Racine history wishlist: OK, these are pie-in-the-sky wishes, but sometimes those come true!
- I would like virtual reality goggles connected to a database of Racine history that would let me walk around Memorial Square (for instance) and see all the old buildings in their original places with explanations of everything.
- I would like some kind of system that could analyze and crosscheck a huge amount of digital history information — photos, telephone books, city directories, newspapers, etc. … and come up with stories and correlations that nobody had announced before.
- I would like the Racine history community to fund a Racine History position, so that someone getting a degree in history could also produce books that we would like to read.
What’s on your Racine history wishlist?
Pabst Brewery Tied Properties in Racine: Having grown up in MIlwaukee near the Pabst Brewery and now living in Racine, I’m drawn to the pre-prohibition Pabst tied properties in Racine. There is a now-closed tavern at 1300 16th St (King Daddies? listed as Pops Tavern in the 1975 Renewing our Roots: Racine Booklet) There is a photograph at Regency Mall of The Pabst Hotel on State and Wisconsin, long gone and replaced with a bank. I’ve heard that the building that now houses Ivanhoes on Main st was a Pabst tied house. What is the history of these properties?