Milwaukee Memories Page 15

Hi 

I remember the Army Disciplinary Barracks on Hopkins St near Florist St.  I was in
the Army Reserves in 1969 and we had our monthly meetings held there.  I remember
the cell block area, and had been told that during WW2, some German prisoners, or
maybe they were German Americans, were held there.  The building was pretty much
abandoned at that time.  We were there for a about a year and then our Reserve unit
was moved to a new facility on Silver Springs Dr.  Some years later I came back to
Milwaukee and looked for the facility, however all was gone. 

Thanks for the memory

Cliff

Are you still looking for memories about Milwaukee?  I went to Craig Elementary
School and then onto John Marshall HS.  Graduated in 1967.  I attached an early
photo of the corner of Congress and Appleton with my house in the background.  The
house was 7771 W Beckett Ave.  That field is entirely built up now.  That was even
before the Dutchland Dairy was added.  Or alleys.  Or sidewalks.  It was considered
to be "out in the country" at that time.

Nancy Thorgaard

My name is Bill Frank I am 69 years of age lived in Mequon, Wisconsin. Went to
Teensville in Thiensville as a kid growing up great bands etc. Played in a band
named Thee Traditions. I remember a program on television in the early or mid 1960's
named Sumthin Else. 

The program was local channel and local production bands playing and kids dancing
much like American Bandstand. Does anyone remember the show and/or where can we get
tv clips would love to watch again.

In the 70s, when listening to Badger football games, I’d hear commercials for
Quinlevan Buick.  It’s jingle went, “Nobody walks away (away), away from Quinlevan
Buick.  You’ll drive away with a smile."  Also, there was a store called the Shell
Shop.  In its 60-second commercial, all you’d hear was, “If there would only be a
better way to tell you all about the things The Shell Shop has, we’d stop singing
this song, and skip all the razzamatazz.”
In the 60s and 70s, Capitol Court would feature The Little Farm at Eastertime.  It
would have some farm animals, a rabbit hutch, and sometimes even a llama.
On Sunday mornings each of the major stations would have religious programming. 
WITI would have Mass For Shut-Ins and Lutheran Guideposts; WTMJ would have a service
conducted by a church in the area; and WISN had a show called Answers For Today. 
And each station would have a five-minute devotion at the start and end of each
telecasting day.
Getting back to Badger football in the 70s, after each game WTMJ’s Jack Baker would
run down the scores of other games that day and play a couple records of the fight
song of victorious teams.
On weekday mornings WITI had a 15-minute show called Farm Scene.  It would give a
stock prices from the previous trading day and then run a short film from the USDA.
WMVS had an interesting telecasting day.  It would be on the air for a few hours in
the morning, sign off for a few hours, then resume telecasting at around 3:00.

Steve Koenig

The other male host in the early days of “Dialing For Dollars” was a ventriloquist
named Bob Trent.  Before doing this, he and his dummy Skip would host the local
portion of “The Mickey Mouse Club.”
Speaking of ventriloquists, WTMJ-TV had one in the 60s named Bob Knutson.  He hosted
a noontime kids show called “Kids Klub.”  He had a few puppets that he would throw
his voice into.  He would also show cartoon featuring “The Funny Company,” and would
show shorts starring Doodles Weaver from the Spike Jones Band.  Doodles was also
Sigourney Weaver’s uncle.
On Sunday mornings in the 60s WTMJ would have a show in which the host, surrounded
by kids, would read the Sunday comics (the funny ones, of course).  I don’t know who
the host was.
As for WITI’s kids programming, I remember Cartoon Alley and Cartoon Capers.  What I
don’t know is what the names of the songs they used for their shows.  I thought I’d
heard that the name of the song used on Cartoon Alley was “March of the Puppets,”
but when I Googled it, there were only songs performed recently with that title, and
none were the song I’m thinking about.
WISN-TV had a show in the 60s in which Lee Murray would dress as a police officer
and show Dick Tracy cartoons, featuring characters like Go-Go Gomez and Joe Jitsu. 
It would also show such Hanna-Barbera cartoons as Peter Potamus, Huckleberry Hound,
Yogi Bear, and Magilla Gorilla.
I hope to have some more memories to share in the near future.

Steve Koenig

The first Kohl's Department Store on Appleton and 76th and Hampton - where
the roads kind of merged.  The drive thru "Mary's Dairy"  the "Leaning
Tower of Pizza" also on 76th and Hampton, taking the bus to the new
Northridge Mall.  "Marshall Eagles Rule"  "Led Zeppelin Rules" written in
magic marker on your school books.  Yes, Barnaby's on Capitol.  The drive
thru "Photomat"  "Captain's Steak Joint"  Gimbels was my favorite Store.
 wow!! what a great site.  Thank you.   Colleen O.

For the list....st Michaels hospital on collard ave (off of green bay ave) and the
Milwaukee Public Natatorium - I think it was on auth street around National Ave.
Thank you...this list is Golden
Jax

Do you know the name of the steak restaurant on the southwest corner of Hwy. 100 and
Bluemound Rd? I thought it was Nino’s.

Thanks,
Jan 

Greetings,

I'm looking for old pictures from the 60's or 70's of Villard Avenue between 31st
Street to 38th Street. I'm especially looking for pictures of Winkie's Dime Store on
about 37th & VIllard on the south side of the street. Please let me know if you have
any or know where I could get this.

Thanks for your assistance,

Nancy Scherf

Someone wanted to know the Olds dealers name on Greenfield Ave in West Allis, It
was Ryan Oldsmobile.

Sam McCue and the Legends / Stardust

I worked at Goldmanns in 1956-57 first in the clothing dept. then in then downstairs
sell rugs very friendly place to work as a teenager. John Kinnaman

Hello,

I was born in 1950. We moved to Wauwatosa in 1959. I grew up on 109th street about 2
blocks from Bluemound  St.  I went to Underwood! Or as my group of weird friends
called it Underwear school onPotty st.  in Weeweetosa!
I walked or rode my bike to the Drew’s store west on Bluemound  across from
Bluemound Bowl. 
 We could hear the zoo train at our house. Often I took my younger siblings to the
zoo- Wauwatosa residents could get into zoo free before 10am. I bought them caramel
suckers because they were cheap and lasted a long time. 
My brother and his family still live in the family house on 109th. 
My husband retired us to Arkansas to live in his inherited parent’s house. 
I really MISS WI.  My mom is in a nursing home with Alzheimer’s and my dad passed
away  in 2008. 
The family kinda spread out with families of their own. 
But living back the 60s and 70s was so much a simpler and peaceful life in
Wauwatosa, where there still were empty lots with bushes and butterflies 🦋 
Thanks for the memories 
barb Herring-klug 

Mike F., currently in Niles, Il.
And how about the 4 Packer games at County Stadium went to everyone last 5 or 6 yrs
til they moved all 8 up to GB. Got to watch Tobin Rote,  Billy Howton, one-eyed  
Bobby Dillon (pre-Lombardi), and  Bart Starr,  Jimmy Taylor, Paul Hornung, Max
McGee, et al (particularly remember Ram rookie DE, David (whose he - Deacon) Jones
seeing  Paul Horn. wide open on short pass, turning and running him down and
KNOCKING the pass down. WHAT!!  Also remember Paul Hornung laying in the middle of
the field at half-time, pounding, his fist on the ground, after fumbling twice and
losing yardage twice more on 5  carrie's.   Ah, yes. Also saw some pretty good
stuff. Also watched many times: Hammerin' Hank (Aaron), The Santa Barbara Bomber
(Eddie Mathews,
 Acousta Louisiana's finest (Joe Adcock), Flyin' Billy Bruton, and of course
Oklahoma's greatest Lefty - Warren Spahn, (in pre-Milwaukee Boston - "Spahn
and Sain, and pray for rain";).
Good Ole Milwaukee!

Just a few quick notes on some spelling things I noted: Miles Melius;Fuzzy
Fassbender; Borchert Field. 
Great site; agree great place to grow up in 50's/60's. Will read entire site later.
Looking for info on County/City Park Com. 8 team tag football leagues in late 60's.
Played for Island Bar (County - lost only to Losers Club and Copper Hearth) , and
Cactus Club - City League after Island Bar closed).
Did you mention Hales  Corners Speedway (or  cedarburg and Slinger on same circuit as
with State Fair 1/4 miler - with "Mr.Sweeney" - Frank [of later Indy 500
fame] as flagman). How about the old 12 cent Mozart and Alamo theaters on S. 16 th
St., and The Modjeska on Mitchell St. (Worked 5 yrs steady part-time
stock at Schusters - 6th/ Michell] while at Marquette; co-op student at Kearney and
Trecker; and 5 @ Allen-Bradley in grac school [lots overlapping]). Drove a '66 Vette
in local "gymkhanas". Listened a lot to "WOKY in Milwaukee" and
? country station. GREAT YEARS!!

I was born st Deaconess Hospital in 1944. We lived on 18th & Keefe Avenue in an
upper apartment. Below us was a beauty parlor called Evelyns. I started kindergarten
at Keefe Avenue Grade School. My mother used to give me jelly-filled donuts to share
on the downstairs stoop of our apartment with a little neighbor boy by the name of
Tommy B. At the age of 5, my father bought a small two-bedroom pist-war house at
5318 N. 26th Street, off of Villard Avenue by the old St. Michaels Hospital. I
watched the hospital being built and walked through it in construction. I went to
another grade school on Villard Avenue, 36th Street School, then a new grade school
was built on 19th Place in Milwaukee. Later on in my early teens I went to Thomas
Edison Middle School (the old Custer High School) on 36th & Villard. Later, we move
to Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin and I attended North High School there.     My
grandparents were in the tavern business. They owned three taverns in Milwaukee. The
last one was called The Johnson's Club located at Green Bay and Vienna avenues. It
was sold somewhere in 1960s. I met my first husband there when I was only 13 years
old. He and his brothers used to stop in the tavern after work at the General Motors
parts company nearby. We married when I turned 19. My firmer husband, now deceased,
was from the family who owned a very famous bakery business in Milwaukee, called The
Triangle Bakery on Green Bay & Ring. It was owned by the Krueger family.    As a kid
growing up in Milwaukee in the 1950s, I remember so many things that kids don't play
anymore. I used to roller-skate around the block on 26th Street with steel skates
tightened to my leather shoes with a skate key. We went out for Halloween in the
dark without any fear until probably 1957 or 58. My friends and me used to walk up
to Villard Avenue to Town Prides Custard Stand and buy barbecue hamburgers for 25 cents
each. So good! Then we would walk further in town and go to Winkies Dimestore and
buy all kinds of stuff with all the pennies we saved. I remember Milisters Bakery on
Bullard, and Shortys Restaurant. We would also go to the movies on Sundays for 10
cents. They then raised it to 25 cents. We thought that was terrible. We also As an
at McGovern Park Pool and had to wear a swim cap. They used to give us a thing to
pin on us. We also swam in the kiddie pool at Smith Park. We played jump rope with
the neighborhood kids, Red Light Green Light hope to see a ghost tonight too. We
played hopscotch, and Captain May I. Our biggest treat was when we heard the ice
cream truck come down our street. I bought creamcycles for 10 cents. The Oscar Mayer
werinermobile came down our block on 26th Street regularly.  I also remember the
Ragman driving a horse and buggy selling rags on the same street, and the
vegetable man too. I think it was the Kohls family.  We had the Omar man bring pies
and bakery to our house. The milkman left tiny bottles of cream outside our door.
Another big treat was to cut up a huge watermelon and eat it outside. My mother
didn't work . I came home from school to a tray if fresh cupcakes almost every week.
I helped my mom do the wash on a finger kind of wash machine. And we hung wash
outside before mom had a dryer. Our first air conditioner was a 10,000 but and the
size of half a refrigerator. It was mounted on the window frame sitting on wooden
horses as braces. It smelled funny and leaked water outside.    I watched The
Mousekateers on TV after school everyday. And The Funicello was my favorite. I
wanted to be just like her. I bought an original Moysejateer outfit, hat, skirt,
t-shirt with my name and tap danced in my garage for hours. Loved that show. It was
a great childhood in that small two-bedroom house with a brother, two sisters and my
mom and dad. We were very happy with very little. I played with paper dolls. I
didn't even know about Barbie dolls. I made some of my doll houses out of cardboard
boxes. It was probably more fun than what kids have with fancy toys today. The 1950s
in Milwaukee were great times. My old house on 5318 N. 26th Street is 68 years old,
but still there. That's my brief story.  Karen Krueger Rautenberg, Green Valley, AZ

I’ve been checking the birthdates and the ages of the donors of memories.  I did see
one mention of parents of 91 years of age.  I am only 82 and my husband is 86.  I
remember the streetcars on Fond du Lac Avenue, “Chicken Village” on Fond du Lac and
N. 30th St, the car barn on Fond du Lac and N. 35th St where you could stay on the
streetcars and buses when they turned around (turned their top electrical connectors
in the opposite direction), and I remember skating and playing at Sherman Park. 
Drinking at the “bubblers” scattered around the city, and they actually bubbled. 
They were not water fountains.  I remember one horse watering trough but have
forgotten where it was. I was in the Pulaski High School band and played when
Eisenhower was in a parade and passed that trough.  Do you remember the WTMJ
building on Capitol Drive, and “Heinie and His Grenadiers” orchestra who used to be
on a radio show at noon.  I was asked to be on the stage one day to answer a
question.  I remember so many movie theaters, and attended almost all of them, the
fancy ones on Wisconsin Avenue, and then the local ones perhaps just a few blocks
from your home, as was the Savoy theater on N. 27th and Center St. for our family. 
It was a wonderful city to grow up in, with few TV sets so children had to play
outside, running, jumping, and playing “King of the Hill”.  Thank you for allowing
me to enjoy all the memories already posted.  Betty Knuth Baumann  

Do you know the location of Jakes Restaurants.  I think there were two.  I grew up
in Milwaukee after being born in Deaconess Hospital on Wisconsin Avenue.
I went to Washington High School and graduated in January of 1960.  Memories come to
mind as I read other letters.  I took swimming lessons at the Natatorium.  I rode
past Wanderer's Rest Cemetery every day I went to school. I road the trolley bus
down North Avenue.  Billy the Brownie was on the radio between Thanksgiving and
Christmas.  Every day children would look at the radio and say "I have been good." 
If the good book didn't open there was no story that day.  I was so serious about
it.  I believed the only real Santa was at the Third Street Schusters.  Later, I
worked there for a summer.  I loved the Schusters' Parade with, of course, the real
Santa.  I always drank from a bubbler.  I loved cheering for the Braves, and even
went to opening day once.  I shopped at the A and P, National Foods, and the I G A. 
I went to the butcher shop near 60th and North Avenue.  I went to three different
schools for 4th grade, due my parents building a new house and problems that went
with the building.  I started 4th grade at Hi Mount in February, 1951, transferred
to 35th Street School (where my Aunt and Uncle had a corner store across the street)
in April, and transferred to 81st Street School in October.  I got to sing in a
joint choir of all the high school kids chosen from all the Milwaukee High Schools. 
We practiced one night a week and performed at the Arena.  I felt like I was in
heaven, I had so much fun!  I remember that Milwaukee Schools divided the first
three grades by reading abilities.  P1, P2,P3,P4,P5, and P6.  I grew up with those
divisions and also taught P2,3,4 in 1963-64.  Then I got married at a church on 55th
and Capitol Drive and moved away for awhile.  Memories of growing up in the 40's and
50's are great.  It was an innocent and safe time.  Hope some of my memories jog the
memories of others.

Jeri Heup Gossett

Top of the Town – somewhat small but upscale restaurant on 22nd and Wells
street

Remember all the bowling alleys? On the north side it was Echo Bowl, which was the
last survivor on Port Washington Road (now a Walgreens) just south of Silver Spring
Drive and Glendale Lanes on Silver Spring and Chris Corners on Silver Spring and
Teutonia - all within about a mile of each other.

Does anyone remember the Custerola custard stand on about 26th and Silver Spring
Drive?  What year did that get replaced with a gas station?  Mama Mia's was across
the street for about 50 years, but was just torn down about a year ago.  Best garlic
bread ever!!

Any photos or ads from Singer's Women's Apparel?  My grandfather had stores on
Mitchell St, Mayfair, Whitefish Bay, South Gate and Capital Court.  Approx
1946-1973...

Bob Lewin

Back in the 1960’s this used to be a small Department Store tucked in with Harley
Davidson on 38th street just north of Highland Blvd.
My folks would shop there now and then. When I got older would buy 45rpm records
there. 
I can’t remember the name of the store. Can anybody?
Thanks
Dan Golubski

In 1966 I worked selling carpeting in Goldmann's basement with Mr. Scultz. Ate at
the lunch counter every day. Great food. The candy counter had the best (freshest)
candy raisins on the planet. Sure miss those simpler days.
Bill Idzikowski

Great website as I was born and raised in Milwaukee and although I left in 1991 at
the age of 40, this is stuff brings back so many good old memories

I was wondering if anyone knows the name of this place or any history about it. 
Although I have no clue, there could not be 2 places with such a figure of Aunt
Jemima looking down from the building so it would be great to find this bit of
nostalgia.

Ed

I have scoured Milwaukee Memories and have been unable to find a 
reference to a tiny place called BUBI'S or BUBY'S or some spelling 
variation sounding like BOOBY'S. It was located on a tiny triangle of 
land formed by the intersections of Fond du Lac Ave, Hadley St. and N. 
28th st. Inside the very small building was a grill, small counter and a 
big cooler full of soda. The seating was comprised of three or four 
school desks. The menu was soda and 10 cent hamburgers. This was in the 
early 50's. They also sold baseball equipment and cowboy boots. I 
know...................weird. But true and I am sure I am not crazy. 
Does anyone remember this? If you recall this, please send me an email 
at fusers@comcast.net.

Fred
Savannah, GA

I was stationed on a Nike Missile site in Menomonee Falls from July of 1956 till
October of 1957. I have some very happy memories of those days, and what pops into
my mind every once in a while is the radio commercial for "Lou Ehlers Buick in
Shorewood at Wilson and Capital Drive"  and Wisco Wonder Fuel.

Jim K.

Many memories of my year at Marquette in the mid-50s.  Would someone also
remember an eatery that was an easy walk from school. a bit west and along
or near Wisconsin Ave.?  We had the best shrimp baskets there, but I forget
the name.  Oh. and we'd eat Sunday dinner at Steuben Inn, 11th & Wells.
Also attended Hilltopper basketball games nearby.  And there was a football
team then, too.  How I loved shopping downtown.  They'd stop traffic both
ways at the intersection  to let us walk every which way; I suppose that's
not the case now.  
Enjoying all the memories here.  
Janet L.       

Hi, my name is Bridgette, I was born at the old st lukes in 1956 Grew up on 20th
mineral Went to longfellow grade school. Corner store for penny candy was called
Sophies. Another was Georges. Skated on Mitchell parks pond and row boats in summer.
The domes were free. Suicide hill for sledding was SO SO HUGE, it was like a
mountain. Swam at the natatorium, Went to lake Danoon alot. Had a upstairs porch that
the floor was made of tin. So very hot in the summer. Watched the jets fly
over, Grampa would take us for walks down the block to see the new cars at swensen
ford on 20th national. Bowled at the crystal place on 20th national. The family
names in the neighborhood were the Kuhrts, the Driscolls, the Montys and the
Graingers. Played all day in on our porches and in the alleys. (Now u dont even
drive down those alleys..sad) My parents owned a bar on 21st national called the
Seasons. Pizza place next door where the Malloys lived. My teachers at longfellow
were ms Marino and Ms Schlondrop. Climbed the white wall. Played dodge ball in the
doorways and the playground was divided, the boys side and the girls side. Double
Dutch, 4square, pickle in the middle. Little salley saucer, Metal roller skates and
key on a string. Went to st wensislause (spelling?) Church. Went to ditchland dairy for
lunch on Sundays. Went to johnson cookie factory. Played at the tot lot on scott
st. The sm parks  would make ice rinks. Milk delivery, coal delivery, helping gramps
shovel coal on basement. U threw all garbage in the incinerator. We use to think
112th and Beloit rd was so so far out in the country. Then moved to 63rd and
Euclid Went to bell middle school. Then moved to 99th off Oklahoma Went to Hamilton
High School Graduated in 1974. 5 kids and 9 grandkids later, and Here i am.

Hi!
I never see anything about the "Fiesta" drive in anywhere!  So far everything I
think of is listed, but not Fiesta.  The first one I remember was on Hwy. 100 about
where it met Wisconsin Ave. (which ended there and re-started a few blocks west). 
At the time, in the fifties, for a short time, our family lived on 104th St.,
between Bluemound and Wisconsin Ave.  I was in 3rd grade at Underwood School.  The
bus driver always said, "Going to Underwear School, on Potty Rd.?  Come on up." 
There was another Fiesta, if my memory serves me, on Bluemound out past where
Brookfield Square is now.  I especially remember the "California Burger", with
lettuce, tomato and mayo.  That was the first I ever had that combination.
Remember?
Linda Parker

Joe Carini Lincoln-Mercury, and Accurate Transmission. I'll never forget their
jingle from the bowling game, A-C-C-U-R-A-T-E!

I grew up around Serb Hall and went bowling there, we also went swimming at
Jackson  and took lessons, and we always took their row boats out on
lagoon, went skating and tobagann too.  We used to go to A&W on about 46
and forest home and boy blue on about 49th and dutchland dairy.  We used to
buy penny candy at Jackson Park Pharmacy on our way home from Audubon. We
used to eat alot at big boys on 76th and Oklahoma.  I was born in 52 and my
mom and dad would take us to Palomar roller skating on 27th across from
south gate and kiddie land in back of south gate.  We used to go to point
theater on morgan.  We would go downtown to the old attic on 2nd, Olivers,
mothers niteclub and dance with sailors from great lakes. We used to skate
at Mayfair mall ice skating rink.  Worked at gimbels on plankington and
would go to stone toad and suburia. Used to like to go dandelin park on
little muskego.  Was a candystriper at st Francis hospital and would go
across street to the bakery.  It was fun reading everybody's memory of
growing up in Milwaukee.  It was a fun place to be a kid.

I am looking for the names of businesses that were on Green Bay avenue, from Capital
Drive to south about 1 or 2 miles, back before the expressway was built. I think it
would be about 1955 to 1963.  Any names would be appreciated. I grew up in that area
back then, and I am just trying to remember more, for old time sakes..  Thanks
Bonnie

For Ellen Hanratty (page 5 of Memories)...whose Milwaukee memories of the 1950s are mine
as well.
Ellen, this picture is for you!

Oh yes, the 60's & 70's of Milwaukee. I was raised on the 27th & Atkinson
street area. Had a huge park right out my front door where I would play
baseball , football ,etc..year-round. When the Atari game pong came out it
never interested me cuz I always had to get out and play. Unlike the kids
of today! Which brings to mind how adventurous I was by being able to walk
for miles to go swimming @ Lincoln park or even Dineen park as well as
McGovern. Had a paper route @ 12 yrs. Old with I believe 144 customers that
stretched from Roosevelt drive to Capitol and back to Atkinson ave.. Even
had the shoulder straps and the red wagon thing going on too! I would throw
the newspapers left to right with ease without a care in the world.. Well,
I never thought about life later. Nowadays, I'm not so ambidextrous & both
my shoulders ache and that's what I attribute it to? I even recall the
riot's of '68 when I was only 8 yrs old. It was a scary scenario because I
saw people throwing bricks through windows and our grocery store owner
living right behind our house standing in front of his store in a bloody
white meat cutter apron with a shotgun in his hands. Nobody seemed to want
to go near him. I'll never forget his store being robbed one day and him
chasing the guy down an alley . The up's and down's very memorable no
doubt. I wouldn't trade for anything!

I'm try really hard to find a old diner as I remember it was on 27th st in
Franklin I think 1978 1979 it was called Natalie's

I was born in Appleton, Wi in 1951 and moved to Milwaukee when i was 3. 
I went to the old 27th Street School (27th & Wisconsin) and then 31st 
Street School (31st & Brown), Steuben Jr High and graduated from 
Washington High School in 1969.

I remember the Liberty Theater on Lisbon just west of 27th Street 
because in 1962 I would go there with my friends (some black who had to 
sit in the balcony while while the whit kids sat on the floor level). I 
remember in high school sneaking (I was shaving at 13 and 6'1") into 
Beneath the Street to see Chicago in 1967. I remember going downtown to 
see Jimi Hendrix at The Attic.

In 1968, my junior year in high school, I spent a short time as an 
intern at WZMF in Menominee Falls.

The night I was going to hop on a bus to go to college i went to the 
Riverside Theater to see John McGlocklin and the Mahavishnu Orchestra.

I remember candy raisins and Hawthorne Glen ice cream with Hires Root Beer.

Mostly bits and pieces. I went back to the old neighborhoods in the late 
90's everything has gone to hell. I used to walk from my home on 31st 
and Burleigh to Washington HS. can't do that now.

I must be older, I would be sick and stay home, I watched breata graham,
cooking show sp., karl zimmerman 6, there also was the gray haired news man
used to do funeral home commercials, bought a car at ruby Chevrolet on north
side, much later. my mother worked at pappy's, bucket's goldenberg's place,
close to where bayshore is now, buckets was an ex packer. got all packer
autographs, all braves also, every morning before i went to school. went to
Custer high school, one semester, it was brand new, then family moved to
Waukesha. we moved into brand new house, my father worked for coca cola,
traveling saleman, was never home, new car every year. i think we five kids
may have been a little spoiled. quite a few friends from milw also went to
waukesha high school with me. i also remember the streetcars in milw. how
about schusters dept store on 3rd street? the Hiawatha streamliner on the
lakefront? my mother would put me on all by myself at age 10 and send me to
grandma's house for summer in Neenah!! do you think she was trying to tell
me something?

I found this webpage by accident. This is for person looking for the
natatoriums in Milwaukee. The was one on 5th Street off of Mitchell Street
in the east side of the street. This is the one that was turned into a
restaurant. There was another on East Center Street around Palmer Street on
the south/west corner.

I grew up in Bay View. I was born in 1949. I grew up near South Shore Park.
When I was young, The South Shore Water Frolics was a big event. They had a
parade, Boat Races, a beauty pageant,  and Fireworks on both Friday and
Saturday night. They had a big stage worth entertainment both days. The
Allen Bradley Company's Orchestra and Choir put on shows. The fireworks were
sponsored by Allen's Camera Shop on KK Avenue just south of Lincoln. 

I went to Boys Tech and road the 66 bus home. On occasion one of us on the
bus would toss some soap in the Rams Head  Inn water fountain located at KK
and Bay Street.

I had a paper route. The Journal station where we got our papers was right
behind Lake View Lanes. After finishing our routes, on occasions, we would
stop at either Nick Knack Nook or Wenniger's Bakery on Oklahoma and KK. 

I can't tell you how many times my friends and I would swim out to the
breakwaters with inner tubes and paint to put our names on the rocks.

Great Times.

Greg Thiele

What was the name of the Tavern located on 10th & Locust across the street from
Barnes groceries store?

Born in Milwaukee 1946 (Deaconess Hospital)
Lived across the street from the State Fair on 80th street and Adler.  There was no
freeway at the time and the rides at the fair were stationary and running all
summer.  We walked across the street and crawled under the fence all through summer
to ride the rides.  In the 50's, the circus came to the fair and I could hear the
train from my bedroom window when it arrived and the sounds of the animals as they
were unloaded, usually during the middle of the night.  I went to Ludington grade
school on 84th and Adler, then to Burbank and Solomon Juneau high school.  Chicken
from Dutchland Dairy was the best treat and George Webb's had 10 burgers for $1.00
(no fries at that time).  Hoyt Park pool was summer's number 1 destination, we took
the bus and transferred twice to get there.  There were no worries then, we rode the
bus everywhere for a dime.  I rode my bike to Bowers store on 76th and Dixon to get
milk and bread for my mom almost every day (always eyed up the penny candy in the
glass case).  Later in high school we went to the Eagles Ballroom (now the Rave) and
Baby Jim and the Flames played in a little tiny attic space above the ballroom.  It
was so hot, the exposed pipes above our heads would literally rain down on us while
we were dancing.  Another super favorite place for dancing was Marty Zifco's
Ballroom in Hartford,  The Attic on 2nd off of Wisconsin avenue always had great
bands (Eddie Cochran and the CC riders!), Beneath the Street and Safe House.  

L Walczak

Hi!  I've been in Milwaukee my entire life, living in almost every area at one time
or another. 

So here's my strange question. Does anyone know if the original Fruit Ranch(I'm
talking 1960-1970s) was on Erie Street along the river. I swear I remember going
there with my dad to get things. My husband doesn't believe me. 

Please let me know if you have any information. Thanks in advance. Love your site and
will definitely be exploring it more in the near future. 

Best Regards,

Amy Vella-Emmerich
Still In Milwaukee 

Hey!  When I was doing a search on Jahr’s Store on 16th and Greenfield it
showed you had something on it.  I don’t see it and sorry to say I don’t
have a whole lot of time at work to search more closely. I also don’t have
a computer at work so I am sort of limited.

I was hoping for some pictures and maybe a little info on the store.  For
instance I was wondering when it originally opened and why it closed and IF
there are ANY pictures!!!!
Any info would be appreciated!!

Terry

Here is a picture of the Menomonee Falls Dutchland Dairy store this picture was
taken during the reconstruction of Appleton ave. please ad it to your retro Milwaukee
site. 

All of the newer stores looked like this one.  

I am trying to convince my mom there used to be a statue of a little boy (and
maybe a girl) in front of the milw public museum - this would have been late 60s,
early 70s. She thinks i made it up. Any info on this?

Packard Ave Cudahy....

I am a late boomer but mom use to tell me stories of a restaurant in Cudahy somewhere on Packard Ave I believe.  This past November mom passed and I was just thinking of the stories she would tell me.  I would be great if I could see a picture of the restaurant where she worked.

I find it interesting and want to know more about it.

Mom would tell me what songs were on the Radio at the time.   She would tell me that the songs teens would play after school would drive her nuts hearing them over and over again, but she was a trooper and a sport about it. 

I know that the name of the restaurant started with an L and Tommy James was just one of the tops at the time. If anyone recalls this please send. 

I am just thirsty to learn more about a much simpler time at this moment.  The memories I read have been great. 

Pauli
 

Good Luck -

 

 

I went to William George bruce school and John Burroughs Jr. High then Madison High school. Lived off of Mill Road on Douglas Ave.  We would go to Nino's Steak house almost every Saturday and Mom and I would go to Tanglewood restaurant every Friday and pick up two dozen fish fry dinners and take them to my dad and his friends working at A.O. Smith. Mom worked at Master lock for 32 years. Spent the summers going to the mill road theater and then going down to red carpet lanes north to mess with Dick Johnson as he walked out to his car after filming Bowling For Dollars. I know that man had to hate us kids. I was a caddy at brynwood country club. I remember we used to all try our best not to caddy for Phil Tolken, the car dealer, as he wasn't the best tipper. We called him Phil Nickle tip tolken. We did all our shopping at the GEX department store. The grocery guys who loaded your car used to run to get our stuff as my father was a great tipper! Lol. My dad was President of the Milwaukee Gun club down on the lake for several years. I remember how you shot right out towards the water and about twice a year a man came out in a boat with a vacuum on it and sucked all the shot up off the bottom of the lake.  We would cruise highway 100 on Friday and Saturday nights. Riding the bus all the way down 76^th street to West Allis to see my girlfrend for .50 each way. I should clarify the bus was .50 each way not the girlfriend. Ned's Pizza was the best greasy pizza in town. We ordered from there so much that when I called I'd say hello and they would say Hi Rich it will be there in 30 minutes. They knew our order. I still remember the phone number by heart. We would go to the starlite or Bluemound drive ins. What I remember most was it was a safe city. We could go out and play and run all over the neighborhood and never had a worry in the world. All the parents watched out for each others children. In fact if you were messing up you might get disciplined by another parent.  They have made lots of shows over they years based on living in Milwaukee from the 50's to the 70's. I think through those shows everyone has great memory's of what was one of Americas greatest city's. I left Milwaukee in 1981 on the Ringling Brothers Circus train and lived in Springfield Missouri most of my adult life but I've always considered Milwaukee my home town.

Richard Prince Jr.

Born in ’51.  Grew up around 19th Place and Keefe Ave and then at 26th and Nash.  The earlier address was just a block off Teutonia Ave, so I remember what I think was the original Kohl’s store.  Just up the block and across the street was the Egyptian Theater, a glorious old movie palace, long ago torn down.  Next door or so was a Woolworth’s store—wooden floors and long display tables.

We moved to the corner of 26th and Nash in ’55, where my parents operated a corner grocery store—Mom ran the front and Dad was the butcher in the back, we lived upstairs a la Dobie Gillis.  Let me focus on the candy.  We had a ‘penny box’—an 18” inch cardboard box full of penny stuff—root beer barrels, Mary Janes, Jawbreakers, Bit-O-Honeys. Tootsie Rolls, Jolly Ranchers (later), flying saucers, candy raisins, etc.  At first, when 5 kids came in with only one penny between them, Mom would put the box on the counter, lean it their way, and let them negotiate among themselves about what treat to choose.  After many years, she tired of lifting the damn box from under the cash register, so she would ask the group just what they wanted and fish it out for them.  Ultimately, they would just put the penny on the counter and she would randomly grab something from the box and give it to them.  Life does beat one down.

We had other penny candy—streamers (2” wide strips of paper about 12” long, covered with 3-across rows of little hard candy tits in lavender, pink and some other color.  You would peel them off the paper, contributing to your minimum daily requirement of wood pulp), licorice sticks (red and black), Lik-M-Aid (little envelopes full of Kool-Aid-like powder), Lik-M-Stix (straws full of Lik-M-Aid like powder), licorice whips (red and black) and what-all.  

We had a fully stocked candy bar rack with all the modern options—Snickers, Milky Way, Almond Joy. Mounds, Butterfinger, Kit-Kat, every sort of Life-Saver (including Honey and Clove), — as well as period pieces:  Black Jack, Clove, and Beaman’s Pepsin chewing gum, Snirkles, Chunkys, Zero bars (nougat covered in white chocolate, polar bears on the wrapper), Clark bars and 5th Avenue bars (both chocolate enrobing a crunchy, sugary core, not unlike a Butterfinger),  a little cardboard six-pack (I’ve forgotten the name) containing little wax bottles full of differently flavored sweet liqueurs (a waste of money, if you ask me), a little tin pie plate that came with a little tin fork with which to eat the marzipan on the plate (a really easy way to cut your tongue and mouth), Baby Ruth, Bun (one sort was maple), Sen-Sen, Giant (a local Ziegler product—a Hershey bar-like candy with peanuts), and, I’m sure, more.

An excellent website!

I have some memories of Milwaukee at Christmastime:
    Who could ever forget the brilliant lights display on Wisconsin Avenue?  It was too bad that they stopped lighting it when the energy crisis began.  As years went on, some of the buildings the lights were attached to were either razed or changed, and they could no longer put those lights up.
    On Christmas Eve, Channel 6 would have a show of Christmas songs sung by its staff.  Of course, Barbara Becker sang more than the others.
    Capitol Court featured a tall artificial Christmas tree at the entrance with lights completely covering it.  And, of course, there was the Kooky Cooky House.  Inside were robot gingerbread men making edible gingerbread men.  At the end of the line was Santa, taking requests from kids and giving each one a gingerbread man.
    WTMJ-FM had the best Christmas music up to the early ‘70s.  It featured music from such artists as Percy Faith, David Rose, and Bert Kaempfert.  When the station changed its format, you had to turn to WEZW to get that kind of music.  Normally, it would play that music the day after Thanksgiving through Christmas Day.  Up until Christmas Eve, it would play that music from noon until 1 PM and 7-10 PM.  On Christmas Eve, I think it started playing Christmas music at noon and would play it nonstop, commercial free until midnight Christmas Day.  
    The Christmas lights that households put up had larger bulbs and were painted with something that was more susceptible to heat, so one had to water his tree regularly or risk a fire.  They still looked nice to me, and I was sorry to see the new energy-efficient light sets go on the shelves.
    Over the holidays, the Milwaukee Classic would take place at the Milwaukee Arena (now the UWM Panthers Arena).  Each year Marquette and Wisconsin would host two other schools in a tournament.  Usually MU and UW would meet in the finals.  One year they had Florida State, with Dave Cowens, and LSU, with Pete Maravich.  Our teams won and met in the finals.  And whenever they did, a hard-fought battle would take place.

 

Hello, 

I saw one of your pages mention someone  recalling Wenzels Tavern, which was my great grandfather's. Is there any possibility  the person who wrote about remembering the store have more info? My mother only has a photo of the exterior, and family that would have remembered have now passed. Long shot, but wanted to try.

 

Born at Misericordia Hospital......

Lived on S.3rd Steet off of Mitchell went to Walter Allen Elem. school. Dad's family lived on 7th off Mitchell. Shopped at the A&P Warehouse off KK, went to St Stanislaus church, shopped at Hills Bros, Goldmans, and Sears. Rode my tricycle in back of Kunzelman Esser display window, went to Modjeska with gram. Dad went to the barber on 8th? and the butcher for lunch meat on 11?Our funerals were held at Witkowski? and burial at St Adalberts cemetery.

Went to Gimbles/Schusters with gram and sat in the balcony area and watched the ppl walking and shopping on the first floor while she visited with her Polish friend. Dad used to go to the Public Natatorium to swim and in summer I swam at Kuschusko Park

kiddy pool. (not sure of all the streets and spellings)

 

 

    

Don’t let your Milwaukee memories fade away!