History


The 1950s saw Burlington as an active, bustling community. On Friday evenings the downtown merchants kept their stores open until 9:00 and the streets were filled with people, as much to socialize as to do their shopping. The teenagers walked the streets, and the few lucky guys that had cars would ‘scoop the loop’ until it was time for the Friday Night Canteen. The farmers finished their milking as quickly as possible so they could head into town, and the merchants ate a quick supper in anticipation of their business. It was a community all to its own. The camaraderie focused around its churches, taverns, and fraternal organizations.

So it was that the three veterans groups in Burlington were very active. American Legion (Ross-Wilcox Post No. 79) alone had 302 members in 1952, with the VFW (Anderson-Murphy Veterans of Foreign Wars Post No. 2823) and the DAV (Twin County Chapter No. 34 Disabled American Veterans) also having good membership. In the spirit of the day, these groups made their own entertainment and at the same time provided help and support to the community. Minstrel shows were a yearly event, and the main focus was not to be exceptionally good, but to be exceptionally funny, or at the very least, to be fun. A popular fundraiser was the Donkey Baseball Game between the American Legion and the VFW. All players were provided a donkey, and the only time a player would get off his mount would be to bat, or to pick up the ball from the ground. The batter would hit the ball, then climb on his donkey to hurry (hopefully) to first base.

At the time the veterans groups were in need of a place to hold their meetings and functions. The VFW was meeting in the former St. Sebastian Church located at Liberty and McHenry Streets, which was in such need of repair that the decision had been made to demolish it. This prompted a letter by VFW Commander Bob Pfanzelter to the Commander of the American Legion to explore the possibility of uniting forces to provide a home for the veterans groups. This single letter was the impetus for a project that has become a cornerstone for the Burlington community for many, many years.

It was the summer of 1958, and many meetings and discussions took place as the plan began to formulate. In these early meetings a decision was made that, in addition to a home for the veterans, the new building could be a facility for the entire community, as a memorial to all veterans. This was in keeping with the community dedication of the veterans that was already in place.

With the decision to move ahead with the project, the veterans’ groups became the only community in the state of Wisconsin which would jointly share a facility, and one of the very few in the nation. To this day it is still a unique situation.

A committee was organized to provide a basic design for the building and another committee to choose the best site. A new organization was set up and named “Memorial Building Corporation Burlington Veterans”, with a mission of constructing and managing the building. In January of 1959 this organization received non-profit status from the IRS. The Board of Directors would include three members from each veteran group, plus one city alderman named by the mayor. The first officers were Pat Lloyd - President, Elmer Loomis – Vice-President, George Borgo – Secretary, and Harold Kayser – Treasurer. Other initial Board members were Edward Wisnefsky, John Weiler, LeRoy Maxfield, Willard Dillenbeck, and Bob Lasco. Jack Coleman became the first City Council member. To become a member of the newly formed non-profit corporation, each veterans group loaned $1,000 on their promissory note.

One of the first orders of business was to secure property. The committee in charge determined that the most appropriate site was in Echo Park just across the White River bridge. This was chosen because of its location to the park, its closeness to downtown, and the availability of parking. In September of 1958 the veterans petitioned the city to grant them a parcel at that location for the construction of their building. The city council referred the matter to the Finance Committee and the Park Commission. At the same time, however, the city was considering paving the area for a parking lot, and after the veteran representatives left the council chamber, the aldermen awarded the contract for the resurfacing, with only a no vote from Lee Koch. This essentially denied the petition of the veterans. The veterans claimed unfair treatment as they had a promise that the council would hear the recommendations of the park and finance groups. Then, as Pat Lloyd explains in a recent interview, he received a phone call from the mayor a couple of days after the meeting, asking to meet with him. Evidently city hall had been receiving many calls from residents with an outcry on their decision. A few days after the initial meeting, a special session was called, and the decision was reversed, and the aldermen agreed to delay the action on the contract for the parking lot until the reports from the Park Commission and the Finance Committee were received. The September 18th newspaper reported that the land request from the veterans was unanimously approved by these two committees, and on October 7th of 1958 the Common Council approved the transfer to the veterans of that property. The deed that was eventually secured contained a right of reverter clause, stating that the building and property would revert back to the city in the event it was no longer used by the veterans.

Design plans were put into place, with Leo McGlade as the architect. In the spring of 1959 the officers of the corporation along with Bill Branen went to the community with their plans, which were well received. Ed Rothering painted and donated a sign that was placed on the site showing the future building. A fund raising campaign was initiated with Hap Runkel, a recent mayor, at its helm. “The dream of permanent facilities for all three of our city’s service minded Veterans Organizations has been expanded to fill a very definite need in Burlington for a Community Center Building” stated Mr. Runkel. The wheels were in motion.

The kickoff date for the fund raising was in September of 1959 with a goal of $67,500. Although the building would be appraised considerably higher, it was determined most of the labor could be accomplished by the veterans themselves and volunteers from the community, saving on the costs and the amount of fund raising needed. A massive effort was made to canvas the community seeking pledges and donations, and on October 22nd, a financial report was given that their drive had already reached $27,767. Offers started coming in from local contractors and businesses. Tri-Way Excavating came forward offering the donation of the entire excavating. J W Peters offered to donate a substantial amount of the concrete. This building would become one of the first to use the new pre-stressed concrete beams. Dardis Lumber offered their donation of all the brick and mortar for the three sides of the building (the fourth side is concrete block), in addition to the fireplace designated for the lower level. Rewald Electric made contributions for the electrical work, and Ray Heck offered all electrical materials at cost in addition to making a donation. Other firms offered materials or large discounts on materials as their donation.

The fundraising continued to be successful, and on Memorial Day of 1960 groundbreaking ceremonies were held, with Pat Lloyd and Mayor Rivets Rewald turning the first shovelful of dirt, and George Borgo acting as master of ceremonies.

And so construction was begun on a Sunday in June, when Tri-Way moved their equipment into place and removed 500 cubic yards of material. During this excavation some foundations of old buildings were discovered, and it was surmised that these were the remnants of the woolen mill that once sat on this property, which had produced the material for the soldiers uniforms during the Civil War, since the walls were 10 to 12 inches thick.

Bob Pfanzelter, who worked for Ed Rueter Construction, became the volunteer supervisor of the project. The volunteer crews were put into place. Pat Lloyd, the sole surviving member of the Board, explains that very early on Saturday mornings, Bob Pfanzelter, George Borgo, Marv Werth, and he, along with others, would meet to plan the work and get ready for the crews. The crews would work every Saturday and most Sundays. At noontime the wives of the leaders appeared at the scene with lunch. The reason for this – because the leaders were afraid that if the volunteers went home at noon, they would not return! The beginning weeks were busy with the laying of the block wall with volunteers such as Ernie Drost and Ralph Yopp, both retired masons. Steve Horvath, Ray Engh, and Herb Rossmiller also helped with masonry. The new firm of Edwin Tenhagen Mason Co. alone volunteered to lay 2500 concrete blocks. Claude Robers, who worked for Rewald Electric, was in charge of the electrical work, and had several other electricians working with him.

The volunteers were craftsmen along with general labor, many of whom worked for construction firms, and some that were retired. Sub-contracting was not part of the process – securing volunteers was the game plan. At one point Bob Pfanzelter explained in a newspaper article that at least 135 volunteers had participated and he estimated that 50% of them were non-veterans. He remarked that “It’s been a real example of community cooperation.”

By October the lower level walls were laid. The concrete floor was poured by Scherrer Construction in December, again a major donation. The floor for the upper level was built, and a tarp was laid across so that work could continue throughout the winter on the interior of the lower level. By May of 1961 this level was virtually completed. Construction then began on the second floor.

Although most work was accomplished on the weekends, some volunteers worked evenings, and a few retired workers were regulars during the weekdays. Syl Prailes, age 77, and Joe Speaker, age 74, were two retired carpenters that did just that. Syl estimated that he spent approximately 1000 hours on the project. Walter Yonk, age 74, and Henry Pfarrdrescher, age 72, were retired painters and also gave freely of their talents. Young workers were also recruited. In a recent conversation, Greg Hoffman fondly remembers going to the site with his father on many occasions when he was a young boy, where his job was to shovel and carry the sand to the workers. He remembers that there were ‘lots and lots of workers’, and that he enjoyed being involved.

On Memorial Day of 1961 the cornerstone was laid. Alderman Marty Itzin was the master of ceremonies, and Hap Runkel gave the address. Historical items were placed in the cornerstone.

In the meantime, the fundraising continued. In June, the “Buy a Block” campaign was instituted. 12,000 blocks became available for 30 cents each, or 4 for a dollar. For each purchase, assurance was given that another block could be installed in their new community building. John Weiler became chairman of the cement block campaign.

On August 21st of 1960 the VFW again played the American Legion in Donkey Baseball to a standing-room only crowd, according to a timely news article. The VFW team consisted of Bob Reynolds, John Weiler, Marv Werth, Bob Pfanzelter, Cliff Willich, Ray Henderson, John Leickem, Norbert Rutkowski, Bob Martinson, Walter Yonk, and Lyle Berndt. The American Legion squad was Pat Lloyd, Jim Pihringer, Ed Wisnefsky, Wib Leemkuil, Jack Coleman, Dick Schwochert, Roy Subrod, Willie Hopkins, and Larry Berryhill. The American Legion won the game that year, but everyone was a winner because the proceeds from the game were sufficient to purchase the concrete for the interior walls. Again, installation was accomplished by a large turnout of volunteers. On November 12th Bob Pfanzelter declared the largest number of volunteers to date had turned out, and volunteers were rewarded with tickets to Kiwanis Pancake Day which were donated by local merchants.

The enthusiasm for the new building even went beyond Burlington. On June 25th a benefit was held in Lyons at St Joseph’s Hall by the Rice-Lemmerhirt-Smith post of the American Legion. “The proceeds will be donated in memory of the soldiers from Lyons” stated Hazel Berntgen, who was co-chairwoman along with Florence Rice.

Construction continued on the second floor throughout 1962, and final completion of the interior was accomplished in 1963. When the building was completed, it was estimated that more than 90% of the labor had been accomplished by volunteers, and most of the materials had been donated. A mortgage remained on the building of $17,000, but the building had a value of $120,000. The mortgage was paid off in seven years.

While the Burlington veterans and community had their dream of a new community building on the beautiful property adjacent to Echo Lake and Echo Park in the late 1950s, another dream was playing out in the community, which began many years earlier, and eventually intertwined with their current dream.

Burlington Lyceum Club

The dream of one woman has survived for 93 years, and the Burlington Veterans Building has played a large part in this dream. On November 23, 1914 Mrs. W. G. Rasch invited ten ladies into her home at 446 Kane Street for the first meeting of the Burlington Lyceum Club. The charter of the club was set -- ‘to advance the interest and protect the culture of musical and dramatic arts’.

Membership grew through the years, and Mrs. Rasch remained President until her death in 1949. During those years the club sponsored two youth groups – the Junior Lyceum Club for elementary school students, and the Tru-Dot Note Players for high school students, and these groups were active for decades, encouraging and giving recognition to young performers. The club also purchased and donated musical collections and items to the Burlington Public Library for the community to enjoy. Music scholarships were given to local talent. In 1935 a piano was donated to Lincoln School and in 1939 another piano was donated to Conkey Street School. An annual Community Christmas Concert was held at Burlington High School as early as 1940 and through 1981. In 1943 the club collected musical instruments, especially harmonicas, to send to those defending our country, as a form of relaxation for them.

With foresight, Mrs. Rasch bequeathed her home to the City of Burlington with the understanding that when the city sold her home, they would provide a meeting place in a civic center for the club and for the Burlington Women’s Club, of which she was also a member. Because the city never built their civic center, the meetings continued to be held in her home for a short time, and then in the homes of prominent citizens. Programs, concerts and recitals were held in various schools, churches and halls in the area.

When the Veterans Memorial Building needed funds to complete their building, the veterans’ organizations met with the City Council and it was decided that money from the sale of Mrs. Rasch’s home would be released to the Veterans project with the stipulation that the Burlington Lyceum Club and the Burlington Women’s Club would have a permanent place to hold their meetings.

For these many years and to this date, the Burlington Lyceum Club and the Burlington Women’s Club have had their place in the Veterans Building. They have cooperated with the veterans groups in such matters as fundraisers to purchase chairs, etc.. Although the Lyceum Club membership has diminished throughout the years, it still provides several musical and cultural programs each year. Some of them are unique performances from other cultures and countries, and some are highly talented local performers. The current President is Jodi Butler-Karow, who works closely with the Haylofters and other music/drama groups in the area.

First Wedding

‘The bathrooms weren’t finished and there was no carpeting in the bar area, but we had a wonderful wedding’ explains Arlene Runkel about their wedding day on July 6th, 1963, and the first wedding celebrated in the newly-built Veterans Building. As was normal procedure during that time period, Arlene and Roger had a three-month engagement, during which time all wedding arrangements were made. They chose the Veterans Building, and made the necessary plans for the 500 guests. As it turned out, the dedication of the building took place three weeks later on the weekend of July 26-28, and on the day of their wedding, some of the ‘finishing touches’ hadn’t yet been ‘touched’. Although the toilets were in working order, the stalls around them had not yet been placed. Using her positive thinking, Arlene says it was great for the big wedding dresses. The carpeting in the bar area had not yet been installed, but it certainly didn’t stop the guests from using that part of the facility.

Their wedding was slightly different from others at the time because their church did not allow dancing, but other factors remained constant in the many weddings that followed. A large spread of food was served downstairs, and at that time their cost was $1.25 per plate. Arlene explained that they were allowed to keep all the leftover food and took it on their honeymoon. There appeared to be an initial problem with the fireplace, as a white sheet covered the opening, and the stone above it appeared discolored, but the rows of tables were set with white and allowed for easy conversation among the guests.

The wedding gown was handmade by the bride herself, and bridal party consisted of Mrs. Robert Schmidt, Mrs. Richard Giese, Miss Ann Thierfelder, Mr. Thomas Bird, Mr. Robert Schmidt and Mr. James Meyer. Marcianne Hackbarth was miniature bride and Jeffrey Eckhart was ring bearer. Ushers were Lester Kirchner and Richard Giese. The bride was a receptionist at Murphy Products Co. and the groom was a mechanic at Schmidt Implement Co. in Salem.

Following the dinner, the guests returned upstairs into the new hall with the beautiful parquet floor, where Roger and Arlene opened their gifts up on the stage, while the guests watched and were served punch and wedding cake and organ music played in the background.

It was the beginning of a long, long line of weddings held in the heart of Burlington for its citizens.

The Great Celebration and Dedication

The weekend of July 26th , 27th , and 28th , 1963 was a big event in Burlington history. It was finally time to celebrate the hard work and dedication of the veterans and local citizens, and to dedicate the new Veterans Building. Four years of planning, cooperation, and steadfast resolution would be recognized. The celebration was accomplished with style.

Pat Lloyd explained in a news article of that time that ‘this building is a tribute to the Burlington service personnel and to the entire community because the efforts and labor expended have resulted in a successful and unique project. To my knowledge, it is the only building that has ever been built by three organizations. Their combined efforts plus the community donations of time and labor have made this occasion all the more meaningful’.

The weekend began with a Junior Dance in the new building on Friday evening. It was sponsored by The Teens, Inc., and the music was provided by the Ricochettes.

On Saturday night the big Dedication Ball was held at the facility. The orchestra was the Top Hatters from Waukesha, and music was also provided by Frenchy Boutan, the Lancers, and Nancy Quick. Admission was $1.50, and for an extra $1.00 a table seat could be reserved.

Sunday began with a noon luncheon at the Plush Horse for the visiting dignitaries. Then the grand parade began at 2:00, with the reviewing stand just across from the Veterans Building. Leading the parade was Burlington Police squad car with Chief Wally Gabriel. Fire Chief Bill Scharf rode in their best fire engine, the Rescue Squad was represented by Captain Jim May, and the U.S. Army Corps service car transported Marv Werth, parade marshal. All three veterans organizations were represented with state, national, and local Officers. Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, school bands, and drill teams all participated. A special guest was Miss Wisconsin, who was sponsored through the Burlington Junior Chamber of Commerce and rode on a float provided by Pepsi-Cola and the Dardis Lumber Company. Also participating were the National Guard, Civil Air Patrol, Coast Guard Auxiliary, and the Kiwanis Band. Additional floats provided entertainment, along with an elephant and monkeys from Murray Hills, and a horse and covered wagon from Circle W Farm in Lyons.

The dedication speech was presented by Rear Admiral (ret.) Van Zandt, a former congressmen and past VFW National Commander. He was introduced by Congressman Henry Schadeberg. Mayor Rivets Rewald also participated. Fr. Gerald Schmitz from St. Mary’s gave the invocation. Current officers and directors were introduced, and included Pat Lloyd, Harold Kayser, George Borgo, Marv Werth, Walt Kuebler, LeRoy Maxfield, John Weiler, Dave Yanny, Greg Bush, and Rich Vos.

With the completion of the project and the introduction of the building to the community, a new era began in Burlington, -- one in which the veterans have been able to serve the community just as they served their country. It has continued all of these years, right up to the present time. Many, many functions, weddings, and gatherings have taken place at 588 Milwaukee Avenue. Most everyone has a fond memory, or two, or more, of a ‘happening’ at the Veterans Building. It has served its purpose well.

For further information about how you can help, contact the Burlington Area Chamber of Commerce at 763-6044.

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