Milwaukee, WISCONSIN - Blatz Park - Blatz Pavilion - 1909 - Flag For Sale

Milwaukee, WISCONSIN - Blatz Park - Blatz Pavilion - 1909 - Flag: Once Milwaukee’s best-known beer gardens, “Blatz Park (“Pleasant Valley” before 1892) swarmed with picnickers in those days. Troops of large families from St. Casimir’s Parish, a mile south, regularly followed a makeshift marching band up Humboldt Avenue to the park, each family pulling a coaster wagon containing a picnic lunch. Steam-powered boats, sailing from a dock just above the North Avenue dam, pulled up periodically at the pier and discharged crowds of passengers. The park had a bandshell and later a restaurant. There were also cottages, often rented in the summer, by one account, to actors from a theatre downtown.” – (Riverwest: A Community History, by Tom Tolan, copyright 2003, Past Press, Milwaukee, WI.) The Pleasant Valley Park beer garden opened in 1870, one of many in Milwaukee at the time. The city was home to a thriving population of German immigrants and local breweries adopted the old county idea of the beer garden and elevated it beyond anything ever seen in Germany. Michael Reilly’s history of the Schlitz Brewing Co., describes the era: “The beer garden was an important gathering place for family groups, politicians, artists, and celebrities as early as the late 1840’s. The most pretentious beer gardens were extensive groves, selected for natural beauty and often enhanced by landscaping. Some featured exotic plants, artificial ponds, fountains, and rustic stairways descending into picturesque ravines. Conveniently placed benches and tables served by nimble footed waiters invited rest, quiet conversation and leisurely imbibing.” The gardens faded around World War I. Tastes in entertainment had changed. Prohibition, followed by the rise of the automobile, put the final nails in the coffin. But in its day, Blatz Park was not to be missed. An early guidebook recommended it as part of a suggested one-day itinerary for sightseers to Milwaukee. This Divided Back Era postcard, mailed in 1909, is in good condition but there Is edge wear. Jon T. Faber, Publisher. Germany.

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