Daniel Wells, Jr. Birthday

Posted by :Yance On : July 16, 2013
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The well known pioneer Milwaukeean, Daniel Wells, Jr. would be 205 years old today. This article from 1899 takes a short visit with him on his 91st birthday and tells a little about who he was. His legacy today gives us the Wells Building on East Wisconsin Avenue and the street name of Wells Street. He died a few years later on March 18, 1902.

Milwaukee Sentinel, July 16, 1899

Daniel Wells, Jr., is 91 Years Old Today

Daniel Wells, Jr., the pioneer of pioneers in Milwaukee, is 91 years of age today.

“A man of my age,” said Mr Wells yesterday, “does not care about celebrating his birthday anniversary. I’m a little too old to be able to entertain much company, and I shall spend the day quietly on my farm near Wauwatosa.”

Having imparted this information, “Uncle Daniel” turned the tables on the ubiquitous representative of the press and became the interviewer, and, having gained a clear insight into his pedigree and prospects, closed the door after him by declaring:

“Now don’t go and advertise me; let me get over the birthday quietly and without interruption.”

“Uncle Daniels Wells, Jr.,” as the old settler’s call him, has been a resident of Milwaukee sixty-four years. He was not only the first lumberman, the first hotel keeper, but he brought the first blooded pig to Milwaukee and with him took the first prize at the first county fair ever held in Wisconsin. He picked Mons Anderson, the “merchant prince of La Crosse” up on the street just after he landed here direct from Norway, made him the cook at the City hotel, and later started him in business at La Crosse. Mr Wells was a marvel of enterprise in his younger days. He made money and he invested in all directions, becoming a silent partner in dozens of enterprises in which there was not the slightest suspicion that he was interested. In addition to his Milwaukee investments, he started the First National Bank of La Crosse.

Mr. Wells is a native of Maine. He was born in Waterville, Kennebec County, July 16th 1808. From his native place, as a young man he went to Florida, working as a surveyor, and afterward conducting a country store in his native town. He came to Milwaukee July 27th 1835, just at the close of the Blackhawk war. As a surveyor he began his career here, and laid out a large portion of the present City of Milwaukee. However, being from the state of Maine, he saw the value of the timber lands in following the Indian trails, and drifted into the lumber business in which he was successful. He was the first justice of the peace in Milwaukee, his territory extending over the present counties, of the Milwaukee, Washington, Ozaukee, Jefferson, Racine, Walworth and Kenosha. He was a member of the Territorial Legislature, and in 1852 was elected to congress.

Mr. Wells, notwithstanding his advanced age, enjoys good health, and spends several hours each day in his office in the Old Insurance building looking after his large business interests.

Broadway & Wells Early Brick Houses

Posted by :Yance On : June 5, 2013
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Milwaukee Leader – July 7, 1920

Frederic Heath

The early day homes and business stores that were clustered at Oneida St. and Broadway, across from the central police station, have been torn down and a large auto supply house is being built on the site, the site runs clear to the alley on Oneida and a quarter of a block on Broadway.

These old buildings are shown in the accompanying illustration and particularly the odd little two-story brick house on the corner has occasioned much speculation as to its past history, some persons contending that it was at one time used by a city court. This is an error.

The corner house was built by Williams Lee in 1844. It was the sixth brick residence erected in Milwaukee. The bricks that were used were made at the intersection of Muskego Ave. and Madison St. and could truly be called original cream city brick. Lee lived in the residence for many years and raised a family there. Recently when the corner was excavated, two extensive brick-arched tunnels were found running under the Broadway sidewalk, large enough to suggest use by some early brewery. But they were not for such a purpose but the northerly one was made the opening of a great vein of spring water, that ran obliquely toward Oneida St. and thence across the present Pereles corner to the center of the city hall (Market) square, where for many years, in there earlier days, there was located the town pump. This pump supplied water for a great many residents even from the west side of the river. The other vault was for provisions.

What do you imagine Lee paid for having the brick laid for his residence? He paid $3.75 a thousand, as is vouched for by his son, who is a prominent member of the Old Settlers’ club. In those days there was a heavy Irish immigration to Milwaukee and Lee Sr., employed a large gang of men with wheelbarrows to help grade down a ridge of land that skirted his property on the west is well as all along the adjoining district, and to fill up a deep and wide depression, called a kettle hole in those days.

Later Lee sold parts of his holdings on Oneida St. to others, among them William Harper, the early day painter and wallpaper man. The Harper shop was there until recent years. After the Lee occupancy the corner house was used by various tenants and Robert Schilling lived there at one time. Latterly, as shown in the picture, the front was given a show window and a china decorator used it.

Williams Lee was from Chester, Mass., and opened a saddlery store at 413 East Water St. Later he had his store at 85-87 Wisconsin St. Finally his business was removed to the United States hotel, East Water and Huron Sts. in the store next to the corner entrance on East Water St., and was notable for the figure of a horse on a pole in front of the store. He occupied his corner dwelling as late as 1881.

Do You Remember Frederic Heath?

Posted by :Yance On : May 10, 2013
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Milwaukee Socialists were multitalented and interesting people. They were very well-read, knowledgeable, and studied history because if you understood the mistakes of the past you could better avoid them in the future.

Frederic Heath was one of these people in Milwaukee who was a leader and teacher and generally talented man. He was very involved in the Socialist movement of the turn of the century. The Wikipedia article explains many of his accomplishments. He wrote tremendously for the Milwaukee Leader newspaper, including this series from 1920 about short topics of Milwaukee history, called “Do You Remember?” He researched and wrote these daily. As I looked through a month’s worth of microfilmed newspaper, it was amazing to find all these little detailed nuggets of Milwaukee history that he uncovered.

The following article about the Prairie Street school which still exists as the Best Place in the Pabst City complex was published in the Milwaukee Leader of April 9, 1920.

Masquerade of Sex

Posted by :Yance On : March 17, 2013
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The Spring 2013 issue of Wisconsin Magazine of History has an article on the “Girl-Man of Milwaukee” written by Matthew Prigge. The article goes into great detail how Cora Anderson lived for several years as a man and even took a wife before being exposed by her friend to the authorities.

Surprisingly this was not unique or even rare in the turn of the century Milwaukee. One of the earliest known examples was that of Frank Blunt. He was arrested in July 1893 on suspicion of theft of money in Fond du Lac. When he was taken to the station and about to be searched he suddenly demanded to be searched by a police matron where it was found that he was actually a she. Frank turned out to be Annie Morris from Nova Scotia who had run away from home at age 15. She decided to take on the disguise of a boy and through some misadventures was adopted by an itinerant horse trader by the name of Jesse Blunt. Jesse convinced her to take on the guise of a boy to pass as his son and that is the way it remained for the next 13 years. Jesse settled in Milwaukee and opened a saloon on the South side. Frank enjoyed the company of women and hung around gambling halls as many young men did in those days. After being caught, Annie was sentenced to a year in prison at Waupun for the theft. An interesting and final note to the story was the appearance at the trial of Miss Gertrude Field who claimed to have married Frank in Eau Claire and who helped to fund the defense for Annie.

The most interesting story was that of Harry Hynes who was discovered in 1899. Police had noticed a young woman who looked strange walking downtown streets with a shabby dress, glasses, and wearing rouge. When the police finally had a chance to stop and question “Harriet Brown” in front of the Alhambra Theater they found out she was actually a 17-year old young man. The tell tale giveaway that the police noticed was the five-o-clock shadow on Harriet’s face. Otherwise, he had the practiced air of a woman’s mannerisms, wore a wig, and was found to have several dresses at his rooming house. Harry worked vaudeville theaters as a female impersonator and even managed to find part time work as a servant girl at a home on 8th & St. Paul a few weeks prior to being arrested. During questioning he explained that after his mother died two years ago he had been unable to find work as a man and had donned the attire to find other work as a woman. He ended up serving 60 days for disorderly conduct in the House of Correction and disappeared after his release, possibly to Chicago where he supposedly had relatives.

Another story very similar to that of Cora Anderson and happening virtually at the same time was that of Jessie McNeil. The 24-year old woman was discovered by police in July 1915 in men’s clothing, and with a short hair cut at 4th and Juneau. She was with Emma Jacobs, 33, an african-american woman who was living as her wife at a colored rooming house at 7th & Winnebago. Jessie told police that she dressed as a man to earn higher wages and that her parents in West Allis knew of her lifestyle. As a woman she could only work at jobs that paid $4 a week but as a man she was working at jobs paying $10 and $14 a week. Jessie was living and working in Chicago as a man but was caught by the police there and told to leave the city in early 1915. Afterwards she came to Milwaukee, met Emma and lived with her as a roommate for three months.

-Yance Marti

Milwaukee Journal, August 30, 1899
Milwaukee Journal, July 1, 1915
Milwaukee Journal, February 5, 1933

Milwaukee County School of Agriculture

Posted by :Yance On : March 13, 2013
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In 1911 a group of buildings was built on 206 acres of land to house the Milwaukee County School of Agriculture. These are now known as the “Eschweiler Buildings” and are part of a controversy about saving solid historic buildings to incorporate them in the UWM Foundation’s Innovation Campus. The School of Agriculture lasted from 1912 until 1928 when development in the county was encroaching on much of its farmland.

There were also arguments about the waste of resources in running such a school from the very start. A report was written by the Taxpayer’s League in 1916 which highlighted inefficiencies and failings of the school.

But there was still enough good press and good intentions to keep it running after that report was released. The following article was written in the Milwaukee Journal of May 3, 1925 and tells many details about the school to try and keep a high enrollment. It was a unique institution across the state and its likes could be very useful to build an interest in self-sufficiency even today. The buildings have a county landmark designation from 1978.

Milwaukee School Farm is Largest

Instruction in agriculture and domestic economy without tuition cost to residents of the county is provided for by the Milwaukee County School of Agriculture and Domestic Economy, maintained by Milwaukee County. Four large and well equipped buildings are located about a mile and a half west of the city of Wauwatosa, adjacent to other county institutions.

The school farm includes nearly 1,100 acres; the largest secondary school farm in the United States. This land is used to demonstrate to students the solution of practical farm problems. Eighty-five acres are devoted to fruit growing and truck farming. Eight greenhouses are used. There are six dairy barns, the school owning a dairy herd of about 250 head of cattle of the leading dairy breeds. The swine herd numbers 400 pigs, a small flock a pure bred Hampshire sheep is kept in large flocks of poultry of the leading varieties. Thirty-eight horses are used.

Four-year and two-year courses in agriculture are given, a one year course for high school graduates and a short course during the winter. Four-year and two-year courses in domestic economy are given. The courses in agriculture include animal husbandry, agronomy, entomology, poultry and academic work similar to that in regular high schools. The domestic economy course includes sewing, cooking and food study, physiology and personal hygiene, drawing and house planning, laundering, dietetics and meal planning, millinery and art needlework, child welfare and home nursing, household management, textiles, selection of dress, home decoration and furnishing.

The school also is headquarters for boy and girl club work in Milwaukee County and holds many conferences, institutes and meetings of farmers and different organizations interested in agricultural work. The faculty of 12 members is headed by T. H. Campion, superintendent.

35th & Wisconsin Avenue 1950

Posted by :Yance On : March 10, 2013
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Where now stands a large Walgreens store at the northwest corner of the intersection of 35th & Wisconsin stood a small neighborhood IGA store in 1950. Trolley buses ran down 35th and also Wisconsin avenue at the time and this gentleman waited patiently for the next bus wearing his straw boater hat on a warm summer afternoon.

Schlitz – Toward The Light

Posted by :Yance On : February 17, 2013
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Late in 1959, a film was being completed for the Schlitz Brewing Company about the history of the brewery from its founding until the present of the late 50’s. It was kind of a cheesy film for promotional use most likely during brewery tours. It included quite a few local actors playing the Uihlein family through the ages.

The film is on Youtube thanks to Kurt Conway. Be sure to watch all three parts of the 30-minute film.

This article about the film was from the Milwaukee Sentinel of October 4, 1959.

Jefferson & Wells Street 1920s

Posted by :Yance On : February 11, 2013
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This is a view looking at the corner now occupied by Taylor’s on the southwest corner of Jefferson & Wells. The picture was taken sometime in the 1920s. Back then the corner was occupied by several businesses; a drug store, roller bearing sales, and a heating company. The single story building has gone through many changes over the years but has stayed around, unlike some of the larger, neighboring buildings such as the Court-house, the Masonic Building, and even the old Layton gallery down the street at Mason.

Police Court Stories

Posted by :Yance On : January 16, 2013
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The Milwaukee Daily News in the early teens seemed to always have reporters that would cover the quirky cases of the Police Court. The reporters would delve into it and always come up some stories that were odd.

Friday, April 10, 1914

Mrs. Josephine Harczak is the proprietress of a boarding house on Middlemass avenue and up to Wednesday night Stanislaws Wajevic was the star boarder.

Stanislaws won the heart of Mrs. Harczak, who is a widow and a good cook, by praising her hash and her dead husband, and the fact that he sported a clean collar twice a week and paid his board bill promptly led the good housewife to believe that Stanislaws was a Russian nobleman in disguise.

Stanislaws ogled with Mrs. Harczak at the breakfast table, flirted with her at dinner, and he chucked her under the chin and winked at her after the supper dishes had been cleared away.

It was a romantic courtship and it lasted two weeks. It ended Monday night with a proposal of marriage.

“Will you be mine, fair one?” breathed Stanislaws into his landlady’s ear while they were seated on the sofa, “There is nothing on earth I wouldn’t do for you!”

“Oh, Stanny, this is so sudden! But it took you so long to say it.” she gushed coyly. “I am yours for keeps.”

They would be married in May, promised Stanislaws.

Tuesday night the man jumped up from the table while reading a newspaper and pointed out to his promised one an item which stated that a house a block away had been entered by thieves.

“This is bad,” he told the landlady. “They will come here next. I’ve got a gun and am prepared for ’em. Better let me take care of your valuables, Josie, and they’ll be safer.”

“Good idea.” agreed Mrs. Harczak. She turned over to her fiance $135 in cash and a number of rings.

At 11:30 o’clock Wednesday night there was a great commotion in the Harczak boarding house. Doors slammed, there was a sound of footsteps in the dark hallways and suddenly two revolver shots rang out and woke up the sleepers.

White-faced and apprehensive, the boarders peered out of their rooms.

Mrs. Harczak casually noticed that he bravely entered the hall.

She saw Stanislaws hopping in the hall in blue pajamas and a black rage. He was brandishing a gun and cussing.

“They got it, the villyins!” he howled. “Two sneak thieves got in my rooms and stole your money and jewelry. They skipped out. I shot one of the fellows in the ear but he dove through a window.”

Mrs. Harczak casually noticed that all of the doors and windows were fastened on the inside. It was queer, thought she, that the “burglars” could get in through the keyhole. Then a horrible suspicion dawned on her.

Under the pretense of making the beds, Mrs. Harczak entered the would-be husband’s room Thursday afternoon, instigating a search and found the money and rings reposing at the bottom of her boarder’s trunk. She had the man arrested.

In court Stanislaws asked for a continuance for a week. It was granted.

This one seems particularly appropriate today and may be something we should go back to?

March 13, 1914

Gustave Wiese, found guilty of carrying a concealed weapon on March 6, has been judged insane by Dr. A. F. Young, who was appointed to examine him. He has a mania for collecting revolvers. The man will be removed to the Milwaukee County Hospital for the Insane.

The Milwaukee Earthquake of 1947

Posted by :Yance On : January 14, 2013
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In all of recorded history, the Milwaukee area has been at the epicenter of an earthquake only once. This was on May 6, 1947 and luckily was only a short 4.0 magnitude quake, lasting only about 40 seconds. Although no major damage to infrastructure or buildings were reported, several downtown buildings were evacuated by frightened workers.

The sudden jolt threw the pens off of the two seismographs at the Marquette University physics department. The Rev. Joseph Carroll was at the time the head of the Physics Department at the university and it had the only seismographs in the area.

The Milwaukee Sentinel from May 7, 1947 reported:

Mayor Bohn called to see if the City Hall should be evacuated in case of another quake. Inspector Hubert Dax of the Police Department had the same question about the Safety Building.

Both were reassured by Father Carroll, who pointed out that Milwaukee “might not have another quake for 100 years.” He explained:

“The tilt of the rock of the lake shore, which probably caused the quake, will almost certainly not occur in the near future and may never occur again.”

A later quote gave a more interesting history of Wisconsin earthquakes showing how rare this event could be.

Yesterday’s quake is the only one on record in Wisconsin, Father Carroll added, and the only one even rumored in the state before the days of the seismograph was a light one in the 1750s.