Traces of spaces along N. 27th St. between W. Grand Ave. & W. Wells St.

They just don't design them like they used to! This double house is long gone from the east side of N. 27th Street, but there are families who would be able to identify their history there as owners or renters through census records or city directories. The footprint image from the Sanborn fire insurance map is suprisingly accurate (UW-Milwaukee Golda Meir Library digital collection)

1890s tremors of the Schandein-Best-Heyl-Pabst scandal erupting in 1905

Dr. Louis Frank and Ella Schandein and their families traveled to Landstuhl an der Pfalz for their marriage and its celebration. Upon arrival, they found questions had been brought about Dr. Frank's freedom to marry causing the local German government to publish marriage banns all the way back home in Milwaukee's German language press. Dr. Frank was cleared of any suspicion of bigamy, the marriage took place, and the couple played a roll in the rescue of members of the Schandein family leading up to the scandal that reached local courts in 1905.

Schandein house of horrors, 2400 W. Wisconsin Ave.

(Caution! scandalous reading found through the following links.)
Read more here: http://urbanmilwaukee.com/2015/11/03/yesterdays-milwaukee-love-nest-of-a-beer-baroness/

Read an earlier version here: http://mkemurmur.tumblr.com/post/2904513359/lost-milwaukee-the-schandein-mansion

Prussia to Milwaukee; an immigrant's dilemma ...

Gustav and Emilie Zimpel (from Gross Lops, Prussia) arrived in Milwaukee and were staying at a hotel called the Russel House on East Water Street. They were at a loss to find their sister Theresa; either she was expected to be living somewhere in Milwaukee, or at the very least, reading local German language newspapers to learn of her siblings' arrival.

A record of original bits of Milwaukee's Germanic architectural flavor

The Meinecke Building on E. Wells Street (across from the Pabst Theater) was built 1891/1892 as pictured, but lost its original Germanic decorative features. This may have been done with repairs and renovation due to a fire: the building gained a full 6th floor and a more standard and sedate Classical style (according to local historian Y. Marti).

featuring Milwaukee's prominent & well known 99%!

A lovely photo and biography of Louis Manz, long-time mailman to Milwaukee's South Side, on the occasion of his 81st birthday.

Family researchers sometimes tell me that there must be something in the local German press about their ancestor so-and-so because they were prominent or well known. Could be, you'll have to look.

In any case, that was certainly true of Louis Manz, as he would've been a prominent feature of the neighborhood AND well-known to the people on his mail route.

30 years war ... in the Town of Granville?

Wedding events and anniversaries, notable birthdays and other events are all found in the German papers, but not usually with such humor as this clipping about the 30th wedding anniversary party for Mr. & Mrs. Henry Flach.

On the 28th of February Mr. and Mrs. H. Flach of Granville, Wis., celebrated the most light-hearted "Thirty Years' War" that you could think of: namely, the 30th anniversary of the day on which the said pair joined together in this exceedingly happy marriage. ...

These clippings frequently include guests lists and it's another way to step back and take a look at a snapshot of our ancestors' lives (and in this case, the party antics of lil' Albert Flach).

There are at least two published versions of this clipping - the Germania version (the Brumder's Lutheran rag) leaves the humor out of the telling of the event.

Both clippings are indexed in "Milwaukee's German Newspapers; an index of death notices and related items" (1844-1950) / an ongoing, independent project created, compiled and edited by Gary R. Rebholz, for another 30 years ...

Castles of the 99%; long-gone home on Walnut Street

This classic early 20th C. flat located at 504-506 Walnut Street was advertised by the builder in the local German language papers. The home is gone now, but was located in the old German ghetto adjacent to the north edge of Milwaukee's current downtown. If the home survived through 1929 the address would've become 506-508 W. Walnut Street.There are many homes like this one that remain today although most have lost or changed some of their features like porch railings. Some research to determine the name of the builder could verify whether the builder's model is the same.