Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Week #39: The partying has begun! Greendale’s 75th Anniversary year is finally here. Community organizations, churches, schools, along with the Public Celebrations and 75th Anniversary Committee have activities planned throughout the entire year.
History records and explains past events, while folklore preserves what people widely remember. History and Folklore! The story of the Greendale is truly a unique one. Three Greenbelt towns were built as part of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt's New Deal projects following the Great Depression. They were Greenbelt, Maryland, Greenhills, Ohio and Greendale, Wisconsin. The most important aspect of these towns was to provide low income families with affordable housing to raise their children in a safe environment and have large open "green" spaces. In May of 1936 construction began on the 366 buildings with 572 total living units for Greendale. Public interest during the building of this planned community was phenomenal, with over a half …
Greendale residents are being given the first opportunity Friday and Saturday to purchase tickets for this summer's 'Fifth Quarter Perfomance by Members of the Badger Band' on August 8, 2013.
Advance Ticket Sales this Friday and Saturday Before being offered to the general public, this Friday and Saturday tickets will be sold to Greendale residents for this summer's 'Fifth Quarter Performance by Members of the Badger Band'. The details of the sale are: Greendale Safety Center - 5911 W. Grange Ave Friday January 11 - 12:00pm to 7:00pm Saturday January 12 - 9:00am to 3:00pm Price per Ticket: $5.00 (Note: cash preferred, credit cards not able to be processed) This year Greendale is celebrating its 75th Anniversary. The Greendale Public Celebrations Committee, working under the direction of the Village President and the Village Trustees, have planned a fabulous party for Village Days 2013. One of the grand …
Thursday, January 3, 2013
A look-back at Greendale's original news source, courtesy of Steve Peters.
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Week#40: If you don’t know where or what the Steakout is, that’s because there is no advertising for this neighborhood hideaway. Also, does anyone remember the Red Barn Hostel?
History records and explains past events, while folklore preserves what people widely remember. History and Folklore! What do Bob Buhl, Warren Spahn, Lou Burdette, Johnny Logan, Eddie Mathews and Bob Lombardo have in common? Well, they loved to play baseball, and all of them except Bob Lombardo played professionally with the Milwaukee Braves. More interestingly, they all spent an afternoon at the Steakout restaurant talking baseball, just like they were in the dugout at County Stadium. Bob Lombardo was there by virtue of working that day. The Braves were there because several of the players on the team lived in Greendale, and they spread the word that it was a friendly neighborhood restaurant with great food (See Week#69). These Milwaukee …
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Week#41: There are only three remaining silos in Greendale, a reminder of the farm land origins of the building of this Greenbelt community.
History records and explains past events, while folklore preserves what people widely remember. Historic Houses in Greendale! The third house in the series of historic Greendale houses is quite a marvel. “A man’s house is his castle”, but how many castles do you know that also have a silo? Silo House - 5630 Gatewood Ln, Greendale, WI 53129 - Owners: Greg & Judy Turay This beautiful, executive style 3,000 square foot house is in the "G" section between 84th Street and 92nd Street South of Grange Avenue. At first glance it looks like a typical, charming home for this section until you look to the west side of the house, behind the garage, and see an unusual cement capped silo rising above the roof line. A closer look reveals that the house …
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Week#42: Greendale Historical Society’s Third Annual Halloween Walk Through the Woods at the Hose Tower bring ghoulish but wholesome talent with Accompany of Kids. Community Volunteers support the event. Hose Tower Memories.
History records and explains past events, while folklore preserves what people widely remember. History and Folklore! Breathing life into the Hose Tower and Grounds Building for the community is a major effort of the Greendale Historical Society. Ghosts and goblins of Halloween Past are already meeting quietly, so if you imagine you see a mist in the woods or a veiled face peering from the windows of the historic building don’t be alarmed – they’re just preparing for the society’s Third Annual Halloween Walk Through the Woods at the Hose Tower on Saturday, October 20 from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Children from K4 through 4th grade must be accompanied by a parent. At $1.00 admission it’s the best show in town! While your children are enjoying …
Monday, October 15, 2012
Week#43: The Health Department’s slogan is: ‘Public Health: Prevent, Protect, Promote’. And no community does it any better than right here in Greendale.
History records and explains past events, while folklore preserves what people widely remember. History and Folklore! There is a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson “The First Wealth is Health” in the reception area of the Greendale Health Department (GHD). That says it all. If you don’t have your health, not much else matters. That’s why I think this week’s story is the most important one in the 75th Birthday Countdown series. We take good health for granted when we have it, and we should not. Sometimes disease and sickness is unavoidable, unpredictable, and unfair. Most times however, a conscious effort to follow some simple rules leads to better health. In either case, the Health Department plays a significant role in everyone’s health in the …
Monday, October 8, 2012
Week#44: Ray & Dot’s has been a social gathering spot in Greendale since 1957. The Jeremiah Curtin House dates back to 1846.
History records and explains past events, while folklore preserves what people widely remember. History and Folklore! If you’re reading this story and live in Greendale, raise your hand if you have not been to Ray & Dot’s on Grange Avenue. I don’t see too many hands. That’s no surprise, since Ray & Dot’s has been one of Greendale’s main social spots for over 50 years. The American Legion moved to the Basse farmhouse on Grange Avenue in 1948 (see Week#69). In 1957 the Legion advertised for someone to operate a tavern on the first floor. Ray & Dorothy (Dot) Koepsel answered the ad, opened up Ray & Dot’s Tavern, and the rest is as they say ‘history’. When in 1969 the American Legion moved into their new building on Grange Avenue and tore down…
Monday, October 1, 2012
Week#45: In May of 1938 there was no mail delivery, no newspaper and only 2 phones in Greendale, almost a communications blackout. First postmaster Edward Bengs stays on the job for almost 30 years.
History records and explains past events, while folklore preserves what people widely remember. History and Folklore! Postal delivery, telephones, and newspapers were all well-established services in 1938. But when the first residents moved into the newly built government community of Greendale these services did not exist, they had to be established. This communications blackout should not be overstated. Most of the residents had jobs in the surrounding cities in order to qualify to reside in Greendale. So contact with the ‘outside world’ was not exactly cut off. Looking back, this isolation from the normal modes of communication proved to be valuable building block for the beginnings of Greendale. Mail Distribution: In the early pictures…
Monday, September 24, 2012
Week#46: Learn about some of the historic houses in Greendale. Also, the 'secret weapon' behind many of the 75th Birthday Countdown stories is revealed.
History records and explains past events, while folklore preserves what people widely remember. History and Folklore! This week is the beginning of a series on some of the historic houses in Greendale. The first house in the series was on one of the farms purchased by the federal government. Some of the farm’s land is still Greendale, but the farm house is now the Ross Lodge. Here’s the story: Ross Lodge - in Whitnall Park - 6750 S. 92nd St. - Greendale, WI 53129 This charming, white two story farm house is tucked away in the Mangan Woods Preserve of Whitnall Park. It is an overnight rental facility, handicap accessible, for the Milwaukee County park system. The deeds to this farm start in 1840 and show various owners up to 1936. That is …
Michael Michna
3:24 pm on Tuesday, January 22, 2013
I think my "Eleanor Roosevelt" presentation would be a nice addition to the festivities. Jessica www.historicalfirstimpressions.com more ›