East Side History Madison's Blog

Madison-Kipp Corp: Bad Neighbor?

eastsidehistorymadison — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 15:01:27 +0000

Channel 15 posted a video report titled “Madison families seek class action status for federal contamination lawsuit against Madison-Kipp” by Phil Levin on January 21st.

Seven families living on South Marquette Street in Madison, who had originally filed their contamination lawsuit against Madison-Kipp corporation on October 20, 2011, have amended their lawsuit to ask the federal court to grant class action status to some 80 people who own or live in 34 homes immediately adjacent to the company.

Read all about it here. You’ll find a link to view the video report as well.

Emerson Principal Karen Keppler makes history her hobby

eastsidehistorymadison — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 20:29:04 +0000

On November 19, 2011 the East Side History Club learned about Emerson School’s history. Principal Karen Keppler couldn’t attend the meeting, but she did lend some of the items she’d found while cleaning old storage areas in the school for display.

Now Karen’s collection has captured the attention of the Madison press. Journalist Pamela Cotant profiled Karen Kepler and her treasures in the “School Spotlight” column on January 16th.

Read the article here!

Photo by ANDY MANIS — For the State Journal

2011 in review

eastsidehistorymadison — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 15:37:34 +0000

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 8,000 times in 2011. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 7 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Do You Remember “Pup & Burger”?

eastsidehistorymadison — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 21:40:22 +0000

Does anyone remember the Pup & Burger, 102 Linden Court (2100 block Winnebago St.) ??

It was there ca. 1958 and was owned by George C. Vogel Jr.

These photos came to the ESHC courtesy of Dorothy Browne Haines.

This photo of the interior of the Pup and Burger appeared in the East Side News for April 17, 1958. The caption says, “Mr. Vogel has built the restaurant in the midst of several new business buildings at the end of Linden Court.

Pups and Burgers are not the only items on the menu. Vogel also serves home made chili, baked bans and baked ham, pies, rolls, sandwiches and baked goods. Mr. Vogel has had experience serving food in the Armed Service.
He is also an experienced mason, and built the building which also houses Thysse Printing and Warren Heating.
He also built the attractive tall sign out at the edge of the street.

The customer in the photo is usually seen on the other side of the counter. He is Don Voss, Vogel’s chief assistant.

- Ann Waidelich

WTDY: “There’s No Place Like Atwood Avenue”

eastsidehistorymadison — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 19:56:43 +0000

Ann Waidelich met with Lindsay Adjavor of radio station WTDY in early December. “She recorded me telling about the history of the Atwood Neighborhood as part of a series of short segments about various aspects of the neighborhood,” Ann said.

Aerial of Schenk's Corners from 1955 taken by John Newhouse, courtesy of Wisconsin Historical Society. WHi 71845

Listen to each of the five short episodes on the Schenk-Atwood neighborhood.

1. Ann Waidelich on the history of Atwood Avenue: MON. Atwood Neighborhood

2. Steve Sperling, General Manager, on the history of the Barrymore Theater: TUES. Atwood Neighborhood

3. Steve Klafka, area resident, on the “No Madison Airport” movement: WED. Atwood Neighborhood

4. Steve Klafka on neighborhood concerns about environmental pollution from Madison Kipp: THURS. Atwood Neighborhood

5. Richard Lee, Director of Development, on the Goodman Center: FRI. Atwood Neighborhood

Atwood Bowling Alleys, 2164 Atwood Ave., 1920 – 1950

eastsidehistorymadison — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 20:30:27 +0000

Atwood Bowling Alleys, 2164 Atwood Ave., 1920-1950

Bill Freund opened the Atwood Bowling Alleys about 1920. He was born in Germany and lived in Madison for 66 years (1886-1952). He died (June 7, 1952) from injuries suffered when he was struck by a car on University Avenue.

Bill’s son Carl “Cully” Freund (1907-1995) attended Central and Edgewood high schools. His bowling career started under the watchful eyes of his father, Bill Freund, who operated the Atwood Alleys at the corner of Atwood and Dunning streets until 1929 when Cully took over the establishment and was “the resident pro” until 1950.

Cully was a member of the Madison Bowling Association and was installed in the Bowlers Hall of Fame in 1979.

Upon the sale of the Atwood Alleys, Cully was employed by the Madison Parks Department until his retirement in 1972. While with the Parks Department he was a starter at the Monona and Yahara Hills golf courses, where his pleasant personality endeared him to may golfers. While never an outstanding golfer he did have a hole-in-one at the Monona course.

-Ann Waidelich

Jerry Lynch contributed a memory of the Atwood Alleys to An East Side Album:

”The pins were set by hand. I did that for a couple of winters when I wasn’t very old. There were hand cranks that you had to pull down to set the pins. You had to pick up all the pins by hand. You had to sit in the thing and you had to take care of two alleys. You kept your legs up in the air, otherwise they would get broken because there would be people who would start throwing the bowling ball a little early and make you jump.”

Join us at Goodman Center for November 19 meeting

eastsidehistorymadison — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:26:45 +0000

Emerson School History

Emerson School historians Margaret Cass and Connie Kuckuk will share memories and more.

When Emerson Elementary School opened in 1920, the original building featured six rooms on the first and second floors and four rooms in the basement, serving students in kindergarten through ninth grade. The boys’ gymnasium was added in about 1922. Another addition in 1925 completed the building we know today. Emerson is the second oldest operating public elementary school in Madison.

Bring your stories of Emerson School to share at our November meeting.

Join us at the Goodman Community Center, 149 Waubesa Street, on Saturday November 19 from 2–4pm. $2 suggested donation.

More on Garver Feed Mill’s fate…

eastsidehistorymadison — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 14:31:51 +0000

UPDATE–

Alder Brenda Konkel blogged about a discussion concerning City Planning staff’s recent report on the fate of the Garver Feed Mill at the Landmarks Commission meeting November 9th. Read her post here.

An ad-hoc group comprised of Lou Horst-Jablonski (Design Coalition, President SASYNA), John Martens (architect/developer, owner Madison Candy Kitchen landmark building), Sue Thering (UW Dept. of Landscape Architecture), Marsha Rummel (Alder, dist. 6) and yours truly representing the East Side History Club made a presentation to the Madison Parks Commission meeting Nov 9th recommending the city allow a more fine-grained, nuanced study of the building’s sustainability (considering each structural space, rather than all-or-nothing) to take place.

How about a "Garden Ruins" like this sugar mill historical site in the Caribbean for the Garver Feed Mill?

Needs:

Identify and protect building elements while creating the vision
Ensure effective visioning process
Expertise in creative design plus preservation engineering

Actions:

Create a volunteer advisory team, similar to CommonWealth’s process
Apply about $50,000 from the Mayor’s budget ($350,000 earmarked) for expert evaluation of preservation and use potential.

I spoke about the history of the area, the linkage of the rail corridor to its terminus at the Garver/Olbrich site, and the East Side pride that would bring volunteers to work on the reuse plan and support of whatever vision emerges from the process.

The East Side History Club will continue to follow this issue and report here!

-Sarah White

The “Old Sugar Castle” awaits new fate: what will become of the Garver Property?

eastsidehistorymadison — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:26:19 +0000

Photo accompanied Wisconsin State Journal article

The fate of the beloved but delapidated Garver building behind Olbrich Botanical Gardens is again in play, since Commonwealth Development pulled back on its plans for an arts incubator earlier this year.

: The “Sugar Castle” about 100 years ago…

On 11/3/11 a public meeting was held at Olbrich to seek community input on the project. A powerpoint deck presented by City Planning Staffer Dan Rolfs recapped a recent report to the City Council requested by the mayor. The full report is available online here.

Several concerns are spurring the city to move quickly on a decision regarding the fate of the building now that Commonwealth’s plans have collapsed–primarily the fear that the building itself will collapse before a practical solution can be found.

Other issues include the building’s landmark status, deed restrictions, challenging financial picture for adaptive reuse, the city “surplus” process that applies in this case, and the referendum process required because of the property’s proximity to both Lake Monona and Starkweather Creek.

Scenarios covered in the planning department report range from a $16 million total rehab suitable for commercial use (requiring partnership with a developer/tenant) to a $1.1 million demolition with environmental cleanup including removal of lead paint, asbestos, and capping or filling of pits to remove danger. In between are options for saving the core building estimated at $4.2 million, or stabilizing the south wall to maintain only the facade (“the greatest architectual gem of the building,” according to Rolfs) estimated at $2.8 million.

Questions from attendees included how cost estimates were arrived at and Olbrich Botanical Society’s expectation of continued use of about 14,000 sq. ft. of the property for cold storage and engine repair. While Olbrich no longer has an interest in the property, having ceded their deed restriction some years ago, they have continued to use the property anticipating of Commonwealth’s project which would have included space for their use.

Mayor Soglin has asked for a final decision on the property’s fate by May 2012.

A meeting with the Board of Park Commissioners, open to the public, takes place on November 9th at Warner Park Community Center, 6:30 p.m..

: The south facade, more recently.

On October 12, the Wisconsin State Journal ran an article titled “City should put cost of demolition toward preserving Garver mill, Soglin says“

A few days later developer Darrell Wild posted the following response to Madison.com:

“Dear Editor: I worked for Garver’s feed 61 years ago. The old Chicago common brick building has real texture and warmth. The look reminds me of Pat O’Brien’s bar and restaurant in New Orleans. But because of the size I think the property should have two or maybe three microbreweries all operating with a big hall like Burgermeister Garten in Berlin, Germany. This could be not only world class, but known around the world.”

Additional links from the city planning report:

Join us at Goodman Center for October 15 meeting

eastsidehistorymadison — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 15:28:22 +0000

A century ago, the growth of the Schenk family businesses triggered commercial development and gave its name to Schenk’s Corners. The Huegel surname followed when daughter Elsie married Arthur Huegel in 1910. Ann Waidelich (current owner of Art and Elsie Huegel’s house), Sue Retzlaff (Art and Elsie Huegel’s granddaughter) and Wayne Johnson (last owner of the Schenk-Huegel Co.) will present a PowerPoint program of historic photos and recent video about the building and the families from 1893 – 2011.

Join us at the Goodman Community Center, 149 Waubesa Street, on Saturday October 15 from 2–4pm. $2 suggested donation.