The History
of Kletzsch Park
In the late 1600s, French explorers were looking for a waterway from Lake Michigan to the Mississippi River. The probable route was the Milwaukee River but they found it to be a dead end. What they did find was a summer encampment made up of bark lean-tos nestled along the river and the bluffs overlooking the spot where the river empties into the big lake.
As Robert R. Morris writes in his book Glendale Wisconsin:
"Chippewas, Foxes, Menomonees, Potawatomies, Sac and Winnebagoes took their summer vacations here. They did so in apparent harmony. More or less. The Potawatomies lived in villages in what would become Glendale, even burying their dead in ceremonial mounds along the Milwaukee River in what is today’s Kletzsch Park”.
I.A. Lapham included a map of what was known as “Indian Prairie” in his 1855 “Antiquities of Wisconsin” where he described the Native American mounds and earthwork that were located on the Pierron Tract. According to Dr. Lapham, the site contained not less than twenty-one conical mounds, two linear, two effigy, one lunar, and five intaglios, making a total of thirty-one. Three hut rings and an Indian garden were also indicated.
The history of the land as a public park began in 1918, when the 35 acre Blatz farm was purchased. The Pierron farm, a 45 acre parcel north of Blatz farm was acquired in 1927. These parcels were not contiguous, therefor in 1928 two separate parks existed. The problem was solved in 1929 when the 15 acres between the sites was acquired, creating the 118.9 acre park we know today.
The park was named for Alvin P. Kletzsch who served on the Park Commission from 1907 until his death in 1941 - a total of 34 years. Kletzsch was a real estate dealer and operator of the old Republican hotel. He was known as the “Father of Organized Football in Milwaukee.”
The greatest usage of the park in the late 20’s was by fishermen on Sundays and holidays, although it also was a popular spot for picnickers and ball players.
In 1931 it was determined that the Milwaukee River offered great opportunity for swimming and a contract was awarded to excavate a portion of the river resulting in a pond of 4 to 5 acres and a semi-circular beach area of approximately 1000 feet in length. A bathhouse was also constructed and the beach was opened to the public in July of 1931. By the summer of 1932 Kletzsch Park had become one of the most popular spots in the county park system.
Kletzsch Park was also greatly improved with the use of relief labor. A Civilian Conservation Corps camp was established in Kletzsch Park in May of 1935 and discontinued in November of 1935.
The CCC projects completed included a new dam built across the Milwaukee River with CCC labor. The new structure, built of reinforced concrete in a serpentine design to lengthen the crest, provided increased discharge capacity without widening the river. Models prepared by the landscape design section of the planning department served as guides in erecting the stone facing and the fish ladder built into the face of the dam. The dam has the appearance of a natural waterfall.
The shelter in Kletzsch Park was also constructed by the CCC. The 1933-36 Annual Report says a new park pavilion, embodying Swiss architectural features was built at the top of the bluff overlooking the Milwaukee River in the center of the picnic area. It was necessary to do grading and landscaping along the bluff to provide a proper view of the river from the open east wing of the pavilion.
