City Streets
Wahl Ave. Named After “Grandfather” of Parks
Before Whitnall there was Christian Wahl, who helped create city’s parks system.
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Before Whitnall there was Christian Wahl, who helped create city’s parks system. Back to the full article.
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Carl, another great recounting of Milwaukee history.Thanks for pointing out that the site for Sherman Park was indeed one of the original seven “planned parks.” I had read other accounts saying there were six, perhaps because it took decades before Sherman was actually designed and named.
A city historic district report on the Sherman Park historic district says that before Sherman Boulevard was realized as park commissioners had envisioned, the “park” was a natural area. The report also acknowledges Olmsted’s role in inspiring the park commissioners, including Wahl, to create boulevards as green spaces. It was a variation on the concept of “parkways” that Olmsted developed when planning Brooklyn’s Prospect Park and a scenic roadway leading to it. The difference was that parkways usually meandered while boulevards were straight. Both served the same purpose and Olmsted included both types in his designs.
http://www.city.milwaukee.gov/ImageLibrary/Groups/cityHPC/DesignatedReports/vticnf/HDShermBlvd.pdf
“This trend toward the increasing use of deed covenants coincided with the
development of the boulevard system in Milwaukee that produced such gracious
thoroughfares as Highland Boulevard, McKinley Boulevard, Washington Boulevard and
Newberry Boulevard, among others. The importance of wide landscaped streets or
boulevards as urban planning tools has its roots at least as far back as Renaissance
Europe, but the large scale, nineteenth century, government-sponsored rebuildings of
Paris and Vienna prompted American civic leaders to take a hard look at America’s
urban areas and formulate plans to make them more beautiful and livable. Such
influential individuals as Frederick Law Olmsted conceptualized boulevards as broad,
linear green spaces, essentially linear parks, which could connect or terminate at
spacious parks.”
I’ve also heard that Christian Wahl masterminded taking the train to Chicago to meet with Olmsted as he was designing the World’s Fair. Wahl et al managed to entice Olmsted to come to Milwaukee to design Lake, River and West (Washington) Parks. City planners were already on the same page about the linked park system concept so Newberry Boulevard had an easy conception.
Milwaukee’s legendarily corrupt Mayor David may not have approved of the parks commissioner but Wahl’s legacy’s ultimately seems far greater than the mayor known for his having cultivating prostitution as “entertainment” to draw male tourists.
Clarification: Make the reference in the last sentence above to Mayor David Rose. Was anything ever named for him?