History of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from pre-historic times to the present date,..., by Andreas, A.T. [Editor/Publisher]
Inventory #: 01167
Price: $500.00

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History of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, from pre-historic times to the present date,..., by Andreas, A.T. [Editor/Publisher]. Western Historical Company: Chicago, 1881. Edition: First edition. Hardcover, 4to, 1663 pages. TITLE CONTINUES: embracing a summary sketch of the native tribes, and an exhaustive record of men, and events for the past century; describing in elaborate detail the city as it now is; its commercial, religious, educational and benevolent institutions, its government, courts, press, and public affairs; its musical, dramatic, literary, scientific and social societies; its patriotism during the late war; its development and future possibilities; and including nearly four thousand biographical sketches of pioneers and citizens.

Although there is no mention of him in the book itself, this is the volume attributed to Frank A Flower, as mentioned in Memoirs of Milwaukee County by Lieut. Col. Jerome A. Watrous, editor (1909).

Leather spine and corners of black goat skin; gilt on all page edges. Includes numerous illustrations, especially wonderful portraits of founding citizens. Includes a Table of Contents, a list of Illustrations, a Professional and Business Index, and an Index to the Biographical sketches.

Condition: Professionally restored with new leather spine and corners of black goat skin, period lettering on spine, original beveled cloth-covered boards preserved. The first and last several pages of the book had become detatched and are more soiled and tattered than the balance of the text, the last ten pages showing a tide-mark along the upper edge. These pages have all been professionally reattached, mended and stabilized with archival-quality mending paper. Balance of text shows occasional foxing and smudges. A scarce book, carefully preserved and restored, that will make an outstanding and handsome addition to the library of any Milwaukee historian.

Contents: This book is a wonderful find. The Milwaukee Genealogy Society reproduced it book in two volumes for the book's centennial (1981). I have handled the reprint copy, and the quality of the text and illustrations is nowhere near as crisp and clear as the original. The book is almost impossible to find other than in a library in either the reprint edition or in the first edition which is offered here.

I can't say enough about the value of this book to the historian or genealogist interested in the Milwaukee area. The detail and scope are incredible.

Although the biographical sketches are brief, they are a genealogist's dream. They were probably completed by the subjects themselves (I'm thinking that this book was the original Milwaukee Who's Who), and contain not only vital statistics on the subject and family, but interesting tidbits that can open new avenues of research for the family historian. Not all entries contain all elements, but the following items are typical: the person's name, sometimes parent's names, place of birth, occupation, employer, when he came to Milwaukee, his wife's maiden name (and sometimes her parent's names), her place of birth, and list of children and their ages. Sometimes an address is provided. Here is a typical example:

WM. W. WILLIAMS, puddler, is a native of South Wales, born June 20, 1829, a son of William and Elizabeth Williams, who emigrated to Wisconsin in 1847, and settled on a farm in Genesee, Waukesha County, where his father died in the Spring of 1858, at the age of sixty-two years, and his mother is still living at the age of seventy-six. Mr. Williams was married August 14, 1854, to Miss Elizabeth Morgans. He learned his trade in Ironton, Ohio, where he lived seventeen years, and came to Milwaukee in August, 1867. They have two sons and two daughters, Elizabeth Ann, now Mrs. James Wilkinson, John T., aged seventeen, Wm. W. aged thirteen, and Hannah eight years of age.

In addition to the citizens who were subjects of biographical sketches, the book also contains lists and lists of other people who were involved in the a multitude of ways in making Milwaukee function. For example, it has lists of town officials, going back, as far as I can tell, to the beginning of the city: Mayors, Treasurers, Comptrollers, City Attorneys, City Clerks, Police Justices, Judges of Municipal Court, Clerks of Municipal Court, Justices of the Peace, City Marshals, Chiefs of Police, Constables, Aldermen, Board of Councillors, Common Council, ,Assessors, Tax Commissioners, City Engineers, Street Inspectors, Boards of Public Works, Water Commissioners, Health Officers, Health Commissioner, Chiefs of Fire Department, Superintendents of Schools, School Commissioners,, Supertindent of Public Buildings, Harbor Masters, Superintendent of Bridges, Sealers of Weights and Measures.. All of the names of those who held those offices, with dates, in small print on just seven pages of this 1663 page book.

Chapters that are primarily historical are also peppered with names. There is a chapter on the anti-slavery movement in Milwaukee, with a section and stories of the Underground Railroad. Another lengthy chapter details the Police and Criminal Record, including the Bank Riot, the First Murder in Miwaukee, the First Murder of a White Man, the First Temporary Insanity Case, and many other cases. Another chapter details what is apparenty every fire:that occurred in the city since its founding. Here is a brief excerpt from the chapter on crimes:

The first murder committed within the confines of the present city, occurred in the month of November, 1836. Among those who made the new settlement their rendezvous during that year were two hardened cases, Jo. Scott and Cornelius Bennett. These men had a small shanty located between the river and East Water street, near the present foot of Michigan street. In this place they kept liquors for sale. One evening, in November, an Indian by the name of Manitou, laboring under the debasing influence of too much firewater, entered the place, but was put out. Nothing discouraged, the Indian returned again and was a second time put out, when the villainous proprietors of the hole followed and killed him in front of the store occupied by Wm. Brown, on the southeast corner of Michigan and East Water streets.

I just can't say enough about the fascinating detail in this book. As the publisher says in his introduction: No History in this country contains so full,, so correct and so interesting an aggregation of details as this volume does.

Another view, showing gilt page edges: Note that original cloth and beveled covers have been preserved.

Early map of Milwaukee, a frequently missing or damaged frontispiece, is present in this copy.

Title page, showing repairs and some foxing.

There are about 75 of these wonderful engraved portraits of early Milwaukee citizens throughout the book.

There are also several views of prominent Milwaukee structures.

The last few pages of the book were more tattered than the rest, and show a tide-mark near the top. The pages are now repaired and stabilized, and can be turned and read without fear of further damage.

Bonus: to give you an idea of the kind of detail found throughout this book, please feel free to download a PDF of eleven pages, consisting of the title page, reverse title page, Old Settler's Club and Pioneer's Club rosters. I actually created this PDF from another copy of the book, so any blamishes will not necessarily be on this copy.