The Friends of Devil’s Lake State Park was organized on January 18, 1996. The four original founders were Bob Tully, Ginny Pederson, James Mitchell, and Debbie Martin, and the initial Board of Directors were the aforementioned founders plus John Connell, Bill Greenhaulgh, and Tom Osborne.

Friends of Devil’s Lake State Park began with the simple desire by various people to serve the Park and support Park staff in any way possible. The “Friends” idea came from the passion and foresight of our charter officers and board members. Each of these tireless volunteers were spending countless hours volunteering at the park. Even in the mid-1990s, when Park staff was larger than today, staff was overwhelmed by the visitors and the need for services at the park. In addition, private citizens were concerned about the stress on the landscape and trails, etc.

Friends member Janie Osborne recalled the first time she and her husband Tom saw Devil’s Lake. It was in 1959 from the window of their train passing through the park. From then on, Tom and Janie, as well as the others mentioned above, knew a greater legacy could be left to assist Park staff and serve Park visitors. Tom and Janie eventually founded the Devil’s Lake Concession Corporation before helping create the Friends of Devil’s Lake. 

The first meeting of the Friends took place on October 18, 1996. At that time, a Board of Directors was formed, a formal agreement with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was signed, and the Articles of Incorporation were filed with the Sauk County Register of Deeds. The Friends of Devil’s Lake State Park then became recognized as a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization by both the IRS and the Wisconsin Department of Revenue.