Plankinton died in 1891 at age 71.

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Content referencing John Plankinton

Eyes on Milwaukee: 22 More Apartments for Plankinton Arcade
Eyes on Milwaukee

22 More Apartments for Plankinton Arcade

With another 50 in the pipeline as Grand Avenue Mall continues move toward more residential spaces.

City Streets: Where Plankinton and Wells Meet
City Streets

Where Plankinton and Wells Meet

Two streets, two Milwaukee pioneers and a downtown square with a curious history.

Yesterday’s Milwaukee: Menomonee Hotel, Late 1860s
Yesterday’s Milwaukee

Menomonee Hotel, Late 1860s

One of earliest hotels, near what is now Plankinton and Wisconsin, was modest indeed.

City Streets: Cass Street, the Avenue of Plutocrats
City Streets

Cass Street, the Avenue of Plutocrats

That included the wealthiest man in Milwaukee history, richer than Bill Gates.

City Streets: The History of Plankinton Avenue
City Streets

The History of Plankinton Avenue

Once West Water St., it’s pretty short but long on history.

Yesterday’s Milwaukee: Exterior of Alexander Mitchell’s Mansion, Mid-1870s
Yesterday’s Milwaukee

Exterior of Alexander Mitchell’s Mansion, Mid-1870s

What would soon be known as Grand Avenue became a row of millionaires' mansions.

Yesterday’s Milwaukee: Plankinton Arcade, 1925
Yesterday’s Milwaukee

Plankinton Arcade, 1925

The Plankinton Arcade sits on the site of the former Plankinton House Hotel.

Vantage Point: Gimbel’s Building
Vantage Point

Gimbel’s Building

The classic retailer is long gone, but the “ASQ Center” lives on.

Yesterday’s Milwaukee: Inside the Plankinton House Hotel, 1908
Yesterday’s Milwaukee

Inside the Plankinton House Hotel, 1908

Two historic views of the Plankinton House Hotel's impressive interior.

Yesterday’s Milwaukee: Plankinton House Hotel, 1886
Yesterday’s Milwaukee

Plankinton House Hotel, 1886

Milwaukee had become a boom town, where Adam Gimbel would relocate his dry goods business.

Yesterday’s Milwaukee: Plankinton House Hotel, 1867
Yesterday’s Milwaukee

Plankinton House Hotel, 1867

Its owners would expand it over the decades to make sure it remained Milwaukee's finest hotel, but this is the original structure.

Yesterday’s Milwaukee: The Plankinton House Hotel, 1869
Yesterday’s Milwaukee

The Plankinton House Hotel, 1869

It succeeded the American House hotel, which burned to the ground in 1861.

Yesterday’s Milwaukee: Mason Street at Lakefront, 1868
Yesterday’s Milwaukee

Mason Street at Lakefront, 1868

Before the days of Prospect Avenue mansions, the lakefront sported modest frame houses on an eroding, sandy bluff.