Summary Information
City Clerk Records
1866-1985
- Milwaukee (Wis.). City Clerk.
City of Milwaukee Archival Collection 17
- 1.4 cubic ft. (4 boxes)
- 41 volumes
Milwaukee Public Library (Map)
Records of the Milwaukee City Clerk, who keeps the
official file of all matters presented to the Common Council for consideration.
Contains reports, publications, ordinances, permits, and materials on various
licenses.
To request materials from this collection, create/login to your Special Collections Account.
English
http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.mwpl-cmac0017 ↑ Bookmark this ↑
Biography/History
The position of City Clerk was created in the 1846 City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Charter. The Common Council elected the City Clerk, initially, for a term of one
year. This term was expanded to two years in 1852, then four years in 1875. The City
Clerk holds a two-fold position within the City government. Originally, the City
Clerk was elected to handle the clerical end of the Common Council’s work. It was
the City Clerk's duty to be present at all the meetings and to keep a full and
accurate account of the proceedings. The City Clerk keeps an official file of all
matters presented to the Council for consideration. The City Clerk is also the
custodian of the City seal and all papers requiring that seal must go through the
City Clerk.
In addition to Common Council duties, the City Clerk also performs certain
administrative functions. The City Clerk’s office oversees and processes the City
Orders, Chattel Mortgages, Sales Contracts, and Business Licenses for such things as
malted beverages, soft drinks, pool tables, taxis, bowling alleys, dance halls and
second hand dealers. All licenses to operate soft drink establishments, dance halls
and pool rooms are investigated by the police department and acted upon by the
Council before granting. Other licenses issued by the City Clerk are granted upon
request.
City Clerks
| 1846 |
A. H. Bielfeld
|
| 1847 |
Samuel Wells
|
| 1848 |
D. C. Bancroft
|
| 1849 |
P. B. Hill
|
| 1850-1852 |
Alfred Johnson
|
| 1853-1854 |
S. C. West
|
| 1854-1857 |
R. Whitehead
|
| 1857-1860 |
R. B. Lynch
|
| 1860-1868 |
G. G. Dousman
|
| 1868-1877 |
Edward Mahoney
|
| 1877-1878 |
Alex Bolton
|
| 1878-1880 |
George Paschen
|
| 1880-1882 |
William J. Burke
|
| 1882-1886 |
George W. Porth
|
| 1886-1894 |
George R. Mahoney
|
| 1894-1898 |
William E. Anderson
|
| 1898-1904 |
E. M. Schuengel
|
| 1904-1910 |
Edwin Hinkel
|
| 1910-1912 |
Carl D. Thompson
|
| 1912-1920 |
Peter F. Leuch
|
| 1920-1924 |
John J. Weiher, Jr.
|
| 1924-1932 |
Charles S. Brand
|
| 1932-1936 |
Frank A. Krawczak
|
| 1936-1939 |
Egie J. Gut
|
| 1939-1940 |
Leonard B. Bellinghausen
|
| 1940-1944 |
Stanley Witkowski
|
| 1944-1952 |
Walter A. Klein
|
| 1952-1962 |
Stanley Witkowski
|
| 1962-1972 |
Ray Markey
|
| 1972-1984 |
Allen R. Calhoun
|
| 1984-1988 |
Ben E. Johnson
|
| 1988-1990 |
Rose Gretenhart
|
| 1990-2012 |
Ron Leonhardt
|
| 2012- |
Jim Owczarski
|
Scope and Content Note
This collection contains materials from the City Clerk of Milwaukee. It includes
items on licenses, particularly for liquor, sewerage records, and opinions from the
City Attorney to the City Clerk. The bulk of these opinions deal with questions
regarding tavern and liquor licenses. There are some opinions regarding other types
of licenses such as those of dance halls, pool tables, transient merchants, second
hand dealers, cigarettes, and soft drinks.
There is also a chronological list of Common Council committee meetings giving names
of absent members, a Digest that compiled information from official records
regarding Milwaukee’s financial administration, as well as Municipal Court
Commitments which is a chronological list of persons committed to jail or the House
of Correction. Information provided here includes name, number of days, fine and
date paid, with occasional miscellaneous notes (i.e. escaped, transferred to county
hospital, etc.).
The Record of Bonds and Licenses lists licenses by year and then alphabetically by
surname of principal. Other information provided includes address and ward. The Ward
and Sewerage Certificates volumes record curbing and paving work in each ward,
costs, dates, lots, lineal feet of sewer to lots in each ward, and certificates.
Also included are special assessments for the following items: sprinkling, sidewalk
repairs and/or removal of snow/dirt, laying house drains and water connections, and
opening and widening streets. The Water and Sewer Records contains various volumes
such as permits, bills, and account books.
Boxes 3-4 contain petitions signed by citizens of Milwaukee for a referendum on open
housing. The petition reads "Be it resolved: that the Common Council of the City of
Milwaukee SHALL NOT enact any ordinance which in any manner restricts the right of
owners of real estate to sell, lease or rent private property." There are over 1,000
petitions, each with twenty signatures. The referendum was primarily conducted from
September thru November of 1967. The petitions are roughly in the order of which
they were received, but seem to have no discernible arrangement.
Arrangement of the Materials
The collection is generally arranged alphabetically. The opinions are filed
chronologically by folder and reverse date order within the folder.
Preferred Citation
City of Milwaukee City Clerk Records, 1866-1985, Collection 17. City of Milwaukee
Archival Collections, Milwaukee Public Library, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Related Material in the Milwaukee Public Library
Archival Collections
Publications and Other Items
Audit of Internal Controls City of Milwaukee City Clerk License
System
City of Milwaukee Official, Private Telephone Directory
Listing of Beer and Liquor Licensees as of ...
Some Strategies for Cost Reduction
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.
Prepared by Robert Carter, 1996. Processed by Janet K. Geronime, 1999. Updated by
Gayle M. Ecklund, Archives Technician, 2004. Materials added by Bob Jaeger,
2017. In 2018, Bob Jaeger combined the previous City Clerk collections with CMAC
17. Materials added in 2022.
Contents List
|
Box
2
Folder
1
|
Apportionment Board regarding Town of Greenfield (annexation),
1948-1963
|
|
|
Volume
1
|
Common Council Committee Meetings, absences,
1904-1910
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
1
|
Digest of Taxation: Municipal Facts of the City of Milwaukee,
Wisconsin, 1884-1911
|
|
|
Box
2
Folder
2
|
Letterpress Copy Book, 1882-1889
|
|
|
Volume
2
|
Liquor Licenses Issued, 1866-1867
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
2
|
License Committee, reports,
1965-1968
|
|
|
Municipal Court Commitments
|
|
|
Volume
3
|
covers State cases, July 1879-March
1890
|
|
|
Volume
4
|
covers State cases, April 1890-August
1892
|
|
|
Volume
5
|
covers City cases, October 1880-June
1887
|
|
|
Volume
6
|
covers City cases, June 1887-March
1890
|
|
|
Volume
7
|
covers City cases, February 1890-August
1892
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
3-5
|
Opinions from City Attorney on various licenses,
1921-1944
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
6
|
Ordinances, index, 1911
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
7
|
Ordinances, miscellaneous copies of ordinances presented to the
Common Council, 1899-1955
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
8
|
Pamphlets, histories and overviews,
undated
|
|
|
Box
3
Folder
1-3
|
Petitions for Referendum Regarding Open Housing,
1967
|
|
|
Box
4
Folder
1-3
|
Petitions for Referendum Regarding Open Housing,
1967
|
|
|
Volume
8
|
Record of Bonds and Licenses,
1874-1877
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
9
|
Utilities and Licenses Committee, annual reports,
1972-1985
|
|
|
Ward and Sewerage Certificates and Special Assessments
|
|
|
Volume
9
|
Board of Public Works, 1882
|
|
|
Volume
10
|
Board of Public Works, 1883
|
|
|
Volume
11
|
Board of Public Works, 1884
|
|
|
Volume
12
|
Board of Public Works, 1885
|
|
|
Volume
13
|
City Clerk, 1886
|
|
|
Volume
14
|
City Clerk, 1887
|
|
|
Volume
15
|
City Clerk, 1889
|
|
|
Water and Sewer Record
|
|
|
Box
1
Folder
10
|
Loose items found in volumes,
1880-1893
|
|
|
Volume
16
|
Register and Location of Ferrules, permits #1-3400,
undated
|
|
|
Volume
17
|
Register and Location of Ferrules, permits #3401-4429,
undated
|
|
|
Volume
18
|
Sewer Permits, 1870-1881
|
|
|
Volume
19
|
Sewer Permits, 1870-1881
|
|
|
Volume
20
|
Sewer Permits, 1881-1886
|
|
|
Volume
21
|
Sewer Permits, 1881-1889
|
|
|
Volume
22
|
Sewer Permits, 1886-1888
|
|
|
Volume
23
|
Water Department, account books,
1874-1892
|
|
|
Volume
24
|
Water Department, account books,
1880-1890
|
|
|
Volume
25
|
Water Department, account books,
1880-1890
|
|
|
Volume
26
|
Water Department, account books,
1880-1890
|
|
|
Volume
27
|
Water Department, account books,
1883-1889
|
|
|
Volume
28
|
Water Department, account books,
1890-1892
|
|
|
Volume
29
|
Unchecked Meters, 1876-1891
|
|
|
Volume
30
|
Index to Meter Record, 1876-1887
|
|
|
Volume
31
|
Index to Meter Record, 1892
|
|
|
Volume
32
|
Abstract of Meters set and Owners of Same, #1-1400 and
#7688-7796, 1878-1892
|
|
|
Volume
33
|
Abstract of Meters set and Owners of Same, #1401-3720,
1878-1892
|
|
|
Volume
34
|
Abstract of Meters set and Owners of Same, #3721 –5221,
1878-1892
|
|
|
Volume
35
|
Abstract of Meters set and Owners of Same, #5222-7687,
1878-1892
|
|
|
Volume
36
|
Receipts/Deliveries, ferrules and meter couplings,
1881-1890
|
|
|
Volume
37
|
Payments and Penalties by Wards,
1881-1884
|
|
|
Volume
38
|
Payments and Penalties by Wards,
1883-1886
|
|
|
Volume
39
|
Payments and Penalties by Wards,
1886-1890
|
|
|
Volume
40
|
Water Works, bills, 1889
|
|
|
Volume
41
|
Water Works, bills, 1889
|
|
|
