Summary Information
Bureau of Engineers Records 1878-1989
- Milwaukee (Wis.). Bureau of Engineers.
City of Milwaukee Archival Collection 7
- 17.1 cubic ft. (59 boxes)
- 13 oversize folders
- 12 volumes
Milwaukee Public Library (Map)
Records of the Bureau of Engineers, which is chiefly
responsible for the design and construction of all streets, sewers, building
services, water mains, as well as Milwaukee Water Works facilities. Contains
drawings and plans, correspondence, reports, and estimates.
To request materials from this collection, create/login to your Special Collections Account.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.mwpl-cmac0007 ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
The Bureau of Engineers is chiefly responsible for the design and construction of all
streets, sewers, building services, water mains, as well as Milwaukee Water Works
facilities. The Bureau provides planning, review, and coordinating activities for
these programs. In addition, the City Engineer is also responsible for the official
city maps and house numbering within the City.
City Engineers
1869-1875 |
Theodore D. Brown
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1875-1878 |
Moses Lane
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1878-1881 |
H. J. Hilbert
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1881-1882 |
Moses Lane
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1882-1899 |
George H. Benzenberg
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1899-1911 |
Charles J. Poetsch
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1911-1914 |
Joseph A. Mesiroff
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1914-1923 |
George F. Staal
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1923-1951 |
Joseph O. Schwada
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1951-1956 |
Lloyd D. Knapp
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1956-1962 |
Eugene A. Schmidt
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1962-1963 |
Herbert A. Goetsch
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1963-1972 |
Herbert D. McCullough
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1972-1987 |
Edwin J. Laszewski
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1987-1994 |
John Erickson
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1994-2000 |
James Purko
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2000- |
Jeff Polenske
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Scope and Content Note
Scope and content notes of each series are provided in the contents list.
Arrangement of the Materials
The collection is arranged into the following series: - Correspondence,
1878-1956
- Drawings and
Sketches, 1871-1980
- General Files,
1892-1989
The Correspondence Series is arranged chronologically. There are some early boxes in
which page sequence order also corresponds with date sequence, however this is not
true throughout the collection. The tabbed indices found in separate folders
throughout Boxes 1-13 are for correspondence “recipients” (i.e. correspondence sent
by the City Engineer to a specific recipient). These indices were originally a part
of bound volumes of correspondence sent by the City Engineer. No such indices were
received with the correspondence sent to the City Engineer. The indices provide both
the name of the recipient(s) and a page number. This page number is located on the
individual corresponding page in the upper right hand corner and provides another
frame of reference when searching in these boxes using the indices. The remainder of
the collection is arranged alphabetically.
Preferred Citation
City of Milwaukee Bureau of Engineers Records, 1878-1989, Collection 7. City of
Milwaukee Archival Collections, Milwaukee Public Library, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Related Material in the Milwaukee Public Library
Archival Collections
Publications and Other Items
Locations and Elevations of Bench Marks of the City of Milwaukee,
1914
Map of the City of Milwaukee and Environs
Street Construction Specifications
Administrative/Restriction Information
There are no access restrictions on the materials. The collection is open to all
in accordance with state law. The public may view City of Milwaukee Archival
Collections by appointment at the Central Library. To request an in-person
appointment, create/login to your Special Collections Account. If you have any questions, please
contact the Archives and Special Collections Department at mplarchives@milwaukee.gov.
The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming with the laws of libel,
privacy, and copyright which may be involved in the use of this collection
(Wisconsin Statutes 19.21-19.39).
Milwaukee Public Library receives official materials from city departments via
the Milwaukee City Records Center, pursuant to state statutes and city
ordinances governing the permanent retention of city records.
Series 1 and 2 processed by Jeff Carlin-Bartel, Archives Volunteer, 2010-2016.
Updated by Casey Lapworth, Archival Projects Librarian, 2016. Series 3 processed
by Janet K. Geronime, 1996. Updated by Gayle M. Ecklund, 2011. Materials added
by Bob Jaeger, 2017. In 2018, Bob Jaeger combined the previous Bureau of
Engineers collections with CMAC 7 and also added the Harbor and River
Improvements materials.
Contents List
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Series: 1: Correspondence, 1878-1956 : Materials contained in the Correspondence Series deal with day-to-day duties,
issues, and operations of this City Department. This correspondence includes
some department specific personnel records as well as memos, letters,
reports, forms, and requisitions – both to and from individuals, companies,
suppliers/vendors as well as other city, state, and federal government
departments of the United States and foreign countries. A list is provided
in the Appendix of some of the topics covered; however the list should not
be considered exhaustive.
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Correspondence, Estimates, and Reports
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Box
1
Folder
1-8
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includes index, 1878-September
1887
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Box
2
Folder
1-12
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includes index, September 1887-September
1895
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Box
3
Folder
1-12
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includes index, May 1895-August
1902
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Box
4
Folder
1-11
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includes index, August 1902-March
1906
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Box
5
Folder
1-7
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includes index, March 1906-June
1908
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Box
6
Folder
1-7
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includes index, June 1908-July
1909
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Box
7
Folder
1-7
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includes index, July 1909-December
1910
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Box
8
Folder
1-7
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includes index, December 1910-January
1912
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Box
9
Folder
1-10
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includes index, 1912
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Box
10
Folder
1-7
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includes index, 1913
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Box
11
Folder
1-10
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includes index, 1914-1915
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Box
12
Folder
1-10
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index located in box 11 folder 1,
1916-1918
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Box
13
Folder
1-2
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index located in box 11 folder 1,
1919
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Box
13
Folder
3-10
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index located in box 11 folder 1,
1920-1921
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Box
14
Folder
1-9
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partial index located in box 13 folder 3,
1922-1924
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Box
15
Folder
1-8
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1925-June 1927
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Box
16
Folder
1-7
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July 1927-1928
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Box
17
Folder
1-8
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1929-1930
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Box
18
Folder
1-8
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1931-1932
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Box
19
Folder
1-9
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1933-1935
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Box
20
Folder
1-8
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1936-1937
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Box
21
Folder
1-8
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1938-1939
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Box
22
Folder
1-5
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1940
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Box
23
Folder
1-7
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January 1941-July 1941
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Box
24
Folder
1-7
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August 1941-April 1942
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Box
25
Folder
1-5
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May 1942-December 1942
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Box
26
Folder
1-7
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1943
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Box
27
Folder
1-6
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1944
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Box
28
Folder
1-6
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1945
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Box
29
Folder
1-5
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January 1946-August 1946
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Box
30
Folder
1-6
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September 1946-March 1947
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Box
31
Folder
1-7
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April 1947-October 1947
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Box
32
Folder
1-6
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November 1947-July 1948
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Box
33
Folder
1-7
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August 1948-February 1949
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Box
34
Folder
1-6
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March 1949-August 1949
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Box
35
Folder
1-7
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September 1949-March 1950
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Box
36
Folder
1-7
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April 1950-October 1950
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Box
37
Folder
1-7
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November 1950-May 1951
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Box
38
Folder
1-7
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June 1951-December 1951
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Box
39
Folder
1-7
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January 1952-July 1952
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Box
40
Folder
1-8
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August 1952-March 1953
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Box
41
Folder
1-6
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April 1953-September 1953
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Box
42
Folder
1-6
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October 1953-March 1954
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Box
43
Folder
1-6
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April 1954-September 1954
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Box
44
Folder
1-6
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October 1954-March 1955
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Box
45
Folder
1-5
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April 1955-August 1955
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Box
46
Folder
1-4
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September 1955-December 1955
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Box
59
Folder
1-5
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Flushing Stations, includes index,
1914-1923
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Box
59
Folder
6-10
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Linnwood Avenue Tunnel and Riverside Pumping Station, includes
index, 1919-1923
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Box
46
Folder
5
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Miscellaneous Correspondence,
1897-1956
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Series: 2: Drawings and Sketches, 1871-1980 : This series contains various maps, drawings, plans, sketches, and surveys
related to annexation, designs, and other City Engineer business.
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Box
46
Folder
6
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6th Ave. Swing Bridge, includes Cherry, Pleasant, Becher, and
Lincoln Ave. Machinery Assemblies, plans (some are copies),
1919-1927, undated
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Box
47
Folder
1
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11th St. Swing Bridge, plans and historical report,
1930-1985
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Oversize Folder
1
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Ambulance, body design, 3 drawings,
1925-1928
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Oversize Folder
2
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Bridge Information Sheets, 1871-1910,
undated
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Oversize Folder
3
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Bureau of Bridges and Public Buildings, East Lincoln Avenue
Viaduct over C. & N. W. RR tracks by S. Bay St., 19 drawings,
1955-1956
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Box
47
Folder
2
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City of Cudahy, detachment sketch,
1954
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Box
47
Folder
3
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City of Glendale, annexation sketches and drawing,
1952-1958
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Box
47
Folder
4
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City of Greenfield, annexation and detachment sketches and
drawings, 1951-1958
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Box
47
Folder
5
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City of West Allis, annexation and detachment sketches and
drawings, 1951-1958
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Oversize Folder
4
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Division Engineer’s Car, body design, 10 drawings,
1923-1928
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Oversize Folder
5
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Henry Mann Subdivision Lot Plan,
1950
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Oversize Folder
6
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Lake Shore Development Progress Map, including Brief Summary City
of Milwaukee Lake Front, 1935
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Oversize Folder
7
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Municipal Equipment Service Truck, body design, 2 drawings,
1928
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Oversize Folder
8
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P.J. Trowbridge Factory Sites, survey notes and maps for
Northwest ¼ of Section 1, City of West Milwaukee, 7 maps, drawings, and
assorted written documents, 1916
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Oversize Folder
9
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Police Patrol Car, body design, 4 drawings,
1924-1925
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Oversize Folder
10
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Property to be Acquired for Street Purposes, Aldermanic District
No. 2: N. 6th St. from W. Juneau Ave. to W. Walnut St., 6 drawings,
1962
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Oversize Folder
11
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Seal of the City of Milwaukee, W.P.A. project,
1943
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Oversize Folder
12
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Storm Water Drainage Plans of Systems, 208 drawings,
1980
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Box
47
Folder
6
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Town of Granville, annexation sketches and drawings,
1952-1956
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Box
47
Folder
7
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Town of Lake, annexation sketches,
1951-1954
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Box
47
Folder
8
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Town of Oak Creek, annexation drawings,
1955
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Box
47
Folder
9
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Town of Wauwatosa, annexation sketches and drawings,
1951-1957
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Box
47
Folder
10
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Village of West Milwaukee, annexation sketch,
1951
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Box
47
Folder
11
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Village of Whitefish Bay, detachment drawing,
1959
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Oversize Folder
13
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Wisconsin Lakes Ice and Cartage Company, survey notes and maps
for Northwest ¼ of Section 1, City of Greenfield, includes maps,
drawings, and assorted written documents,
1916
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Series: 3: General Files, 1892-1989 : The General Files contain annual reports (some years are missing) as well as
other miscellaneous reports. The Cost Estimate Calculations are figures and
calculations used in arriving at an approximate estimate of cost for street
projects. There is also a quarter section atlas of the City of Milwaukee and
its surrounding environs; an index is in the front of each volume.
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Annual Reports
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Box
48
Folder
1-6
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1892-1893, 1921-1933
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Volume
1-5
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1907-1911
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Box
50
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1934-1940
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Box
51
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1941-1950
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Box
52
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1951-1957
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Box
53
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1958-1961
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Box
54
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1962-1965
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Box
55
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1966-1969
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Box
56
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1970-1974
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Box
57
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1975-1982
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Box
58
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1983-1989
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Volume
6-7
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Cost Estimate Calculations, widening Eleventh Ave.,
1926
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Volume
7-9
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Cost Estimate Calculations, widening Sixteenth St.,
1927
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Volume
10
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Cost Estimate Calculations, widening Sixth St. (Wisconsin to
Michigan?), 1927
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Box
48
Folder
7
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Engineers Society of Milwaukee, final report on Milwaukee River
investigation, 1917
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Box
48
Folder
8
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Harbor and Kinnickinnic River Improvements, approval from the
U.S. Government, 1903-1911
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Box
48
Folder
9
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Historical Mitigation Report Prepared for West Blue Mound Road
Menomonee River Bridge, 1984
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Box
48
Folder
10
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Installation Specifications for Water Mains,
1959
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Box
49
Folder
1
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Manual of Storm Water Management Practices,
1993
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Volume
11-12
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Quarter Section Atlas, 1962
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Box
59
Folder
11
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Post Office Site Study (Milwaukee Road site),
1962
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Box
49
Folder
2
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Report on One-Way Streets, 1932
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Box
49
Folder
3
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Report on Power and Heating Plant of the City Hall,
1937-1938
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Box
49
Folder
4
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Report on Proposed City Hall Annex,
1953
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Box
49
Folder
5
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Report on Riverside Station Renewal,
1965
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Box
49
Folder
6
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Report on Safeguarding and Improving Milwaukee’s Water Supply
with a Water Purification Plant, 1933
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Box
49
Folder
7
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Report on Sewerage Service Charges,
1951
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Box
49
Folder
8
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Riverside Station Renewal, supplementary report,
1966
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Box
49
Folder
9
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Source Expenditure of State and Federal Highway Funds,
1940-1941
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Box
59
Folder
12
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Vehicular Lane Capacity Studies, includes photographs,
1946
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APPENDIX: Correspondence Topical Index
A general list of topics by decade from the correspondence; list should not be
considered exhaustive or in chronological order.
- • Construction and paving of roads within the City.
- • Design of and issues concerning water and sewerage processing.
- • Estimates of City population based on number of branch connections for
water pipes.
- • 1897 correspondence to City Engineer of Baltimore, Maryland containing
a detailed discussion of the Milwaukee sewerage system.
- • City initiatives such as bridges along the Milwaukee, Kinnickinnic,
and Menomonee rivers.
- • Construction of the various viaducts throughout the city; Development
of the flushing tunnel from Lake Michigan to the Kinnickinnic River in Bay
View.
- • Electrification of the City.
- • Correspondence with Secretary of War regarding replacement of the
Milwaukee River Bridge, also regarding a tunnel from Lake Michigan to Russell
Avenue in Bay View.
- • Additional correspondence regarding proposed bridges and bridge
replacements.
- • Correspondence regarding the first electrical lighting plant for the
City with discussion of power station, conduits, wiring, and lamps.
- • 1909 document provides first mention of the City Engineer’s automobile
and its registration.
- • Construction of the extension intake and pumping stations including
reports and correspondence surrounding their building and operation.
- • Development of the city refuse incinerator at Jones Island.
- • Correspondence regarding Jones Island pumping station, sewerage
issues, refuse incinerator and use of electricity generated by the Jones Island
incinerator.
- • Correspondence about Jones Island and Linwood Avenue intake
tunnel.
- • Correspondence regarding typhoid deaths in Milwaukee and contaminated
water supply issues.
- • Correspondence discusses abatement of Menomonee Valley sewage
nuisance.
- • War Department correspondence includes a U.S. Committee on Rivers and
Harbors 1906 study report.
- • 1916 Correspondence to Cleveland, Ohio City Engineer discusses a
methane explosion at the Linwood Avenue intake tunnel during
construction.
- • Box 59 consists of a subset of City Engineer correspondence related
specifically to the various Flushing Stations and Jones Island sewerage
treatment plant as well as the Linwood Avenue Tunnel and Riverside Pumping
Station. These subsets have their own Indexes containing the names of
correspondence recipients.
- • Water supply to the City.
- • Building of pumping stations and water intakes in Lake Michigan.
- • Milwaukee River and Kinnickinnic River flushing stations.
- • Maintenance and upgrades to North Point and Riverside pumping
stations.
- • Incinerator performance during City growth.
- • Creation of a uniform system of house/street numbering/naming
throughout the city.
- • Proposals for the 35th Street viaduct.
- • 1925 War Department Corps of Engineers letter discussing Lake
Michigan’s fluctuating water levels including historical data.
- • Correspondence regarding water flow on the St. Clair and Niagara
Rivers.
- • 1926 letter regarding city residence requirements for all City
employees.
- • 1927 letter from U.S. Coast and Geological Survey regarding magnetic
declination of the compass needle as it relates to old boundary lines in both
the city and state.
- • Upgrading city infrastructure such as viaducts, bridges, streets, rail
grade crossing eliminations, increase street lighting and continued
standardizing house/street numbering/naming.
- • W.P.A. projects discussed.
- • Construction of parks and playgrounds; Water quality studies.
- • Sewerage disposal and construction of water purification plant.
- • Milwaukee River shoreline mapping, legal rights.
- • City begins studying the development of a single high pressure pumping
station to supply the fire department with high pressure water sources.
- • 1933 citizen referendum mandates budget reductions in City Government
as a result of the Great Depression.
- • 1934 City and County rock excavation begins from the Milwaukee River
bed.
- • Estabrook Dam planning.
- • Plans for municipal bus system to replace T.M.E.R. & L. Co.
streetcars.
- • Committee of Unemployment Relief.
- • 1930 traffic study of Kinnickinnic Avenue includes a traffic count and
transportation types for the time period.
- • Garbage is still collected by horse-drawn carts and then hauled by
truck to the city incinerator.
- • 1932 Citizen’s Bureau of Milwaukee study analysis of City of
Milwaukee’s financial system and Socialist policies.
- • 1935 correspondence between the City Engineer and New York City
Engineer regarding the consumption of water in Milwaukee, including costs, per
capital usage, types of usage, etc.
- • 1936 correspondence between City Engineer and Paul Gaines of Glencoe,
MN regarding the theory and practice of street naming and numbering.
- • 1937 documents on the “Greendale Project” concerning house numbering
and street naming.
- • Maintenance and repair of city infrastructure supersedes new
projects.
- • Widening and resurfacing of streets is a major topic in 1940 and
1941.
- • Discussions begin with regards to constructing safety lighting and
other measures to safeguard the water supply.
- • Department/city government defines legal holidays, employee seniority
determinations, overtime studies, and general personnel issues.
- • 1945 Mayor’s Post-War Planning Conference and studies for projects
such as: airport facilities for the County, bridges, a new hospital, extension
of the library system, new parks, education expansion, “slum” clearance,
creation of a public Housing Authority, post-war housing plan, street widening,
public transportation expansion, construction of new public museum, lake front
expansion, public parking facilities.
- • Development of smoke abatement and air pollution regulations at both
the city and county level.
- • 1948 Civic Council of the City Club of
Milwaukee document discusses objectives set in 1942 for the City
such as consolidation of the city and county government services, lakefront
development, expansion of city limits and expanding city and county
representation in state senate and assembly.
- • 1948 documents from Mayor Frank Zeidler regarding the funding and
building of a new type of road, the expressway, through Milwaukee from City
Engineer Joseph Schwada, discussing expressway construction through the city and
suburbs.
- • 1948 letter from City Engineer to Assistant City Attorney presents the
history of ownership and legal agreements, pertaining to land for the planned
Metropolitan War Memorial Center.
- • 1940 letter discusses tentative plans for a vehicular tunnel beneath
the Milwaukee Harbor Entrance.
- • 1940 letter details information regarding the layout of land west of
the Milwaukee River, Kilbourntown, and Walker’s Point.
- • 1940 letter regarding a study of wave action along shore of Lake
Michigan as well as an additional document detailing the descriptions and
elevations of bench marks along the city of Milwaukee lakeshore dating back as
far as 1902.
- • 1940 letter from American Water Works Association discusses concerns
of sabotage or intentional destruction of water supply and utilities and
includes a printed study called “Sabotage and Water Service”.
- • 1944 letter presents statistics regarding occurrence of typhoid and
other water-borne diseases in the city from 1934 thru 1943.
- • City engineer receives letters from other cities for information on
the street naming and numbering system developed by Milwaukee.
- • Downtown reconstruction projects: these included W. Kilbourn Ave., W.
Hampton Ave., W. Wells St., and N. 2nd, N. 4th, N. 5th, and N. 10th
Streets.
- • 1952 letter summarizes water consumption and sanitary sewage flow by
month for the year 1951.
- • 1953 report pertaining to a large street lighting initiative being
implemented throughout the city.
- • 1948 through the 1950s are discussions, plans, legal issues and
progress on annexations of land to the City of Milwaukee from Towns of
Granville, Wauwatosa, and Oak Creek, the Villages of Whitefish Bay and West
Milwaukee, and Cities of Cudahy, Greenfield, West Allis, and Glendale along with
various documents, sketches, and drawings for these municipalities.
- • 1954 document details the history and proposed consolidation of Town
of Lake into the City of Milwaukee.
- • 1954 details the history and annexation of Town of Milwaukee to
surrounding communities of Glendale, Fox Point, Bayside, and River Hills and
subsequent rezoning of this land. Similar 1954 documents with background and
historical information for Town of Granville, Wauwatosa, Greenfield, Town of
Franklin and Town of Oak Creek.
- • 1950 letter concerning a building encroachment on S. 13th Street
mentions that the City of Milwaukee Building Inspection Department did not keep
records of building permits until 1890.
- • 1950 letter to city engineer details a dismissed lawsuit by the City
of Greenfield regarding its annexation.
- • 1951 letter dated regards the history and performance of flushing the
Milwaukee River pollution via tunnel and flushing station.
- • 1953 essay by George Parkinson of the Civil Defense Administration
titled “The H-Bomb’s Effect on Administration and Planning of the City of
Milwaukee,” which briefly introduces a new era in city planning, operation, and
survival.
- • 1954 document from Title Guaranty Title Company of Wisconsin presents
information regarding land ownership along 11th Street between Canal St. and S.
Menomonee Canal.
- • Copy of original 1872 deed of sale of this plot by George Burnham,
Guido Pfister, and others to the City of Milwaukee.
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