Frame Park History Frame Park Prior to its purchase and development, Frame Park was one of the sites of two of Waukesha’s Springs during the famed “Springs Era.” One of the springs was called Orchard Spring but was also referred to as Asahel Spring. The spring was located in the area that is now the Formal Gardens. The other spring in the park is Hobo Spring. Hobo is one of the oldest springs, likely improved between 1880 and 1892, and was given its name because of the bums and hobos who congregated near it after hitching rides on the nearby Soo Railroad Line.1 According to an article in the Waukesha Daily Freeman in 1954, the idea for Frame Park came about after Andrew J Frame (b.1844-d.1932), President of Waukesha National Bank, and Charles Schuetze, then Parks Commissioner, stopped at the large waste area along the river after a game of golf and began discussing using the land as a park.2 In August of 1926, the City accepted a gift of $25,000 from Andrew Fame for the purchase of land along both sides of the Fox River. Frame gave an additional $25,000 to help improve that land. The money was used to dredge the river to prevent flooding. Shortly after that the Formal Gardens were created over the former Orchard Spring.3 Baseball in Waukesha and Frame Park Baseball first got its start in Waukesha in 1868 or 1869. At that time there were around 25 local teams in Wisconsin. Waukesha’s team was known as the Diamonds. The team was part of a league started by a gentleman named Walter Carlin who was attending Carroll College. Andrew Frame, who donated the funds for the park acquisition and development, organized the local team to play against them and was considered one of the three charter members of that league. 4 Early players on the Diamond’s team included several prominent Waukesha residents such as Walter Rankin (served as Carroll University’s President from 1866-1903), Edward Rankin (sibling of Walter Rankin), Charles Gaspar, and William and Henry Blair, and Andrew J. Frame (Waukesha State Bank President). 5 The first ballpark, where this team played, was on West Avenue, in the vicinity of what is now West Avenue and Prospect Court. That ballpark closed in 1905.6 Baseball has been a major part of Frame Park for all of the Park’s history and is the longest standing recreational use at the park. It has even been mentioned that baseball was played on the land long before it even became a city park.7 The field has been the home to College, High School, municipal and 1 John M. Schoenknecht , The Great Waukesha Springs Era, 2003, page 138 2 Waukesha Daily Freeman, Frame Park Progress Launched 20 Years Ago After A Golf Date, August 4, 1954 3 Schoenknecht, The Great Waukesha Springs Era, page 25 4 The Janesville Daily Gazette, Walter Carlin, Pioneer, Told the Story of His Life for the Readers of the Gazette, Monday, October 7, 1929 5 Waukesha Daily Freeman, ‘Waukesha Diamonds’ was First Baseball Team Here, March 29, 1959. 6 Waukesha Daily Freeman, “First Ball Park in Waukesha Was North of Where Labor Temple Is” March 29, 1959 7 Waukesha Daily Freeman, City Joins ‘Big League’ With Lighted Field, July 29, 1954 local recreation leagues for its entire history. The field has even hosted Minor League baseball teams and was the location of local tryouts for professional teams, including the St. Louis Cardinals. In the 1930s the field at Frame Park was considered one of the nicest ball diamonds in the State of Wisconsin, with a grandstand and moveable bleachers which could seat 2,500 fans.8 For three years during World War II the Milwaukee Brewers, then a minor-league team that played at Borchert Field in Milwaukee, held their spring training camp at Frame Park to save on fuel costs. 9 The Brewers ground crew assisted in redoing the diamond, adding “professional touches not found on amateur diamonds” at the time to make it suitable for their Spring Training. 10 The St. Louis Cardinals held tryouts in Frame Park in the 1950s11 In July, 1954, after numerous years of discussion and planning, the City finally installed lights on the diamond. These lights were replaced after the Common Council approved their purchase in 2011. 8 The Oshkosh Daily Northwestern, Oshkosh Juniors Win Way Into Semifinals, July 30, 1938 9 Bob Buege, Borchert Field: Stories from Milwaukee’s Legendary Ballpark, Wisconsin Historical Society Press; 1st edition, 2017, page 244 10 Waukesha Daily Freeman, Frame Park Progress Launched 20 Years Ago After A Golf Date, August 4, 1954 11 Waukesha Daily Freeman, Friday May 13, 1955 Frame Park as a Festival Ground Community Gathering Place Throughout its history, Frame Park has been used as a community gathering space. In the 1930s one of the bigger events was an annual festival in honor of St. Bartholomew. This was a 3 day festival held in Frame Park. 12 12 Ellen D. Langill & Jean Penn Loerke, From Farmland to Freeways – A History of Waukesha County Wisconsin, Waukesha Historical Society, 1984, page 155 The Waukesha County Fair was held near downtown Waukesha between 1916 and 1960. The livestock and farm show portion of the Fair took place in the Sales Pavilion on Baxter Street (now the location of Discount Liquor and the River’s Edge Apartments), with other events located further north in the park area along the river. The fair moved briefly to Wales and then to its current location after the Waukesha County Livestock Breeders Association, which owned the Sales Pavilion, went out of business.13 The 4th of July parade has ended or started at Frame Park since at least the early 1950s. During the 50’s the park was one of the focal points of Waukesha’s Independence Day celebrations. In addition to the parade, the City recreation department organized baseball games, boat races and dog swimming races in the Fox River, talent shows, and street dances along White Rock Ave.14 A massive World War II victory celebration, held in Frame Park on September 1-3 1945, included similar events on a larger scale, as well as speeches, drill teams, concessions, and a fireworks show15. Waukesha Riverfest was held at Frame Park for several years in the 1990s. Concerts included national acts such as Rick Springfield as well as local bands such as Citizen King. The event drew up to several thousand spectators each year. Since 1982 the La Casa De Esperanza charter school has hosted Fiesta Waukesha every summer in Frame Park16. Fiesta Waukesha promotes multi-cultural awareness and is a fundraiser for the school and for La Casa’s other community programs. Events have included raffles and carnival rides, as well as Latin American foods, bands, and dancers. The Parks Department began hosting annual Oktoberfest celebrations in the park in 2016. The event includes German music and dancing, as well as children’s activities. It is free to attend but local restaurants sell concessions and Sprecher Brewing Co. sells beer. Frame Park has also hosted winter festivals. The American Legion Ice Carnival drew over 4000 attendees in 1933 despite -10 degree temperatures17. The present day Janboree included ice skating and an Iceball Tournament until ice levels on the Fox River were reduced due to restoration efforts. This year’s Janboree will include several events at Frame, such as Big Games at Schuetze Recreation Center and the 5K run/walk. Frame Park Today In November 1990, the City approved the Fox River Corridor Plan which focused on improvements to the river corridor, including the construction of the Riverwalk, as well as improvements to Frame and Bethesda Parks. That plan envisioned Frame Park becoming even more of a center for community festivals and outdoor public performances and wanted to have areas that could accommodate 5,000 visitors or more. The original plan actually included removal of the baseball diamond to foster this festival ground concept. That area was slated to be used for an outdoor performance amphitheater” 13 https://www.waukeshacountyfair.com/general-info/history/ 14 Waukesha Daily Freeman. Weather For Weekend Not Too Promising. July 3, 1954. 15 Waukesha Daily Freeman. Victory Celebration. August 29, 1945. 16 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. La Casa hosting 26th annual Fiesta Waukesha. June 12, 2008. 17 Waukesha Daily Freeman 75th Anniversary. American Legion Post Named After Major Daniel J. Martin. May 1, 1984. whose design “should be similar in concept and scale to the amphitheaters on the Summerfest Grounds in Milwaukee” 18 Frame Park now encompasses 34.5 acres along both sides of the Fox River from Barstow Street to Moreland Boulevard. The park has three permanent buildings, the Schuetze Recreation Center, Rotary Building, and a restroom building at the northern end of the park. There is also private vendor, High Rollers, that operates out of the Rotary building and offers numerous recreational rentals including kayaks, paddleboards, and a multitude of unique pedal powered vehicles for use on the Riverwalk. The park has a strong mix of both active and passive recreational opportunities and is a popular place for special events, as it has throughout its entire existence. Active recreational uses include baseball (Carroll University, Waukesha South, Waukesha North, and other leagues), volleyball, bicycling, playground, playfields, and kayaking/boating. Passive uses include fishing, walking trails, the formal garden, Hobo Spring and other areas for relaxation. The park is host to numerous community and special events drawings thousands of visitors into Frame Park including the Trailbreaker, an annual marathon (with options for other distances), several other runs, the Riverwalk for Breast Cancer, Fiesta Waukesha, Badgerland Ski Shows, the new annual Oktoberfest Celebration, and National Night Out.