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Author Topic: Motel/Cottages just South of S. 27th St. Pick 'n Save.  (Read 26161 times)
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KimW
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« on: October 25, 2013, 10:35:44 AM »

I'm a Northern California resident now, but was born (1954), grew up in, and worked in Milwaukee until 1999. Until, I'm thinking, the early 1960's, directly south of what is now (?) the Pick 'n Save (Then a small Cardinal or IGA store, I think) on about the 6600  block of S. 27th St., east side of 27th, there was a small motel, or perhaps cottages, on a small hill -- now part of the parking lot -- I recall perhaps 8 or 10 small white cottage-like units, arranged in a horseshoe, I think. What I most distinctly recall is that the property was surrounded by staghorn sumac bushes, bright red in late Summer/early Fall, which were not commonly found around there, and fascinated me as a little kid, because I usually only saw them camping in the Kettle Moraine -- Mauthe Lake, Long Lake.

This would not be the "Dreamland" motel/living units, and later Railroad Salvage store, associated with frmr. Franklin Mayor Fadrow. Other side of 27th...kind of directly across 27th.

WONDERFUL SITE, BTW. I stumbled on it a few months ago. I'd sure like to see a lot more of it! 

It's just a scene I  recall from my childhood, and for some reason I think of it sometimes.  Does anyone know what the name of this place was? Any photos?
big_empty_brain@yahoo.com
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Roadsnakes
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« Reply #1 on: November 03, 2013, 01:00:32 PM »

Don`t recall those cottage motels, but
I do remember a cottage motel right on 27th and Morgan ave.
Southeast corner, behind Berka`s bar, across the street from one of the first McDonalds in Milwaukee.
Each room of the motel was actually a small one room cottage. Tongue
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« Reply #2 on: November 07, 2013, 06:18:05 PM »

I tried to look up the 27th St cottages in my 1962 city directory. No go, the last Milwaukee address was listed as 6280 S 27th ( Hi 41 Laundro-Mat). I do remember the "Chickland" restaurant (1950-1980) that was near the cottage location in Oak Creek though.

Oddly the 1956 directory and the 1962 list Morgan Ave from 27th to 31st as being 'not available'. The 56 book does list "Berka's trailer park" with a Morgan Ave address, which would make sense. Maybe Greenfield juts into Milwaukee there along Morgan accounting for the void?
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KimW
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« Reply #3 on: January 13, 2014, 11:42:15 AM »

Thank you all for the information.

The location of this motel/motor inn would have been the Oak Creek part of the Milwaukee/Franklin/Oak Creek/Greenfield four city 27th & College intersection, probably why it might not be listed in a Milwaukee city directory. (Yet the area was always referred to as "Tri-City." I never got that.

I do recall the laundromat on 27th & College - it was directly adjacent to a small bakery shop. As a child, my family used both businesses -- and the Chickland restaurant. Both of these would have been about a five minute walk from the "mystery motel" I was wondering about, which would have been perhaps two blocks or so south of the bakery/laundromat, directly to the south of the Tri-City (IGA, Cardinal, etc.) grocery store, (now a Pick & Save) the former "Fedderly's drug store (which had a full fountain) and the hardware store.

I do recall Berka's Bar, 27th & Morgan...I used to stop by and have a beer there from time to time as a young guy on the way to work. (2nd shift, Harnischfeger) I kinda liked it. A nice, quiet, modest place, serving mostly older, neighborhood folks. A nice place to relax a few minutes before work, and not a place to raise hell!

Other nearby stuff I remember...Again, 27th & College, Franklin corner, there was a gas station, maybe a Sinclair/Citgo, on the SW corner (later a KFC, and now a Goodwill store I think) and directly to the north of that, a really cool little antique shop, gone 40 years now, with its frontage on Hwy 41 just FILLED with cool old machinery and farm implements and other stuff of incredible interest to an eight year old Franklin boy. I knew how to use and spell the word "antique" at a very young age, thanks to that long forgotten antique shop! And there was "Mud Lake," now Grobschmidt Park, where, as the story always went, years before, seven kids drowned on a raft in that lake, which was said to be bottomless, (I poled 18 feet - not quite bottomless) AND there was said to be quicksand there, and thus forbidden territory to me as a young boy...which explains why I lived out there in the woods, marshes, and the unusually clean and clear Mud Lake waters more than at home as a kid. In the 1960's, even into the 70's, one could (if one wanted to, and I always did) take a well chosen hike from Mud Lake, about 31st & College, west, through oak/maple woods, swamps, marshes, fields, sheep grazing, finally into Root River Parkway, through Whitnall Park, past the "parachuting place" between 92 & 108th St, where one could watch a skydiving club do its thing on a Sunday afternoon, a rather long walk, which, again, if one's path was carefully chosen, would lead one its entire length with not so much as a glimpse of a man made structure, with only quick crossings of 51st street, Loomis Road, 76th St., 84th St., and 92nd St. to remind you you weren't way the hell up north. 

Just as a matter of interest perhaps, when I first moved here, (near Redding, California) people were VERY aware of my "Milwaukee accent," though most of them thought I was a Canadian! (Most natives here have a kind of "Okie" accent, due to the huge numbers of them who move here during the construction of Shasta Dam.) I have NEVER been able to stop saying "bubbler" for "drinking fountain," and I haven't heard the word "ainna" since I left M'waukee...sadly.

I DO love this site! Being from Milwaukee is kind of a state of mind, especially if you're from a family with deep roots there. (I do. German/Polish/Harnischfeger/Harley for generations - retired from Harny.) I never really left it in some ways. The closest thing to Milwaukee near here would be San Francisco, which, like it or not, has a VERY distinct personality, and one which never quite leaves natives, wherever they end up. It reminds me, in some small ways, of home.

Keep up the great work, everyone!
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« Reply #4 on: January 13, 2014, 04:09:38 PM »

The oldest 'Yellow Pages" we have is from 1975. The Dreamland Motel had an address of 6461 S 27th. The closest listing at that time south of there was at 7273 S 27th, "Park Motel"  11 units.

RR Salvage was located at 6451 S 27th St. Chickland address: 6462.
Badger Mobile Homes was located on the now Tri City Bank property 6400 S 27th.
Tri City shopping center 6312 27th st


* 1959badgermotorhomes.jpg (61.73 KB, 485x305 - viewed 1527 times.)

* tricitymystery.jpg (44.97 KB, 291x253 - viewed 1549 times.)
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KimW
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« Reply #5 on: January 15, 2014, 04:04:41 PM »

Thanks again!

The "Tri-City" Mystery...heh, heh, heh.... Amazing. A sdimilar tale below:

Here, in Anderson, CA (close to Redding) I live near "Stingy Lane," which was named for a local farmer who stubbornly refused to grant an easement for a public road to cross his farm/ranch. When he died, the city got its easement from relatives, and the road was named "Stingy Lane."

I used to work, (few months, early 1970's) at the Railroad Salvage on 27th! It was then owned by Ted Fadrow, a controversial, volatile Franklin mayor, but a pretty good, if two-fisted one, I felt. THAT job was fun! Got to climb around derailed trains the owner made contracts with, and pick up stuff for resale at his store and for personal pocketing, with little attention to things like "safety" and such.

I recall the Dreamland Motel/Bar had quite a reputation when I was a kid. Tough place, they said. Rough folks. When I was little, I walked by there a lot, always a hiker, and the motel office's exterior was made of limestone bricks that were LOADED with fossils. Being a junior paleontologist, I plotted and planned how to steal them, but never quite got around to that -- fortunately, I guess!

The Park Motel...nah, not it. Too far south. I'm pretty sure the motel I was thinking of was gone already when I was in high school. (1972 grad, OCHS) My memories probably date to the early to mid 1960's. I guess it's just gonna be one of those places in my memory, perhaps a very, very few others, but otherwise lost in time. Odd how we remember things. My memory of the motel/motor inn is pretty vague...white units in a horseshoe, very small individual "cottages," but what I DO recall are the numerous sumac bushes scattered on the property, blinding red in autumn, and very unusual to see growing wild in that particular area. (These didn't appear planted, but were old and established clumpings among very large oaks, probably pretty old remnant vegetation.)

Again, thank you so much for the info, and the Tri-City mystery SOLVED!

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Roadsnakes
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« Reply #6 on: January 19, 2014, 12:40:58 PM »

"I do recall Berka's Bar, 27th & Morgan...I used to stop by and have a beer there from time to time as a young guy on the way to work. (2nd shift, Harnischfeger) I kinda liked it. A nice, quiet, modest place, serving mostly older, neighborhood folks. A nice place to relax a few minutes before work, and not a place to raise hell!"
'


Berka`s was one of Milwaukee`s true hidden gems!
I used to work 2nd shift in factory, and would sometimes stop in for a cold one after work.
It was like taking a step back into time!
Everything inside in the early 70`s , was just like it was in the early 50`s!

Little booths along the wall , each having it`s own little lamp.

An Andecker sign, that would be worth a fortune in today`s world! Shocked

I remember they had an OLD
"Braumeister"
NEON sign out front!  Smiley

Then one day it was gone! Replaced with a Berka`s sign.
I asked the bartender what happened to the old BRAUMEISTER sign? He said the guy installing the new sign, took it. Wink

That old neon BRAUMEISTER sign would be worth a mint today! Embarrassed





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« Reply #7 on: January 19, 2014, 05:25:50 PM »

I was able to visit Berka's only one time before it was closed and demolished. It was a great 'time warp' place for sure. There was also a small neon sign on the north side of the building facing Morgan ave. It was over the side door a simple neon martini type glass with a couple neon bubbles above off to the side. When I was a kid in the 50's that sign was still functioning.

Berka's was embroiled in the 'Town of Lake' annexation in the late 40's. Seems they were getting hammered from both directions back then, I found a few news clips.

Peter Berka passed away in 1988.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=105081552


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Roadsnakes
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« Reply #8 on: January 20, 2014, 02:58:53 PM »

I always heard a rumor, that Berka owned most of that 27th and Morgan intersection. (at least the eastside part.)

AND

He didn`t originally sell the land where McDonalds is. He leased it. And, over time, he made more money off of  rent over the years then he would have if he`d sold it outright. Wink

Could be just an old legend. Roll Eyes
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MEW
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« Reply #9 on: April 17, 2021, 07:51:52 PM »

Please go to Facebook and join Friends of Grobschmidt Park https://www.facebook.com/Grobschmidtpark/
Our group is looking for stories and history on Mud Lake and Grobschmidt Park.

Small world!

Peter Berka was my my Great Grandmother's step brother.

Keep in mind there was a major street renaming in 1930 or 1931. So
https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/street-naming-and-numbering/
https://stevemorse.org/census/changes/MilwaukeeIntro.htm
https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/annexation/

(I also grew up in the Greater Milwaukee Area. I also have relatives in Redding California and Roseville California.) https://emke.uwm.edu/entry/annexation/

https://www.wuwm.com/news/2020-01-17/milwaukees-lost-town-of-lake
 
MEW
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Roadsnakes
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« Reply #10 on: April 18, 2021, 03:14:08 PM »

Peter Berka was my my Great Grandmother's step brother.


WOW!

Berka`s Tavern was very unique!  I was very sorry to see it go. Places like that are just about instinct!

When I used to stop there It was like being in a tavern on The Streets of Old Milwaukee.
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