City Streets
Villard Ave. Salutes City’s Transit History
So does Aldrich St. But these were two wildly different transportation companies.
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So does Aldrich St. But these were two wildly different transportation companies. Back to the full article.
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Thank you for another grand history of Milwaukee article. I enjoy everyone of your writings. I joined
Historic Milwaukee in its second year of existence and have given many miles of tours. Your book on Street
Names is a favorite.
Ive always wondered about the names of some of the north side’s section roads. Wauwatosa Rd and Granville Rd are obvious but Wausaukee and Swan??? Ghosttown amd old farm?
Casey,
The following are entries from my book.
WAUSAUKEE ROAD
Washington-Ozaukee County border
This name is apparently a misspelling of a contraction of WAShington and OzAUKEE, the two counties it separates. It is spelled Wasaukee in Mequon and Germantown, while Ozaukee County and Milwaukee spell it this way. The city acquired the triangle of land, which is not in Milwaukee County, when a restaurant owner there wanted police and fire protection. Milwaukee, in an expansion mode and willing to provide the protection, annexed its only land in Washington County.
SWAN ROAD, CIRCLE
9200 West, between 4800 and 5700 North
Origin: Kops Park
In 1837 Emery Swan farmed in the old town of Wauwatosa, where there were no roads and no other settlers around. He had to mark the trail between his place and the Menomonee River, his water route to Milwaukee. When he got lost in the forest around his farm, he would fire his gun, hoping he was close enough to draw a responding shot and a way home. Swan was born of English ancestry in Vienna, New York in 1801 and died in 1887. The first plat map that shows this road with the name Swan is dated 1925.
So what is your opinion on Swan Road being named for the Swan farrn where people went to get apples etc,? A person who told me that would be about 114 today.
Hugh,
When the city covered a relatively small area it was surrounded by farmland with very few roads. Some of the roads were named for local farmers, like Howard, Howell, Dean, Swan and others. This occurred either because the road led to the farm, or because when the farm was subdivided a street in the subdivision was given the former farmer’s name.
Thank you Carl for the additional info!
She said that the road led right to the farm.