USA > Wisconsin > Milwaukee County > Milwaukee > Early Milwaukee : papers from the archives of the Old Settlers' Club of Milwaukee County > Part 4
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Months slipped on, and the fair village by the river grew to fine proportions. But in an unguarded moment an enemy swooped down upon the unsuspecting victim and with one fell stroke laid it low in ashes. Never will Polly forget that spell of fright and horror cast about her as she sat out upon the cold sidewalk, within the pro- tecting arms of a servant, and watched the monster fire through its work of destruction. Memory's eye can still see the long line of indefatigable workers passing from hand to hand the buckets of water that other toilers filled at the river's brink .. Memory's ear can still hear the roar and crackle of the leaping tongues of flame, the shouts of command, the terror-stricken cries of women and children.
After this terrible lesson to her citizens, Milwaukee was not caught napping again. Cream-white brick were drawn from her ample lap and built into beautiful structures, that, being seen by the stranger, wafted abroad the merits thereof. A fire brigade, though crudely equipped, was marshaled into being, and all pre- cautions taken to make the dread monster "fire" a good servant, where erstwhile it had been a bad master.
From now on the growth of the town was greatly augmented through the advertising this calamity had given it. Frills and fur-
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belows appeared in such profusion that the burg might well have exclaimed : "Am I I, or am I not I?"
Shortly after the fire episode Polly's parents built a home in the residence portion of the town, in the block with Clark Shepard- son's palatial home. Herein flowers bloomed the year round, and a little child whose soul longed for the bright and beautiful things of earth was oft made happy through the kind thoughtfulness of the dear lady of the manor.
A few years ago grown-up Polly called upon this then vener- able lady, who was living in solitary comfort in her South Side home; and there she found reproduced, in almost every detail, the familiar sitting-room of the East Side home. The rag carpet was of the same hue and weave as that of old, the tall black walnut bookcase was the very same that stood in the angle at the right of the bay-window, and here it stood at exactly the same pose as erst. Here was the bay too, but, perhaps, of more generous proportion than the old, and here were the same, the very same old plants with the singing birds swinging above, at least, so grown-up Polly thought.
But this is not the same brisk lady who presided over the long ago; no, this hostess has a slow step, wrinkles upon her face, and whitened hair. These stubborn facts bring the visitor back to the knowledge that time is fleeting and that she herself has changed from an adoring child to a matronly matter-of-fact woman. If we only might keep the freshness and enthusiasm of youth throughout our life's journey, what a dear old world this would be!
Of all dreaded visitors in the life of a household, the one whose impressions are most enduring to young and old alike is the reaper Death. Stealthily, silently did he enter Polly's home and in two short days his scythe had done its deadly work. A dear brother of mature age had been laid low, and the atmosphere of loss pervaded all things. Within doors were sad faces, subdued voices, measured footfalls. A seamstress busy with sable garments, and, more de- pressing still, that long, long figure beneath the white sheet. Oh, what did it all mean? And why, before the funeral guests arrived, were all the pictures and mirrors turned to the wall? Even Heav- en's bright-hucd messengers were relegated to an obscure corner
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where their brightness might not offend his majesty-Death. And then the doleful music, the black garments of wee Polly, and at the grave the cruel torture of listening to the thud of the sexton's toil, as he dropped shovelful after shovelful of Mother Earth upon that terribly resonant box which hid away the once bright form of dear Brother Winny ! No wonder, poor Polly long afterward trembled with fear at the mere mention of Death.
The dear brother was laid away in what was then a far-distant grave-yard, on Spring Street hill, afterwards one of the first bodies to be removed to that ideal cemetery, Forest Home. Upon a re- cumbent slab near the entrance gates to this God's acre may be read the name "Winfield Scott," a name which the illustrious general himself bestowed upon the infant boy.
During these early days much sickness abounded in the settle- ment, and over-careful mothers almost invariably drew their chil- dren into the path of the grewsome juggernaut-funerals-hoping that some salutary lesson to their soul's salvation might be learned therefrom. Thus, it happened that Polly was often subjected to this form of discipline. Chief among these occurrences was attend- ance at the obsequies of a dear playmate-Martha Miter. In con- tradistinction, wedding festivities were a forbidden pleasure to young fry ; at least Polly thought so, for she never had the pleasure of attending one, although the rumor of their occurrence sometimes reached her.
That the child is father to the man is clearly proven in the hankering after forbidden sports. Polly and her brother had oft been told that the creature with the cloven hoof and forked tail lay in wait for offenders along the line of card-playing. Yet, in spite of this bug-a-boo warning, a group of children with Polly on the outskirts, for she was the youngest, collected in an upper chamber and dared the Evil One. Guessing a card's value from the exposed back was the game in hand, and everything was progressing satis- factorily to the little sinners until an unusual sound disturbed the circle. A brave ( ?) brother who held the pack and led the crowd, outdid any general of my knowledge in beating a retreat. His note of warning, to-wit, that the Devil was under the bed, sent the de- moralized squad helter-skelter through the hall and down the stair-
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way, while Polly's short legs in vain tried to join the stampede. With hair standing on end and eyes ready to leap from their sockets, she stretched every nerve in the attempt to outstrip the terrible creature behind her, whose sulphurous breath she actually smelled and whose cloven hoof made the air resound. And, oh, didn't she get a shaking when the brave brother was obliged to return to her rescue? Such things I've known, I, who speak to ye! In particu- lars of this last incident, I can confidently state that since Polly's time brothers have not materially improved.
Polly has remembrance, too, of this brother calling "Indians, Indians," upon the occasion of her having run away from school with him and others to visit the tamarack swamp which lay upon the west side of the Milwaukee river. The sweetness of the gum vanished at home-coming with the disgrace of being housed with the dog under the table until time to go, supperless, to bed. The complete ruin of a brand new green eloak (through mud spatters), and the necessity of wearing the same through the live-long winter, was a continual reminder to Polly of her naughty escapade. At recollection of such trials, she would not request time to reverse.
During these early times the environs of Milwaukee were para- disiacal to youthful wanderers. In summer their nimble feet scoured hill and valley to gather in the harvests from woods and fields or wandered to the lake bluffs where the wonderful light-house was located. Near this structure was platted the most beautiful posey garden in all the world, with its rows of sweet William, blue-bells, marigolds and poppies. Here, too, were the delightful grassy parterres of the bold bluffs, adown which the children would roll until they reached the flight of steps that led to the pebbly beach, whereon lay wealth of stone and shell to everlasting damage of shoes and pockets. Yet, nothing ever so bewitched these young explorers as did the sight of fishermen's huts and paraphernalia which clung as securely to the step declivities as do barnacles to the side of a ship. It mattered not how odorous the atmosphere of this locality, how shiny the foot-path or how incongruous the surroundings, here the small adventurers would linger until darkness or a messenger summoned them home.
Such ideal spots for picnicking as lay all about Milwaukee ! And
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yet Polly remembers but one, and that was distinguished as a Sun- day-school celebration. A staidly proper thing, to which, by couples, the children were marshaled in a long procession that stretched its demure length over an uneven path to a grove on Spring Street hill. Here, it was ranged upon roughly constructed seats to listen to the customary Sunday-school exhorter, who, unwittingly, led little ones to believe that good children die young; therefore, no child within ear-shot cared to be good. Picnics were not then so much a necessity to the savage side of humanity as are they now. Then, a person might enjoy flies, mosquitoes and other insects within his own domain ; and as to drinking from over a stone wall, home cups were nearly all of that order. There were always a few choice pieces of tableware hidden away as sacred to the use of the minister or other infrequent visitor.
This one event of the picnic marked an era in Polly's life as she marched among her mates, proudly conscious of being a "jiner." The lettered blue-silk badge that fluttered from her shoulder told all the world that she was a member of Plymouth S. S. of Mil- waukee in Wisconsin Territory.
For the sake of dear old long ago, I hope that the infant church which was located on Spring street near the bridge was never con- verted into a livery stable. Query .- Do the good folk of Milwaukee relegate their erstwhile sanctums to such base use because Christ was born in a manger ?
One questionable pastime of Polly and her mates was to visit a hill on the East Side, at the foot of which stood an unoccupied house ; or, rather, occupied only by the ghost of a man who had been murdered therein. What condition can more fully contribute to the entertainment of a harum-scarum, venturesome child than that which contains a spice of horror? As long as the dreaded house stood at the foot of the hill, so long it remained a target for sticks, stones and jeers of an unruly crowd of youngsters, who, standing afar off, made the air resound with naughty jibes and jests. That the ghost finally became desperate over these demonstrations, was evidenced through the appearance against an upper winder pane of a giant, mutilated bloody hand. If these children had each pos- sessed the one thousand legs of the renowned worm, they could not
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have vanished from that vicinity more speedily than did they vanish upon this exhibition, with each his own two legs.
This house was afterwards renovated. It was moved to another part of the lot on which it stood, but all of no avail ; that ambitious ghost still clung to his habitat. You may move, you may alter the house if you will ; but the taint of the ghost will cling to it still.
If Milwaukee were a children's paradise in Summer, it certainly deserved an equal, if not a higher, reputation through its Winter attractions. Girls were not so completely in evidence through this season's sports, but boys-boys held high carnival on frozen marsh and river, while the girls hung about the edges wishing with all their might that nature had made them boys. Thank fortune, that con- ditions in the world of sport have greatly changed since Polly's play- days. But there were times, places and conditions when it was good to be "nothing but a girl," to-wit, a brilliantly moon-lit Winter's eve, a softly-padded, diamond besprinkled coasting hill, a youthful admirer, the proud possessor of the "bulliest sled upon the hill." And then if during the racing which inevitably followed, there came, when part way down the incline, a general mix-up of broken sleds and bruised girls and boys, what mattered it? Father's money would repair the sleds, and mother's plasters would repair the youngsters, while the latter would have the satisfaction of telling how it all happened and who was to blame, although no two of them could possibly agree upon these details. In the nowadays, Polly can scarce repress a tearful sigh at recollection of the vanished pleas- ures of Milwaukee Street hill.
Polly's first experience of school was at the tender age of four years. In the early days, no doubt children were expected to be models of propriety, training or no training. Unfortunately, Polly was not built that way, and in a very unlucky moment she sniggered aloud-four years old, too, and her first day at school! This mat- tered not. The brave pantalooned creature-called a teacher- snatched the small offender from off the front form and admin- istered a strapping that stings to the present day. But she had her revenge; for years afterward she had the extreme satisfaction (whilst on a lake excursion) of meeting her old persecutor to whom she introduced herself as the quondam little girl whom he lashed
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upon her first day at school. Polly thinks that he did not enjoy the encounter quite as much as did she.
Of the educational institutions that Polly attended regularly the first was in the basement of the church that once stood upon ground now occupied by Chapman's store. This was presided over by a lady in corkscrew curls and white kid gloves. To Polly's great amazement and probable admiration, she wore the latter during school hours, and withal, wielded the rod of correction quite as dexterously as did the male teacher afore mentioned.
Another school "for girls only" was located in a private house on Michigan street. Here, Polly learned little of books, but much of kindly care and the use of the needle. At the present day, she can show you a most wonderful sampler whose birds and flowers have no counterparts upon the face of the earth, and, I should hope, none in the heavens above. However, the spirit of love and affection in which this teacher presided over her flock, will linger in the memories of her pupils so long as reason has its sway therein.
Polly's next adventure on the high road to learning was with the dear sisters of St. John's school. Here, church, creed and cat- echism were held paramount to the three R's, and though none of the attendants progressed rapidly in book learning, they caught in- spiration along the line of kindness and charity. Here, Polly dis- tinguished herself through receiving a prize for scholarship at the hands of the good priest who watched over the flock. The book re- ceived was loaned to Julia Rooney and went up in the smoke of her ruined home.
Polly was next sent to a stern professor who practiced dumb-bell exercises with the forms of small boys, his scalp-lock performance, by which he lifted some poor little offender off his seat to send him flying over unoffending heads of front rows was really worthy of at- tention by any athlete however accomplished.
Polly, sniffing danger in the air, pleaded pathetically for yet an- other change in her educational career. This time her steps were directed into the classical shades of French, Latin, Greek and other brain-puzzling pursuits, as set forth by Professor Larigo. With these, however, she had naught to do, Bullion's grammer and Emma
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Willard's history being sufficiently formidable stumbling blocks in her pathway to knowledge.
Prizes for good scholarship were quite the fad of those days, and again did Polly receive substantial reward for her parrotlike recitations. This roused the ire of the Franco-Latin contestants to such degree as to necessitate a bodyguard for the safe conveyance of the prize into the home haven. Fortunately, for Polly's scholastic reputation acquired in the Cream City, she was, soon after this victory, removed to a distant outpost in the Pioneer field.
It was during the last year or two of her residence in Milwau- kee that she became stage-struck. Her first introduction to the de- lights of the theatre was at the appearance of Julia Dean in the grand "histrionic" temple that stood upon Broadway between Michi- gan and Wisconsin streets. Polly has long since lost the name of the play, but the impress of the beautiful actress's charm still lingers with her. But the spectacle paramount in her youthful memory is one that in the 40's so delighted Milwaukee youngsters, to-wit, "Beauty and the Beast." Through a playmate whose father presided over the wonderful abode of Terpsichore afore mentioned, Polly was allowed to awaken the echoes of zinc thunder, and to bring forth from the tin cylinder the sound of pattering rain.
Although through this freedom of the play-house she became familiarized with many a stuffed stage monster, there was one real live one whose vicinity she shunned-that of a wolf chained to a stake in the theatre yard. It happened upon one beautiful moon- lit night that Polly's mother went to prayer-meeting, leaving her little girl in charge of a big brother, who, perhaps, had an engage- ment with somebody's else sister ; for soon after mother's departure he left the premises to Polly and solitude. Polly, resenting this slight to her powers of entertainment, sought the street in search of company, which, to her discomfiture, she soon found in a ditch by the wayside. Master Wolf had escaped his chains and was out to enjoy a moonlight escapade. Had he possessed the tact and suavity of Red Riding Hood's wolf, all might have gone well with him ; but he was altogether too ardent in his demonstrations, which brought from our lone little wanderer a series of screams that hastened forth to the rescue all the hangers-on at the theatre office. One kindly
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gentleman gathered the child into his protecting care, bore her home and remained with her until mother came with comforting words. It cannot with truthfulness be stated that big brother enjoyed his come-coming upon that night.
In the nowadays, wee-bit Polly and grown-up Polly oft commune together of the long ago wherein skies are ever blue, nature is ever bright and friends are ever true. Thus, may it continue until at the Golden Stair may these twain merge into one-that one being a care-free child trustfully treading the unknown path that the great Pioneer blazed for all his children nearly 1900 years agone. May none of us ignore His leadership! Yea, may we all meet to- gether in that new Eldorado-The Hereafter.
A Popular Street Corner
By D. W. Fowler.
The old Milwaukee house, as the pioneers of Milwaukee are wont to designate the first hotel of importance erected in this city, was built in the year 1836, by Solomon Juneau, and Morgan L. Martin, and stood on lots 7 and 8, and perhaps a part of lot 9, in block 12, in what is now the seventh ward of the city of Milwaukee. And which is geographically described as being on the corner of Wisconsin Street and Broadway, where the Miller block now stands.
The hotel faced to the south, and stood quite a distance to the northward of Wisconsin street, leaving a plaza in front, which was used in the early days by the farmers in which to stand their wagons while the horses or oxen were being fed in the barns in the rear of the hotel, and it was no uncommon sight to see coralled there as many vehicles as there could be found room for, while the owners were partaking of the hospitalities of the inn, or attending to the business which brought them to the city.
In the year 1850, this hotel, having perhaps passed the zenith of its usefulness, was divided into three parts and sold, to be moved off the premises on which it stood. The main part of the structure was moved to the northeast corner of Main and Huron streets, or Washington Avenue, as some people in those days attempted to christen it anew, but the name would not stick, and it remains Huron street, to this day.
This part was continued in use as a hotel, and was run in the year 1851, by the firm of Skinner & Co.
The east wing, was bought by Andrew McCormick, and moved by him to the northeast corner of Main and Detroit Streets, and continued in the hotel business under the name of the Keystone hotel, and was conducted for many years by the proprietor and owner.
The kitchen part of this ancient hostelry was removed to Detroit street near Broadway, on the north side of the street, and was con- verted into what was for many years known as the Baltic House,
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and was kept by a man by the name of J. Mc D. Smith. Later it was again removed to the southwest corner of Main and Detroit streets, where it remained until torn down, or was again re- moved to make way for the erection of the present Jewett & Sher- man building.
Juneau & Martin having become indebted to the Farmers' and Mechanics' Bank of Detroit during the years previous to the year 1850, for which they had pledged a large amount of seventh ward real-estate as security, were at last obliged to dispose of the property to meet their obligations to the bank, and thus it came about that a large number of lots passed into the possession and ownership of the late James S. Brown, who at once proceeded to dispose of them, as fast as possible, to such as might wish to buy, or had use for them.
On November 23, 1849, the Farmers' & Mechanics' Bank of Detroit, Mich., deeded to Mr. Brown besides others, lots 7, 8, 9, and 10, in block twelve, in the Seventh ward, and which may be geographically described as the first four lots on the east side of Broadway, and from Wisconsin street, north a distance of 240 feet.
The deed above referred to, was not recorded by Mr. Brown and seems to have been forgotten by him, until May 18, 1861, although the property changed hands many times during the interval, each purchaser in turn being apparently satisfied with a warranty deed given by the grantor, and it was not until the Northwestern Life Insurance Company came into possession of one of these lots, that the fact was discovered.
It was necessary to obtain a certified copy of the original deed from the bank, and which as before stated was put on record May 18, 1861.
On June 25, 1851, it is of record that Mr. Brown, and Wm. P. Young entered into an agreement as to party walls, Mr. Young having bought from Mr. Brown, lots 7 and 8, in block 12 it is said for $3,000. Mr. Young at once proceeded to erect a building which is known in the history of the city as the first "Young's Block."
It had not yet been fully completed, when on the evening of the 10th of February 1852 the German Musical society gave a con-
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cert therein which was followed two days later by the annual ball of Fire Engine company No. 1. These were the only entertain- ments ever held in this hall, for on the Sunday following the ball, at about 5:30 P. M. a fire broke out said to have been caused by the stoves used in drying the plastering, and in a remarkably short space of time the whole building was in flames, and was completely destroyed, the north wall falling upon the dwelling of Lucas Seaver adjoining and doing much damage.
The Musical society having intended to repeat their perfor- mance had left many valuable instruments and much music, in the hall during the interval. These were totally destroyed, and the loss on instrumental music alone, it is claimed, was upwards of $2,000.
Mr. George Papendeick, lost a violin valued at $500. Mr. George Durige a violin worth $300, and a violoncello, worth an equal amount.
Lots 9 and 10 were divided up into five lots of 24 feet each facing on Broadway and an agreement was entered into with the purchasers to erect jointly a block of five dwellings thereon, which were to be two story and basement houses, with attics. The first story or basement as it might be called, was almost entirely above ground and the entrance to the second story was made by a flight of stairs leading from the ground. Mr. Brown, it is believed, erected the first two, which were located on what is now 414 and 416 Broadway, and the next one to the north was erected by Philetus Yale, and the next at 420 Broadway was erected by George W. Mygatt, and the last, or north one, was built by Ashael Finch. Mr. Brown appears to have sold his house soon after its completion to Lucas Seaver, who again sold it to Philip A. Hall, March, 1853. No consideration named, and he in turn gave a power of attorney to Seaver to sell the same, which he did Sept. 12, 1853, to A. B. Van Cott, for the sum of $896.39, subject to a mortgage to James S. Brown on which was due at that time the sum of $2,000.63. A. B. Van Cott took up his residence there and tived there for about ten years when he transferred the title to A. H. Gale & Co., of New York for $10,350. Somebody forgot to pay the taxes about this time and the late J. V. V. Platto, appeared promptly on the ground to pay them for the owner. He
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obtained a tax deed which he relinquished to the owner October 16, 1863. A. H. Gale & Co., transferred the property to Geo. W. Peckham in August 1866, for $9,000. August 5, 1876, Rufus Peckham administerator, quit claimed to Mary P. and Geo. W. Peckham to each an undivided one half, and they sold to Judson A. Roundy the present owner for $9,500, the same year. These are the premises now known as 414 Broadway.
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