Scope and Content Note

The records of the Town of Milwaukee span the years 1835 to 1955 and are organized into 24 series. Most series are relatively small. Five series have contents lists as part of this finding aid.

The Proceedings of the Town Board and Minutes of the Annual Meeting, 1846-1955 (Milwaukee Series 5 and Milwaukee Micro Series 5) record the policies and actions adopted by these governing bodies. These volumes also contain a wealth of additional information including election results, petitions, and minutes of the Town Board sitting as a Board of Review and a Board of Health. A Clerk's series titled just Records dates 1835-1838 and consists of an 18-page record of very early town activities. Only three other record series exist for these early years: Justice of the Peace Dockets, 1856-1903 (Milwaukee Series 10), Assessment Rolls, 1846-1950 (Milwaukee Series 34 and Milwaukee Micro Series 6) and Highway Tax Rolls, 1870-1879 (Milwaukee Series 29). The Justice Dockets illustrate the operations of the legal system at the primary level in mediating conflicts and maintaining order. The tax and assessment rolls offer valuable information on geographic mobility, land holdings, and wealth accumulation.

Allocation of the town's financial resources is documented in several record series. Detailed information is available in the Annual Report of the Board of Audit, 1881-1954 (Milwaukee Series 27) together with summary statements of town finances. Other series which summarize the Town's financial activities on an annual basis are the Town Clerk's Accounts with the Town Treasurer, 1888-1920 (Milwaukee Small Series 12), the Special Audit Reports, 1925-1955 (Milwaukee Series 28) and copies of the following reports to the State filed in the Clerk's General File, [1875-], 1920-1955 (Milwaukee Series 9): “Tax and Indebtedness Statements,” 1887-1953; “Reports of Receipts and Disbursements to the Wisconsin Tax Commission,” 1910-1952. A variety of papers relating to finances and taxes is found in the Treasurer's General File, 1932-1954 (Milwaukee Small Series 10).

The growing size and complexity of town government in the twentieth century is reflected in the proliferation of records created or filed by the Town Clerk. Of special importance is the Clerk's General File (Milwaukee Series 9). These records indicate that the Town Clerk, relying heavily on the Town Attorney, increasingly served an executive and administrative function in town government. The Clerk's General File provides information on virtually every area of concern to the town government during these years. During the twentieth century the Town Clerk also began to maintain separate files of printed and original Ordinances, 1910-1955 (Milwaukee Series 24) and Resolutions, 1903, 1926-1955 (Milwaukee Series 25).

Social and physical conditions in the Town of Milwaukee and the expanding efforts of town government to improve these conditions and provide additional services to town residents are documented in several series of town records. Even before 1900 the Town Board acted as a Town Board of Health (see Proceedings of the Town Board, Milwaukee Series 5), and as the town developed and as health and living standards rose, the Board became increasingly active.

The Board of Health Records, 1905-1955 (Milwaukee Series 6) include minutes of the Board's meetings and, after 1930, reports by the part-time professional staff. The Building Inspector's Records, 1935-1951 (Milwaukee Series 23) document another effort to improve the physical environment of the town and to regulate town growth. Through the provision of streets, sewers, and other public improvements, the town acted positively to shape its growth. The Clerk's Improvements File, 1913-1954 (Milwaukee Series 31), together with papers in the Clerk's General File (Milwaukee Series 9), detail the Town's response to citizen demands, to requirements of the Metropolitan Sewerage Commission, and to other forces for public projects. Finally, the provision of police and fire services within the town is documented in the Police and Fire Commission Correspondence, 1942, 1944-1950 (Milwaukee Small Series 1), the Records of Fire Department Calls, 1927-1952 (Milwaukee Series 7), and the daily Police Reports, 1942-1945 (Milwaukee Series 8).

Three series of records from the Town Assessor's office detail real estate transactions, land development, and residential housing in the Town of Milwaukee after 1930. The hundreds of Property Appraisal Cards, 1935-1955? (Milwaukee Series 30) prepared by federal relief workers are a virtual census of physical structures within the Town. The Assessor's Real Estate Blotter, 1930-1937 (Milwaukee Series 32) provides data on the assessed valuation of both lands and improvements on an annual basis. Property Transfer Records, 1932-1955 (Milwaukee Series 26), compiled to permit more accurate assessment of properties and proper tax billing, also document the process of real estate development and sales.

In addition to the records mentioned above, the town records include three small miscellaneous series: Improvements Projects Ledger, 1927-1954 (Milwaukee Small Series 9), Chattel Mortgage and Conditional Sales Records, 1897-1931 (Milwaukee Small Series 11), and Assessment of the Edward Bradley Estate, 1913 (Milwaukee Small Series 8).

Fourteen maps dated between 1928 and 1951 have been transferred to the map collection of the State Historical Society's Division of Archives and Manuscripts and are permanently located at Madison. These maps portray population patterns within the Town, changing town boundaries, sewage and lighting systems, subdivision layouts and similar information. More specialized maps have been retained with several record series.

List of Series

I. Records of the Town Clerk
Proceedings of the Town Board and Minutes of the Annual Meeting, 1846-1955	18 volumes in 6 archives boxes and 2 reels of microfilm	Milwaukee Series 5 and Milwaukee Micro Series 5
Ordinances, 1910-1955	2 archives boxes	Milwaukee Series 24
Resolutions, 1903, 1926-1955	1 archives box	Milwaukee Series 25
Records, 1835-1837	1 folder	Milwaukee Series 51
Clerk's General File, 1875-1955	12 archives boxes	Milwaukee Series 9
Town Clerk's Accounts With the Town Treasurer, 1888-1920	1 volume	Milwaukee Small Series 12
Annual Report of the Board of Audit, 1881-1954	1 archives box	Milwaukee Series 27
Audit Reports, 1925-1955	2 archives boxes	Milwaukee Series 28
Improvement Files, 1913-1954	8 archives boxes	Milwaukee Series 31
Improvement Projects Ledger, 1927-1954	1 folder	Milwaukee Small Series 9
Assessment Rolls, 1846-1950	3 archives boxes and 41 volumes and 1 reel of microfilm	Milwaukee Series 34 and Milwaukee Micro Series 6
Highway Tax Rolls, 1870-1879	1 archives box including 20 volumes	Milwaukee Series 29
Assessment of the Edward Bradley Estate, 1913	1 folder	Milwaukee Small Series 8
Chattel Mortgages and Conditional Sales Records, 1897-1931	2 volumes	Milwaukee Small Series 11
II. Records of the Town Treasurer
Treasurer's General File, 1932-1954	1 folder	Milwaukee Small Series 10
III. Records of the Town Assessor (see also Town Clerk's records)
Real Estate Blotter, 1930-1937	1 volume	Milwaukee Series 32
Property Appraisal Cards, 1935-1955 [?]	3 archives boxes	Milwaukee Series 30
Property Transfer Records, 1932-1955	3 volumes in 1 archives box	Milwaukee Series 26
IV. Other records of the Town of Milwaukee
Board of Health Records, 1905-1955	3 archives boxes including 5 volumes	Milwaukee Series 6
Building Inspector's Records, 1935-1951	1 archives box	Milwaukee Series 23
Justice Dockets, 1856-1903	4 volumes	Milwaukee Series 10
Police and Fire Commission Correspondence, 1942, 1944-1950	2 folders	Milwaukee Small Series 1
Record of Fire Department Calls, 1927-1952	2 archives boxes	Milwaukee Series 7
Daily Police Reports, 1924-1935	1 archives box	Milwaukee Series 8

The remainder of this finding aid consists of contents lists for five of the series included: Milwaukee Series 5/Milwaukee Micro Series 5, Proceedings of the Town Board...; Milwaukee Series 9, Clerk's General File; Milwaukee Series 30, Property Appraisal Cards; Milwaukee Series 31, Improvement Files; and Milwaukee Series 34/Milwaukee Micro Series 6, Assessment Rolls.