Almanack
Since its formation in 1965, the New Berlin Historical Society has published the Almanack containing articles related to New Berlin history. As of 2020 about 40 issues have been produced highlighting events and people significant to the historical development of the town and city of New Berlin. A wide range of topics have been covered that should be in the library of local history buffs. These Almanacks are available individually or as a package of all volumes.. Thanks to Sue Hemmen the Almanacks issues prior to 2016 been indexed. You can view the index here.
An excerpt of the latest Almanack can be found here. Become a member of the Society and receive each new Almanack free as a member benefit.
To purchase, please contact Peggy Ament. or visit our gift shop during Open House events
New Berlin, WI, From Country to City: A 20th Century History
by David Totten, past President of the New Berlin Historical Society and Audrey Juds, local journalist
Early settlers to the New Berlin area were able to purchase land from the Federal Government beginning in 1839. In her book New Berlin, WI Until 1900; Not as German as You’d Think, Mary Ella Milham tells the story of New Berlin’s transition from forest to farmland as the community grew to about 1600 residents.
The present book continues the story through the 20th century. During this period, population grew to 39,000 residents and the Town of New Berlin became a city. The growth, however, was marked by a period after WWII of extraordinarily rapid population increase and severe challenges to the new city government.
Through word and pictures the authors take the reader from the placid early years as a rural community with limited town government and one-room schools through the controversies that developed as the rookie city government dealt with the demand for increased services and infrastructure improvements, and the school board dealt with the need to rapidly expand, and then rapidly contract, the school system.
The reader learns of the remarkable launch of a nationally recognized industrial park, the formation of a police force, a fire department, and a hospital, and the proliferation of churches and service organizations. These stories, along with reminisces of the old days, guide the reader to the new millennium when the community becomes known as a city with a touch of country.
Available from the New Berlin Library Gift Shop, at NBHS Open House Events or by contacting Anne Marquardt
Table of Contents
List of Tables iv
List of Charts and Maps iv
Acknowledgements v
Preface vi
Part I 1
Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1
The First 50:1900-1950 ................................................................................................. 1
The Next 50: 1950-2000 .............................................................................................. 43
Part II 83
Stories of the Old Days: Families, Farms, and Schools ................................................ 83
School Memories ...................................................................................................... 100
Churches: Decline and Renewal ................................................................................ 105
New Berlin’s Noteworthy and Unexpected............................................................... 108
Service and Social Organizations-an Abundance ...................................................... 116
Community Youth Organizations and Activities ........................................................ 124
Growing Community Government and Services ....................................................... 126
Wars and War Stories ............................................................................................... 137
Finally, a Public Library .............................................................................................. 144
Looking Forward 146
References 183
Appendix 190
Historical Residential Land Subdivision In The City Of New Berlin: 1900 TO 2000* . 190
New Berlin Churches ................................................................................................. 197
WWI Veterans List ..................................................................................................... 198
WWII Veterans List: Honor Roll Sign ......................................................................... 200
Veterans List: Roll of Honor Engraved Plaque........................................................... 201
INDEX 203
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New Berlin, Wisconsin to 1900: Not as German as You'd Think
Written by the late Dr. Mary Ella Milham, this book traces the history of New Berlin from before settlement time to the start of the 20th century. The book may be purchased from Jackie Hermann as well. A Foreward, List of Illustrations, Table of Contents, and Ms. Milham's bio are shown below.
Forward
A brief account of how a small group with differing origins, settling into a unique segment of the timeless land, forged a stable and vibrant community as the not only passed through assimilation but also reacted to great changes in the nation and the wider world.
Available from the New Berlin Library Gift Shop, at NBHS Open House Events or by contacting Anne Marquardt
Table of Contents
Chapter I Land and Waters
Chapter II TheAboriginal Habitation
Chapter III The White Settlement to the Land Sale in 1839
Chapter IV Settling In, 1840-49
Chapter V To the Civil War, 1850-60
Chapter VI The Civil War, 1861-65
Chapter VII Homefiont and Afiemiath, l 861-73
Chapter VIII A Time of Change, 1873-89
Chapter IX Toward a New Century, 1 890-1900
Appendix I Roster of New Berlin Soldiers in the Civil War
Appendix II List of Office-holders in and from New Berlin, 1842-1900
Works Cited
Subject Index
Maps and Illustrations
Fig. 2 Post- glacial lake beds of New Berlin
Fig. 3 Watersheds of New Berlin
Fig. 4 Aumable (Andrew) Vieau
Fig.5 William Parsons
Fig. 6 Lapham map
Fig. 7 Johannes Karl Meidenbauer
Fig. 8 WealthyAnn Loomis
Fig. 9 1853 Davenport map of Prospect
Fig. 10 Bernhard and Catherine Casper
Fig. 11 Free Will Baptist Church, Prospect
Fig. 12 Capt. David Turner, 28th \V1sconsin Volunteers
Fig. 13 Peter Gofi“ s daughters
Fig. 14 John Evans
Fig. 15 Needham house, GreenfieldAve.
Fig. 16 German Reformed church, Racine Ave.
Fig. 17 Building inside Kiekhefer house, National Ave.
Fig. 18 A. E. Gilbert
Fig. 19 Calhoun Station
Fig. 20 New Berlin Town Hall
Fig. 21 John Casper and family, National Ave.
Fig. 22 Salentine-Kohler wedding
Fig. 23 Jamie Milhan:1 as child
Fig. 24 First Holy Apostles Church
Fig. 25 Peter Swartz and sons
Fig. 26 Milham family, C1evelandAve.
Fig. 27 Biegemann and Marks on Sunny Slope Rd.
Fig. 28 Gov. Julius P. Heil
Fig. 29 John Michael and Anna Meidenbauer
Fig. 30 Round barn
Fig. 31 Matt Jungbluth family, Sunny Slope Rd.
Fig. 32 Threshing at Swartz Farms
Fig. 33 Calhoun Hall
Fig. 34 Theodora Wmton Youmans
Fig. 35 Barn-raising at Swartz Farms
About Dr. Milham
Mary Ella Milham (b. 1922) was raised in New Berlin, to which the Milhams moved in 1872, although both parents’ families had lived in Waukesha County since the 1830s and 40s. She graduated from Springdale School, Waukesha High School and Carroll College (1943). She went on to the University of Wisconsin-Madison, (M.A., English, 1944) and Ph.D. (Latin, Greek, Linguistics, 1950) where she taught as TA and Instructor for eight years to 1954. That year she went to the University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, NB Canada, where both town and university were founded after the Revolution by Loyalists, whose families, records and antique possessions are carefully preserved and which resemble her own Yankee backgrounds. For nearly fifty years she has commuted between these two homes.
Ms. Milham has written four scholarly books and more than forty articles on Latin subjects for European and American publication, having lived several years in Europe on research grants, but in recent years she has added local history: the New Berlin Almanack, 1982-90, (for which she was cited by the Wisconsin Council for Local History); the chapter on ethnic backgrounds in From Farmland to Freeways (Waukesha, 1984), and Greek ‘n' Latin 'n' 'A', a history of classical studies at UNB to the present, on the bicentennial of that university in 1986.