Time again for the open mic. Here’s your chance to ask questions or tell a story, preferably related to Milwaukee history! I encourage you to participate!
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What was Milwaukee like during Prohibition? Was law enforcement enforcing the Volstead Act, or was there widespread drinking?
Both. Federal enforcement of the Volstead Act was widespread. It was a federal law, after all. Local police in Milwaukee didn’t do too much to enforce the law, mostly because it was outside their jurisdiction. As crime became more flagrant, federal agencies stepped in but underground alcohol was more prevalent than drugs today. Young and old found ways to get beer or alcohol. It was estimated that there were more than 300 speakeasies in the 3rd Ward alone.
I am interested in a particular builder in Milwaukee, a distant relative named Julius Hauboldt. I have been working on my family history, and as my family was in Milwaukee I have become familiar with some of the older town’s particulars.
My question is about finding builders of Milwaukee’s architecture. I have studied Zimmermann’s Heritage Guidebook, and have made efforts to research online resources. I have found a few small clips that indicate that he was the builder of the Turner Hall, and the Blatz Brewing Company Office building. Researching from a distance has it’s limitations, and when I found your site, I thought I would ask for advice from this community.
Is it an impossible task to find a ‘builder’s index’ or something that might show who built the hotels, churches, schools, etc.?
I ask because I have some information from his grand niece that he built the Hotel Wisconsin, and also the Friedens Church.
The indicators that I have for the two buildings:
The first is from the Wisconsin Weekly and indicates that Haubold(t) and Froemming (Gottlieb) were awarded the bid. This also show up in “The Sanitary Engineer.” from 1882.
The second is from “The Engineering and Building Record” from 1890 and indicates that he was the builder of Turner Hall. This is also in Zimmermann’s book.
Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
Even research with easy access to many resources has its limitations. Most information is buried and takes time and perseverence to uncover. There are a few online databases of information but most require some sort of subscription to get to. The one I usually find good luck with is the Gale 19th Century Newspapers but I have access to that through my library card with the Milwaukee Public Library. Using that I found a few little tidbits. He was the builder of this building built for Pabst Brewery in 1896.
http://goo.gl/2wRSX
There is an article on Hotel Wisconsin on Page 906 here:
http://books.google.com/books?id=BuBaAAAAYAAJ&dq
It gives a complete list of subcontractors on the project but I see no mention of him. He may have worked on the project for one of the companies listed but his name does not show up.
Thank you for the information. I see the link points to a street view of the Pabst Brewery Saloon. I will put that one on the research list. I thank you for that one. I also looked at the information in The Construction News. I did not see a listing of who the mason was. Would that have done by one of the other contractors listed? It is interesting that the house of Julius Hauboldt lived in (and also built I am told) was just a few lots north. The old address was 416 N 14th, and it shows up on the 1894 and the 1910 Sanborn maps that are online. It looks like it’s still there. That one is also on the research list.
What didn’t look the same was the Pabst Saloon. I didn’t see it on the 1910. I am assuming that it was built in 1896, as that was the only date that I saw associated with it. You can see the Kneeland’s Addition at the following link:
[img]http://collections.lib.uwm.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/san/id/744/rec/55[/img]
(1910, Volume 3, Sheet 276)
Julius Hauboldt owned Lot 10 and 11, 416-418 and 420-422.
Thanks again for the valuable information. I will build his profile one property at a time.
Can’t seem to get the link added.
http://collections.lib.uwm.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/san/id/744/rec/55
Apologies
Hello again. I have to apologize for my misreading the maps. There is an alley in the block I referred to that I misjudged as Juneau. The house of Julius Hauboldt is no longer there, as it is a block and a half north of the corner of 14th and Juneau and is currently a correctional facility. I am still looking for properties that he may have been the mason for.
I just wanted to make the correction.
Thanks.
Thanks Dan, sometimes comparing new and old maps with different street names and addresses can trip up even the experts.
I will keep looking to see if I can find other mentions.
I am interested in finding out what happened to a hotel that was on 26th and Wisconsin Ave. In 1965, it housed one of the British Invasion groups, Herman’s Hermits. I was one of several girls who stood on the sidewalk across the street shouting up to the band who was at the swimming pool on the top floor. I noticed that last time I drove up Wisconsin Avenue, the entire building seems to be gone.
Thanks.
Apparently, Marquette bought the former Holiday Inn in 1977 for dorms. They sold it in 1994 and it sat vacant while ideas floated around about how to use the property. Probably because of the location, it never found a use and was torn down probably in the early 2000’s.
I’m looking for the name of a German restaurant located on 32nd and Lisbon. Anyone with info or photos of that area in the 70’s would be greatly appreciated
The old tavern and bowling alley on the Northeast corner was called Moser’s Cafe in the late 1960’s.
http://tinyurl.com/namk54l
I’m looking for information on the house built in 1948 in the Milwaukee area as a promotion for the movie “Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House.” Approximately 73 were built across the U.S. (and one in Canada) and I’ve located a bit over 2/3 of them. The only thing I can find regarding the Milwaukee house is a listing of a story in the Milwaukee Sentinel-“Mr. Blandings’ ‘Dream House’ A La Milwaukee,” August 21, 1948. Since Google newspaper archive is kaput I can’t access the story online. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Here are a few links that describe the whole Blandings Dream House promotion-https://flashbackdallas.com/2014/03/02/mr-blandings-preston-hollow/
http://www.toledoblade.com/Movies/2007/04/01/A-home-made-famous-in-the-1948-mega-hit-Mr-Blandings-Builds-His-Dream-House-is-in-Ottawa-Hills.html
http://archive.org/stream/showmenstraderev48lewi_0#page/n23/mode/2up
I toured Milwaukee this fall-what a beautiful downtown you have.
I found an ad in the Milwaukee Journal of August 22nd by the Harnischfeger Company that was making pre-built homes. They mentioned the Blandings dream home in the ad but obviously their model was different. It may have been their attempt to get people interested in their homes by comparing it with the Blandings house. Their model house was and still is at 8205 Honey Creek Parkway.
https://goo.gl/maps/4N2JbpjWzds
I’ll see if I can find that Sentinel article you mentioned.
Thank you Yance. That could be it. Many of them are on a corner lot. The houses varied quite a bit. Many of the ads for the houses looked like this one-
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/2656272/
with Cary Grant & Myrna Loy hovering over a pic of the house. Hope you can find the Sentinel article. Thanks again.