About Us

The 5 Mile House has been a historic landmark for locals for almost 140 years. The Hayes Township Scheutzen Verein, which owns the 5 Mile House, was founded in 1883, and has held the annual King Shoot nearly every year since then.

The club was founded by a number of young citizens of German descent who banded together for social entertainment and to have a place to meet in leisure hours to visit wit neighbors and friends. The organization, they concluded, would be a "Scheutzen Verein," or a shooter's society.

Many other German communities had similar vereins, including the old Opera House and park in Manning, the Three Mile House north of Manning, and the Six Mile House by Schleswig. Those has since disbanded.

They Hayes Township Verein held its first meetings at the Five Mile House, which was built in 1876 by Andreas Lentz five miles south of Westside. Lentz operated the facility as an amusement place, similar to how we do today. The Scheutzen Verein purchased it in 1899 and has held ownership since then.

The first building was taken down in 1938 and in the same year was replaced with the structure that stands today. In his dedication speech, President Henry Hagge said, "Our fathers, the founders of this organization, and the builders of our home, inaugurated such festivals and entertainments, for the purpose of renewing friendships, to learn to know each other, and to create a better understanding between us.... I do hope that our children will maintain and uphold the traditions of celebrating as we do here today, in the same spirit of friendship and harmony as of old." And here we are. 85 years later and we are still upholding the spirit of the Scheutzen Verein and the Five Mile House. It takes young people to uphold the mission of our organization. We would love for you to join the family.