Wisconsin... we're going to Oconomowoc", about 35 minutes outside Milwaukee and a suburb out west; the sentencing calls it Waukesha County." about 0:04:04
The case: Murder of Kathleen Beletsky (September 20, 1982); Murder of Stephanie R. Peterson (1979). Read the case file.
The figures, as told in 2022
- Population
- 8,767
- Median household income
- $89,932
- Median home value
- $410,000
History, in brief
- Originally inhabited by the Pottawatomi people, descended from the Woodland Indians known as mound builders. about 0:06:05
- Incorporated as a city by 1865. about 0:06:41
- By 1880 there were 3,000 people living here. about 0:06:41
- On April 2nd 2008 a gas line exploded just west of downtown, destroying the First Baptist Church on West Wisconsin Avenue. about 0:06:50
- The church was built in 1913 and was completely destroyed except for the frame of the bell tower, which was later torn down because of the risk of collapse. about 0:07:09
- The explosion came from an old gas line capped off in the early 1970s; the cap was done wrong and it ruptured after being struck by a backhoe during utility work on Wisconsin Avenue ahead of reconstruction. about 0:07:22
The reviews read out
5 stars
"A fun, friendly and hopping town; the downtown strip and boardwalk is always popping, with amazing restaurants and super friendly people."about 0:07:53
4 stars
"The reviewer's parents moved out from LA in 1999 to raise children near family; Oconomowoc is a quiet city with a wonderful downtown area on the lakefront for shopping, walking and coffee."about 0:08:34
3 stars
"The town has a YMCA and a few fitness facilities, but the reviewer prefers a gym in Brookfield; the quality and convenience of hospital facilities is great."about 0:09:27
1 star
"Grew up here and it was okay, nothing impressive, a typical small town; over the years it has turned into a place filled with condos and Karens."about 0:09:53
Nearest Small Town Murder towns
- Pewaukee, Wisconsin13 miles
- Jefferson, Wisconsin17 miles
- Grafton, Wisconsin31 miles
- Columbus, Wisconsin31 miles
- Raymond, Wisconsin32 miles
- Windsor, Wisconsin41 miles
Everything here is as told in the episode, on the date it went out; figures and places may have changed since. Endings are covered: open an episode and use the spoiler switch to read them.