Grand hotels

Posted by Recollection WI | Published on October 14, 2012

This gallery offers a closer look at some of the state’s grandest hotels and resorts built between the 1870s and the 1940s. Some, like Oakton Springs in Pewaukee, have long since vanished; others, like the Northernaire of Three Lakes and Milwaukee’s Pfister, continue to serve visitors from around the country.

Use the arrows or thumbnails to browse the gallery. Click on any image to view its full description in a new window.

Oakton Springs Hotel, Pewaukee, opened in 1873. The discovery of naturally-occuring mineral springs in 1868 spurred a tourist boom in the Waukesha area. Visitors flocked to grand resort hotels such as the Oakton Springs to experience the (purportedly) healing waters. Source: Waukesha County Historical Society.
Stoneware jug from Oakton Springs Hotel, Pewaukee. Source: Waukesha County Historical Society.
Schlitz Hotel, Milwaukee, opened in 1889. This hotel was established by the Schlitz Brewing Company on the corner of 3rd Street and Grand Avenue (now Wisconsin Avenue), Milwaukee. Source: Thomas and Jean Ross Bliffert Postcard Collection, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries.
Interior of the Schlitz Palm Garden, Milwaukee, opened in 1896. The Palm Garden was an opulent beer garden operated in conjunction with the Schlitz Hotel. Source: Thomas and Jean Ross Bliffert Postcard Collection, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries.
Hotel Pfister, Milwaukee, opened in 1893. According to the Pfister's website, when the hotel opened, "It was the most lavish hotel of its time . . . with groundbreaking features such as fireproofing, electricity throughout the hotel and thermostat controls in every room." Source: Milwaukee Public Library.
Hotel Pfister’s annual staff Christmas party, Milwaukee, 1938. Source: Historic Photo Collection, Milwaukee Public Library.
Hotel Raulf, Oshkosh, opened 1928. According to Clarence Jungwirth, History of the City of Oshkosh vol. 2 (1994), the Raulf featured 200 air-conditioned rooms as well as a bowling alley and movie theater. Source: Main Street, Oshkosh; Oshkosh Public Library.
Menu from the formal opening of the Hotel Raulf, Oshkosh. The dinner menu for the grand opening of Oshkosh’s Hotel Raulf featured fashionable dishes including soft shell crab, sweetbreads and “French ice cream in forms.” Source: Oshkosh Business Collection, Oshkosh Public Library.
Northernaire Resort, Three Lakes, opened 1948. The Northernaire Resort, nicknamed the "Waldorf of the Wilderness," was a luxury resort in northwoods Wisconsin designed by baseball player Cy Williams and operated by local entrepreneur Carl Marty. Source: Three Lakes Historical Society.
Poster for Showboat nightclub at the Northernaire. One of the biggest attractions at the Northernaire Resort was the Showboat restaurant and nightclub, which showcased musicians and other touring acts. Source: Three Lakes Historical Society.

Sources

The materials in this slideshow come from the following digital collections. Click the links to browse the full collections.

Greetings from Milwaukee: Selections from the Thomas and Jean Ross Bliffert Postcard Collection, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries
Main Street, Oshkosh and Oshkosh Businesses Collection, Oshkosh Public Library
Milwaukee Historic Photos, Milwaukee Public Library
Three Lakes Historical Society
Waukesha County History 1870-1920, Waukesha Public Library and Waukesha County Historical Society. Part of the State of Wisconsin Collection from University of Wisconsin Digital Collections
Wisconsin Decorative Arts Database, Wisconsin Historical Society

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Grand hotels

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