The near northeast side of Madison's isthmus has a rich and diverse history. An area of high contrast, it has been the site of laborers' cottages and governors' mansions, ice cutters and major league baseball, factories and a farmers' market.
Madison developers did not begin to reclaim the marshy lands that stretched down the middle of the isthmus, on either side of East Washington Avenue from Blair Street to the Yahara, until the pressure of increasing population began to be felt as the 1900s began.
The marsh infill area of East Dayton Street was the site of Madison's first African-American homes. This historic district was associated with some of the area's leading African-American pioneer families, including the Turners, Millers, and Hills.
For more details, see "The Old Marketplace Neighborhood: A Walking Tour" by Timothy Heggland and Hilary Anne Frost-Kumpf, a Madison Heritage Publication.
Gilligan/Thorsness house, 141 N. Hancock Street
Elias and Julia Thorsness lived in this house from at least 1896 through
1919. He was an elevator operator at the capitol.
Nichols Station, 311 N. Hancock Street
In 1985, the pumping station building and city block were transformed into
this apartment complex. The first building of the complex was constructed in
1917. The water pumps were the city's sole source of municipally-supplied
water until 1923.
Walk by 513 E. Gorham Street, home of Hermine Herfurth Bodenius
(1855-1941) after she became a widow. Her husband Francis Bodenius
(1845-1898) was a physician and came to Madison in 1879. He was the city
health officer for seven years, serving on the board of pension examiners
and the state board of health.
Walk by 609 E. Gorham Street, home of Emilie Theresa Steinle Wiedenbeck (1867-1956) and Theodore Wiedenbeck (1867-1960). He was the founder of Wiedenbeck-Doeblin located at 619 W. Mifflin Street. He played for many years in the orchestra at the Fuller Opera House and led the First Regimental Band.
Bernard-Hoover Boat House, 622-1/2 E. Gorham Street
German native Charles Bernard (1824-1914) began renting pleasure boats for
lake excursions in 1855. It served also as a fishing station. In 1911,
Charles' sons replaced the original buildings with a structure which a fire
destroyed four years later. This is the third boat house. Harry Hoover
purchased the property in 1943 and sold it to the city in 1968.
Walk by 637 E. Gorham Street, home of Menora Quammen Kubly
(1880-1948), whose husband Vincent (1874-1925) was president of the Wolff,
Kubly and Hirsig hardware firm.
Walk by 640 E. Gorham Street, home of Robert (1892-1971) and Irene Collins Connor (1892-1963), CC's daughter. They were both founders of the C.C. Collins Lumber Company at 2308 University Avenue.
C.C. Collins house, 646 E. Gorham Street
This house was the former home of Anastasia O'Donnell (1869-1932) and
Cornelius C. Collins (1865-1950), lumber baron. It was built in 1908.
His partner and brother was William Collins. The house is a fine example
of Claude and Starck's Prairie Style design.
Walk by 703 E. Gorham Street, brick Italian home of the Herfurth
family. Theo Sr. (1829-1903) and Marie Siggelkow (1835-1921) came to
Madison in 1852 and established a carriage-making firm and later
established a general store on King Street which ran until 1874. In 1875,
father and son established a fire insurance firm. Marie lived as a widow
in the house and daughter Ida (1864-1952) remained here for many years.
Walk by 704 E. Gorham Street, home of Dora Kinney (1872-1949) and William H. Collins (1869-1923). Their house is now a B&B. They controlled eleven lumberyards throughout Wisconsin. They helped with several financial drives, including the campaign for St. Mary's hospital. Claude and Starck planned the Prairie Style design.
Walk by 711 E. Gorham Street, home of Theo Herfurth Jr. (1872-1950) and Genevieve Gorst (1887-1943) built this Craftsman-style home next door to his parents. Theo Jr.'s research leading to the famous "sifting and winnowing" phrase in defense of Richard T. Ely.
Lincoln Elementary School, 720 E. Gorham Street
The school replaced the Second Ward school built on the same site in 1866.
It remained in use until 1863. It was the home of the Madison Art Center
until 1980. In 1985, the apartments were opened.
Zimmerman house, 746 E. Gorham Street
Nell Brown (1871-1925) and Albert G. Zimmerman (1862-1936) lived here.
A.G. was elected a county judge in 1901, holding office until 1926 when
he was named circuit judge. He helped perfect and simplify probate laws.
Leitch House, 752 E. Gorham Street
This Gothic Revival was home of several prominent families. Jane
(1835-1863) and William Leitch (1808-1881), Madison mayor from 1860-1864,
were the first. The next owners were the Doyons; a vice president of the
Capital City Bank, M. Ransom Doyon (1845-1933) was mayor from 1888-1889.
His wife was Amelia Herrick (1852-1934). Next were Bella Rasmussen
(1855-1933) and Nils Haugen (1849-1931), a lawyer and prominent figure
in the Progressive movement. Journalist Dolly Harman was one of the more
recent owners.
Walk by 425 N. Livingston, a second home for the Kayser family.
This Colonial Revival house was built in 1922, directly behind their
former home.
Kayser House, 802 E. Gorham Street
Claude and Starck designed this house for the Kayser family. Adolph was
a lumber-company owner and mayor of Madison from 1914-1916. They lived
here for 21 years. Kayser purchased the Allis farm in Blooming Grove,
naming it the Monona Dairy Farm. The house is now the Yahara House.
Halvor Johnson house, 305 N. Livingston Street
Halvor and Christine Johnson lived here at the end of the 19th century.
He was a carpenter.
Habitat for Humanity house, 726 E. Dayton Street
Walk by 649 E. Dayton, home of Amanda Carmichael (1887-1969) and
John W. Hill (1885-1983). The western section of the house (with the
grocery sign in the window) was moved to the site in 1901 to serve as
Douglass Beneficial Hall, a charitable and self-help association for
African-American families moving to Madison from southern states. The
one-story building was moved to this site in 1912. It served originally
as the home of a pastor of the AME church.
Walk by 645-7 E. Dayton home of Anna Mae Stewart (1875-1963) and
William M. Miller, Sr (1872-1920). The house was originally built in
1853 and moved here in 1908. The family helped house African-American
families migrating from the south. William Miller attended law school
and eventually worked for Governor Robert M. LaFollette. He helped
organize St. Paul's AME Church and they were founders of the Madison
Chapter of the NAACP. His wife Anna Mae organized the Book Lovers Club
and was a charter member of the Utopia Club, a charitable organization.
Formerly on this block also lived African-Americans Amy Roberts (1869-1930) and Benjamin Butts (1850-1930) at 639 E. Dayton. Bennie was a former slave. He ran a barber shop and knew all of the Wisconsin governors over a 40-year period. Later, he was a messenger at the Wisconsin Historical Society for 30 years. The home was removed to make way for Dayton Row condominiums.
Walk by 202 N. Blount which was the city horse barn. City engineer John Icke (1875-1935) designed this plain, vernacular building which was built from 1910-1914. It is one of the few buildings surviving from the time when horses provided the power to pull city-owned wagons. The nine single-pane windows on Dayton Street were designed to provide light and air to each horse's stall. Horses lived here through the 1940s, but became office space in 1946. For a time, the Madison Board of Park Commissioners, the City Welfare Department, and the Madison Area Council on Retardation were here. In 1987, the Madison Mutual Housing Association renovated the building and converted it into their offices and two apartments.
Walk by 123 N. Blount which was Badger State Shoe Company. It is now Das Kronenberg apartments. From East Johnson south, a "Great Central Marsh" extended to Lake Monona. Filling began in the 1890s; this building was built in 1910. Ferdinand Kronenberg designed the factory where 250 people made over 2000 pairs of shoes per day. In 1930, the building became a warehouse. The Alexander Companies made the conversion to apartments.
City Market, 101 N. Blount Street
The building was commissioned by the city in 1909 in an early effort at
civic improvement. By the 1920s it served as a dance hall and teen center.
For many years, the city street department used it as a garage. Architect
Robert L. Wright designed the Prairie style building. In 1987, the
Alexander Companies converted it into 18 apartments.
Walk by 10-12 N. Blount to see the commemorative marker for Ceramic
Arts Studio of Madison. It was open from 1940-1956.
Walk by 616 E. Mifflin Street, Edward and Tina Reynolds home. The owners built the Ferdinand Kronenberg-designed brick house . Their eldest son Henry was mayor of Madison from 1961-1965. The family operated Reynolds Transfer and Storage for many years, headquartered today at 725 E. Mifflin Street.
Walk by 100 N. Blair Street, the Prince Hall Masonic Temple. The hall served Madison's early African-American community.
Walk by 402 E. Mifflin Street, Swedish Evangelical Lutheran Church. This is the second building for this congregation on the site. This Gothic Revival building was built in 1922. The congregation moved from here in 1958, served as a home to non-profit organizations for many years, and then became St. Paul's AME Church. St. Paul's first members established the Madison chapter of the NAACP and Prince Hall Masonic Temple.
