Title: Bureau of Engineers Records
Inclusive Dates: 1878-1989

Creator:

• Milwaukee (Wis.). Bureau of Engineers.

Call Number: City of Milwaukee Archival Collection 7

Quantity:

• 17.1 cubic ft. (59 boxes)
• 13 oversize folders
• 12 volumes

Repository:

Milwaukee Public Library, Frank P. Zeidler Room

Archival Location:

Milwaukee Public Library (Map)

Abstract:

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.

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-cmac0007

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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.

1869-1875	Theodore D. Brown
1875-1878	Moses Lane
1878-1881	H. J. Hilbert
1881-1882	Moses Lane
1882-1899	George H. Benzenberg
1899-1911	Charles J. Poetsch
1911-1914	Joseph A. Mesiroff
1914-1923	George F. Staal
1923-1951	Joseph O. Schwada
1951-1956	Lloyd D. Knapp
1956-1962	Eugene A. Schmidt
1962-1963	Herbert A. Goetsch
1963-1972	Herbert D. McCullough
1972-1987	Edwin J. Laszewski
1987-1994	John Erickson
1994-2000	James Purko
2000-	Jeff Polenske

Scope and content notes of each series are provided in the contents list.

The collection is arranged into the following series:

1. Correspondence, 1878-1956
2. Drawings and Sketches, 1871-1980
3. 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.

City of Milwaukee Bureau of Engineers Records, 1878-1989, Collection 7. City of Milwaukee Archival Collections, Milwaukee Public Library, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Archival Collections

• Bureau of Bridges and Public Buildings Records. City of Milwaukee Archival Collection 71.

• Department of Building Inspection Premises Records. City of Milwaukee Archival Collection 40.

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

• Milwaukee Water Works Records. City of Milwaukee Archival Collection 53.

• Sewerage Commission Records. City of Milwaukee Archival Collection 59.

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

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

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.

	Series: 1: Correspondence, 1878-1956 Scope and Content Note: 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.
	Correspondence, Estimates, and Reports
Box   1 Folder   1-8	includes index, 1878-September 1887
Box   2 Folder   1-12	includes index, September 1887-September 1895
Box   3 Folder   1-12	includes index, May 1895-August 1902
Box   4 Folder   1-11	includes index, August 1902-March 1906
Box   5 Folder   1-7	includes index, March 1906-June 1908
Box   6 Folder   1-7	includes index, June 1908-July 1909
Box   7 Folder   1-7	includes index, July 1909-December 1910
Box   8 Folder   1-7	includes index, December 1910-January 1912
Box   9 Folder   1-10	includes index, 1912
Box   10 Folder   1-7	includes index, 1913
Box   11 Folder   1-10	includes index, 1914-1915
Box   12 Folder   1-10	index located in box 11 folder 1, 1916-1918
Box   13 Folder   1-2	index located in box 11 folder 1, 1919
Box   13 Folder   3-10	index located in box 11 folder 1, 1920-1921
Box   14 Folder   1-9	partial index located in box 13 folder 3, 1922-1924
Box   15 Folder   1-8	1925-June 1927
Box   16 Folder   1-7	July 1927-1928
Box   17 Folder   1-8	1929-1930
Box   18 Folder   1-8	1931-1932
Box   19 Folder   1-9	1933-1935
Box   20 Folder   1-8	1936-1937
Box   21 Folder   1-8	1938-1939
Box   22 Folder   1-5	1940
Box   23 Folder   1-7	January 1941-July 1941
Box   24 Folder   1-7	August 1941-April 1942
Box   25 Folder   1-5	May 1942-December 1942
Box   26 Folder   1-7	1943
Box   27 Folder   1-6	1944
Box   28 Folder   1-6	1945
Box   29 Folder   1-5	January 1946-August 1946
Box   30 Folder   1-6	September 1946-March 1947
Box   31 Folder   1-7	April 1947-October 1947
Box   32 Folder   1-6	November 1947-July 1948
Box   33 Folder   1-7	August 1948-February 1949
Box   34 Folder   1-6	March 1949-August 1949
Box   35 Folder   1-7	September 1949-March 1950
Box   36 Folder   1-7	April 1950-October 1950
Box   37 Folder   1-7	November 1950-May 1951
Box   38 Folder   1-7	June 1951-December 1951
Box   39 Folder   1-7	January 1952-July 1952
Box   40 Folder   1-8	August 1952-March 1953
Box   41 Folder   1-6	April 1953-September 1953
Box   42 Folder   1-6	October 1953-March 1954
Box   43 Folder   1-6	April 1954-September 1954
Box   44 Folder   1-6	October 1954-March 1955
Box   45 Folder   1-5	April 1955-August 1955
Box   46 Folder   1-4	September 1955-December 1955
Box   59 Folder   1-5	Flushing Stations, includes index, 1914-1923
Box   59 Folder   6-10	Linnwood Avenue Tunnel and Riverside Pumping Station, includes index, 1919-1923
Box   46 Folder   5	Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1897-1956
	Series: 2: Drawings and Sketches, 1871-1980 Scope and Content Note: This series contains various maps, drawings, plans, sketches, and surveys related to annexation, designs, and other City Engineer business.	⇧
Box   46 Folder   6	6th Ave. Swing Bridge, includes Cherry, Pleasant, Becher, and Lincoln Ave. Machinery Assemblies, plans (some are copies), 1919-1927, undated
Box   47 Folder   1	11th St. Swing Bridge, plans and historical report, 1930-1985
Oversize Folder   1	Ambulance, body design, 3 drawings, 1925-1928
Oversize Folder   2	Bridge Information Sheets, 1871-1910, undated
Oversize Folder   3	Bureau of Bridges and Public Buildings, East Lincoln Avenue Viaduct over C. & N. W. RR tracks by S. Bay St., 19 drawings, 1955-1956
Box   47 Folder   2	City of Cudahy, detachment sketch, 1954
Box   47 Folder   3	City of Glendale, annexation sketches and drawing, 1952-1958
Box   47 Folder   4	City of Greenfield, annexation and detachment sketches and drawings, 1951-1958
Box   47 Folder   5	City of West Allis, annexation and detachment sketches and drawings, 1951-1958
Oversize Folder   4	Division Engineer’s Car, body design, 10 drawings, 1923-1928
Oversize Folder   5	Henry Mann Subdivision Lot Plan, 1950
Oversize Folder   6	Lake Shore Development Progress Map, including Brief Summary City of Milwaukee Lake Front, 1935
Oversize Folder   7	Municipal Equipment Service Truck, body design, 2 drawings, 1928
Oversize Folder   8	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
Oversize Folder   9	Police Patrol Car, body design, 4 drawings, 1924-1925
Oversize Folder   10	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
Oversize Folder   11	Seal of the City of Milwaukee, W.P.A. project, 1943
Oversize Folder   12	Storm Water Drainage Plans of Systems, 208 drawings, 1980
Box   47 Folder   6	Town of Granville, annexation sketches and drawings, 1952-1956
Box   47 Folder   7	Town of Lake, annexation sketches, 1951-1954
Box   47 Folder   8	Town of Oak Creek, annexation drawings, 1955
Box   47 Folder   9	Town of Wauwatosa, annexation sketches and drawings, 1951-1957
Box   47 Folder   10	Village of West Milwaukee, annexation sketch, 1951
Box   47 Folder   11	Village of Whitefish Bay, detachment drawing, 1959
Oversize Folder   13	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
	Series: 3: General Files, 1892-1989 Scope and Content Note: 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.	⇧
	Annual Reports
Box   48 Folder   1-6	1892-1893, 1921-1933
Volume   1-5	1907-1911
Box   50	1934-1940
Box   51	1941-1950
Box   52	1951-1957
Box   53	1958-1961
Box   54	1962-1965
Box   55	1966-1969
Box   56	1970-1974
Box   57	1975-1982
Box   58	1983-1989
Volume   6-7	Cost Estimate Calculations, widening Eleventh Ave., 1926
Volume   7-9	Cost Estimate Calculations, widening Sixteenth St., 1927
Volume   10	Cost Estimate Calculations, widening Sixth St. (Wisconsin to Michigan?), 1927
Box   48 Folder   7	Engineers Society of Milwaukee, final report on Milwaukee River investigation, 1917
Box   48 Folder   8	Harbor and Kinnickinnic River Improvements, approval from the U.S. Government, 1903-1911
Box   48 Folder   9	Historical Mitigation Report Prepared for West Blue Mound Road Menomonee River Bridge, 1984
Box   48 Folder   10	Installation Specifications for Water Mains, 1959
Box   49 Folder   1	Manual of Storm Water Management Practices, 1993
Volume   11-12	Quarter Section Atlas, 1962
Box   59 Folder   11	Post Office Site Study (Milwaukee Road site), 1962
Box   49 Folder   2	Report on One-Way Streets, 1932
Box   49 Folder   3	Report on Power and Heating Plant of the City Hall, 1937-1938
Box   49 Folder   4	Report on Proposed City Hall Annex, 1953
Box   49 Folder   5	Report on Riverside Station Renewal, 1965
Box   49 Folder   6	Report on Safeguarding and Improving Milwaukee’s Water Supply with a Water Purification Plant, 1933
Box   49 Folder   7	Report on Sewerage Service Charges, 1951
Box   49 Folder   8	Riverside Station Renewal, supplementary report, 1966
Box   49 Folder   9	Source Expenditure of State and Federal Highway Funds, 1940-1941
Box   59 Folder   12	Vehicular Lane Capacity Studies, includes photographs, 1946

A general list of topics by decade from the correspondence; list should not be considered exhaustive or in chronological order.

1878-1899

• • 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.

1900-1909

• • 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.

1910-1919

• • 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.

1920-1929

• • 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.

1930-1939

• • 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.

1940-1949

• • 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.

1950-1958

• • 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.