Transcript My Community of Grafton Powerpoint

The History of Grafton
Created by Ms. Cindy Zozak
Teacher, Grade Three
Grafton Elementary School
1670
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Father Jean Claude Allouez was a Jesuit
priest from Canada who traveleed here from
Green Bay. He found many hardwood trees
and a river here. He found many Native
American Tribes living along the Milwaukee
River.
Father Allouez traveled in Wisconsin talking
to the Native Americans about his religion.
He traveled all around Lake Superior and
made a map of that area.
Until 1830
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Small villages of Native Americans could be found in
the area, especially along the Milwaukee River. The
tribes included the Menomonee, Potawatomie, Sauk,
Chippewa and Fox.
1839
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Timothy Wooden became one of the
first permanent white settlers. He
purchased 145 acres of land that
became the business district in Grafton.
In 1846, he became the Justice of the
Peace in the Town of Grafton.
1846
In 1846, Timothy Higgins built the first lime kiln to process limestone. Lime
was processed and shipped to other cities on the Wisconsin Central
Railway. The kilns continued operating until the 1920’s. Shown are a
crusher house and an unusual limestone cart. The date of this photo is
unknown. Three of the five kilns remain today at Lime Kiln Park.
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Limestone is a rock composed of
calcium, carbon and oxygen. When it is
heated, the carbon escapes as carbon
dioxide, leaving lime. The abundance of
high magnesium limestone, called
dolomite, in much of eastern Wisconsin
played an important part in the
development of many area communities.
What was lime used for?
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Lime was used to
whitewash buildings
 to condition soil
 treat animal hides and leather
 for plaster and mortar.
Later, a stone crusher was added which was
used primarily to crush limestone for road
beds.
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Port Ulao
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Port Ulao was founded in 1847 by James T. Gifford,
an investor from Illinois. Gifford began a business of
selling cords of wood to steamships heading down the
lake. He built a 1000 foot wooden pier into the lake
for ships to dock. He then constructed a chute down
the side of a steep bluff to transport logs which
farmers in the area produced while cutting down the
local forests in order to create farmland.
The same year, Gifford was granted a charter by the
territorial legislature to build a plank road from Port
Ulao west to the Wisconsin River. Only three miles
were actually built, but this turnpike, now known as
Ulao Road, became the basis of today's Highway 60.
This three story structure known as the Grafton Hotel was built in
1893. It included rooms, a saloon and a barbershop. This is a photo
of the grand opening scene with a band performing on the balcony at
the right. Grafton’s Hotel was the center of life in early Grafton and
was know as the finest hotel in southeastern Wisconsin. It served as
a resting place for travelers and as an outlet for purchasing steamship
tickets.
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Many communities held monthly farmers markets like the one shown here. This
picture is from the late 1800’s.
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The chair factory was built in 1848 at the center of 12th Avenue and Falls Road. The New York
Recording Laboratories operated here from 1917 to 1932 and recorded under the Paramount label.
Blues legends such as Charlie Patton, Skip James and Blind Lemon Jefferson recorded in Grafton.
The Wisconsin Chair Company of Port Washington owned the building which was demolished in
1938.
Blind Lemon Jefferson
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Birth name:
Lemon Henry Jefferson
Born: October 26, 1894
Origin:
Coutchman, Texas, U.S.
Died: December 12? 1929
Singer-songwriter, Guitarist
Years active: 1926-1929
Ma Rainey
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Gertrude Malissa Nix Pridgett
Rainey, better known as Ma
Rainey (April 26, 1886[1] –
December 22, 1939), was one of
the earliest known American
professional blues singers and
one of the first generation of
such singers to record. She was
billed as The Mother of the
Blues. She did much to develop
and popularize the form and was
an important influence on
younger blues women, such as
Bessie Smith, and their careers.
Lost Musical Treasures
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Watch the series on:
History Detectives: Lost Musical Treasure Part I
http://youtube.com/watch?v=GKQbZV4lQk4
History Detectives: Lost Musical Treasure Part II
http://youtube.com/watch?v=UMUlJoITAFU
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One of the early industries in the Village of Grafton was a worsted mill, where woolen cloth was
made from tightly twisted yarn and a grist mill where farmers feed was ground into flour. The
woolen mill was bilt in 1880, near the excellent water source of the Milwaukee River. A large
water wheel helped provide power.
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This two story limestone structure has classic Green revival elements in its architecture and was
located at the corner of Wisconsin and Beech Streets. With the advent of the horseless carriage,
this shop evolved into one of the community’s earliest service stations. Prior to Tillman's Garage
the building housed a blacksmith shop. Today, Heinz Auto Body occupies this site.
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This view is Wisconsin Avenue looking south, known as Downtown Grafton Square
or the Village Square, approximately 1920. The old courthouse, at the left was built
in 1884, and later turned into a hotel. Today, Paramount Restaurant occupies the
building. Grafton Hotel is in the center and the building known as Schanen’s, on the
right,. Grafton was originally known as Hamburg and functioned as the county seat
for Washington County until divided into two counties—Washington and Ozaukee, in
1853. Later Grafton was known as Manchester, but switched back again to Grafton
in 1862.
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The Interurban Railway operated in Grafton from 1906 to the 1940’s. Blues recording artists used
the train to come to Grafton to record at the Paramount recording studio located inside the
Wisconsin Chair Factory. The electric interurban line from Milwaukee to Port Washington was
built in 1906 and was extended to Sheboygan in 1908. This picture is from the early 1900’s and is
shown over Highway 57.
Photo courtesy of Ed Rappold.
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This is the original Grafton State Bank building built in 1908. This 22 x 32 foot cream city brick
structure cost $3,000 and was later leased to the Grafton post office. The bank was founded by
Louis L. Zaun and was granted a state charter on November 21, 1906. Robert P. Zaun, Louis’
son, opened the bank for business on January 15, 1907 with temporary headquarters in the front
parlor of a home on Bridge Street.
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The second Grafton State Bank building was built in 1926 by Louis L. Zaun, then
president. The lot, building furniture, and fixtures together cost less than $25,000.
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Pictured here is the interior of the Grafton State Bank building, approximately late
1940’s. Behind the bullet proof glass is Robert P. Zaun, on the left, who was the first
bank employee and was with the bank for 67 years until his death in 1974. On the
right, is Ralph L. Zaun who began his career with the bank in 1944 and was president
from 1973 to 1998.
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The current Grafton State Bank building was erected in 1975 at a coast of $2 million
dollars. Standing 100 feet from ground level, the building is seven stories high and
has 674 panes of mirrored glass that reflect the ever changing patterns in the sky.