The Neighborhood Condition
Activity in Washington Park
From its origins as a commercial stop adjacent to the Lisbon Plank Road, the neighborhood of Washington Park developed around the turn of the 20th century into what is recognized today as a complete neighborhood with opportunities to live, work, and shop. The Sanborn maps, made by the Sanborn Insurance Company, provide an intriguing glimpse into the structure of everyday life in "The Machine Shop of the World." In 1896, the area was not developed enough to merit inclusion in the Sanborn maps, but in the span of just 14 years the area flourished.
The Washington Park neighborhood is bordered on the east by the 30th Street Industrial Corridor and on the west by the park itself. Life in the neighborhood was a negotiation between these poles. In addition to the rapid transformation of the built environment, modes of transportation were also changing. 1910 saw both automobile traffic as well as horse drawn carriages. On W. Lisbon Avenue there was livery service, and just a few blocks away was an auto shop that specialized in changing tires. In 1910, the 30th Street Industrial Corridor was a bustling area with a variety of industrial activities, from warehouses and store yards to meat packers and factories, the neighborhood had a high standard of living which today is reflected in the caliber of housing stock. While the industrial corridor was a major job engine, there were numerous industrial ventures interspersed in the neighborhood. The Instructor Toy Company was located at the intersection of W. Cherry Street and N. 40th Street and likely drew its workers from the surrounding neighborhood. Indeed, some of the more interesting morphological conditions of the area have interesting proximities to housing, far different from what is understood today as the proper relationship between housing and industry. Peter Lauer Carpenter and Planning Mill was located in one of the residential blocks. Along W. North Avenue were a number of department stores, including Cohen Brothers. On W. Lisbon Avenue, the types of businesses were predominantly local, a pair of drug stores and a plumber shop. Despite the advent of industrialism, food was still localized, and Washington Park boasted three bakeries. In closest proximity to the park was a variety of service shops, including a drug store, and numerous beer halls. One was known as Pabst Pavilion and embodied the practice of "tying" a bar or beer garden to a particular variety of beer. In return for serving beer from a single brewery, that brewery might provide funds for the construction of the bar or offset the majority of costs. |
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The Story of the 40th Street Community
The section of Washington Park located between W. Garfield Street, W. Lloyd Street, N. 40th Street, and N. 38th Street is denoted as region 709 in the Sanborn maps historical collection. The 1910 Sanborn map of the area shows the homes that existed at the time. Today's map shows 20 less homes than what is illustrated on the 1910 map.
The decrease in the number of homes in this area is not the only change that occurred between 1910 and the present day. Peggy Woods, a Wisconsin native who now lives in Texas, recounts the story of her mother, who was born in Milwaukee in the 1920s and grew up on N. 40th Street. At this time, Washington Park was still the site of the zoo, which created a very high-spirited neighborhood. Peggy says that the culture of N. 40th Street was very different from that of today's society. Back then, doors could be left unlocked, and children did not have to be constantly watched by parents, however, neighbors would look out for each others' children. Today's society has lost the sense of security that used to come with children playing outdoors unaccompanied by adults. Reports of kidnapping and missing children are told daily in the Milwaukee area and all over the world. At the zoo there were things for children to do during all seasons of the year, from pools to ice skating rinks, sledding hills to playgrounds. The sense of community was special because of the relationships that Washington Park facilitated. When the zoo was relocated, the dynamic of the entire area changed. With 20 less homes on these two blocks and five of the remaining homes being foreclosed or boarded up, the Christian Fellowship Community Church on the corner of W. Garfield Street and N. 39th Street serves as an important asset to the community. This church stands as a local religious gathering space for the current residents of these blocks. The park is used by a much smaller population today than in the 1920s, but efforts to revitalize it are beginning to take place. The hope is to bring a greater sense of community and well-being to the people of region 709. |
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