Wilson Park in Milwaukee in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Town of Lake
Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, September 21, 2011
1. Town of Lake Marker
Inscription.
Town of Lake. . Organized in 1838, the Town of Lake was one of seven townships that made up pioneer Milwaukee County. Its original borders were Lake Michigan, 27th Street, Greenfield Avenue, and College Avenue. The City of Milwaukee annexed large sections of the town over the decades, adding room for the Historic South Side, Bay View, and Tippecanoe neighborhoods. The suburbs of Cudahy and St. Francis were also carved from Town lands. By the 1930’s, all that remained of the original township was a truck farming and greenhouse district south of Howard Avenue. In 1940, hoping to preserve its independence, the Town of Lake completed this Art Deco tower to house a new water works and municipal offices. Rapid postwar development and steadily rising property taxes finally led local residents to join the City of Milwaukee. The last annexation was completed in 1954, and the Town of Lake became a cherished memory.
Organized in 1838, the Town of Lake was one of seven townships that made up pioneer Milwaukee County. Its original borders were Lake Michigan, 27th Street, Greenfield Avenue, and College Avenue. The City of Milwaukee annexed large sections of the town over the decades, adding room for the Historic South Side, Bay View, and Tippecanoe neighborhoods. The suburbs of Cudahy and St. Francis were also carved from Town lands. By the 1930’s, all that remained of the original township was a truck farming and greenhouse district south of Howard Avenue. In 1940, hoping to preserve its independence, the Town of Lake completed this Art Deco tower to house a new water works and municipal offices. Rapid postwar development and steadily rising property taxes finally led local residents to join the City of Milwaukee. The last annexation was completed in 1954, and the Town of Lake became a cherished memory.
Location. 42° 58.324′ N, 87° 55.193′ W. Marker is in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in Milwaukee County. It is in Wilson Park. Marker is at the intersection
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of South 6th Street and West Norwich Street, on the right when traveling south on South 6th Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4001 S 6th Street, Milwaukee WI 53221, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, September 21, 2011
2. Town of Lake Water Tower
From across 6th Street
Photographed By Paul Fehrenbach, September 21, 2011
3. Town of Lake Water Tower
from the north
Credits. This page was last revised on February 16, 2023. It was originally submitted on November 18, 2011, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. This page has been viewed 1,522 times since then and 76 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on November 18, 2011, by Paul Fehrenbach of Germantown, Wisconsin. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
