Title: Michael B. Olbrich Papers
Inclusive Dates: 1906-1932

Creator:

• Olbrich, Michael B., 1881-1929

Call Number: Wis Mss UX

Quantity: 5.8 c.f. (16 archives boxes)

Repository:

Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

Wisconsin Historical Society (Map)

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

Abstract:

Personal and business papers of Michael B. Olbrich, a Madison, Wisconsin, attorney and civic leader. In politics a Progressive Republican, Olbrich was deputy attorney general for Wisconsin, 1919-1921, special counsel for the state, 1921-1926, and a regent of the University of Wisconsin, 1925-1929. General correspondence relates primarily to Olbrich's political interests prior to 1920, to legal cases which he handled for the state, and to University affairs during his years as regent. In his political correspondence are letters written by or exchanged with Robert M. La Follette, John J. Blaine, and Emanuel L. Philipp. More than half of the collection comprises correspondence, financial records, and court papers pertaining to the land and sheep-ranch speculations in Montana in which Olbrich engaged from 1909 until his death. Most of these records relate to the Judith Basin Land Company, the Home Ranch Land Company, and the Flat Willow Land Company.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-wis000ux

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Michael B. Olbrich, who became a prominent Madison, Wisconsin attorney and civic leader, was born on a farm near Harvard, McHenry County, Illinois, in 1881. After attending grade and high school at Harvard, he entered the University of Wisconsin where he attained national collegiate forensic honors, was a Phi Beta Kappa, and founded the Edwin Booth Dramatic Club and the Wisconsin Literary Magazine. He graduated in 1902, and received his law degree in 1905, after teaching oratory in the University for one year.

Olbrich began the practice of law in Madison in 1905, starting as an associate in the firm of Bashford and Aylward. In 1913 his law firm enjoined Governor Francis E. McGovern from forcibly ousting Herman L. Ekern from the office of insurance commissioner, and in 1914 he was joint attorney for U.S. Senator Paul Husting in proceedings to compel the issuance of a certificate of election. At one time he was associated in the practice of law with Joseph E. Davies, later ambassador to Russia, and with Timothy Brown, later a justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court.

In politics a Progressive, Olbrich was an ardent follower of Robert M. La Follette, Sr. He was a delegate to the national Republican conventions of 1912 and 1916, and gave the speeches nominating La Follette for president at both conventions. In 1912 he served as treasurer of the Republican state central committee, and in 1914 was chairman of the Non-Partisan Progressive campaign in Wisconsin.

From 1919 to 1921 Olbrich was deputy attorney general for Wisconsin, and between 1921 and 1926 served as special counsel for the state. This took him to Washington to argue before the Supreme Court in litigation testing the power of the Interstate Commerce Commission to fix intra-state passenger fares under the Esch-Cummins Law. As special counsel he also took part in many other cases in which the state was involved during John J. Blaine's first two terms as governor.

Michael Olbrich was an outstanding civic leader in Madison. In 1921 he and his brothers, John and Jacob, gave land on Lake Mendota to the YMCA as a memorial to their brother Emil (Camp Wakonda), and to the YWCA as a memorial to their mother, Maria Olbrich. In 1922 he organized the Madison Parks Foundation for the purpose of acquiring swamps on Lake Monona. Having purchased the land when it was cheap, the group some years later turned it over to the city for a nominal sum for park purposes. (This is the area now designated as Olbrich Park.) Olbrich then turned his attention to the swamp lands bordering Lake Wingra. As a regent of the University, 1925-1929, he initiated the move for acquisition of the Arboretum property, and his early efforts culminated in its dedication in 1932, three years after his death.

Mr. Olbrich was not only active in handling and owning real estate in Madison, but for twenty years he was interested in a number of land companies and ranches operating in Montana and North Dakota. The largest of these was the Judith Basin Land Company in which Olbrich owned one-third of the stock. In 1928 the company became involved in a suit concerning its holdings and Olbrich successfully defended it in the lower courts of Montana, but was forced to argue his case in the higher courts the following year. While preparing his arguments he was hospitalized with influenza. Following convalescence, depression overcame him and he committed suicide, October 10, 1929. His close friend, Dr. Glenn Frank, President of the University of Wisconsin, preached the funeral sermon, stressing Olbrich's contributions to the legal profession and community advancement.

In 1907 Olbrich had married Isabel Wilson. They had six children: Isabel, Wilson, Stuart, Marshall, Michael, and John.

The Michael B. Olbrich Papers are organized in four categories: Correspondence; Memoranda, Speeches, and Miscellany; Legal Papers; and Land and Ranch Speculation.

Correspondence

The Olbrich correspondence, 1906-1930, covers a variety of subjects: politics, legal cases, University affairs, financial transactions, family matters, and speaking engagements. Attention is directed particularly to the first three of these.

Between 1912 and 1914 there is correspondence regarding Progressive and Republican Party politics. This includes letters exchanged with Robert M. La Follette, 1912, 1914, John J. Blaine, 1912, and Robert R. McCormick, 1912. Letters from Emanuel L. Philipp to S. Morrissey, October 10, 1914, and to E. P. Minahan, October 13, 1914, explain Philipp's views on the state insurance department, and on initiative, referendum, and recall. Two letters from La Follette, June 28 and July 2, 1916 concern the writer's justification for his stand on political matters and pay tribute to Olbrich as a valuable member of the party.

There is some correspondence concerning legal cases on which Olbrich worked while he was deputy attorney general, 1919-1921, and special counsel for the state, 1921-1926. This is especially true in relation to the railroad rate case of 1921.

Olbrich was very active as a regent for the University, 1925-1929. He had much to do with hiring Dr. Glenn Frank, and kept in close touch with University matters. This is reflected in correspondence for the period, correspondence which deals with policies concerning acceptance of gifts and with the financial and physical condition of the University.

Memoranda, Speeches, and Miscellany

While Olbrich was special counsel for the state he was responsible for advising the governor on legislative matters. Included here is memoranda concerning bills submitted by Governor Blaine in 1923, and notes relating to tax bills, probably in 1925.

A typewritten copy of a speech on “Representative Government”, delivered by Senator La Follette at Chautauqua at Lincoln, Illinois, August 20, 1908, is present, as is a printed copy of Olbrich's nominating speech for La Follette for President, July 6, 1912, which appeared in La Follette's Magazine. Several volumes contains speeches filed by subject.

Also in this section are Olbrich's notes on the ancestry of Henry Dodge; a file on a University of Wisconsin endowment controversy, 1925; a few items designated Miscellaneous; and a scrapbook of clippings related to Olbrich.

Legal Papers

The Olbrich Papers originally contained many briefs and notes relating to cases of particular interest to Olbrich and state affairs. Where it was determined that the state attorney general's office has the briefs on file these were not kept in Olbrich's papers. However, notes that indicate his own treatment of cases involving the state are retained. These include the railroad rate cases; the Board of Regents of Normal Schools vs. Fred R. Zimmerman, Secretary of State, 1924; the Wisconsin-Minnesota Light and Power Company vs. the Railroad Commissioner of Wisconsin, 1919; the Union Indemnity Insurance Company vs. the Railroad Commission of Wisconsin; the Minnesota-Wisconsin Boundary Case; and the Rodd Case.

Land and Ranch Speculation

In 1909 Olbrich helped organize the Judith Basin Land Company, a Wisconsin corporation that purchased several thousand acres in Fergus County, Montana. This was the beginning of a maze of small land and ranch companies in which he had heavy commitments. At one time or another he held stock in the Home Ranch (a sheep producing enterprise in Montana), the Bank Ranch, and the Flat Willow Land Company; and all of these corporations borrowed from or made loans to each other. The Judith Basin Land Company had disposed of much of its land prior to 1917, but four years later the Company took back several tracts for which purchasers could not pay, due to assessments as the result of organization of an irrigation district. In 1928 the Judith Basin Land Company was notified that the Board of County Commissioners had decided to take tax deed on all real property on which taxes were delinquent for three years or longer. This affected most of the Company's holdings and would have meant heavy loss to Olbrich and his associates. It was this litigation that Olbrich was deeply involved in at the time of his death.

Acquisition Information

Box 1-11 and Vol. 1-3 presented by the Olbrich Estate, Madison, Wisconsin, before 1946; Box 12 and Vol. 4-9 presented by Mrs. Michael Olbrich, Madison, Wisconsin, February 19, 1965; and one item (a 1907 weddng announcement added to the correspondence) presented by Jeanette Walz, Janesville, Wisconsin, 1974. Accession Number: M74-322

Wis Mss UX	Correspondence
Box   1	1906-1908; 1910-1922
Box   2	1923-1927
Box   3	1928-1930, undated
	Memoranda, Speeches, and Miscellany
Box   3	Memoranda on legislative matters, 1923
Box   12	Notes on the ancestry of Henry Dodge
Box   3	Miscellaneous
Box   3	Speech by Robert M. La Follette, Sr., August 20, 1908, and by Olbrich, , 1912
Box   3	University of Wisconsin endowment controversy, 1925
Box   12	Speeches by and about Olbrich
	Speeches by subject
Box   14 Volume   4	Parks
Box   13 Volume   5	Politics, Part 1
Box   15 Volume   6	Politics, Part 2
Box   15 Volume   7	History
Box   14 Volume   8	Tributes and Special Occasions
Box   16 Volume   9	Scrapbook of Clippings related to Olbrich
	Legal Papers
Box   4	Board of Regents, Normal Schools, vs. Fred R. Zimmerman, 1924
Box   4	Railroad rate cases
Box   4	Wisconsin-Minnesota Light and Power Company vs. Railroad Commissioner, 1919
Box   4	Union Indemnity Insurance Company vs. Railroad Commission
Box   4	Minnesota-Wisconsin Boundary case
Box   4	Rodd Case
	Land and Ranch Speculation
	Judith Basin Land Company
Box   5-6	Correspondence, 1909-1932
	Financial matters
Box   7	1908-1920
Box   8	1921-1932
Box   8-9	Court Case, 1928-1929
	Home Ranch Company
	Correspondence
Box   10	1924-1929
Box   11	1930-1931
Box   11	Financial matters, 1915-1932
Box   15 Volume   1	Corporation records, 1915-1930
Box   13 Volume   2	Monthly journal of accounts, [1917?]-1930
Box   14 Volume   3	Corporation ledger of finances, 1918-1928
Box   11	Flat Willow Land Company financial matters, 1911-1928