Title: Town of Lake Records
Inclusive Dates: 1842-1960

Creator:

• Lake (Wis.)

Call Number: City of Milwaukee Archival Collection 15

Quantity:

• 2.4 cubic ft. (6 boxes)
• 29 volumes
• 3 oversize folders

Repository:

Milwaukee Public Library, Frank P. Zeidler Room

Archival Location:

Milwaukee Public Library (Map)

Abstract:

Records from the Town of Lake, Wisconsin, primarily dealing with its consolidation and annexation to the City of Milwaukee. Contains meeting minutes, reports, correspondence, maps, and litigation files.

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-cmac0015

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The Territorial Legislature created the Town of Lake in January 1838, from Towns Five and Six, Ranges Twenty-One and Twenty-Two East. With the Town of Milwaukee to its North, it formed one of the two original divisions of Milwaukee County. Comprised of 36 square miles, the Town of Lake bordered Lake Michigan on the East, Town of Milwaukee to the North, Waukesha County to the West and the Milwaukee County line on the South. In 1839, the establishment of the Town of Kinnickinnic (later Greenfield) reduced the Town of Lake to 27 square miles. In 1840, the southern third of the Town of Lake became the Towns of Oak Creek and Franklin. During the 1920’s, the City of Milwaukee annexation reduced the area of the Town of Lake further. In 1951, the remainder of the Town was consolidated into the City of Milwaukee.

This contains the records of the Town of Lake. Town Agencies include the Assessor, Town Attorney, Town Board, Town Clerk, Fire Department, Health Department, Board of Recreation, Treasurer, and Waterworks; also includes the 1939 Building Code Ordinance and the 1941 Civil Service Manual. Various bound volumes are included as well, such as the Town Clerk’s Deferred Special Assessments, which lists the type of improvements such as sidewalks, curbs and gutters, water mains, and roads. The Treasurer’s Report contains reports, journal entries, Recreation Department payroll, bank accounts, and a budget breakdown including disbursements for withholding tax, general expenses, director’s salaries, insurance, youth canteen, women’s chorus, square dancing, baseball, boys and girls gym, summer playground and movies, band and boat building.

The Quarter Section Atlas is comprised of 4 volumes. Volume 7 is an undated quarter section atlas. Volume 8 is a plat book prepared by Frank Halliday from the records of The Milwaukee Abstract and Title Company, dated June 3, 1915. Volume 9 is the official quarter sectional atlas of the Town of Lake drawn and compiled from the records of Milwaukee County by Steinhagen & Steinhagen, Civil Engineers, 1931. Volume 10 is a plat book of the Town of Lake prepared under the direction of C.M. Sommers, County Treasurer. While this volume is not dated, Mr. Sommers served as County Treasurer from 1933 to 1938. There is an index map located in the front of each volume.

The Consolidation Files hold financial and administrative records on the incorporation of St. Francis (1951) and the consolidation of the Town of Lake with the City of Milwaukee (1954). The Litigation Files contain papers of lawsuits and investigations related to rubbish disposal and junk yards (1920-1951); railroad crossings (1939-1940, 1953); locomotives whistling (1939-1940); water and bus service (1941, 1948-1949); and recovery of monies received by former Town Clerk, W.J. Barbeau (1936). The collection also contains miscellaneous maps and photographs.

The collection is arranged into the following series:

1. Town Agencies, 1842-1960
2. Consolidation Files, 1948-1956
3. Litigation Files, 1920-1953

Within each series, the files are arranged alphabetically, then chronologically within each folder.

Town of Lake Records, 1842-1960, Collection 15. City of Milwaukee Archival Collections, Milwaukee Public Library, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Archival Collections

• City Attorney Records. City of Milwaukee Archival Collection 1.

• Department of Public Works Records. City of Milwaukee Archival Collection 3.

Publications and Other Items

Advantages and Disadvantages of the Consolidation of the Town of Lake with the City of Milwaukee

Annual Report of the Town of Lake

Directory of Town of Lake

Town of Lake, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin [map]

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 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.

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

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.

Processing Information

The paper records were processed by Robert Carter, 1997. The bound volumes were processed by Janet K. Geronime, 1996 and Gayle M. Ecklund, 2000. Revised by Gayle M. Ecklund, 2001. In 2018, Bob Jaeger combined the previous Town of Lake collections with CMAC 15. Materials added by Casey Lapworth, 2021.

	Series: 1. Town Agencies, 1842-1960
Box   1 Folder   1	Assessor, Town, statements of assessment, 1912-1917, 1947-1953
Box   1 Folder   2-8	Attorney, Town, correspondence, 1907-1954
	Board, Town
Box   1 Folder   9	Agreements and Contracts, 1923-1954
Box   2 Folder   1	Airport Improvements, 1940-1950
Box   2 Folder   2	Budget Proposals, 1949-1955
Box   2 Folder   3	Correspondence, Chicago, North Shore & Milwaukee Railway Company [interurban line], 1942-1953
Box   2 Folder   4-8	Proceedings, 1905-1953
Box   6 Folder   8	Canvassers, Town Board of, 1954, undated
Box   2 Folder   11	Civil Service Commission, civil service manual, 1941
	Clerk, Town
Box   2 Folder   12	Annual Reports, 1908, 1953-1954
Volume   1	Special Assessments, deferred, 1948-1960
Volume   2	Special Assessments, deferred, includes St. Francis and Cudahy, 1946-1960
Volume   3	Special Assessments, deferred, 1939-1953
Volume   4	Special Assessments, deferred, 1945-1960
Box   3 Folder   1	Special Assessments, deferred, loose items from volumes, 1945-1960
Oversize Folder   1	Tax Rolls, 1903-1917
Box   2 Folder   10	Department of Buildings, building code ordinance, 1939
Box   2 Folder   9	Easements, utility, 1939-1952
	Fire Department
Box   3 Folder   2	Complaint Against, 1939
Box   3 Folder   3	Correspondence, 1940-1945
Box   3 Folder   4	Fire Reports, 1928-1945
Box   3 Folder   5	Reports and Miscellaneous, 1940-1945
Box   3 Folder   6	Firemen’s Pension Fund, financial reports and bank book, 1951-1954
	Health Department
Box   3 Folder   7	Correspondence and Monthly Reports, 1938-1954
Volume   5-6	Minute and Record Book, 1890-1924
Box   3 Folder   8	Minute and Record Book, loose items from volumes, 1890-1924
Box   6 Folder   9	Licenses, 1953-1954
	Maps
Oversize Folder   2	Chicago & North Western Railway Maps, 1939-1940
Oversize Folder   3	Zoning and other Miscellaenous Maps, 1912-1956, undated
Box   6 Folder   10	Police and Fire Commission, 1939-1954
Volume   7-10	Quarter Section Atlas and Plat Book, 1915-1931
Box   3 Folder   9	Recreation, Board of, accounting records, 1953-1954
Box   3 Folder   10	Recreation, Board of, correspondence, minutes, and resolutions, 1946-1954
	Supervisors, Board of
Volume   11	Minutes, partial index, 1902-1907
Volume   12	Minutes, April 1842-September 1873
Volume   13	Minutes, November 1873-April 1890
Volume   14	Minutes, May 1890-March 1903
Volume   15	Minutes, April 1903-April 1910
Volume   16	Minutes, April 1910-March 1913, October 1919-July 1925
Volume   17	Minutes, April 1913-January 1920
Volume   18	Minutes, July 1925-May 1931
Volume   19	Minutes, May 1931-September 1936
Volume   20	Minutes, September 1936-Feburary 1939
Volume   21	Minutes, February 1939-April 1941
Volume   22	Minutes, May 1941-June 1943
Volume   23	Minutes, June 1943-April 1946
Volume   24	Minutes, April 1946-October 1948
Volume   25	Minutes, October 1948-December 1949
Volume   26	Minutes, January-November 1950
Volume   27	Minutes, November 1950-April 1953
Volume   28	Minutes, April 1953-April 1954
	Treasurer, Town
Volume   29	Account Book, 1949-1955
Box   3 Folder   11	Correspondence, Minutes, and Resolutions, 1946-1954
Box   3 Folder   12	Waterworks Utility, 1937-1954
	Series: 2. Consolidation Files, 1948-1956	⇧
Box   3 Folder   13	City of St. Francis, 1951-1954
	Civic Study Committee
Box   5 Folder   1	Meeting Minutes, 1953-1954
Box   3 Folder   14	Reports, 1953-1954
Box   3 Folder   15	Civil Cases, 1952-1954
Box   3 Folder   16	Correspondence, 1953-1957
Box   3 Folder   17	Financial Statements, 1950-1954
Box   4 Folder   1	Highway Department, 1948-1954
Box   4 Folder   2	Indebtedness Statements, City of Milwaukee, 1950-1956
Box   4 Folder   3	Minutes, special meetings with City of Milwaukee, 1953-1954
Box   4 Folder   4	Municipal Bonds, 1948-1950
Box   4 Folder   5	Resolutions, 1953-1954
	Special Coordinating Committe for Town of Lake Consolidation
Box   5 Folder   2	Clippings, 1953, undated
Box   5 Folder   3-5	Correspondence, 1945-1957
Box   5 Folder   6	Employees, 1953-1955, undated
Box   5 Folder   7	Finances/Reports, 1948-1955, undated
Box   5 Folder   8	Maps, 1947-1951, undated
Box   6 Folder   1	Meeting Minutes, 1954-1955
Box   6 Folder   2	Miscellaneous, 1954-1955, undated
Box   6 Folder   3	Notebook, 1952-1955
Box   6 Folder   4	Ordinances / Resolutions, 1931-1954, undated
Box   6 Folder   5	Schools / Recreation, 1954-1955, undated
Box   6 Folder   6	Silverdale Petitions, 1947-1950, undated
Box   4 Folder   6	Tax Assessments/Tax Commissioner, 1950-1954
Box   6 Folder   7	Town/Precinct Meeting Minutes, 1953, undated
Box   4 Folder   7	Town Property, includes various photographs, 1954
	Series: 3. Litigation Files, 1920-1953	⇧
Box   4 Folder   10	City of Cudahy, et. al. v. Town of Lake, water service to Silverdale area, 1948-1949
Box   4 Folder   14	City of Milwaukee v. Charles P. Megan, Trustee for the Property of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company, closing existing grade crossing known as the St. Francis Avenue crossing, includes photographs, 1939-1940
Box   4 Folder   9	Frank H. Calteux v. Chicago & Northwestern Railway Co., locomotives whistling in the vicinity of St. Francis Ave., 1939-1940
Box   6 Folder   11	Petitions Oppsing Annexation, 1950
Box   4 Folder   15	Photographs, intersection of Layton and Packard Avenues, 1937
Box   4 Folder   11	Rev. O.G. Krusing, et. al. v. The Milwaukee Electric Railway & Transport Co., bus service on S. Howell Ave., 1941
Box   4 Folder   8	Rubbish Disposal and Junk Yards, 1920-1951
Box   4 Folder   12	Town of Lake v. Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Co., West Waterford Avenue crossing protection, 1953
Box   6 Folder   12	Town of Lake v. City of Milwaukee, 1948-1951
Box   4 Folder   13	Town of Lake v. W. J. Barbeau, recovery of monies received by Town Clerk, 1936