Baseball’s American League was formed where a parking lot now stands.
Photo by Christian Bobst
With Fourth of July upon us, we head out to parade routes to watch pageantry, we head to the parks to watch fireworks, and we head to Lake Michigan to basque in the lakefront breeze. On our ways we pass many historical landmarks, hidden or unmarked, that were once important places in our nation’s history and our local history. These little known places later helped to shape Major League Baseball, the Veteran’s Administration, and the first safe Fourth of July fireworks display. So when you’re out this weekend in Milwaukee, take a quick stop by one of these patriotic places to pay homage to the land of the free and home of the brave………
The Republican House, 3rd
and Kilbourn: The building no longer exists, only a parking lot for the
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and a small plaque mark an important milestone in
the history of America’s favorite game. Baseball’s American
League was formed in 1900 inside the Republican House. The Milwaukee Braves
and, now, the Brewers are part of the National League.
Camp Holton Civil War
Camp, 1756 N. Prospect: A small grassy patch next to the St. John’s on
the Lake expansion is all that’s left of a civil war camp that once amassed
7,000 soldiers.
MacArthur Square, east
side of Milwaukee County Courthouse: The park is named after Army
General Douglas MacArthur, who lead the Allied forces in the Pacific during
WWII. MacArthur briefly lived in Milwaukee, went to West Division H.S.
and holds an honorary degree from Marquette.
National Soldier Home,
5000 W. National Ave.: Built to house the large number of civil war
veterans living in Milwaukee, the National Soldiers Home eventually became one
of the country’s first facilities dedicated to the care of U.S. Veterans.
Many of the original civil war-era buildings remain but are in disrepair.
In adjacent Wood National Cemetery, 37,000 service members are buried.
Milwaukee City Hall: The
bell in City Hall’s large tower was run on July 4, 1940 for the first time in
nearly fifteen years to celebrate Independence Day. To this day, the
Fourth of July tradition continues with the ringing of the rarely rung tower
bell. Nearby, at the once Hotel Gilpatrick, Pres. Theodore Roosevelt was shot in the chest but lived to tell the tale. Needless to say, not many Presidents seemed to have visited since.
Humboldt
Park, 3000 S. Howell Ave.: In 1910, the first organized, professional
fireworks in Milwaukee was organized by residents of Bay View and held at
Humboldt Park. The City of Milwaukee formed the Fourth of July Commission
the next year to begin firework displays at other city parks. Tradition
continues with this year’s fireworks at Humboldt Park to be held on July 4th,
2011 at 9:15pm.
Usinger’s Sausage, 1030 N. Old World Third St.: Hot dogs are a staple in Forth of July fare, but one Milwaukee hot dog has Olympic ties. Since the 2002 Olympic Games in Salt Lake City when Usinger’s was the official supplier of hot dogs at the Winter Games, it has supplied subsequent Olympic Games with a limited number of frankfurters for athletes and spectators alike.
Sources:
http://bayviewcompass.com/archives/4383
http://www.linkstothepast.com/milwaukee/histmark.php
http://city.milwaukee.gov/CityHallHistory12619.html
http://landmarkhunter.com/198684-american-league-birthplace/
http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/Fred-Usinger-Inc-Company-History.html
www.wisconsinhistory.org
