USA > Wisconsin > Milwaukee County > Milwaukee > History of Milwaukee from its first settlement to the year 1895 > Part 56
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95
Shortly after the office was established in Mil- waukee it was removed from its first location to Mr. Juneau's store, which stood on the site of the pres- ent Pabst building. Thence it was removed to a building specially built for it by Mr. Juneau on Wisconsin street, where the First National Bank now stands. When Mr. Noonan assumed the duties of the office in 1843, he moved it to the city hotel on the corner of Mason and East Water streets, and afterward changed it to John H. Tweedy's block on Wisconsin street, whence it was moved by Mr. Merrill to the northwest corner of Mason and East Water streets, where it remained until the government building at the northwest corner of Wisconsin and Milwaukee streets was finished and taken possession of, viz .: January 1, 1859. This building, known also as the Cus- tom House, is a plain, well built stone structure, three stories high, with a frontage of one hun- dred and ten feet on Wisconsin and sixty feet on Milwaukee street. Its construction begun May 1, 1856, and its first cost was one hundred and sixty-one thousand seven hundred and seven- ty-nine dollars. The first floor and basement are occupied by the post-office; on the second floor are the offices of the United States District Attorney, Collector of Customs and Pension Agent; while the third floor is occupied by the office of the United States Marshall and the United States Courts.
The money order department of the post-office was established October 1, 1864, and during that year two hundred and twenty orders were issued and two hundred and thirty-two were paid. The report of that department fifteen years later, shows that seventeen thousand eight hundred and thirty-five orders, amounting to two hundred and fifty-nine thousand nine hundred and fifty-four dollars and three cents were issued, and that sev- enty-six thousand nine hundred and thirty-eight
orders, aggregating one million three hundred and sixty-one thousand one hundred and sixteen dollars and sixty-one cents were paid. At the present time, 1895, besides the heads of depart- ments, the office employs a clerical force of seventy-five men and women, and one hundred and thirty-five carriers, including substitutes. Dur- ing the fiscal year ending with June, 1894, the total gross receipts of the office aggregated four hundred and fifty-three thousand three hundred and eighty-one dollars and twenty cents. The amount paid out the same year for salaries, clerk- hire, rent, light, fuel and incidentals was sixty- seven thousand and forty-six dollars and eighty- seven cents; for free delivery, one hundred and fifteen thousand five hundred and twenty-six dollars and seventy cents ; making a total of one hundred and eighty-two thousand five hundred and seventy-three dollars and fifty-seven cents, and leaving a net revenue of two hundred and seventy thousand eight hundred and seven dol- lars and sixty-three cents.
The accommodations for transacting the vast amount of business long since became too cramped, and to meet the urgent need the United States government decided upon a new building. After much discussion a bill, introduced by Hon. Isaac W. Van Schaick, was passed in 1888, making an appropriation of one million two hundred thousand dollars for the purpose, which amount, with the two hundred and thirty-five thousand dollars for which the old building and site were sold, gives an available building fund of one million four hundred and thirty-five thousand dollars. The site of the new building, which is now in process of construction, is the block bounded by Wisconsin, Jackson, Michigan and Jefferson streets, and was secured after long and complicated negotiations at a total cost of about four hundred thousand dollars. The contract for the foundations was awarded to Mr. Thos. R. Bentley, and work on them was commenced in March, 1893. The cost of the foundations was one hundred and sixteen thousand four hundred and ninety-four dollars and twenty- four cents. The stone and mason work is being done by Mr. Charles B. Roberts, the contract price being four hundred and sixty-five thousand dol- lars; while the iron work, the contract for which was awarded to Messrs. Bailey & Sons, is to cost thirteen thousand eight hundred and thirty dollars.
298
HISTORY OF MILWAUKEE.
In addition to these sums a considerable amount was expended for excavating. The building will be four stories in height above the basement, and cover an area of two hundred and ten feet square. Wisconsin granite is used in the walls of the base- ment story and Maine granite in the stories above. The style of architecture is the modern renaissance, being a combination of various styles, at once ornamental, substantial and impressive. A chief architectural feature will be the massive tower, rising on the Wisconsin street side to a height of two hundred and forty-four feet. On this side also will be the main entrance, reached through a spacious portico, whose broad arches and ornate balustrade will be supported by massive polished marble and carved granite columns, and to which will lead broad, gradually-rising granite steps. In the center of the building will be an area about one hundred feet square, from the top of the first story upward, covered with glass. The building throughout will be finished and fur- nished after the most approved style, and when completed will furnish the government's postal service and other offices in Milwaukee a home commensurate with their importance and dignity, and worthy of the city.
The Milwaukee customs district comprises, be_ sides Milwaukee as a port of entry, eight sub-ports, viz .: Kenosha, under charge of Albert A. Riel, deputy ; Racine, under charge of Nicholas F. Richert, deputy ; Sheboygan, under charge of Jacobus De Smidt, deputy; Green Bay, under charge of Daniel Bradley, deputy ; Manitowoc, under charge of F. Hinrichs, deputy ; Marinette, under charge of B. A. Anderly, deputy ; Kewau- nee, under charge of John Watawa, deputy, and Sturgeon Bay, under charge of Charles M. Whiteside, deputy. The Milwaukee Custom House was established in 1850, and during the nearly half a century of its existence there have been eleven collectors of customs, viz .: Allan Hatch, from 1850 to 1853; John White, from 1853 to 1857; Moritz Schoeffler in 1857; G. W. Clason, from 1858 to 1861. Edwin Palmer, ap- pointed in 1861, served till his death in 1863, and was succeeded by acting collector, G. E. Wiese, who served until C. L. Sholes was appointed in 1863. Mr. Sholes served till 1869, and was fol- lowed by S. T. Hooker, who served until 1871. George C. Stevens held the office from 1871 till 1876, when John Nazro was appointed. He served
till 1880 when he was succeeded by A. W. Hall, who held the office until 1885. From 1885 to 1889 Conrad Krez was collector ; and he was suc- ceeded by J. A. Watrous, who served until the appointment of August Ross in 1893.
The present customs officers of the Milwaukee port of entry are August Ross, collector; Samuel J. Hooker, special deputy, and F. H. Hoeck, J. C. Wall, J. T. Clarke, E. E. Hettelet, J. H. Horan and W. S. Boyd, deputies. At the close of the year 1894, there belonged to the Milwaukee dis- trict two hundred and seventy sailing vessels hav- ing a tonnage of a trifle more than twenty-eight thousand one hundred and fifty-one, and one hun- dred and fifty-four steam vessels with a tonnage of sixty thousand six hundred and eight. At the Milwaukee port of entry is stationed the revenue cutter, Andrew Johnson, commanded by Captain A. B. Davis.
The amount of duties collected, owing to the operation of the new tariff schedule, is much smaller than formerly ; that of the year 1884 be- ing three hundred and sixty-three thousand four hundred and ninety-six dollars and eighteen cents.
The business of the United States Internal Revenue office at Milwaukee, established in 1862, was at first conducted through two offices, viz .: that of the United States Assessor and of the United States Collector. The office of assessor was continued until the spring of 1873, when its busi- ness was merged into that of the collector. Dur- ing the eleven years of its existence it was filled by the following named gentlemen: Mr. Charles A. Bronson, who held the office from 1862 to 1865. J. B. Smith was appointed in 1865 by Presi- dent Andrew Johnson, but served for a few months only, his appointment not being confirmed by the Senate. Mr. George B. Bingham was next appointed, and held the office till 1870, when he was succeeded by Mr. George B. Goodwin, who filled the office until it was abolished, May 20, 1873.
The first collection district of Wisconsin, which at the present time (1895) comprises twenty-seven counties, with its chief office in Milwaukee, is under the charge of Hon. James W. Murphy, collector. The collection district has seven divis- ions ; number one, comprising Kenosha, Racine, Walworth and Waukesha counties, is in charge of Deputy Frank W. Harland, with headquarters at Waukesha; number two, comprising the south half of Milwaukee county, is under charge of Deputy
299
PUBLIC WORKS, PUBLIC BUILDINGS AND FEDERAL OFFICES.
James J. Kennelly, with headquarters at Milwau- kee; number three, comprising the north half of Milwaukee county, is under charge of Deputy John Schickle, Jr., with headquarters at Milwaukee; number four, comprising Calumet, Manitowoc, Ozaukee and Sheboygan counties, under charge of Deputy William H. Fitzgerald, with headquar- ters at Cedarburg; number five, comprising the counties of Fond du Lac, Green Lake, Marquette and Washington, under charge of Deputy Peter Lochen, with headquarters at Newburg; number six, comprising Outagamie, Waupaca, Waushara, Winnebago, Forest, Langlade and Shawano coun- ties, under charge of Deputy Gustave S. Luscher; number seven, comprising Brown, Door, Florence, Kewannee, Marinette and Oconto counties, under charge of Deputy Patrick Clifford. In the district are five distilleries, eighty-six breweries, forty- seven tobacco factories, six hundred cigar factories, thirty-nine rectifiers, ninety-three wholesale liquor dealers, sixty-eight wholesale dealers in malt liquors, fifty-seven hundred retail liquor dealers, one hundred and fifty retail dealers in malt liquors, one wholesale dealer in oleomargarine and seventy- nine retail dealers in oleomargarine.
During the year 1894 there were collected in this district, four million twenty-six thousand one hundred and forty-one dollars and twenty-one cents, being an increase over the amount collected in 1893 of three hundred and fifty-five thousand one hundred and three dollars and fifty-one cents. Since the establishment of the Milwaukee office the following-named men have had charge of it, viz .: From 1862 to 1865, Thomas J. Emerson, who was succeeded in the winter of 1866 by Rufus Cheney; from 1866 till 1875, George Q. Erskine; from 1875 till 1885, Irving M. Bean; from 1885 till 1889, E. C. Wall; from 1889 till 1893, Henry Fink, who was succeeded by the present incumbent.
There has been at Milwaukee a United States pension office since the year 1854, and since the War of the Rebellion it has become an important point in this department of government work. The number of pensioners who receive their money at the Milwaukee office, as shown by the last pub- lished report, is fifty-one thousand four hundred and thirty-one. The same report shows four sur- vivors and eighty widows of the war of 1812; three hundred and sixty survivors and one hun- dred and twenty-three widows of the war with
Mexico; and thirty-six survivors and twenty-eight widows of the Indian wars occurring between 1832 and 1842. On the pension roll, under the general law and the act of June 27,1890, there are forty-two thousand seven hundred and nineteen survivors and eight thousand one hundred and thirty-five widows and others. The total amount paid for pensions during the year ending June 30, 1894, under the general law, was four million four hundred and eighty two thousand six hundred and seventy-five dollars and twelve cents ; and un- der the act of June 27, 1890, two million seven hundred and forty-two thousand eight hundred and seventy-six dollars and fifty-one cents. There have been at Milwaukee since the establishment of the pension office here, seven pension agents, viz .: Charles H. Larkin, from 1854 till 1861 ; Dr. Jeremiah B. Selby, from 1861 till 1866; Colo- nel Michael H. Fitch, from 1866 till 1869; Cap- tain Edward Ferguson, from 1869 till 1886 ; Cap- tain A. B. Judd, from 1886 till 1890; Captain L. E. Pond, from 1890 till 1893, when the present pension agent, Captain J. H. Woodnorth, assumed the duties of the office.
In 1871 Congress passed an act authorizing the opening, at Milwaukee, of an office for the inspec- tion of steam vessels. The business of the office is to inspect all steam vessels plying in government waters ; to grant licenses to officers of vessels and to keep a correct and complete record of all in- spections and other transactions.
The latest published report shows that in 1893 there were inspected in this, the eighth district, two hundred and thirty-three vessels with a gross tonnage of a trifle more than seventy-seven thou- sand seven hundred and eight; that during the same year there were built in the district twenty vessels, with a gross tonnage of a little more than nine hundred and thirty-six ; that one vessel of a tonnage of two hundred and eighty-one went out of service, and that there were inspected two hun- dred and eighty-two boilers, of which six were found defective. The number of licenses issued to masters, pilots and engineers was eight hundred and seventy. The expenses of the office for the year 1893 were six thousand three hundred and eighty-six dollars and thirty-one cents. Captain William Fitzgerald has been inspector of hulls since the office was established in 1871. The pres- ent inspector of boilers is Mr. Daniel W. Chipman.
CHAPTER XLIII.
PUBLIC PARK SYSTEM OF THE CITY.
BY CHRISTIAN WAHL.
T HE magnificent expanses of Hyde Park, Regent's Park and Kensington Gardens of London, the very extensive " Bois de Boulogne " and "Parc de Vincennes " of Paris, the " Thiergarten " of Berlin, the " Prater " of Vienna, together with the multitude of smaller parks and ornamental squares which are the chief beauty of the capitals of Europe, have been hap- pily described by a great writer as "the lungs of those great cities." Wnat, indeed, would these huge congregations of human beings be without them ?
To-day, no half way intelligent person can possibly deny the manifold advantages of properly made and properly kept parks in great cities. As a rule they are originally located on the outskirts, and thus in the case of rapidly growing towns, they give surety of healthy breathing spots when the city has extended far beyond them, and the hygienic value of these open spaces in large towns can hardly be overestimated.
Furthermore, in fulfilling their more immediate object of furnishing " playgrounds for the public," they not only supply those who are forced to live in the narrow, crowded alleys with a wider elbow- room, as it were, but better still these "Gardens of the Poor" give to all sorts and conditions of men an opportunity for the enjoyment of those softening beauties of nature which otherwise are largely a perquisite of the rich.
From this point of view it would be difficult to exaggerate the refining and in every way admira- ble influences, which beautiful and well-kept parks exert upon all classes of metropolitan inhabitants.
All this, however, is ancient history, little likely to be disputed, and if Milwaukee may perhaps be somewhat blamed for having been more back ward than many other cities in so thoroughly realizing these facts as to actively prosecute their accom- plishment, she has made up for her rather tardy beginning, by the interest, public and private, aroused at present, and in fact existing ever since
the establishment of the local Board of Park Commissioners.
It should not be understood from this that our city was wholly without parks until the labors of this board began, for that would not be literally true, but those already existing when the act of 1889 created this board, were, with some few exceptions, more on the line of ornamental squares than what might properly be designated as parks.
These squares and small parks, eleven in num- ber. still remain under the direction of the Board of Public Works, or Ward foreinen, and the Park Commissioners have no control over them.
Four of them are sufficiently large and preten- tious to be properly called parks, and these are: Kilbourn Park (twenty-nine and sixteen one- hundredths acres), some five acres of which were donated by the late Byron Kilbourn. This fine park surrounds the water reservoir in the Thir- teenth ward, the park itself being partly in that ward and partly in the Sixth. The park has fine trees and shrubbery, with flower beds, an excellent driveway and gravel walks. The reservoir, with its placid sheet of water elevated high in the air, is in itself a feature of great beauty. The walks on top of this reservoir afford a splendid view of the city.
Juneau Park contains thirteen and seventy-five one-hundredths acres. This is situated on the lake front, extending with varying breadth from Wis- consin street to Juneau avenue, exactly half a mile. It has no trees, as some of the property owners think they would obstruct their view of the lake, but it is ornamented with flower beds, a grotto, a bridge, a high liberty pole, gravel walks, and toward the north two statues, one of Solomon Juneau and the other of Leif Ericson, this latter being a replica of Miss Whitney's Boston statue.
The Flushing Tunnel Park (between six and eight acres, and constantly growing larger by the accretion of land made by the lake) is situated around and above the flushing tunnel works. As
300
Christian Brahe
301
PUBLIC PARK SYSTEM OF THE CITY.
at this point the tracks of the Northwestern Railroad turn away from the lake, this park is the first point on the lake front proceeding north- ward through which the public can reach the water's edge. The buildings of the works. situa- ted below the bluff, and a driveway proceeding down to the beach from La Fayette place, are bordered with grass and flower beds.
The Waterworks Park contains four and seventy-five one-hundredths acres £ This lovely park in the Eighteenth ward is situated around and above the chief pumping works, and will in time be reached from the last-mentioned park by the great boulevard, which in the future will be constructed along the water's edge from Mason street to the north end of Lake Park. The pumping works proper are situated so low down that they are nearly out of sight from the upper portion of this park, which is eighty feet above the lake and contains the water tower surrounded by shrubbery and lawns. This truly beautiful tower stands as a fit sentinel at the entrance of the proposed great drive on the top of the bluff leading into Lake Park, the most promi- nent of the Milwaukee parks.
As above mentioned, these four only are suffi- ciently large in extent to deserve the name of parks. The ornamentation in all of them was done by Chief Engineer Benzenberg and his pre- decessors. The seven which now follow are in reality only ornamental city squares. They are :
Grand Avenue Park (about one acre), which is in reality only a broad grass plot ornamented with handsome flower beds and a statue of Washing- ton, donated by Miss Plankinton. Itextends on Grand avenue from Ninth to Eleventh streets, the driveway being on each side.
Court-House Square (one and ten one-hundredths acres) is in front of the court-house in the Seventh ward, and contains some of the finest old trees in the city. A handsome fountain ornaments it.
Walker and Clark parks (each two and ten one- hundredths acres) are both situated in the Eighth ward and are partially improved with grass, foun- tains and some flowers.
Fifth Ward Park (one and seventy one-hun- dredths acres) is as yet unimproved.
Fourth Ward Park (one and fifty one-hundredths acres) is in front of the St. Paul Railroad sta- tion and is improved with grass plots, young trees, walks, and so on. The new and handsome
Emergency Hospital, the site of which was donated by Mr. John Johnston, one of our most public- spirited citizens, occupies the north side of this square, opposite the station.
First Ward Park (seventy-five one-hundredths of an acre), is situated at the head of Prospect ave- nue in the triangle formed by the junction of the avenue with Franklin street. It contains fine trees, flower beds and a handsome fountain. This little but delightfully situated park was donated to the city by the late James H. Rogers. It is, no doubt, only owing to forgetfulness that the city has not recognized this liberality by calling it "Rogers' Park." If suggestions were in order, the writer would recommend that justice be done even at this late date.
Lincoln Park (five and nine one-hundredths acres), in the Eighteenth ward, on each side of Farwell avenue and south of Bradford street, is wholly unimproved.
All these together give a total of some seventy acres, fairly well distributed over the city and nearly all improved.
However desirable this might be as a beginning, it was certainly far from enough for a city of Mil- waukee's pretentions and steady growth; and this feeling increased with the people until, in 1889, a number of our prominent citizens realized that vigorous steps must be taken to procure for Mil- waukee parks adequate in size and otherwise, and in every other way artistically and hygienically in keeping with the size and rank of the city.
Consequently they interested themselves in lay- ing before the state legislature a bill enabling the city of Milwaukee to acquire lands and take other steps for the foundation of a complete park system. Largely owing to the efforts of Mr. Michael Dunn, at that time a member of the legislature, the bill was passed allowing one hundred thousand dol- lars for these purposes, and also providing for the establishment of a Board of Park Commissioners, five in number, to be appointed by the mayor. In compliance with this latter stipulation the then mayor, Thomas H. Brown, appointed Christian Wahl president, and Messrs. John Bentley, Calvin E. Lewis, Charles Manegold, Jr., and Louis Auer, commissioners, their terms of office varying, and the law stipulating that they should receive no remuneration for their services. All of these gentlemen were selected by the mayor on account of their well-known interest in the park question,
302
HISTORY OF MILWAUKEE.
as well as their love for the beauties of nature; and also because they were all considered public- minded citizens who would gladly work for the city's good without pay, and who would keep their department free from political influences of an undesirable nature.
Commissioner Auer was appointed honorary secretary, and the board proceeded at once to pursue the extremely ardnous task of selecting sites, and here a great difficulty was met at the very outset. The law already mentioned had expressly provided that the property to be pur- chased should be situated inside the city limits, and thus hampered the board found it almost im- possible to procure suitable property in many parts of the city, and wholly so on the West side.
To meet this difficulty a new law was drafted and placed before the legislature, which was passed and went into effect April 11, 1891. This act authorized the commissioners to go outside the city and recommend purchases anywhere within the limits of Milwaukee county. A supplementary act also provided for the issuance of the necessary bonds to be used in payment of installments and interest on the purchase money. Furthermore, the act ordered that a tax of one-half mill on the dollar should be turned over to the commissioners for maintenance and improvements. The act provided, also, for the appointment of a paid secretary, and consequently Mr. C. K. Lush was selected for this position, which he has filled ever since.
It will be easy to understand that many diffi. culties and obstacles confronted the board on every side, and, as it would occupy too much space to speak of these in detail, it seems wiser to pass over any account of the intervening labors and proceed at once to a description of the work already done and that which is further planned. . The writer may be permitted, however, to say that the first two years of the board's existence, though nothing could be shown for their labors, were by far the most arduous. They were occu- pied by wrangling for the park sites with land owners, some of whom, at least, were quite willing to set aside their personal interests by asking two or three prices for their property.
Seven parks have been purchased, distributed around the city in such a manner that not only are all districts of the city equally considered, but furthermore, in such a way that when the inten-
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.