Blacksmith Shop
2645 Branch Street
This building dates from the early 1850's. The first blacksmith in Pheasant Branch was Henry Prien who arrived in 1851. James Dohr, a German immigrant arrived that year and established a Wagon shop. These two men offered their talents combined with the lodging facilities available at Pheasant Branch to service the needs of travelers and the settlement was on its way to becoming an important community in it's day.
Whittlesey House
6517 Elmwood Avenue
Built in 1853-1855 by T.T. Whittlesey, the house originally had 19 rooms. Mr. Whittlesey was a former member of Congress and a probate judge. He was very influential in the development of Pheasant Branch and the Middleton area. On the first plat of Middleton what is now University Avenue was called Whittlesey Street.
 Arneson's Cafe
1818 Parmenter Street
This was Middleton's first Post Office outside of a private home. All mail came by train. From 1888 to 1919 it was operated by a Mrs. Schroeder and her daughter Mrs. Emma DuFrenne. The mail boxes were on one side and everyone had to get his own mail. On the other side stationery and confections were sold. Ice cream was also sold here in the summertime. The upstairs of this building housed the first telephone company and later in 1926, Middleton's library was started here.
 The Rowley House
7410 Hubbard Avenue
This yellow brick house was built by Dr. Neuman C. Rowley, the first of three generations of Rowley doctors in Middleton, in 1867. The brick probably came from Edgerton, WI and the total building cost was $800. Dr. N.C. Rowley lived here until his death in 1871. His son, who had been his partner, then moved into it. Here his son, the late Dr. A.G. Rowley was born. The building now houses the Middleton Area Historical Museum, and was recently placed on the National Registry of Historic Places.
First German Lutheran Church
Old Sauk and Pleasant View Roads
Built in 1866 this church is located on a hill about 3 miles southwest of Middleton. This is the second church to be built by this congregation which was established in 1852. When built the belfry did not have a steeple. The church was enlarged in 1884 at which time the steeple and other improvements were made.
Palmer House
6707 Century Avenue
L.M. Palmer built the first house in the vicinity in 1847. This structure was built about 1858 and extensively remodeled in 1869. This is one of the oldest continuously occupied residential sites in the Middleton area.
|
By the Middleton Area Historical Society
(updated 1/13/06)
From rather humble origins, Middleton has become a thriving and vibrant community that is a vital commercial and business center as well as the home of approximately 17,000 residents. The following is a description of how Middleton grew into one of the “best places to live” in the United States.
Early history:
With its rolling landscape and ample waterways, the Middleton area was a frequent camping ground for the Algonquin tribe long before white settlers arrived. The Algonquins were known as "mound builders" and the product of their labors can still be seen at locations throughout the region. Later, the Ho-Chunk became the dominant tribe in this region.
A fur-trading post was established on the northwest shore of Lake Mendota in 1832 (now Mendota County Park). The trading post was operated by Michael St.Cyr, the area's first carpenter.
Two of the most significant figures in the history of early Middleton were W.B. Slaughter and T.T. Whittlesey.In 1836, Mr. Slaughter platted a portion of the area near the northwest edge of Lake Mendota to be called "City of Four Lakes.” He dreamed that his new city would one day be the territorial capital, but politicians in Madison ended his ambitious aspirations.Mr. Whittlesey was a former member of Congress from Connecticut and a judge. When the City of Four Lakes was thwarted, Mr. Whittlesey acquired some of Mr. Slaughter’s land in the vicinity of the current Century Avenue and Branch Street and developed the community of Pheasant Branch. What is now called University Avenue was originally named Whittlesey Street.The Township of Middleton separated from the Township of Madison on March 11, 1848, just months before Wisconsin became a state. Harry Barnes, the first postmaster in the new township, suggested the name Middleton after a community in his home state of Vermont. Mr. Whittlesey was the first chairman of the Township of Middleton.With an influx of settlers, the township grew. The two most prominent and populated communities in the township were Pheasant Branch andEast Middleton (later known as Middleton Junction, located east of Pine Bluff along the present day Mineral Point Road).
The railroad and Middleton Station:The future of both Pheasant Branch and East Middleton hinged on a single fateful decision—the placement of a new railroad line being built from Madison to Mississippi River shipping docks in Prairie du Chien. Much to the dismay of both communities, the tracks were built in 1856 directly between East Middleton and Pheasant Branch through a sparsely populated area that is now the City of Middleton.The railroad afforded an array of economic opportunities. Businesses and people constructed stores and homes near the first railroad depot, which was built by Mr. Slaughter. (The original depot was located across Parmenter Street from the current depot building). To identify the rail stop, a sign was erected on top of the depot with the name—Middleton Station.Middleton Station was surveyed and the plat (map) was registered on November 3, 1856. Because registering the first plat is a critical legal step in the formation of a community, 1856 traditionally has been recognized as the year when Middleton was established.With wheat as the king of the local economy, Middleton Station featured large grain elevators along the railroad tracks. A stone quarry, lumberyard, tin shop, pickle factory, opera house, stockyard, blacksmith shop and other bustling enterprises served the local residents. When disease decimated the wheat crops in the mid to late1800s, farmers wisely switched to dairying throughout the region.The first settlers in the area were English. Later, German immigrants arrived, and they became the predominant nationality. For several years, the local newspaper published a German language supplement.In 1852, the first school opened near the area where St. Bernard’s Cemetery is now located on Branch Street. The first high school building was constructed in 1870 on Terrace Avenue across from the present Capitol Brewery. A devastating fire on June 19, 1900, destroyed or damaged most of the downtown district. The fire spurred the creation of a volunteer fire department in 1901. This highly respected volunteer firefighting organization is still going strong today.During its early years, Middleton Station residents endured somewhat offensive names for their community. For a time, it was nicknamed “Peatsville” because of a local business that cut and sold peat (for use as heating fuel) from the bogs near the modern-day Airport Road. When they filed for incorporation as a village in 1905, the residents maintained the name “Middleton” but dropped the “Station.”
Modern Middleton:Throughout the early 20th century, Middleton was a work in progress, like much of the Madison metropolitan area. In 1963, Middleton became a city, and the foundation for modernization and progress was created.In the 1980s, the grain elevators and other blighted remnants of the old railroad days were replaced with a downtown renovation project. Residential developments in Fox Ridge, Stonefield, Orchid Heights, and other areas of the city added thousands of new citizens. In the 1990s, residential development continued with the addition of North Lake and Middleton Hills, which features Frank Lloyd Wright inspired architecture.In the new millennium, Middleton has sustained its well-planned growth with continued downtown renovations and the addition of the Greenway Station retail center and commercial offices just east of the city-owned Pleasant View Golf Course. Recent civic improvements also abound with an award-winning public library, recently expanded senior center and a modern high school facility. During the summer, the outdoor aquatic center is an extremely popular destination for families throughout the region. A highly acclaimed Performing Arts Center is the city’s cultural focal point.The city also has maintained green space and recreational areas. Approximately 25 percent of the land within the city limits is open space, which includes 22 parks and 25 conservancy areas encompassing 1,100 acres.The quality of life in Middleton—often called the Good Neighbor City—was nationally recognized in 2005 when Money® magazine named it the seventh of "The 100 Best Places to Live" in the U.S.A.
Although the national acclaim is appreciated, it must be shared. Middleton owes much of its recent success to the pioneers of the past who worked together and overcame numerous hardships to create a community with constantly expanding potential and a consistently bright future.
|
Pheasant Branch School
6710 Century Avenue
Built in 1896 at a cost of 828 dollars, this was the second graded school to serve the area. It was divided into 2 rooms in 1912 and a 3rd classroom was added in the basement in 1943. The Veterans of Foreign Wars acquired it in 1954 and have used it as their meeting hall since that time.
Old Stamm House
6625 Century Avenue
Built in 1847 as an Inn to serve the travelers on Old Sauk Trail, the main thoroughfare between Milwaukee and Minneapolis, it has had a colorful history. Soon after its opening the operators included a stock of provisions needed by local residents and travelers. The Inn for a time contained the Post Office for Pheasant Branch and it had its own wine cellar. During the Civil War period it was a station on the "underground railroad". Today it is a restaurant and the oldest tavern in Dane County.
 The Club
1915 Branch Street
This building was erected by Felix Duschak in 1907. It was leased to Frank Hoover for about a year about 1916. He was a popular chef in the area. Adjacent to the Club was Frank's Park which was a popular gathering point for various social functions. The Club was the setting for literary efforts and today houses a beauty salon and a tavern and garden restaurant.
 Duplex
1720 Aurora Street
Built here as the Union Church in 1870 at a cost of $1800 it served the German Methodists and the Baptists. Later (1936) it became a Community Church for non-affiliated membership. Subsequently it was purchased by the city for use as a youth center. Then it saw use as the meeting hall for the American Legion.
 The Gallery
1904 Parmenter Street
This was the American House Hotel and was built between 1867 and 1870. The hotel's restaurant was so famous that people came from Madison by train to eat here, especially the Sunday chicken dinners for 25 cents.
Wolf House
7426 Elmwood Avenue
This home was built in 1868. It was barely saved from the 1900 fire by removing carpeting, taking it up onto the roof and keeping it wet by bucketing water upon it while the fire was raging. The present garage was once a summer kitchen. The house was modernized in 1938 and is now privately owned.
 Former Opera House
1827 Parmenter Street
In 1855 a building located here contained a hotel, a saloon, and on the second floor, an opera house. The "Opera House" was a large hall with a platform stage. Events held here included medicine shows, masquerades, holiday dances, political rallies and graduations. The original building burned to the ground in the 1900 fire. A smaller structure replaced the original. It was known as the Elk's Hotel. It is now remodeled into apartments.
|
