Title: Milwaukee (Wis.). Board of Harbor Commissioners: Records
Inclusive Dates: 1934-1973

Creator:

• Milwaukee (Wis.). Board of Harbor Commissioners

Call Number: Milwaukee Series 50

Quantity: 3.0 c.f. (2 record center cartons, 3 archives boxes)

Repository:

Housed at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries’ Archives Department / Milwaukee Area Research Center; owned by the Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Library, Archives, and Museum Collections

Archival Locations:

COLLECTION MAY BE STORED OFF-SITE: see catalog entry to request materials and for additional information.

UW-Milwaukee Libraries, Archives / Milwaukee Area Research Ctr. (Map)

Abstract:

Records of the Milwaukee Board of Harbor Commissioners, a municipal board responsible for the Milwaukee public port facilities. The board is authorized to make plans for the improvement of all waterways within the city and to plan, construct, and operate facilities for aircraft. The records include articles and speeches of Director Harry Brockel, 1940-1966; general correspondence, 1960-1972; correspondence concerning regular board meetings, 1934-1936, 1961-1972; and special board meeting minutes, 1960-1973.

Language: English

URL to cite for this finding aid: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/wiarchives.uw-whs-milw0050

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The Board of Harbor Commissioners, a municipal organization, is a five-member board responsible for the Milwaukee public port facilities. The members are appointed for a term of three years by the mayor, subject to confirmation by the Common Council. The board is authorized to make plans for the improvement of all waterways within the city and to plan, construct, and operate facilities for aircraft. All plans are subject to approval or modification by the Common Council. The board also advises the mayor and Common Council with respect to transportation matters.

There are four organizational categories in these records: Articles and Speeches, General Correspondence, Board Meeting Correspondence, and Special Board Meeting Minutes.

The Articles and Speeches (1940-1966), presented by Harry Brockel, deal with such topics as the port of Milwaukee trade mission to Europe, the significance of the St. Lawrence Seaway, and the impact of the Milwaukee public port development on community development.

The majority of these records consists of General Correspondence (1960-1972) addressed to the Board of Harbor Commissioners, mostly from Port Director Harry Brockel, dealing with many different issues concerning the port of Milwaukee. The correspondence is arranged chronologically. It concerns matters such as amending leases of corporations, requests for notices of annual meetings and conventions, proposals for capital improvements to the port, tentative budgets, competitive bids for construction projects within the port, and revisions in petroleum transportation and marketing.

The Board Meeting Correspondence (1934-1936, 1961-1972) discusses matters pertaining to the actual running of the harbor. The majority of the correspondence concerns estimates from businesses for various types of work at the port. Some areas include concrete work, electric and power installation, painting of warehouses, installation of heating and ventilation for cargo terminals. There are also requests by various businesses for extensions on contracts that have already been granted, renewal requests for leases on municipal harbor property, a crane replacement program, and requests for extensions of railroad facilities from various businesses which lease space in the municipal port.

The Special Board Meeting Minutes (1960-1973) list who was present, proposed withdrawals of bids for construction projects, terminations of fund retainers, awarding of contracts, grain elevator development, vending concession approvals, uniform allowances, public transit service to outer harbor area, adoption of municipal port tariffs, and announcements for new employees.

Acquisition Information

Presented by Eric Schenker, a faculty member at UWM who both chaired the Commission (1960-1966), and was a member of the board through 1972. Schenker donated the series to the Wisconsin Historical Society in 1972, 1973, and 1989. Former Milwaukee Mss BJ was merged into this series. Accession Number: C1972/024, C1973-011, C1973/078 , C1989/181

Processing Information

Processed by Shawn Carlson, April 1992.

	Articles and Speeches
Box   1 Folder   1-3	1940-1966
Box   1 Folder   4	Bibliography, undated
	Correspondence, General
Box   1 Folder   5-6	1960
Box   1 Folder   7-9	1961
Box   1 Folder   10-11	1962
Box   1 Folder   12-15	1963
Box   1 Folder   15-16	1964
Box   1 Folder   17-19	1965
Box   1 Folder   20-22	1966
Box   1 Folder   23-25	1967
Box   1 Folder   26-28	1968
Box   1 Folder   29	1969 January-April
Box   2 Folder   1-2	1969 May-December
Box   2 Folder   3-5	1970
Box   2 Folder   6-8	1971
Box   2 Folder   9-10	1972
	Board Meeting Correspondence
Box   2 Folder   11	1934
Box   2 Folder   12	1935
Box   2 Folder   13-14	1936
Box   2 Folder   15-17	1961
Box   2 Folder   18-20	1962
Box   2 Folder   21-22	1963
Box   2 Folder   23-24	1964
Box   2 Folder   25-27	1965
Box   2 Folder   28-30	1966
Box   2 Folder   31-33	1967
Box   2 Folder   34-36	1968
Box   2 Folder   37-39	1969
Box   2 Folder   40-41	1970
Box   2 Folder   42-44	1971
Box   3 Folder   1-2	1972
	Special Board Meetings Minutes
Box   3 Folder   3	1960
Box   3 Folder   4	1961
Box   3 Folder   5	1962
Box   3 Folder   6	1963
Box   3 Folder   7	1964
Box   4 Folder   1	1965
Box   4 Folder   2	1966
Box   4 Folder   3	1967
Box   4 Folder   4	1968
Box   4 Folder   5	1969
Box   4 Folder   6	1970
Box   4 Folder   7	1971
Box   5 Folder   1	1972
Box   5 Folder   2	1973