Anton Frank in Front of Original Grocery Store

on Tobacnoir Street 1908

Special Birthday Feature

Happy Birthday Suzanne

The Frank Compound

Kaukauna, Wisconsin

The Frank Family Compound started in 1888 when Peter Frank and his family moved from Sherwood, Wisconsin to Kaukauna, Wisconsin and he and his son John purchased the grocery store on Tobacnoir Street.  They not only owned and operated the store until 1907, but bought a family home around the corner at 806 Oviate Street. 

In 1908 Peter Frank moved to Shawano, Wisconsin and sold his co-ownership to his son Anton Harold Frank.   Anton Frank is pictured in front of the store in that year. Then Anton Frank also purchased the house on Oviate St. from his brother and father.  Anton, his wife Dorothea, and their children, Emmet, Orville, Harold, Geneafava, Elaine, and Dorothy May moved into the house.

Original Store on Tobacinoir Street Converted to Apartment Building

In 1926 a red brick grocery store was built on the corner of Tobacnoir Street and Oviate Street. The symbol on the second floor above the front doors states the 1926 date. On the ground at the front doors was the name "Frank" in mosaic tiles.  The original red brick store had two large front store window and the check out counter was in the center. In 1930 when his father Anton Frank died, Harold Frank became the store manager. He ran the store for his mother Dorothea Frank until she died in 1968 and the store was sold.  By 1994 the building housed a laundomat.

1926 Grocery Store On Corner of Tobacnoir and Oviate Streets

The Frank family home originally had brown siding. There was a large glassed in porch all the way across the front of  the first floor and a porch on the second floor. The back of the house was also a glassed in porch. Inside on the first floor of the house was a living room on the right, a dining room on the left and behind it a kitchen and small bedroom. In these rooms is where Orville Frank and Hazel Juergenmeyer (Suzanne (Frank) Wilson's parents) were married. Between the living room and the dining room was a large center stairway with an open railing on the livingroom side. Other bedrooms were upstairs. After Anton died, his wife Dorothea (Suzanne (Frank) Wilson's grandmother) "took to her chair". A lift was installed on the center stairway and from then on she greeted her grandchildren and twisted colored foil onto wheat seeds on stalks to make bouquets from a chair next to a table in the living room.

Frank Family Home at 806 Oviate Street

The large flower garden between the 1926 red brick store and the family home completed the compound.

Photos: Top-Old family photo of Anton Harold Frank, grandfather of Suzanne
                           (Frank) Wilson 1908 in front of first Frank Grocery Store on the
                           100 block of Tobacnoir  Street in Kaukauna, Wisconsin.
                2nd-Store from 1908 now turned into a building with apartments. 
                          Sold in 1968.  Photo taken in 2006 by SW.
                3rd-1926 Frank Grocery Store.  Sold in 1968. Photo taken in
                         2006 by SW.
               Bottom-Frank family home at 806 Oviate Street.  Sold in 1968.
                         Photo taken in 2006 by SW.
Note: Suzanne(Frank) Wilson is the daughter of Orville Carlton Frank, the
              granddaughter of Anton Harold Frank, and the great granddaughter of
              Peter Frank.
Thank You: To Karen (Frank)  Hull for family history information.
       

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Glenora in the Capilano Highlands

This white single storey home at 925 Glenora Avenue is in the Capilano Highlands area of the District of North Vancouver. Glenora Avenue is a short street that crosses Highland Blvd. but both to the east and west soon terminates, in Vale Court and Dudley Rd. The house was originally built in 1949 for $6000 by M. Anderson.

By the next year, 1950, the owners were J.H. and Mildred Garner.  In 1955 the Garners built a $350 addition to their house and a $250 carport. They continued to live there in 1960 during which time J. Garner worked as the B.C. representative for Wallaceburg Brass.

In 1971 the resident was Brian J. Woodward who was employed as a mortgage accountant at Montreal Trust. In 1980, 1991, and 1995/1996 City Directories lists Brian J. and Patricia Woodward  as the owners of 925 Glenora Avenue. During these years Brian Woodward was employed as a trust officer at Montreal Trust. Brian Woodward is also listed at the 925 Glenora Avenue address in the 2008/2010 North and West Vancouver Phone Directory. So that means that Woodward's  lived in the house for almost 40 years.

The three bedroom ranch style house is 1,400 sq. ft. with 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, and a fireplace. It sits on a 8050 sq. ft. lot. For interior photos see the Link below.

Demolition Permit: Applied for August 2010.

Photo: Taken in August 2010 by SW.

Link: http://www.teamclarke.com/925glenora.html

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Orwell Street, Where Are You?

The answer to that question is easy if you read yesterday's blog, especially for 872 Orwell Street since its backyard seems to be adjacent to that of 887 Premier Street. But the reason the question was even posed is that there is no record for this address in the Building Permit Book or the 1950, 1960, 1971, or 1980 City Directories. In fact, even Orwell Street isn't listed in the 1950 or 1960 City Directories. (Update: E. Oakes revealed in 2011 that there was a 1980 Building Permit issued to R. J. Pearce with an occupancy permit issued in 1982.)

And then the Pearce family appears. In 1971 Mrs. Evelyn Pearce owned 887 Premier Street. Then in 1985 Revell J. Pearce and Evelyn Pearce, both retired, are listed as living at 872 Orwell Street. They are again listed as residents and retired in the 1995/1996 City Directory. R. J. Pearce reported that he had been living at that address for over 9 years, so that means he moved into 887 Premier Street in the mid 1980's, also confirmed by the 1985 City Directory.

The 2008/2010 North and West Vancouver Phone Directories record the Pearce family continuing to live at 872 Orwell Street until  recently.  The 1999/2000 issue lists R. J. and Evelyn Pearce at that address. The 2006/2007 and 2008/2010 issues list Colin Orwell at the 872 Orwell Street address.

The house at 872 Orwell Street is unique for many reasons. It is at the end of a cul de sac. It is across the street from the path going to Inter River Park. Its construction looks like two houses. One is a red brick clad entrance with a fireplace chimney. Attached behind that is a Tudor trimmed white stucco rectangular building with windows facing the west. The Link from yesterday's post on 887 Premier St. seems to indicate that multifamily housing will be built on this lot. This side of Orwell Street has already undergone this transformation and is now a series of row houses.

Demolition Permit: Applied for August 2010.

Photo: Taken in August 2010 by SW.

Note: See September 13th, 2010 blog post "On the Way to the Dump" regarding 887 Premier Street.

Update: Thank you to Sharon Proctor and E. Oakes for this information.

Monday, September 13, 2010

On the Way to the Dump

Premier Street just east of the Upper Levels Highway and Lynn Creek and west of Capilano College used to be the street leading to the North Vancouver Dump. The dump is now Inter Riverpark and the District Disposal Grounds. Garbage is now dumped at the Transfer Station, a giant warehouse on Riverside Drive near Burrard Inlet, and then trucked north to Cache Creek.

Premier Street has been transformed into a series of picturesque row houses with paintings in Plexiglas on their front gates and upscale multifamily units. The house at 887 Premier Street in the photo above will be demolished to add to the new look. (See Link.)

The house at 887 Premier Street was built before 1931 as the Building Permit Book reports that in 1931 a Permit was applied for by G. Smith for $200 "house alterations". The 1931 City Directory lists G. Smith a poultry man as living on the "ss" of Premier. He is also reported as the "ss" owner in 1940 and 1945. In 1945 Beatrice M. Smith is also listed at the 887 Premier Street address and George Smith is listed as a rancher. There are no other listings of either George or Beatrice Smith or the 887 Premier Street address in either the 1950 or 1960 City Directories.

By 1971 Mrs. Evelyn Pearce, widow of R. Pearce, was the owner of the 887 Premier St. home. The Pearce family continued to own the home at least until 2006 as they are reported in the 1980, 1985, 1991, 1995/1996 City Directories and the 1990/2000 and 2006/2007 North and West Vancouver Phone Directories. However, the individuals within the family who owned or lived in the house changed. In 1971, 1980, and 1999/2000 it was reported as Evelyn Pearce. In 1985 it was listed as Revell Pearce, retired. In 1991, 1995/1996 and 2006/2007 the owner was reported as Colin Pearce, retired.

Colin Pearce and R. J. Pearce are also reported as living in a house at 872 Orwell whose yard seems to back onto the 887 Premier Street home. (See September 14th, 2010 blog post.) According to the Link, these two properties seem slated to be added to the multifamily homes now being built in the area.

It is not known when the stone wall along the front yard and path to the front door was built. (See photo below.) Was it by George Smith the patrimony and rancher or by Revell or Colin Pearce during their retirement years?  But it has  added charm to the house "on the way to the dump".

Demolition Permit: Applied for in August 2010.

Photos: Taken in August 2010 by SW.
Link: http://www.greatervancouvergroup.com/blog.html/new-property-listed-in-lynnmour-north-vancouver-807327

Sunday Church Feature

Immaculate Conception Catholic Church

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

According to the "1970 Photo Directory" of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, it was founded and dedicated in 1870.  The "1970 Photo Directory" which included the history of the church was published to commemorate its 100th anniversary.  The original entrance to the church was at 1023 Russell Avenue in the heart of the Bay View area on the south side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  The high vaulted ceiling of the sanctuary gave it the look of a cathedral.

Later additions to the church included the stained glass windows.  The primary window faces east and the church's school building.  The other five major windows depict the "Mysteries of the Rosary".  A new entrance, in the photo above,  on Kinnickinnic Avenue the main commercial street of Bay View, was built in 1959.  It features four Greek columns.  Sometime after 1959 the most spectacular feature of the church building was added.  This was the 2 1/2 storey high mosaic mural behind the front altar of the sanctuary.  It depicts the family tree of Jesus from Adam and Eve to Mary and Joseph.

Today 500 families  are registered as member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church.  The Pastor is Rev. Ronald E. Kotecki and the Youth Minister is Bob Boehm.

Thank You: To Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Youth Minister Bob Boehm for the information references from the "1970 Photo Directory" regarding the history of the church.

Photo: Taken in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 2006  by SW.

Link:  http://icbayview.wordpress.com/

Note: Suzanne Wilson grew up on Logan Avenue (See Blog Post August 4, 2010.) two blocks from Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, (or "IC" as the neighbors called it). 

Saturday Travel Feature
Milwaukee Art Museum by Calatrava
Milwaukee, Wisconsin


"The Milwaukee Arts Museum has its roots in two Milwaukee art groups from the 1880s. These organizations and their collections merged under one roof for the first time in 1957. The Museum and its holdings continued to grow over the decades. In 2001, a major addition put the Museum on the map, nationally as well as internationally.

 "The Milwaukee Art Association encouraged Frederick Layton, owner of a meatpacking business, to fulfill a promise he made a few years earlier to establish Milwaukee’s first art gallery. A new Greek Revival building costing $115,000 was erected downtown on the corner of Mason and Jefferson Streets, and opened in 1888 as the Layton Art Gallery. The building was designed by London architects W.J. and G.A. Audsley, and constructed by E.T. Mix & Co. Layton provided the gallery with a $100,000 endowment and 38 paintings, many of which remain as the nucleus of the Milwaukee Art Museum’s Layton Art Collection.

 "By 1911, the Milwaukee Art Society, formerly the Milwaukee Art Association, had moved into its newly purchased building and property on Jefferson Street, located just north of the Layton Art Gallery. Nearly 600 members strong by 1914, the Milwaukee Art Society began the annual Wisconsin Painters and Sculptors exhibition and offered free Saturday classes for children, a tradition continued by the Museum today. In 1913, Dudley Crafts Watson became the first director of the Milwaukee Art Society and, in 1916, changed the name to the Milwaukee Art Institute. In 1918, the first annual grant of $5,000 was provided to the Milwaukee Art Institute by the City of Milwaukee. In 1919, city support grew to $10,000, then to $13,000 in 1920, and to $20,000 in 1922.


"In the later years of World War II, three women’s clubs—Altrusa, Zonta, and the Business and Professional Women’s Club—became united in the purpose of establishing a war memorial in Milwaukee County. Inspired by their vision, the Milwaukee Civil Alliance formed the Milwaukee War Memorial Corporation and invited famed architect Eliel Saarinen (1873–1950) to design the War Memorial Center. When Eliel Saarinen died suddenly in 1950, his son, Eero Saarinen took over the project. Hailed as a masterpiece of mid-twentieth-century design, the War Memorial Center was dedicated “To Honor the Dead by Serving the Living” on November 11, 1957. When the Milwaukee Art Institute and Layton Art Gallery moved into their new quarters, the Layton collection came under the curatorial supervision of the Milwaukee Art Institute (today the Milwaukee Art Museum), where it continues to be preserved and exhibited today. In January 1958, the Milwaukee Art Institute changed its name to the Milwaukee Art Center.


"In the late 1960s, Peg Bradley, wife of Harry Lynde Bradley who co-founded the Allen-Bradley Company, offered her entire collection of more than 600 Modern, American, and European works of art to the Museum. She challenged the community to build a museum addition to house the extensive collection, and donated $1 million towards construction. The challenge was met: in 1975, the Kahler building addition opened with vastly enlarged galleries.


"In 1980, the Milwaukee Art Center changed its name to the Milwaukee Art Museum, to reflect its mission to collect, preserve, and exhibit art. The Museum was fully accredited by the American Association of Museums in 1983.


"In the early stages of planning for the Museum’s centennial birthday, another major expansion was proposed and accepted. In 1994, based upon his international vision and skill as an engineer and architect, Spanish-born architect Santiago Calatrava was chosen to be the designer to carry the Museum into the next millennium. On December 10, 1997, the Milwaukee Art Museum broke ground for the new addition.


"The Quadracci Pavilion, the first Calatrava-designed building to be completed in the United States, opened in 2001 to rave reviews. The expansion project included new exhibition galleries and an auditorium, as well as a museum store and cafe. In addition, the Museum completely renovated and remodeled its Collection galleries." (See Link.)

Photo: Taken in Milwaukee Wisconsin in 2006 by SW.
Link:  http://www.mam.org/info/history.php

Friday, September 10, 2010

A Week of Black and White

1928 Canary Yellow

The bright yellow house that stood at 332 East 4th Street in the year 2000 was originally built for $2500 in 1928 by H. Earland. The architect was W. Earland. Previously, in the year 1923 H. Earland had built a $4000 Dancing Hall at 119 East 3rd Street. The architect for that building was T. Korner.

In 1931 the owner of 332 East 4th Street was W. E. Phillips, a laborer. Alex and Nancy E. Walton lived in the house in 1940. Alex Walton was employed as a teller at the Bank of Montreal. In 1950 and 1955 the owners were Ron W. and Lillian V. Stewart. In 1950 Ron Stewart worked as a salesman at General Truck Sales. By 1955 he was a sales manager at Volkswagon Pacific Sales. Mrs. I. and Guy E. Ellison were the residents of the house in 1960. In 1971 City Directory Jahura Begg was listed as the owner. And in 1980 again there was a new owner, this time it was C. Varney.

In 1991 Helen C. Donnelly moved into 332 East 4th Street. This is indicated by the title of "New Neighbor" in the City Directory. She was employed as a food and beverage supervisor at Grouse Mountain. She continued to live in the house and work at the same job in 1995. In 1995 Monahan Wesler was also listed as living at 332 East 4th Street.

By 2010 a new side by side duplex with the addresses of 330 and 332 East 4th Street had been built on the 332 East 4th Street lot.

A Week of Black and White

The Black and White photos of all the homes this week were taken in July of 2007 as part of the Demolition and Construction North Vancouver Archives Project by Suzanne Wilson. On notification of City and District applications for Demolition Permits the photos were taken and documented. Negatives and contact prints were filed at the North Vancouver Archives as part of their permanent photo collection. The project ran from 2001 to 2010.

A colored photo of the house at 332 East 4th Street is also included in the Year 2000 Photography Project, Your House/Our Home on file at the North Vancouver Archives.

Demolition Permit: Applied for in 2007.

Photos: Year 2000 colored photo and black and white photo Demolition and Construction Project photo Roll # 85 Negative 22 on file at the North Vancouver Archives. (The photo above was taken of the contact sheet with a digital camera.)