Washington Park History
A History of Milwaukee
Milwaukee was populated by many German, Irish, and Polish immigrants in the 1800s. These settlers were attracted to the city for its inexpensive land and freedom. Due to the ease of access to Lake Michigan, the Menominee Valley brought a lot of manufacturing and other heavy industry.
In 1895, Milwaukee's City Hall was completed. At 393 feet, City Hall towered over the rest of the town and was considered the tallest inhabitable building in the world. From then on, Milwaukee continued to grow out into the suburbs. In the mid-1900s, Milwaukee consecutively elected three socialist mayors who were devoted to cleaning up the neighborhoods and improving the electric and sanitation systems. With these new improvements to the city, many factories were built, increasing the population tremendously. Many African-Americans moved to the city from the South and created a community referred to as "Bronzeville." This area of the city attracted many famous jazz musicians and became known as the "Harlem of the Midwest." Unfortunately, this swinging community was divided by Interstate 43, and its significance began to decline. In 1960, Milwaukee was considered the 11th largest city in the United States, and the final boundary lines of the city were established. As factories moved and people migrated out of the city, Milwaukee's population began to decline, causing it to become only the 30th most populated city. |
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A History of Washington Park
In the early 20th century Washington Park was one of the many new neighborhoods in Milwaukee. The area was laid out according to the typical Milwaukee style street grid, with city blocks that were roughly 700 feet from north to south and 300 feet from east to west. In order to maximize the number of lots per street, city planners created narrow lots and placed them right on top of one another. When fully developed, the streets were densely populated. During the last century developers did not call for any rowhouses and hardly any apartment buildings; instead, they built for single families looking for the typical "American Dream" style of home -- two floors and a backyard. The Washington Park neighborhood started to flood with new families, typically of German descent. These families were middle class, and the working members of the households held jobs as shopkeepers, artisans, and minor officials.
The demographic of the Washington Park neighborhood changed drastically following World War II. The housing struggles of the mid-1900s shaped an accessible opening for African-American families looking to start their American dream in the suburbs. By the late-1900s, Washington Park was demographically 75% African-American. The members of these families typically held jobs in Milwaukee's manufacturing economy. The neighborhood took a turn for the worst when large manufacturing plants in the Menominee and Milwaukee River Valleys closed. Not only did these large plants close, but many in the 30th Street Industrial Corridor, which ran through Washington Park, closed also. The effects of this job loss created an economic decline which is reflected in poverty and unemployment rates in the Washington Park neighborhood. |
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A Washington Park Neighborhood Study
In the 1950s the first inhabitants of Milwaukee's Washington Park neighborhood were primarily Germans looking to start new lives. High hopes of bountiful space to raise a family, business ownership, and community were some of the reasons why the Germans settled in the area. Families started businesses, thus making W. Lisbon Avenue the prime shopping district of its day. Corner grocers, family-owned jewelry stores, banks, and bakeries populated the street level of W. Lisbon Avenue. Homes, primarily duplexes, were purchased, not only for income properties, but for the overflow of extended families once they arrived in the United States. Residents recall walking down the street having to only speak in their native language. The area was a community, safe for children to wander where they pleased without worry. This era lasted until the start of the 1970s.
As the 1970s rolled in, most of the children who once safely roamed the streets were grown and leaving their family homes. As the baby boomers moved out, their parents, the original inhabitants, saw no need to keep their now empty family homes. Given that these families were the primary business owners, all the original retail shops went as well. In their place, convenience stores and bars populated W. Lisbon Avenue's once thriving retail district. The demographic of the neighborhood also changed as white families moved out, making room for a more diverse, primarily rental community. Along with homeownership, pride in the upkeep of the homes also left when the baby boomers moved out. Neglect and vacancy fell upon the once thriving and wholesome area. Since the 1970s, when the feeling of community left, a few residents have tried to restore W. Lisbon Avenue to its original state. Unfortunately, most have not succeeded. Current residents have hopes for a brighter future for their area. Some believe that art will be the key to reuniting the now broken community. Nonetheless, with a common goal and a lot of work, the community can improve its surroundings. Some locals, like Muneer Bahauddeen, are working to better the community. Muneer is a Milwaukee area artist who is well-known for his work in ceramics. He has taught ceramic sculpture at the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design, the University of Wisconsin - Madison at Rhinelander, and at the University School of Milwaukee. He has also participated in a number of area public art projects and has worked with Artists Working in Education, Inc. to bring art enrichment programs to the children of Milwaukee. Across W. Lisbon Avenue from Amaranth Bakery & Cafe was Schaefer's Jewelry Shop, a residential and commercial building owned by Joseph and Elsie Schaefer from 1935 to 1965. The Schaefers moved into the house, located at 3328 W. Lisbon Avenue, in 1935 but did not begin their business until 1945. Elsie Schaefer was born in Milwaukee and graduated from West Division High School, where she was the president of the Women's Auxiliary of the Sherman Park post of the American Legion. She passed away in 1949, leaving behind her husband, three sons, and two daughters, all of whom were born in the City of Milwaukee. The other site of study is found on the south side of W. Lisbon Avenue. The block between N. 34th Street and N. 35th Street once housed a bank, a post office, and a prized movie theater once known as the Parkway Theatre. Once a vibrant meeting spot for entertainment, the theater proudly occupied the western corner of the block. Its authentic being was a prime spot for locals between 1921 and 1970. In 1970, two Racine men bought the theater, and in 1971 the Parkway began playing x-rated movies, the first of them being Deep Throat. The community did not approve of the theater playing the new genre of movies because it was a form of corruption that had a negative impact on their neighborhood. Unfortunately, the theater would be shut down altogether in 1986. The main focus of Washington Park's existence was on the families of German immigrants who arrived in the early to mid-1900s. The dreams of home and land ownership were prospects to the newcomers. Not only was Washington Park a place to live, but it was also a place to raise a family. This new land also left room for expansion for future family members to come from Germany. |
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