Title: Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company Photo Albums
Inclusive Dates: circa 1898-1952

Creator:

• Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company

Call Number: Milwaukee Historic Photo Collection 20

Quantity: 0.7 cubic ft. (3 boxes)

Repository:

Milwaukee Public Library, Frank P. Zeidler Room

Archival Location:

Milwaukee Public Library (Map)

Abstract:

The Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company (WB&I) manufactured structural steel for buildings, bridges, and mining and handling structures. The photographs included in these four albums are images of the factories, iron construction contracts, bridges, and bridge construction throughout the country by the Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Co., as well as interior and exterior views of the company offices and factories located in Milwaukee.

Note:

To request materials from this collection, create/login to your Special Collections Account.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.mwpl-mhpc0020

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

 ↑ Bookmark this ↑

The Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company was founded in Wauwatosa in 1870 by George Weinhagen and was located at 62nd and State streets. In 1890, the company moved to North Milwaukee near the intersection of North 35th Street and West Villard Avenue. The company was a fabricator and erector of steel and iron bridges and other large structures. WB&I was responsible for the many large structures and bridges all over the United States, especially in the Midwest. In 1980 WB&I was sold to Burning Hills Steel Co., located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In 1982 WB&I filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy and closed its North Milwaukee facility, eliminating 274 positions. The company was finally involuntarily dissolved in 1990.

The collection consists of four photograph albums. Album A consists of 38 pages of 5½” x 3½” black and white photographs. These photos are of various bridges and buildings that were either built completely by WB&I, or that were made using some parts the WB&I manufactured. The date range of the photos in these albums is unknown. Album B consists of 21 pages of 8” x 10” black and white photographs. These photos depict WB&I’s works in what used to be known as North Milwaukee. Both exterior and interior photos of the buildings that made up WB&I’s North Milwaukee compound are included in the album. The date range of the photos in these albums is also unknown.

Album C contains 121 pages of 7½” x 9½” black and white photographs. These photos show the completed bridges and other structures that were built throughout the United States using components from WB&I or were constructed and erected by WB&I. The structures range in date from 1917 to 1942. Album D contains 94 pages of 7½” x 9½” black and white photographs. These photos are of various contracts across the United States. Most of the contracts were for bridges, though images of other structures in which materials from WB&I were used are also included. Images are also included that show WB&I’s office and officials. The images range in date from 1932 to 1938.

The photographs are in their original albums. Letters were assigned during processing.

Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company Photo Albums, circa 1898-1952, Collection 20. Milwaukee Historic Photo Archives, Milwaukee Public Library, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

• Historic Photo Collection. Milwaukee Historic Photo Collection 6.

Access Restrictions

There are no access restrictions on the materials. The collection is open to all in accordance with state law. The public may view collections from the Milwaukee Historic Photo Archives 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.

Use Restrictions

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).

Acquisition Information

No acquisition information is currently available. Materials were accessioned as a Historic Photo Collection.

Processing Information

Processed by Brian Williams-Van Klooster, Photo Librarian, January 2006. Additional processing by Rose Fortier, Historic Photo Librarian, May 2010.

	Album A
Box   1 Page   1	Forge and Machine Shop, Atlas Drop Forge Company, Lansing, MI, undated
Box   1 Page   2	Foundry Building, Atlas Foundry Co., Detroit, MI, undated
Box   1 Page   3	Traveling Plant for rescreening and loading coal, Berwind Coal Company, West Duluth, MN, undated
Box   1 Page   4	Coal Handling Plant, Castner, Curran & Bullitt, Inc., Providence, RI, undated
Box   1 Page   5	Coal Bridge, Central West Coal Co., Menominee, MI, undated
Box   1 Page   6-7	Press Building, Clayton & Lambert Mfg. Co., Detroit, MI, undated
Box   1 Page   8	Traveling Gantry for Unloading Beets, Continental Sugar Company, Fremont, OH, and Blissfield, MI, undated
Box   1 Page   9	Coal Distributing Plant, Cosden & Company, Tulsa, OK, undated
Box   1 Page   10	Steel Reinforcement for one of the five 140 ft. spans of the International Bridge over the Rio Grande at Laredo, TX, J.A. Depuy, General Contractor, San Antonio, TX, undated
Box   1 Page   11	Warehouse, Detroit Ship Building Co., Detroit, MI, undated
Box   1 Page   12	Coal Bridge, F. Hurlbut Co., Green Bay, WI, undated
Box   1 Page   13	Open Hearth Building, Kansas City Bolt & Nut Co., Kansas City, MO, undated
Box   1 Page   14	3000-ton Retail Coal Elevator, P. Koenig Coal Company, Detroit, MI, undated
Box   1 Page   15-16	Coal Unloading Towers, Lehigh Valley Coal Sales Co., Superior, WI, undated
Box   1 Page   17	Coal Tipple Marion & Pittsburg Coal Co., Pittsburg, IL, undated
Box   1 Page   18	Hurner & Filter Buildings, lubricating oil plant, Marland Refining Company, Ponca City, OK, undated
Box   1 Page   19	Headframe & Hoist House, Miami Copper Company, Miami, AZ, undated
Box   1 Page   20	Rock Dock, Michigan Alkali Company, Alpena, MI, undated
Box   1 Page   21-22	Double Track Single Leaf Bascule Bridge over River Rouge at Detroit, MI, Michigan Central R.R., undated
Box   1 Page   23	Girder and Truss Shop, Michigan Central R.R., undated
Box   1 Page   24	Steel frame of building for Michigan Steel Casting Co., Detroit, MI, undated
Box   1 Page   25	Steel Top Works, Old Ben Coal Corporation, West Frankfort, IL, undated
Box   1 Page   26-27	Coal Tipple, Old Ben Coal Corporation, No. 15 mine, West Frankfort, IL, undated
Box   1 Page   28	Coaling Station, Oregon Short Line, Pocatello, ID, undated
Box   1 Page   29	Copper Concentrating Plant, Phelps Dodge Corporation, Warren, AZ, undated
Box   1 Page   30	Concentrator Building, Phelps Dodge Corporation, Warren, AZ, undated
Box   1 Page   31	Filter Building, Phelps Dodge Corporation, Warren, AZ, undated
Box   1 Page   32	Extension to machine shop, Phelps Dodge Corporation, Warren, AZ, undated
Box   1 Page   33	Coal Tipple, Sandford Coal Company, Paulton, IL, undated
Box   1 Page   34	Tramway Terminal and Coarse Ore Bin, San Francisco Mines of Mexico, Ltd., Warren, AZ, undated
Box   1 Page   35	Retail Coal Storage Plant, Scheiwe Coal & Coke Company, Detroit, MI, undated
Box   1 Page   36	Forge Shop, Studebaker Corporation, Detroit, MI, undated
Box   1 Page   37	Die Shop, Timken Detroit Axle Co., Detroit, MI, undated
Box   1 Page   38	Forge Shop, Western Supply Company, Tulsa, OK, undated
	Album B - Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Co., North Milwaukee facility
Box   1 Page   1	Aerial view of facilities, undated
Box   1 Page   2	Main office entrance, undated
Box   1 Page   3	South Yard, undated
Box   1 Page   4	West Yard, undated
Box   1 Page   5	Templet [sic] Shop, undated
Box   1 Page   6	Airco “Travagraph” 6 Torch Burning Machine, undated
Box   1 Page   7	Mechanical Bending Press Brake, undated
Box   1 Page   8	Girder and Bridge Shop, undated
Box   1 Page   9	Loading Trash Racks for a large dam, undated
Box   1 Page   10	Welded tubular columns for an Iron Ore Trestle, undated
Box   1 Page   11	Simultaneous welding of a Plate Box Girder for an Iron Ore Trestle, undated
Box   1 Page   12	Marquette University students on a factory tour in Loading Shop, undated
Box   1 Page   13	Hydraulic Straightening Machine, undated
Box   1 Page   14	North Yard, undated
Box   1 Page   15	Train leaving yard for Milwaukee Harbor, undated
Box   1 Page   16	A shipment on the main track immediately after leaving our yard, undated
Box   1 Page   17	Shipment of steel being loaded at the Milwaukee Harbor, undated
Box   1 Page   18	Fabrication of six caustic soda settling tanks for Schlitz Brewing Company, undated
Box   1 Page   19	South Yard, undated
Box   1 Page   20	“Quick- Way” 10 ton Mobile Truck Crane shown raising steel at Parker Pen Co.’s new building in Janesville, WI, undated
Box   1 Page   21	First Aid Room, undated
	Album C
Box   2 Page   1-2	Detroit Shipping Co., 1917
Box   2 Page   3-20	American National Jockey club, Arlington, IL, 1927
Box   2 Page   21-27	A.O. Smith Corp., Milwaukee, WI, 1929-1942
Box   2 Page   28	Consolidated Water Power and Paper Company, Appleton, WI, September 11, 1928
Box   2 Page   29	High Level Bridge, Rochester, MN, undated
Box   2 Page   30	Low Level Bridge, Rochester, MN, undated
Box   2 Page   31	Marble hand railing, Rochester, MN, undated
Box   2 Page   32-37	Hiraconda Copper Co., Butte, MT, 1923-1927
Box   2 Page   38-44	Paducah-Ohio River Bridge, IL and KY, 1928
Box   2 Page   45-46	Bridge, Corpus Christi, TX, 1926
Box   2 Page   47	Drill Jumbo, Seaboard Construction Company, Katonah, NY, 1939
Box   2 Page   48-63	Bridge construction, Blountstown, FL, 1937-1938
Box   2 Page   64	Davison Avenue & GTRR Bridge, Detroit, MI, 1939
Box   2 Page   65-66	Reconstruction of St. George’s Highway Bridge, 1936
Box   2 Page   67	Factory building, Kelsey-Hayes Wheel Corporation, Detroit, MI, 1935
Box   2 Page   68-79	Seneca bridge, Seneca, IL, 1932-1933
Box   2 Page   80-81	Campostella bridge, Norfolk, VA, 1935
Box   2 Page   82	Illinois River piers at Meredosia, IL, undated
Box   2 Page   83-113	Hilliard Bridge, State of Illinois, Ottawa, IL, 1934
Box   2 Page   114-115	Bridge, Hennepin, IL, 1937
Box   2 Page   116-121	Strauss Bascule Bridge, Industrial Canal, New Orleans, Chef Menteur Highway, LA, 1931
	Album D
Box   3 Page   1-5	Vertical Lift Bridge, Buffalo, NY, 1932
Box   3 Page   6-7	Barrel stacker in operation at Jos. Schlitz Brewing Co., Milwaukee, WI, 1937
Box   3 Page   8-9	Atchison Bridge, Missouri side, 1937
Box   3 Page   10-11	Atchison Bridge, Kansas side, 1937
Box   3 Page   12-14	Morris, IL, 1934
Box   3 Page   15	Bridge for the State of Illinois at Morris, IL, undated
Box   3 Page   16-17	Approach in East Peoria, Tazewell County to Cedar Street Bridge, Peoria, IL, undated
Box   3 Page   18	Bridge across the Illinois River at Peoria (known at one time as “Bridge to Nowhere”), undated
Box   3 Page   19-20	Bridge, IL, undated
Box   3 Page   21-22	Bridge across Missouri River, Washington, MO, 1935
Box   3 Page   23	Girder weighing nearly 85 tons, 102' long, 11'-6" high, is the heaviest single piece of fabricated structural steel ever shipped out of this company’s plant at Milwaukee, August 6, 1934
Box   3 Page   24	Santa Monica Air Line Bridge for U.S. Government, Los Angeles, CA, 1938
Box   3 Page   25-26	Arkansas State Highway Department Bridge, undated
Box   3 Page   27-31	Baton Rouge Bridge, undated
Box   3 Page   32-33	Belle Isle Bridge, Detroit, MI, undated
Box   3 Page   34	Bridge, Chippewa Falls, WI, undated
Box   3 Page   35	Chicago & Northwestern Bridge, Clinton, IA, undated
Box   3 Page   36-38	Bridge, De Pere, WI, undated
Box   3 Page   39-40	Plaster Mill and Storage Bin, E.D. Coddington Mfg. Co., Milwaukee, WI, undated
Box   3 Page   41	Power House, Fort Howard Paper Co., Green Bay, WI, undated
Box   3 Page   42	Bridge, Greenfield, OH, undated
Box   3 Page   43-45	Field House, Industrial School for Boys, Lansing, MI, undated
Box   3 Page   46	Bridge across Ohio River, Ironton, OH, undated
Box   3 Page   47-51	Counterbalanced thru girder draw span bridge, Manistee & Northwestern Railway, undated
Box   3 Page   52-53	Stadium, Missouri Valley College, Marshall, MO, undated
Box   3 Page   54-56	Staugue River Bridge, Camden County, MO, undated
Box   3 Page   57	Office building, Omaha, NE, undated
Box   3 Page   58	City of Ottumwa, IA, undated
Box   3 Page   59	Double Band Saw Mill and Auxiliary Structures, Oregon American Lumber Company, Vernonia, OR, undated
Box   3 Page   60	Bridge across Pine River, MI, undated
Box   3 Page   61	G.T. Railway lift, Port Huron, MI, undated
Box   3 Page   62	Single Leaf, Port Huron, MI, undated
Box   3 Page   63-64	Bridge, Roanoke, VA, undated
Box   3 Page   65-70	Bridge, Near Seneca, IL, undated
Box   3 Page   71	St. Francis River Bridge, Madison, AR, undated
Box   3 Page   72	Bridge for the State of Illinois over the Illinois River, Spring Valley, IL, undated
Box   3 Page   73-76	TVA power House, undated
Box   3 Page   77-78	Tri-City Hangar, Lovell Field, Chattanooga, TN, undated
Box   3 Page   79	Bridge, Wausau, WI, undated
Box   3 Page   80-83	Bridge for the State of Michigan, Wellston, MI, undated
Box   3 Page   84	Youngstown Sheet & Tube, Chicago, IL, undated
Box   3 Page   85	Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company office, undated
Box   3 Page   86-87	Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company employees, undated
Box   3 Page   88	Members who attended the A.I.S.C. convention in White Sulfur, October 26-29, 1937
Box   3 Page   89-94	Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company officials, undated