USA > Wisconsin > Milwaukee County > Milwaukee > Pioneer history of Milwaukee > Part 12
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THE BLUFF.
There was quite a newspaper warfare in 1848, concerning the advisability of constructing a public promenade (or park) along the bluff in the present Seventh ward. Several spicy articles were written by two individuals, signing themselves "Tother side" and "Public Im- provement," in which as usual both went for each other with a "sharp stick," as the saying is. And judging from the style of the articles "Tother side" must have been a mechanic, as among other items of the advice given to Mr. "Public Improvement," (who from his style was evidently a lawyer,) was that if he, "Public Improvement," wanted a park, to chip in and help pay for the lots that were to be taken and not try to force the laboring men to make the improve- ments for the benefit of a few wealthy residents, meaning J. H. Tweedy, Jas. S. Brown and the Ogdens, who resided in that locality. I remember the discussion about the proposed Lake Bluff Park in 1848; it made
*Capt. Hubbell was the same person who run the Badger in 1837, mentioned in Vol. 1, page 116. He died many years ago.
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quite a stir at the time, but like many other public improvements that were proposed by some of our public spirited citizens, it was not carried out until 1868, when the matter again came up, Messrs. T. L. Ogden Jas. S. Brown, Chester Steele, F. B. Van Valkenburg and others, prepared a bill which passed the legislature, after which a resolution was offered in the common council for the appointment of a committee to construct such park, (of which committee the author was chairman) and the park completed from Division to Biddle streets. The remaining portion however, from Biddle to Wisconsin streets, (which could at that time have been obtained for $20,000,) was not secured until 1883, and then at a cost of $100,000. Such was the political economy of our city "Dads" "who wanted no park" unless it contained a reservoir of the frisky lager and a statue of Gambrinus.
Few if any cities can boast of a finer lake view than can be ob- tained from the bluff in the First and Seventh wards. And had the same public spirit prevailed here as has been witnessed in many other places, in regard to parks, our bluff, in place of being dis- figured and its beauty ruined forever by the construction of a railroad track along the beach, would have been to-day, from the foot of Huron street to the North Point, the most beautiful place to be found in America. What a pity that the plan was not carried out. Some of our citizens, however, and among whom are two of those who when the writer proposed in 1868 the driving of a line of piles on the outer bar,* (as an initiatory step to the proposed work,) were the most active in defeating it, have since acknowledged their short sighted- ness, but unfortunately for the city, not until it was everlastingly too late to correct the mistake. But such is too often the result of po- litical strife and stupidity.
*The proposition of the author at that time was to go out upon the bar which then, as now, extended from the foot of Huron Street in a direct line to the North Point, some 300 feet out from and running parallel with the present shore line, and there construct a breakwater. The intervening space to be subsequently filled in, whereby some 60 acres, more or less, of level ground, upon which to plant trees and construct carriage ways, would have been added to the present park, after which the bluff itself to be made more sloping, thereby rendering it less fiable to wash away during the heavy autumnal rains, as it often does now owing to its steepness. Had this plan been carried out what a beautiful park, as well as a place to promenade, Milwaukee would have had, and its cost would not have exceeded $200,000. About $2 per capita for our present population. Was there ever municipal folly like it ?
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IMPROVEMENTS.
There were two brick stores erected this summer adjoining the old American House 23 and 25 old number, now 123 and 125 Grand Avenue, (where the Plankinton House now stands,) burnt July 4, 1861, by Macijah T. Williams. Also a brick block by Mr. Chas. Whitnall now Nos. 295-7 and 299 Third Street, yet standing. Also one by Chas. Heppe yet standing and known as Nos. 315 and 317 Third Street. Cicero Comstock also commenced the erection of a brick flour mill (the nucleus of the present Phoenix Mill of Ed- ward Sanderson & Co.) on the canal. This mill will be more fully sketched in volume IV.
A scale manufactory was also started, the first in the place, and as far as I know the last, by Henry A. Burt.
Laroch & Dibble, Wm. F. Laroch and Andrew E. Dibble (after- wards Candee & Dibble, Wm. S. Candee the banker) dry goods, were at 373 East Water. They finally sold out to Orlando Alexan- der, who came that year in June.
Andrew E. Dibble was for many years a merchant in this city in company with Wm. S. Candee. He was a wide awake fellow, full of life, but not very energetic. He could do better for some one else always, than for himself. He was very kind-hearted and social, fond of company, of good habits, and in every respect a good citizen. He was an active member of the old volunteer fire department and a prominent Odd Fellow. He was the eldest son of Elah Dibble, who came in 1836. He died at 417 Jackson Street, May 16, 1862. Mr. Alexander ran quite a career in Milwaukee as a merchant, real estate speculator and banker (or broker) and finally left between two days for California, under a cloud. He was a man that it would not do to take much stock in, for whoever did would surely be beat in the end. He was a bad one.
ATKINS, OGDEN & ATKINS.
This well known boot and shoe house was founded in the spring of 1848 by Albert H. Atkins, from Hartford, Connecticut. His first place of business was at what is now No. 380 East Water Street, where he was joined in 1849 by Mr. Chester Steele, from the same place, and the firm became Atkins & Steele. They remained here
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until 1851, when they removed to Jas. B. Martin's new arcade block, 369 and 371 East Water Street, being, I think, its first occu- pants, and from there in 1855, to No. 345 East Water, where they remained until 1863, when they purchased the present Roundy & Peckham store, Nos. 334 and 336 East Water, fitted it up as a manufactory and sale room,* (having been joined the year previous by Geo. White, from Boston), into which they removed and where they remained until 1877, when the firm was dissolved and a new one organized consisting of A. H. Atkins, Geo. G. Ogden and Henry L. Atkins, under the firm name of Atkins, Ogden &. Atkins, which is its present title. The firm of Atkins & Steele was for many years one of the leading firms in the northwest in the manufacture and sale of boots and shoes. And from 1863 to 1877, they were the second in rank as to the amount of business done in the city. Their sales aggregating $500,000. The sales of the present firm aggregate $450,000. They also manufacture $100,000, which business they expect to increase until their sales reach a million. The senior partner, Albert H. Atkins, has made a splendid record. He is a very quiet and undemonstrative man, is not a talker, attends strictly to business and can always be found at his store when in the city, and is the same courteous and pleasant gentleman to day that he was when the writer first knew him in 1848. The junior members are also good business men and are on the road to wealth. They have a good business, the details of which they thoroughly under- stand. That success may be theirs, in all they undertake, in help- ing develope the resources of the great northwest, is certainly the wish of all who know them. Mr. Steele has not been in business since the dissolution of the old firm. He can be seen almost daily upon our streets taking it easy. That his last years may pass as pleasantly as his early ones were prosperous, is certainly the writer's wish. He is now well down the western slope of life's fitful jour- ney, and must, in common with us all, soon cross the dark river.
PROSPECTS.
In speaking of the growth and prosperity of the city, the Weekly Wisconsin of August second has the following article :
During a ramble the other day along the hill, on the west side, we were for-
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cibly impressed with the beauty of the prospect presented by the bay and river. The one stretching away in the distance, on the one hand, like a crescent, its quiet surface dotted with the sails of our merchant marine. The other winding its sin- uous way through elegant blocks * of stores and warehouses until lost in the blue waters of the lake, presenting a panorama hardly equaled in beauty by any of the far-famed scenery of the Hudson. It is no wonder that the bluff (meaning Spring street hill, above Eighth street) should be regarded as an enviable spot for resi- dences, and many tasteful ones are being erected there, that when the widening of Spring street shall have been completed, will render that part of the city the most beautiful of any.
The same paper also speaks of the proposed widening of Spring street as follows :
WIDENING SPRING STREET.
There is also a plan on foot to widen Spring street to 150 feet, with a walk on both sides and one in the center, (for footmen) with a carriage way on each side of the center, from Eighth street to Thirty-fourth street. It is also proposed to plant trees on both sides and in the center, thus assimilating it to the famous Paris Boulevard. As yet the proprietors of the land along the street have not determined what name this magnificent avenue shall receive, but we trust it will be after some of the states of the Union. We understand that some of our re- spectable citizens, among whom we are happy to find the Messrs. Ludingtons, t are erecting residences along the line of the proposed avenue.
What a pity that this grand project should have been abandoned at Eleventh street through the apathy, or, more properly speaking, the stupidity of our citizens. They saw their mistake in this case the same as with the bluff, only when the chance to obtain the prize was lost. Had the plan been carried out no city in the Union would be able to show as grand an avenue as Milwaukee. What makes the recollection of it the more aggravating, is the fact that the land to be taken could have been secured, at that time, for less than $20 per acre .- Was there ever folly like it? But so it was .¿
* Mr. Sullivan must have stretched his imagination a little in order to see many elegant blocks in 1848. But that is the way with editors, they often see double. t This was the present homestead of D. Wells, Jr.
¿ The act, or ordinance, to legalize the widening of Spring street from Eighth to Eleventh street, was passed May 5, 1850, although it had been used as such in part, prior to that. There was one narrow strip of land, however, 20 by 100 feet on the east side of Eleventh street which came out flush with the present sidewalk, on the north side of Spring street, (west of Eleventh) upon which a house was standing up to 1867 or 1868, I am not quite certain which, when it was condemned and brought into the street. An Englishman, whose name I have for- gotten, claimed it as a homestead. This wide part is now (1883) about to be
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SAMUEL C. WEST.
This gentleman whose well known face and form has been seen on our streets for the past thirty-five years, is a native of Litchfield, Conn., from where he came to Chicago in 1845, and to Milwaukee in 1846. His first employment was with the late J. S. Pardee, as clerk, at what is now 101 Grand Avenue, then 15 Spring street, which continued until August, 1848, when a partnership was formed with Abraham Morton of Medina, New York under the title of West & Morton, groceries and provisions, at the same place, Mr. Pardee re- tiring. This partnership, however, was short, as Mr. Morton soon re- tired, and a partnership was formed with Harvey Curtis,* which lasted also but a short time, after which Mr. West re- mained alone until 1856, when he sold out and went into the book and stationery business, which he followed until appointed P. M., in 1869. Mr. West has been one of our prominent business men, and has made a good record ; he has also been somewhat proni- inent as a local politician, and has filled important offices under our city government, among which was that of alderman and city clerk, in all of which he gave good satisfaction. He is a good accountant, and has a fair share of executive ability.
Since his retirement from the political arena, his whole time has been devoted to business, and although now well advanced in life, is as active and full of energy, apparently, as he was 30 years ago. He is one of the few whose habits of life have been such as to en- able him to retain his physical, as well mental faculties to old age. Mr. West, who is from the old Puritan stock, has very strongly marked characteristics, his physiognomy indicating great powers of endurance, as well as of will, both of which he does possess to a re- markable degree. In person Mr. West is short and stout, he has
converted into a park, with a a fountain in the center, which will add much to its beauty. The avenue from Eleventh street west, is to be boulevarded, i. e. the sidewalks are being widened, on each side, five feet, making the avenue ten feet narrower,-it is a good move.
*The undersigned has associated with him, Mr. Harvey Curtis, to continue at old southwest corner, west side, the wholesale and retail grocery, provision and produce business. Also, for the sale of leather, a general assortment of which, of a superior quality, will be constantly kept on hand, and at the lowest possible prices. The business will hereafter be conducted under the name of West & Curtis.
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broad shoulders, a large head, a clear and expressive eye. He walks with a quick, nervous step ; speaks quick, and at times very emphatic. He is always dignified, courteous and pleasant. His po- litical service, has made him a good presiding officer, which office he at present holds in the Milwaukee local board of fire underwriters, and although always social can say some very cutting things if he chooses, and does at times. Such are some of the personal char- acteristics of Samuel C. West, a good citizen and good man. Mr. West has met with some financial reverses in business, mainly through the fault of others, which he bears without a murmur, and is to-day working for his daily bread, as contented apparently as though such had always been his lot, and he has the consolation of know- ing that he has not defrauded any one, but has always paid one hundred cents on the dollar. Can all business men say as much ?
JAMES MAGEE.
This gentleman came to Milwaukee from Elizabethtown, New Jersey, in 1848, and in 1849 opened a merchant tailoring establish- ment, in the old frame building, then standing where the Iron Block now does, south east corner of East Water and Wisconsin streets, from where he removed in 1850, to Martin's new block, No. 367 East Water, and where he was alone until 1855, when he entered into partnership with James Swain, which continued until 1860, when it was dissolved, Mr. Swain going into the army, Mr. Magee remaining in the store until 1870, when he removed to 117 Wisconsin street, and from there to his present quarters, 424 Milwaukee street. Mr. M. has been a very successful and popular merchant tailor ; he always keeps a splendid stock, and has a class of customers who are willing to pay high prices for a good article. He is a very pleasant man to do business with. He is also a very quiet citizen, never taking any active part in politics, attending strictly to business, and is the oldest merchant tailor in the city, having been in business continuously for thirty five years.
Of his former partner, Mr. Swain, I have no knowledge. He was a very singular man in many respects, and wholly unlike Mr. Magee. He was quite a talker, and I think at one time held a commission in the state militia, or upon the gubernatorial staff, before going into the army. I remember him well.
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BOOM AT WALKER'S POINT.
The Wisconsin of August 9th, has the following editorial concern- ing the prospects of that part of the city :
Perhaps no part of Milwaukee is improving more rapidly than Walker's Point, "Nauvoo,"* and the region round about. The magnificent new warehouse being erected by Mr. Philips, the Newhall warehouse (now an old dilapidated ruin) and Sweet's mammoth elevator are well worth a walk down there to see.
And as the latter mentioned, was the first steam elevator in the city, (and is yet in use,t) I will insert a sketch of it, as a part of this history.
Its foundation consisted of stone resting upon piles 14 feet in length and 1,800 in number, their points just entering the hardpan that formed the bottom of the marsh at that locality. These piles were driven by Mr. Leverett Kellogg and myself, he having charge of one driver and I the other. Both were operated by horse power. The stone as well as the brick work, was done by Morgan E. Shinn, of this city, then a prominent builder.
Its dimensions are as follows: Length, 110 feet, width, So feet, height, 40 feet, with cupola of 40 more. It was framed in two sec- tions of 12 bents each, with 20 feet posts. The sills were double ; after the first section was raised and floored off, the timber for the second was hoisted up, put together and raised upon the top of that, being equivalent, in fact, to raising two separate buildings.
This work, which was all done by some twenty men, was com- menced in the spring of 1848, and the time occupied in raising it, after everything was ready, was just thirty days, and was accom- plished without accident of any kind. There was used in its con- struction twenty thousand feet of square timber (oak). There are in it twenty-eight hundred and fifty-six braces of three feet run, and seven hundred and fifty of unequal run, and eight thousand one hundred pins. These pins were made in the town of Lake, by a
*Milwaukee proper, then called in derision " Nauvoo" on account of the morals of some of the then inhabitants; it was a hard place.
This warehouse was erected upon lots 5, 6, and 7, in block 54, Fifth ward, but was removed upon the erection of the present elevator B, by Angus Smith in 1878, directly across the street and placed upon lots 5 and 6, in block 55, repaired and used for storage. The machinery being operated by a wire belt from eleva- tor A. Its lining of brick has been replaced by a sheathing of corrugated iron.
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Mr. Howell, and filled a large hay-rack when delivered. The work was done under the superintendence of Mr. Luzerne Ransom, of this city, who as a mechanic, has no superior, and few if any equals anywhere. The frame was laid out (as it is termed) by Mr. William C. Watrous. The beams of the first story were double with beveled tenons upon the lower one, fitting in a beveled mortice of sufficient depth to admit of a key being driven over the upper one, thus ren- dering it impossible for the building to spread, and further secured by heavy iron straps fastened with bolts upon every joint, after which the whole was made still more secure by heavy iron rods passing en- tirely through the building from outside to outside both ways, holes being made through every beam for that purpose. This work, which was all done by myself and Amos Loomis, and occupied three months, proved one of the most laborious and perplexing jobs that I ever undertook, and I often look at it now when passing and won- der how we ever accomplished it.
This man Loomis, who was a ship carpenter, and a splendid workman, was quite a character in his way. One of his peculiari- ties, (acquired, no doubt, in a ship yard) was a dislike to work in the rain, and notwithstanding that our work was all inside, he invariably quit work when it rained. He died many years ago.
But to return : the joists of the first and second floors were hem- lock, 3x12, placed eight inches apart. The roof was covered with tin and put on (I think) by Ex-Governor L. J. Farwell. The bins were 15 in number with a capacity of 200,000 bushels. The engine which had formerly been used to propel a small boat upon Grand river, Michigan, capacity 35 horse power, is yet doing its duty, ap- parently in as good condition as when placed there thirty years ago by Duncan C. Reed, assisted by myself and Loomis. There were three receiving elevators (since removed to give place for larger ones.) The carriers were 6x8 inch, which were considered a large size for that early day. The shipping elevators are the same in use to-day. The shipping scales had a capacity of 200 bushels. The whole cost when ready for use was about twenty-five thousand dol- lars. Such, in brief, are my recollections of the erection of this pioneer elevator. Its days of usefulness, like those of its builder have passed away. Its occupation has been as follows: first,
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Alanson Sweet, who filled it with wheat the first winter, at an average cost of about sixty cents per bushel. Then Sweet & Reed, (Richard Sweet and Duncan C. Reed;) then Sage & Wheeler, (Russell Sage and Charles H. Wheeler,) who made a large amount of money in it; then Kellogg & Strong, Levi H. Kellogg and Robert H. Strong, (now living at Baraboo,) who pur- chased the property of Hon. Alex Mitchell. These gentlemen, who did an immense business for several years in storage and commission, also made extensive repairs, among which was the erection of an elevator for receiving grain from cars. They also put in additional rods to hold the frame together, it having begun to show signs of weakness, enlarged the cupola, and put in a stationary shipping spout. They sold to Gustaff Pfiel, who sold to L. J. Higby, and he to its present enterprising owner. Sic transit.
Of the men who worked on this old pioneer building in ad- dition to those already mentioned, I can recollect the following : Giles A. Waite, Willet Sprague, Solomon Culver, Martin Delaney, George Cowan, John Clark, John Evans, Ezra Dayton, William Howard, Plummer, and Royal Oliver. Of these, Watrous, Waite, Culver and Delaney have passed from earth away ; of the living, Evans and Clark are at or near Oshkosh, Dayton in Oregon, Sprague at or near Lowell, in this state, Plummer in California, run- ning a ranche, Howard lived on Hanover street, and died February 8, 1881 ; and Oliver at Bay View ; but Cowan, if living, is in all probability in some penitentiary. This worthless scamp, who hailed from St. Lawrence county, New York, where he claimed to have been a class-leader in the Methodist church, was the most per- fect illustration of the depth to which it is possible for a man to sink in iniquity, when he sets himself about it, that ever came under my observation. The expression that such an one has "fallen from grace" is very indefinite, but if the daily life and conversation of this man furnish any criterion, he must have fallen at least three miles, for there certainly must have been that distance between the plane he occupied and the one that a class-leader should occupy. May I never see his like again. Oliver, though an unbeliever of the strictest kind, was a different man from Cowan, his besetting sins being doubting and profanity. He doubted everything, even his own
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existence ; in fact, he once made the assertion that it could not be proved that he ever was born ; (he was not disputed ;) and I cer- tainly never have seen a man that could crowd more adjectives into a square foot than lie, when excited.
Oliver formed one of the party that left here for California in' 1849, during which many incidents occurred to draw him out, one of which was the following: The party had been for some days traversing a portion of country nearly destitute of water, and were slowly making their way up the mountain ranges, when they came in sight of a spring gushing out from beneath a rock, whose clear sparkling water was a welcome sight to the thirsty travellers. Never dreaming of a thermal spring existing in this locality, Oli- ver, who was in advance of the party, dipped up a cup full and took a large draught, gave a yell that would have done credit to a panther, and the next moment went tear- ing down the mountain, swearing that hell was not a mile from that place. And well might he have been astonished, for the water was hot enough to have boiled an egg in three minutes. This inci- dent was related to me by one of the party who described it as the most laughable scene that occurred the entire journey. They were all so amused as to for a time entirely forget their thirst. And I have no doubt that the little speech made by Mr. Oliver upon that occasion was, to say the least, a spicy one.
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