[1855]

	
An Act Authorizing the errection of County buildings in the County 
of Manitowoc. The people of the State of Wisconsin represented in 
Senate and Assembly do enact as follows:
Sect. 1. The Board of Supervisors of the County of Manitowoc is 
hereby authorized and required to cause to be errected within two 
years from the first day of April A.D. 1855 at the County seat of 
said County and on that certain piece and parcel of Land known as 
the "Court House site" and further known and described as Lots 
numbered one (1) two (2) ten (10) eleven (11) and twelve (12) in 
Block numbered two hundred and seventy three (273) lying and being 
in the first ward of the village of Manitowoc and at an expense of 
not exceeding the sum of ten thousand Dollars including whatever 
sums may have been heretofore paid or expended in labor and material 
a suitable and convenient County building, suitable for a Court House, 
Jail, and County offices. Provided that the said Board of Supervisors 
shall have power do adopt or reject the plan and specifications and 
submitted by Francis Goetzler and approved by the Board of Supervisors 
in A.D. 1853, and Provided further that the said Board of Supervisors 
shall have power to remove and reconstruct the foundation for said 
Court House laid by said Goetzler on said court House site if on a 
careful examination the majority of said Board shall be of the opinion 
that said foundation is imperfect and insufficient. Section 2. The said 
Board of Supervisors is hereby authorized to draw orders on the County 
Treasury from time to time as the work progresses, to be paid out of 
any monies in the Treasury accrued or accruing from a certain tax levied 
by authority of the Board of Supervisors in A.D. 1853 for the purpose 
of 'Erecting County Buildings' and the said Treasurer is hereby 
authorized to pay said orders out of said fund and none other. 
This act shall take effect from and after the tenth day of April A.D. 
1855. C.C. Sholes, Speaker of the Assemby. Eleazer Wakely, President 
of the Sentate pro.tem. Approved March 29, 1855. W.A. Barstow.
Manitowoc Tribune, Apr. 12, 1855


[1859]


IMPROVEMENTS.-
We discover many new buildings in process of erection in different portions of the town, and we feel gratified that the village is advancing, notwithstanding the hard times.
Manitowoc Pilot, Friday, October 21, 1859 P.3


[1885]


Two Rivers news: 
Two Rivers is having a building boom. Houses are springing up in all parts of the town. Still houses to rent are scarce. This is certainly an indication that the town is growing.
Manitowoc Lake Shore Times, Tuesday, July 28, 1885 P.2


Two Rivers news: 
The electric lights illumined the factories and company's store last Friday evening for the first time. The cost for putting up the lights aggregates $6,000. The factories will again run on standard time.
Manitowoc Lake Shore Times, Tuesday, November 24, 1885 P. 3


[1886]


OUR COUNTY ASYLUM.
The wisdon of those who so persistently urged the building of our County Insane Hospital has been amply vindicated by the increased care and comfort which the unfortunate inmates have received. As an economic measure it will be still further vindicated as the annexed letter received by Supt. Miller from the State Board of charities and Reform will show:
Madison, Jan. 7th. 1886.
Mr. G. Miller,
Dear Sir:—This board has approved the bills of Manitowoc Co. for the chronic insane and Feb. 1st. $2697.00 will be placed to your credit in the State Treasury.
Yours Respectuflly, A.O. Wright, Sec'y.
Manitowoc Lake Shore Times, Tuesday, January 12, 1886 P.2


The old farm building east of the National Hotel which is one of the "ancient land marks" of our city is not to be torn down after all but will be removed to another lot.
Manitowoc Lake Shore Times, Tuesday, April 27, 1886 P.4


[1894]


The old county building and the furniture of the offices which could not be used in the new offices was disposed of by auction on Saturday last. The county bid in the building for a $130 and sold it to the County Asylum for $150. This week Supt. Mueller has a gang of his inmates at work tearing down the building and removing the material. The old furniture sold brought to the county $53. The old building being removed is one of the landmarks of the city. It was built in 1860 by Ben Jones. The contract price was $2,800, but with extra work the whole sum reached $5,000. Its removal will greatly improve the appearance of the court house square as shade trees are to be put in next season.
Manitowoc Pilot, Mar. 8, 1894


[1899]


NOW WE ARE SURE.
Location of Manitowoc Public Library Definitely Settled.
The Manitowoc Public Library will occupy rooms in the post office building. The matter was definitely settled at the meeting of the city council Wednesday evening, when that body accepted the report of the board trustees and adopted a resolution introduced by Ald. Canright, providing for a lease of the four rear rooms, on the second floor of the post office building, at an annual rental of $875 for a term of five years with a privilege of ten. The rental includes, heating, lighting, water and the renovating and kalsomining of the rooms. In introducing the resolution Mr. Canright, who is a member of the board of trustees of the library, said that the selection of rooms was in accordance with the views expressed by Miss Stearns, secretary of the State Library commission, who was present at the last meeting of the board. He asked that definite action be taken at once, in order that the work of fitting up the rooms might be commenced.
The rooms are to be leased from the O. Torrison Co., and work of repair will be started at once. The rental price is very low and council members are well pleased with the selection made. It is the desire of the trustees to have the library open to the public by Jan. 1, 1900.
Manitowoc Daily Herald, Thursday, Dec. 7, 1899 P. 1


[1912]


CITY MAY ERECT CHAPEL AT ENTRANCE OF EVERGREEN CEMETERY FOR USE OF FUNERAL PARTIES
Erection of a chapel at the entrance of Evergreen cemetery for use of funeral parties for burial services in stormy weather is a suggestion offered to the council by the cemetery and park committee Monday night and a recommendation will probably be made in the spring. It is proposed to erect a small, inexpensive structure, either frame or masonry inside the grounds where services may be held in event of bad weather.
Chairman Plumb of the committee in suggesting the plan said the committed was agreed. He cited times in winter it is almost impossible to get through the grounds and if a chapel was provided, services could be held and the sexton could later remove the body for burial. In many other cities chapels were found on the grounds.
The committee also suggested a heating plant or furnace for the sexton's residence, it being said that the plant would be more economical than use of stoves as now. The house had been piped for furnace and the committee favors providing one. No action was taken.
Manitowoc Daily Herald, October 8, 1912  p. 1


[1915]


The city's new chapel at Evergreen cemetery has been completed and is ready for use according to report made to the council last night by Chairman Nienaber of the cemetery and parks committee. The chapel was erected at a cost of about $2,500. The original bids on the building were way up but on second advertising were cut.
Manitowoc Daily Herald, Tuesday, January 5, 1915 P. 3

	
The first funeral services at the new chapel at Evergreen cemetery were held yesterday when the body of the late Joseph Marshek was laid to rest, following the services. Rev. Axtell officiated the services. 
The chapel was recently erected by the city at a cost of $2,000. 
Manitowoc Daily Herald, Thursday, Mar. 04, 1915


[1916]


The Mikadow, Manitowoc's New $30,000 Movie Theatre to Open
(Architect drawing)
With a force of men at work day and night the past ???? weeks, completing the building, the Midadow, Manitowoc's new $30,000 theatre, will throw its doors open to the public tomorrow, March 4, with two perfomances, and afternoon matinee and evening show. A five piece orchestra will play at the evening performance.
Opening bill at the new theatre will be "The Secret Love," a Bluebird five-reel feature, in which Helen Ware will appear in the title role. The picture will be shown at both performances Saturday and will be followed on Sunday with "The Final Judgment," featuring Ethel Barrymore, one of the most noted artists of the stage. Matinee prices Saturday and Sunday will be 5 and 10 and evening 10 cents for all seats. The Midadow will, however, be a five-cent theatre, except for special features.
The Mikado, which is owned by John M. Kadow, and will be under the management of Chester M. Cooey, is one of the most palatial movie theatres in the northwest and is handsomely furnished. The theatre has a seating capacity of 800 and is fire proof and of modern construction throughout. The ventilation of the theatre is one of its important features, provision being made for circulation of 16,000 cubic feet of air per minute.
The theatre is located on Washington street, between Eleventh and Twelfth, and is a most attractive building which adds much to the street. A cut of the theatre appears above.
Manitowoc Daily Herald, Friday, March 3, 1916 P. 1

 
REWARD
$5.00 reward will be paid to any person who will give information leading to the arrest and conviction of any one breaking Electric Light street shades or globes in the city of Manitowoc.
ELECTRIC LIGHT COMPANY
Manitowoc Daily Herald, Thursday, May 16, 1901, p. 1


[1920]

	
City Hall Back To Its Old Site After 60 Years—"The child returneth to its mother." 
This old saying was again verified when one of the old safes of the city clerk's office was moved to the new city hall on Friday. The old safe was purchased for the use of the village treasurer in the early sixties when the village office and meeting place of the trustees were in the vacated store room of the Oscar Koch building which occupied the site of the present new city hall, and Carl Hottelman was the village treasurer. It was here that the meeting of the village trustees was abruptly broken up one night and the board sought safety in flight through the rear windows when the Southside fire department appeared en masse to protest against the order of the board to disband. The village record reveals that in consequence the regular meetings of the board were dicontinued for several months owing to "no quorum being present, etc." This incident occurred just before the outbreak of the civil war when political partisanship ran rampant. The village board had a Republican majority and charged the then volunteer fire department with furthering Democratic propaganda.The old Koch building now stands at the corner of Tenth and Green streets, having been moved there to make room for the enlargement of the Victoria hotel, which has been purchased for city hall purposes.
Manitowoc Herald News, Nov. 22, 1920


[1923]
	

Old Landmark to be Removed
Like a "castle by the sea", the old Half Way House has stood for sixty 
years half way between Manitowoc and Two Rivers. It is now to be wrecked 
and it is reported that a modern garage will be erected on the site.
Into the history of the Half Way House are woven noble ambitions and 
deep tragedy. Many years ago after falling into new hands, the old 
building became notorious as a rendezvous of bad characters and it was 
the scene of a desperate murder during a midnight orgie. Its projector, 
Charles Kuehn, was a man of culture and education as well as great 
physical strength. He was born in Germany and came to Two Rivers about 
1842. It was his fond ambition to found here a great landed estate on 
which the old mansion should be like the English Manor House or the 
German "Schloss". In 1858, while yet serving as the state of Treasurer 
of Wisconsin, he began the erection of the house with which his name is 
still, sometimes associated, as Kuehn's farm. When his term of office 
expired, he came back to Two Rivers where he wound up the affairs of his 
general store and engaged in the banking business thus founding the 
first bank here and he named it the Bank of Two Rivers, This was in 1859.
While engaged in this business he resided in his big new house by the 
lake. He loved work on the farm and spent all his leisure hours there. 
But the aristocratic dreams and ambitions which he cherished about the 
place were destined never to be fulfilled. In 1861 he moved his bank to 
Manitowoc. Those were the days of the so-called "Wild Cat currency" when 
every bank issued its own currency which was redeemable in gold. Gold 
rose enormously in value making it necessary for Kuehn to redeem his 
currency with two or three times its value in gold. Being a man of 
sturdy honor, Mr. Kuehn continued to meet his obligations although it 
made him penniless and shortly thereafter, he died.
Thus cherished hopes of the projector of the lakeside landed estate were 
dashed in the rocks of fate. The old building which is now to be 
dismantled has stood for years, a monument to the ruined hopes and 
ambitions of its builder.
The Reporter, Fri., Feb. 23, 1923


[1928]

	
Razing of Manitowoc's First "Sky Scraper" Recalls Pioneer History of Eighty Years Ago 
(By Old Timer)
Again has another old landmark of the city been relegated to the past. After having served its various purposes for almost eighty years, the Dusold building, corner Seventh and Jay streets, known at one time as Manitowoc's "sky-scraper," will be razed to make way to modern improvement and with its passing will be left a memory of one of the oldest buildings in this section. Its going will also bring a memory of Manitowoc's pioneer days such as only the oldest of our citizens will remember. The building, now owned by the Manitowoc Cereal Products Co., is giving way to other plans of the concern. 
Probably no other building in the city served such varied purposes as this old structure or saw so much of Manitowoc in the making. Erected in 1850 by the late George Dusold, it was Manitowoc's tallest building and was provided with a double store front. The first floor was occupied as a saloon and a shoe shop, the second floor was partitioned off for lodging purposes and the third floor served as a hall for shows and dances.
The House of a Hundred Candles. In those days of course there were no electric lights. Kerosene lamps were almost unknown so that the only mode of illumination was candles. Thus the building became known as "The house of a hundred candles." Being so pretentious, it bore the proud name of "Jefferson Hall," thus proclaiming the proprietor to be a sturdy democrat. 
The building served for social gatherings and "grand balls" of which there were not a few, in those pioneer days. There was little class distinction, all ages congregating to step the light fantastic in the good old fashioned square dances, schottlaches and money musks. 
Recalling these dances, the writer remembers there was but one young man in town who sported a "biled" shirt. He was a clerk in the post office to which place the mail came only semi-occasionally so he had lots of time to be dressed up. 
Many a hot political battle was staged within the walls of the landmark. It was the scene of community gatherings some of which waxed exceedingly warm in those days of hectic political atmosphere. This was especially true in national and local affairs in the stirring times preceding the war of the rebellion. 
After the fire which destroyed the court house and jail at Rapids, the county seat was transferred to the village of Manitowoc and of course it was only fitting that the offices be located in the pretentious three story edifice which the village boasted. Jefferson Hall served as a court house from 1853 to 1857, when the building now providing an armory for Company E was completed for that purpose. 
The second story of the Dusold building served as a school room for many years and Mrs. Shove, mother of Mrs. J.E. Hamilton, Two Rivers, presided there as teacher and wielder of the rod with which she exacted discipline of no mean order. Some of her former pupils will remember that she opened the exercise of the day with prayer, and discouraged tardiness and truancy by promptly locking the door after school was called. 
Taxes on Three Lots: 24 Cents! 
Mr. Dusold, the builder of the Jefferson Hall was a shoemaker by trade, emigrating from Bavaria in 1846, first locating in the village of Rapids and a few years later removing to Manitowoc, where he enjoyed the distinction of being the first German settler to locate on the south side of the river. He purchased the three lots on the corner of Jay and Seventh streets, and a receipt is still in existence to show that in 1847 the taxes on these three lots amounts to 24c-8c for each. 
The timber for Jefferson Hall was cut on the site of the building and was cut on the site of the building and was intended for the construction of Manitowoc's first Catholic church, which a few years later was erected at the corner of 10th and Marshall streets. 
The builders of the church who had undertaken to cut the timber for the same consisted of two shoemakers and a saddler, George Dusold, Michael Ripplinger and Michael Kuhl, respectively. These would be carpenters had cut the timber too short. "Theirs not to reason why." Financial difficulties also presented themselves and thus the logs and boards appeared to be doomed to waste. 
Since the logs had been cut from trees on the Dusold property a new idea presented itself that of the erection of a hotel, and this was done. In the course of time, the building lost its public character. Three flights of stairs were too much for pioneers, so the upper floor was eliminated and the building reduced to two stories. In later years it served as a tenement for many of our pioneer families. 
Harry Blumenstein, a member of the North Side fire station has now acquired the old building and is taking it down to make use of the material, most of which, strange to say, after eighty years, is still in very good condition. And so—
"Sic transit Gloria mundi."
Manitowoc Herald News, Wednesday, June 20, 1928 Page 1