5^^Ife Porticoed and Clapboarded, the Benjamin Church House Observed the Rugged Life of Early Milwaukee from Its Fourth Street Site
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
VOLUME 38 NUMBER 2 PUBLISHED BY THE STAT WINTER, 1954-55 ;5^^ife Porticoed and clapboarded, the Benjamin Church house observed the rugged life of early Milwaukee from its Fourth Street site. Restored, and wearing the cloak of a little shrine, it began a new and a somewhat sheltered life in the city's pleasant Estabrook Park through the efforts of the Milwaukee County Historical Society. There., on Septem ber 14, 1939, it was named '^Kilhourntotvn House." ON THE COVER: Its fluted columns frosted with snow, its eaves fringed with glittering icicles, how proud it would he to hear the crunching footsteps of a winter wayfarer and the excla mation: ^'How lovely, how snug . how wise!'' This picture was taken by Don Mereen, Milwaukee; it was entered in the Historical Society's Photographic Competition, Autumn, 1954. The WISCONSIN MAGAZINE OF HISTORY is imhlislicfl by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin, 816 State Street, Madison 6, Wisconsin. Distrilmted to members as part of their dues (Annual Membership, $4.00; Contributinf;, SIO: Business and Professional, S25; Life, 1100; Sustaining, 5100 or more annually). ^ early subscription. 54.00; single numbers. 11.00. As of July 1, 1954, introductory offer for M;VV members only. Annual dues $1.00. Magazine subscription $3.00. Communications should be addressed lo the editor. The Society does not assume responsibility for statements made by contributors. Kntered as second-class matter at the post office at Madison, Wisconsin, under the act of August 24, 1912. ("opyright 1954 by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin. Paid for in part by tlu- Alaria L. and Simeon Mills Editorial Fund and by the George B. Burrows Fund. PERMISSION—Wisconsin newspapers may reprint any article appearing in the II isconsin Magazine of History provided the story carries the following credit line; Reprinted from the State Historical Society's Wisconsin Magazine of History for I insert the season an<l year which appear on the Magazine^. PHOTO CREDITS—Cover picture supplied by Don Mereen, Milwaukee; Leahy (p. 66). taken from group photograph of King Saud and others. Official U.S. Army photograph: Leahy (p. 67), Official U.S. Navy photograph; U.S.S. "Quincy," Official U.S. Navy photo graph; Livadia Palace, Official U.S. Army photograph; group: Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin, taken from larger group on patio of Livadia Palace, Official U.S. Army photograph: Andrew .lackson Turner, supplied by Portage Free Library: Caravan Croup with Historynnibilc. b\ Charles Broughton, Sheboygan. ^— ^3 /\ c^ -5=D VOLUME 38 ^^ ^"^ /\ ^^ Z' NUMBER 2 PUBLISHED BY THE STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF WISCONSIN • WINTER, 1954-55 Editor: CLIFFORD L. LORD Managing Editor: LILLIAN KRUEGER CONTENTS Notes on the Yalta Conference WILLIAM D. LEAHY 67 Andrew Jackson Turner, "Work Horse" of the Repubhcan Party DONALD J. BERTHRONG 77 The History of the Mineral Point and Northern Railway Company (Part II) PAUL S. NADLER 95 Gold Fever in Wisconsin LARRY GARA 106 FEATURES: Meet the Authors 66 Pandora's Box 94 Smoke Rings 73 Sincerely Yours 109 The Collector 87 Readers' Choice 113 Circuit Rider 91 Accessions 125 meet the authors FLEET ADMIRAL WILLIAM D. LEAHY the Commander in Chief, serving dur graduated from the United States ing 1942-49. Admiral Leahy's medals Naval Academy in 1897. He was and decorations are legion, among commissioned ensign, U.S. Navy in which are the Distinguished Service 1899, which began his ascendancy in Medal and the Navy Cross. A volu naval service. In 1939 he was ap minous history of the war years, / pointed governor of Puerto Rico, and Was There, was written by Admiral occupied the post of ambassador to Leahy; it is a convincing record of France, 1940-42. From there he was the period, published in 1950, and recalled to become chief of staff to has won wide popularity. Native of La Crosse, DONALD J. BER master of science degrees, acquiring THRONG entered the Armed Forces a Ph.D. in history in 1952. During from State Teachers College, La 1950-51 he was a fellow of the Uni Crosse, serving from 1942 to 1946. versity of Wisconsin for History. For He was in the Air Force and the Sig some years Dr. Berthrong has been nal Corps, spending the latter part on the history staff at the Univer of his service in the Philippines. At sity of Oklahoma, where he teaches the University of Wisconsin he com courses in American History and the pleted work for his bachelor and History of the American Frontier. BENTON H. WILCOX is chief librarian Michigan for a year, he received his of the State Historical Society Li B.L.S. degree in 1940. For two years brary. Born in Texas, he earned his Mr. Wilcox was a librarian at Michi Ph.D. degree at the University of gan, and then came to Madison to Wisconsin in 1933 and taught history join the Society's staff. Frequently he during 1934-39. After attending the contributes articles and book reviews Library School of the University of to the Wisconsin Magazine of History. PAUL S. NADLER, New York City, re teaching assistant at the University of ceived his master's degree in history Connecticut, and was later an assist at the University of Wisconsin in the ant at the University of Wisconsin. summer of 1953. His thesis subject Mr. Nadler began service in the sum was "Abandoned Railroads in Wis mer of 1953, attended master gunner consin." His interest in railroads be school, and has been put in charge of gan at an early age, and it was natu service schools and information and ral for his hobby to develop into his education for the 26th AAA Group, field of study. In 1951-52 he was a at Fort Lawton, Washington. 66 WilHam D. Leahy, Fleet Admiral, U.S. Navy, a prominent Wisconsinite, fre quently finds his way back to the State. The present sketch is based on the Ad miral's observations while at the mo mentous Allied War Conference at Yalta, in 1945. His brilliant career has put him in coveted places, not the least of these his presence at the Big Three Confer ence. Admiral Leahy Notes on the Yalta Conference* by William D. Leahy, fleet Admiral, U.S. Navy This brief story of what happened at the Al "Argonaut" was proposed and vigorously lied War Conference at Yalta, where early in advocated by Prime Minister Churchill with 1945 the three Allied political commanders, the basic purpose of getting the Allied high American, British, and Soviet, planned their command in agreement as to details of the joint efforts to accomplish a total defeat of campaigns in our common efforts to conclude Hitler's armies at the earliest possible time, the war with Germany within the year 1945, is prepared from notes made by me at the the prospects for which appeared very favor conference meetings. able at the beginning of that year. At that time no thought was given to their America had then the most powerful mili publication. They are accurate statements of tary and naval forces ever assembled by any facts as known to me at that time. nation; containing 8,000,000 war trained men The three responsible military leaders of in the Army, and 4,000,000 in the Navy. the then active Allied powers were President General Eisenhower commanding a pre Roosevelt, Commander in Chief of the Army dominantly American Army in France and and Navy of the United States; Winston Belgium had already stopped a German offen Churchill, Prime Minister of England, who sive attempt to drive the Allies back from the was also Minister of Defense of Great Britain; German border. and Marshal Stalin who exercised direct com A Russian Army was advancing from the mand over all the Soviet Armed Forces. southeast toward Vienna. The Allied Big Three Conference at Yalta A great German Army of twenty-six divi was organized at the insistent suggestion of sions was confined in Northern Italy by the Prime Minister Churchill and given by him British General Alexander. the code name "Argonaut." Later in the im And a great Soviet Army along the Vistula mediate postwar period it became known in in Poland was prepared to attack Berlin. the American press as the most controversial This diversified disposition of the Allied of all the Allied War Councils. Forces indicated clearly a necessity for agree ment in detail by the supreme political com *The opinions or assertions contained in these notes manders of the Allied effort. express the private opinions of the writer at the time, All three, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin, and are not to be construed as official or reflecting the views of the Navy Department or the Naval Serv agreed to this in principle, but many detailed ice at large. difficulties persisted in the selection of the 67 WISCONSIN MAGAZINE OF HISTORY WINTER, 1954-55 site of the meeting and an agreement on the Flynn of the Democratic National Committee; agenda. Vice Admiral Wilson Brown, Naval Aide; Ad President Roosevelt insisted that it was nec miral Ross Mclntire, Surgeon General; Major essary for him to have mail communication General E. M. Watson, Military Aide; Stephen with his Congress in order to permit his con T. Early, Press Secretary; Commander H. G. stitutional required action on the acts of Bruenn, Assistant Surgeon; and Fleet Admiral Congress. WilHam D. Leahy, Chief of Staff. Marshal Stalin insisted upon a necessity for All of these started from Hampton Roads his being always in immediate contact with on the U.S. Cruiser "Quincy" on January 23, the Soviet Armies that were under his com 1945.