Support Bay View

Many times I think of Heinrich Heine's poem and song " Die Lorelei Felsen", which was banned by Adolph Hitler because Heinrich Heine was Jewish. I will write most of the first stanza in English and then tell the rest of the story not in poetic verse.

"I am wondering what it can mean, that I am so sad. A legend out of time that I can't get out of my mind. The air is cool and it darkens, and quietly flows the Rhine. The peak of the mountain gleams in the shining moonlight."

This is the story from early history of a young maiden, who was told by her father to sit on top of the cliff and to comb her beautiful long blond hair. She wore very skimpy clothes as she sat there. Below the cliff the Rhine River had some rapids with many large rocks close to the shore. The sailors would want to get closer to get a view of the nearly topless girl. As they approached the cliff, their boat would be wrecked on the rocks below. The girl's father had an inn at the top of the cliff. As the boats floundered, the girl's father and others would salvage the contents therein. This was a wicked way to make money, but some people seem to know how to do this with no conscience. Afterwards the sailors would realize that they had been duped and somebody had asked Heinrich Heine to write this poem that was put to music.

Did you ever wonder if such people could still exist today? Ask the Milwaukee County Board if this was how they figured out how to get extra money from the County Pension Fund at taxpayer's expense.

This is story of how honest people are treated in this world. The health benefit plans of many Milwaukee companies fall in
this same category. You retire and have the company promise to pay for your health insurance afterwards. The company goes in default and you now have to pay for your own health insurance out of your pocket. Some pension plans have had the same problem. The company goes bankrupt and you are out of luck. You trusted these people to keep their promises. Try to plan ahead before you retire. Take the time to put aside some emergency money in case of such a disaster as this. To all of the people who have already retired, I can only wish you luck.

Next time there is an election, choose the person that you feel you can trust with the job involved. If any politician fails to do his or her job, then you have the right to recall the person from office. Whenever you get reading material on various subjects, read the material and know what is happening around you.

Be alert and also be a good citizen.

Please support the Bay View community.

Did you know that when Eber Brock Ward purchased the land to build the Bay View Rolling Mill and the workers cottages, he established rules that no alcoholic beverages were to be used or made on said properties. Until the Village of Bay View was incorporated in 1879, no taverns existed on company owned land. When the Village was established, the existing taverns that had a license from the Town of Lake were permitted to remain open. Eber Brock Ward was a devout Methodist who did not believe that drinking and serving of alcoholic beverages should be allowed.

One tavern owner took a sneaky route to serve alcohol. He was also the village law enforcement officer. He sold crackers for 5 cents each and gave the customer a free beer to wash it down. He technically was not selling beer to customers. When permission to open taverns became a reality in Bay View, licenses were required. If you sold Weiss beer (white beer or wheat beer ), you paid one price, but if you sold barley beer, you paid a higher price. If you had a pool table, you had to get a license to operate it. If you owned a billiard table, you needed no license. Peter Schumacher had a battle with the Village Board over a billiard table versus a pool table when he had a saloon in Bay View. It is hard to imagine Bay View not having beer for sale, but it did happen.

The Three Brothers Tavern, Club Garibaldi and Kneisler's White House Inn are three examples of taverns that were built by breweries to sell their own brand of beer. There are a lot more examples in the City of Milwaukee of this type of tavern. Years ago, men used to have a pole on their neck to carry the buckets of beer from Kneisler's to the Rolling Mill workers. Before beer was allowed in Bay View, people used to go north of E. Lincoln Avenue to get their beer or go to authorized Town of Lake saloons.

The next time that people had such a hard time getting alcohol to drink was during Prohibition. Then people used to make their  own beer and wine. The Italians made some very good wine during this time. Everybody had their own source of alcoholic beverages in these hard times. At least we did not have all of the gangster activity that Chicago, Illinois had. Near beer and soda were made by the breweries until Prohibition ended. Communion wine was permitted to be made at this time. Bay View had the Keller Winery and one brewery in operation.

In order to sell alcohol after Prohibition ended, many taverns served food dishes to its customers. Good food meant good beer and other alcohol sales. A good fish fry on Fridays is still very popular in Bay View. Baked chicken made good sales on Saturdays. I often wonder what came first, the taverns with food service or restaurants that served alcoholic beverages. It does not matter, since all of them serve great food with their drinks.

Visit Bay View and enjoy eating at one of the fine restaurants or taverns. You will enjoy the visit. There are many types of food sold in the restaurants. You should choose the place that you like best.

However if you are looking for Polish food, stop in at the Polonez Restaurant at 4016 S. Packard Avenue. If you like Italian food try DeMarinis Restaurant. There are many good ethnic restaurants in Bay View. If you are hungry, choose the place of your liking.

Please support the Bay View community.

Diane Reeve and her fellow workers do an outstanding job of serving meals to seniors. If you 60 or older or are disabled, you are elgible to be served meals at Beulah Brinton Community Center and several other buildings. This program is sponsored by InterFaith Organization. This gives seniors a chance to eat out and socialize with others.

On some days cards are played after the meal. On some other days bingo is the game of choice for the people. Instead of sitting home by yourself, go out and join the group at a senior meal. You must register to be elgible, but that is very easy to do. You must place a reservation into the meal center or to Diane Reeve to have a place reserved for you at the site the day before the meal is served.

While you are there, check out the Beulah Brinton Community Center and see all of the programs available for all people. This building is your Milwaukee Public School Recreation Division in action. Volleyball and basketball are available to seniors and all people. Youth activities are also available there. Excercise classes and craft classes are also available for all people. Beulah Brinton Community Center is located at 2555 S. Bay Street across the street from Stemper's Religious Products Store on E. Potter Avenue. There are programs available for all ages here.

I would like to make a tribute to Mary Becker.

Even though she has retired from Community Newspapers and has left her column retire with her,  I admire all of the writing that she has done in the past.  She has been an inspiration to me and many other people I know.  She has always shown honesty and integrity in her writings. Whenever I used to read the Bay Viewer or Cudahy Reminder-Enterprise,  I would look forward to reading her column. 

Mary has been interested in local history and local stories for many years. She has demonstrated to us how to write an interesting and intelligent account of life in the south shore communities of Milwaukee.  This is the first chance that I have had to honor her in my own way,  but she deserves all the honor and prestige that she can get.

Whenever I see her at the Bay View Historical Society meetings,  I wish I could tell her how much her work means to me.

Mary Becker,  enjoy your retirement and know that nobody will ever forget about you.  Best wishes to you and your family.  If I could write like you,  it would make me very happy.

In the past we always looked forward to a family get together with turkey, stuffing, sweet potatoes, another vegetable and homemade pumpkin pie. It was a chance to be together as a family and talk about old times and new events in our lives. Going to church was very important to all of us.

After we were done eating, the women would clean up the table and do the dishes. The men would frequently talk together and play Sheepshead. The children would go outside to play if the weather was right or play indoors. It was a true family get together. There was no radio or television in the early years. Sometimes we would listen to the player piano or somebody would play the accordion and we would sing songs together. As a family, we would talk about things that happened since we last got together. Later on we would all return to our own homes and remember what all happened to us that day.

Now in the present time, we do many of the same things as in the past, but the men and women like to watch football during the day. Family conversations are not as common as before. Now we have electric, gas and microwave ovens to cook the food. Carving the turkey is the same, however we fequently cook the turkey the day before Thanksgiving and debone it for when we serve it. Stuffing is still made fresh on Thanksgiving and fresh kielbasa (polish sausage is a common breakfast) is also made in the morning. Going to church is still very important. Many of the day's food items are purchased rather than cooked at home.Thanksgiving is still a true family get together occasion. This is a good time to get together with all of your family members who are close by your house and those able to come by you. Think of all the good times you have had in the past. Remember all those who have passed away. Be thankful for all that you have.

One thing that I want to see on Thanksgiving is the Green Bay Packers defeating the Detroit Lions on the football field in Detroit. It would be sad to be their turkey and us lose the game. Let's give a cheer to all of the men and women who are unable to enjoy this holiday because they are working or serving their country. Honor all of the police force and fire department who have to work on that day. Honor the hospital workers who will not be able to enjoy the holiday due to their job. Be thankful that you are able to enjoy this holiday yourself with your friends or family.

Think of the men and women in the service of our country who can't share their Thanksgiving with their families. We should give thanks for all of the things that we have received in life and also remember the ones who can't enjoy this holiday with their families.

In the early years of Wisconsin,  doctors were very scarce.  Many times people to went to people who had knowledge of the old indian cures to help them.  Because we had no medical schools in Wisconsin then,  the only real doctors had to come from elsewhere.  Dr. Enoch Chase came from Darby,  Vermont in 1835.  His brother Horace Chase ( later Mayor of Milwaukee ) came here in 1834.  Dr. Chase delivered the first two children born in Milwaukee.  Milwaukee Sivyer and Milwaukee Smith were the two children.  Sivyer was a boy and Smith was a girl.  U. S. Smith,  the father of Milwaukee Smith,  was a Bay View resident.  His house is still standing on S. Howell Ave.,  half way between E. Smith Street and E. Wilson Street,  and is located close to the alley.  If you look at this house,  you would never guess that it was a pioneer house.  Dr. Chase left the field of medicine then and started  glass works in Bay View.

In the old days,  anybody  could put up a sign and say they were a doctor.  It was not until later years that regulations on who could be registered as a doctor went into effect.  Doctors from the eastern United States and doctors who came from Europe  gradually became the doctors of choice for people.  Dentists had the same problem.

Once established,  the doctors built up a strong medical practice and plenty of patients.  Hospitals had a reputation of being a house of death,  since only the sickest people went there.  In Germany,  a story came out of the dark ages.  "Kein Wunder" ( No Wonder) was the title of the story.  During the plague,  every doctor was required to have a sign out near his office to list how many of his patients died of the plague.  A rich man started coming down with plague symptoms.  He asked his servant to go out and find a doctor that had the fewest plague deaths on his sign.  The servant brought the doctor to his master.  The master asked how many of his patients had died of the plague.  The doctor said only three.  He was asked for his remedy for the plague.  The doctor said take plenty of orange juice and water.  The master asked him how long he was a doctor.  The doctor stated that he became a doctor only yesterday.  Thus the title of the story.  We never had this kind of problem here in Milwaukee.  You should check out your doctor before you see him   and check out his skills.  You have to trust your doctor in all matters of health.  A good doctor is unafraid of anybody checking his records as a doctor.

Today,  doctors have trained in the most advanced studies possible in saving lives.  The general doctor is almost a thing of the past.  Most doctors today specialize in many fields.  If you have a problem,  you will most likely be sent to a specialist by your general practitioner,   because he is not trained in certain fields of practice.  Hospitals today are very expensive compared to yesteryear.  Diseases that were incurable in the past can now be cured.  If you were told you had cancer then,  there was little they could do for you.  Now they have new drugs and methods that are extending the lives of the cancer patients.  Even though it cost more to be cured now,  at least you have good chance of surviving for a few more years. 

Nobody is perfect, and as hard as they try to help you,  there a still some things that they know little about.  Research and development is the key to today's medical programs.  You must trust in your doctor to find a cure for your illnesses.  Healthful living and eating with plenty of excercise are very good in prolonging our lives.  Do not be afraid to see a doctor when you need one.  He could save your life one day.

Now that football season is here,  I am sure that most of the people I know are glued to their television set to watch the games.

It is too bad that we can't watch some of the Wisconsin Badger games on television. It appears that money is the reason for us missing these games.  Does everything that we want to watch on tv have to be "pay-for-view"?  We are going to lose interest in football games that we can't see for free. 

It takes more than crowds at the game to support the tv broadcast of these games.  If adverstisers see that interest is lost in these games,  then the Big Ten Athletic Conference will lose money big time.  If only the people with money can watch these games,  then sales by the regular person like me will be lost to the teams.  Wake up Big Ten Conference.  You are only hurting yourselves by being greedy for money. 

In the long run you will lose any profit that you hoped to make by doing this.  The people will ignore the Big Ten games and watch other conference games that are "free for view".  Please do not forget the people who have supported you over all the previous years,  or they will forget about you.  Bring back Big Ten Conference games to free sponsored television networks for all to view.

Greed does not make many happy donors to the college programs.  Your donors will turn to other colleges to support and ignore your greedy concept. The
decision is yours to make.  The National Football League is being greedy in a simlilar way.

Advertisers depend on audiences to make their sales.  No viewing customers,  no sales.

Enough said.

November 11th is Veterans Day. Let us take the time to honor the men and women who have given freely of their lives to protect us from harm. We should not forget who gave us our freedom that we enjoy in our country. Freedom is not cheap. Today we have men and women serving in Iraq and Afganistan who are trying to gain freedom from terrorism for the people there. We are hoping to set up free elections for the people. Too many people have died in the violence over there. If peace and stable governments can be established in these two countries, then we have completed our purpose. Throughout our American history, the members of our armed forces have come to our rescue in time of need. Please take the time and honor these veterans for all that they have done for us. Also honor the members of the United States Postal Service, many of whom are also veterans, for the service that they have done throughout the years. Celebrate Veterans Day with the veterans in your mind. This is a day of remembrance to all who have served our country in war and peace.

Several years ago, I had the chance to be present when we were trying to get a landmark designation for Trowbridge Street School from the City of Milwaukee. The first speaker stated that Bay View had no history and that Trowbridge street School was just an ordinary school that did not deserve a landmark. My answer was that Bay View was part of a Federal Historic District and that Trowbridge Street School was the only unpainted cream city brick school in Milwaukee. The I went on to explain part of the history of the area.

Trowbridge Street School and the land on which it stands have held prominent places in the history of Bay View. First settled in 1835, by Elijah Estes, Ubediah Smith, Alexander Stewart, Joel Wilcox, Horace Chase, Dr. Enoch Chase and several other people. Bay View was organized in 1868 as part of the Town of Lake by Eber Brock Ward when he bought a large section of land and built the Bay View Rolling Mill and other
buildings to house the workers from the rolling mill. The legal Village of Bay View existed from 1879, when
it was incorporated from the Town of Lake and became its own enity. The first school was built in the Town of
Lake on what is now E Bay St. (formerly Wilcox Street and Bay View Street) near to what is now S. Lenox Street. In 1874, The Red Brick School was built to serve as a school, town hall, jail and court house for the Town of Lake. It later became the first grade school, high school, college, village hall, jail and court house for the Village of Bay View. Trowbridge Street School was built to replace the old Red Brick School which had no indoor plumbing, electricity, but did have natural gas lights. The old Red Brick School was built on what is now S. Wentworth Avenue between E. Russell Avenue and E. Potter Avenue.

The Iron Well was built in 1882 to provide fire protection for the Village of Bay View. Overcrowding led to a
second grade school being built on Dover Street called the Bird Nest School. (this school was later replaced by Dover Street School which is located at 619 E. Dover Street.) Other overcrowding was relieved by having some classes at the Puddlers Hall on St. Clair St. All of the graduates of the Bay View schools were
permitted to teach in the village schools. Bay View came up with idea of opening the schools for recreation and adult education in the evenings. Professor Lewis Funk was head of the village schools. Ren Estes, the son of Elijah Estes was one of the first teachers in the school.

Elijah Estes walked over 1,000 miles from North Carolina to come and settle in Bay View in 1835. On the way to Bay View, he stopped in Chicago, Illinois and became engaged to Zebadiah Wentworth, from a prominent Chicago family. After he filed his claim and built a cabin in what is now South Shore Park, he married Zebadiah Wentworth and returned to Bay View. It has been said that Zebadiah was the person who named the area "Bay View", although others have also made that claim. Elijah Estes had a visitor on more than one occasion who was also from the South. Jefferson Davis, who later became President of the Confederate States of America, visted Elijah and courted his daughter while talking old times about the South and their earlier lives there. Later on, Jefferson Davis went back to his military post in which he served under Zachary Taylor, who later became President of the United States. Zachary Taylor's daughter,
Knox Taylor, married Jefferson Davis, but later died a tragic death in a few years. Davis and Taylor had
fought the Blackhawk War in 1832 with the help of a leader of the Illinois State Militia, whose name was Abraham Lincoln. Who was to know that Jefferson Davis and Abraham Lincoln would meet again in the War
of the Rebellion, also know as the American Civil War. Elijah Estes was a member of the Village Board of the Village of Bay View. He earned most of his money by selling off parts of his land claims. He once owned most of the south east portion of Bay View. His land extended from about Oklahoma Avenue to the northern
portion of South Shore Park. His land went west to the railroad tracks near what is now Highway 794.

The Town of Lake was incorperated in 1838 with the norhtern boundary being Railroad Street (now Greenfield Avenue). The southern boundary was Racine County. The western boundary was what is now S.
27th Street. The eastern boundary was Lake Michigan. In 1840, the south six miles became Oak Creek. The Village of Bay View was incorporated in 1879 with the northern boundary being E. Licoln Avenue. The southern boundary was E. Oklahoma Avenue (except for a small section that went south on S. Clement Avenue--the old School House Road). The western boundary was east of what is now S. 6th Street. The eastern boundary was Lake Michigan.

Eber Brock Ward was from Detroit, Michigan, and owned iron mines and a shipping company that wen