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Meet Me at the Corner
A former newspaper reporter who has lived in Franklin for nearly 40 years, Marjorie is active in several Franklin and Hales Corners organizations.
How to be a Visitor in Your Home Town
By Marjorie Pagel
Wednesday, May 20 2009, 04:36 PM
Last week I had the pleasure of accompanying a group of docents on a local bus trip. The docents, including my husband, are all volunteers at the Milwaukee Public Museum, and every year they celebrate with a “day away” bus trip, stopping at various places along the way.
The stops included the Pabst Mansion, the Domes, and the Milwaukee County Zoo, with a lunch stop at Mo’s Irish Pub and a concluding treat at Gilles frozen custard stand. Although I’ve been to all those places before, it’s fun to visit them again, especially with the benefit of knowledgeable guides.
For example, did you know that the Pabst mansion was home to five Archbishops between 1908 and 1975? It was purchased by the Milwaukee Archdiocese following the deaths of Captain Frederick Pabst and his wife. When the Archdiocese could not find a historic preservation group to buy the mansion, it looked as though the building might be destroyed in the name of “progress” and another parking lot. Fortunately, that did not occur.
The Pabst Mansion was designed by Milwaukee Architect George Bowman Ferry in 1889 and constructed over the next two years. It was one of Milwaukee’s finest residences – one of the first wired for electricity. It boasted nine full bathrooms and was installed with a state-of-the-art heating system by the company which came to be known as Johnson Controls.
For a quick photo tour of the building, check out http://www.pabstmansion.com/phototour/8.html. For 67 years the Sisters of St. Francis dusted all the woodwork throughout the building, which accounts for its beautiful condition today. This is a wonderful place to take out-of-town guests but there’s no need to wait for guests. If you haven’t visited the Pabst Mansion in awhile, put it on your list of things to do in 2009. “Be a visitor in your own hometown.”
Next stop, for you or your guests: the newly refurbished Domes, more exactly named the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory. Did you know that the Domes were built from 1959 – 1967 at a cost of $4.5 million? Our guide told us that original plans called for four domes, rather than three, but there wasn’t enough money for the fourth. The popular Show Dome has changing attractions. Through May 25th, visitors can see the English garden, with a stunning array of flowers that will leave you longing for summer in your own Wisconsin garden. If you visit on a Thursday evening, you’ll be treated to a brilliant lighting display; I plan to return for that. An excellent descriptions of this display is found in a Shepherd Express article by Aisha Motlani. There’s even a You-Tube link which gives a preview of what to expect from that show. Check it out at http://www.expressmilwaukee.com/article-4629-domes-of-light.html. Another link you’ll find helpful is the one to the Domes: http://www.county.milwaukee.gov/MitchellParkConserva10116.html.
June Naeser, The Milwaukee Public Museum docent who has been organizing these tours for many years, decided to include a stop at the Milwaukee County Zoo because one of the docents, Sam Amalfa, was a zookeeper there for 30 years and had agreed to lead this part of the tour. Sam was head caretaker of the primates, which meant he developed a special man-to-gorilla relationship with Milwaukee’s celebrity Samson. This world-famous gorilla, who died before Sam’s retirement, now holds a prominent place in the museum, so Sam continues to share his stories with visitors.
On the day of our tour, Sam was excited to share the latest news, pre-empting local TV and newspapers. It turns out taxidermist Wendy Christensen-Senk (formerly of Hales Corners) had just captured the top award in a world competition for taxidermists for her masterful recreation of Samson. To see an interview of Wendy with Fox News reporter Cathy Orosz just before she left for the competition in St. Charles, Missouri, check out : http://www.fox6now.com/news/witi-090503-samson-taxidermy,0,1254418.story?track=rss
Or, to see the museum’s podcast on Wendy’s reconstruction of Samson, check out http://www.mpm.edu/exhibitions/special/samson/podcasts.php.
These are all just teasers, of course. With many vacation budgets cut back, Milwaukee area residents don’t need to despair. We just need to check out all that Milwaukee and surrounding communities have to offer and plan to take weekly adventures all summer long. Take up the challenge: Learn how to be a visitor in your hometown! And please. . .let me know what your favorite spots are.
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