Havenwoods State Forest
Encyclopedia
Havenwoods State Forest, a 237 acres (959,105.8 m²) is a property managed by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
within the city limits of Milwaukee
. The forest was created to provide an urban green space and environmental education
center.
The land includes grasslands, woods, wetlands, Lincoln Creek, an urban arboretum, and education gardens. The Environmental Awareness Center includes an auditorium, classrooms, displays, and a resource center. There are trails for nature study, hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing. Schoenecker Park abuts the property on the northeast.
Havenwoods is open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. A state park vehicle admission sticker is not required to use the park.
In 1836, surveyors walked the land, measuring out a grid that opened this area to settlement. Early settlers included the Zautkes, Pipkorns, Douglases, Bourkes and Schalocks. Being farmers, they cut down the trees, drained the land, and planted crops.
In the early 20th century, Milwaukee County began buying up farmland, needing a new location for its House of Correction
, which opened in 1917. The prisoners tended crops, milked cows, and constructed furniture in the Granville Chair Factory. The inspector’s report from 1939 indicates the prison kitchen canned 5534 gallons of tomatoes, 1100 gallons of catsup, 1350 gallons of corn, 172 gallons of rhubarb, and much more that year.
In 1945, the US Army seized the House of Correction for use as an Army Disciplinary Barrack
s (USDB). The USDB housed soldiers, prisoners of war, and German-American internees. The prison buildings went out of use in the 1950s and were demolished in the 1970s.
In 1956, the Army constructed a Project Nike
Ajax missile base at Havenwoods. Altogether, the Army built eight Nike sites, encircling Milwaukee, to protect the city from long-range bombers. By 1958, the Ajax missile was obsolete. The site at Havenwoods was abandoned in 1963.
From about 1950 to 1967, the U.S. Army Reserve
used Havenwoods as a training facility. The 84th Division is still located south of Havenwoods on Silver Spring Drive. The city also used parts of the land as a landfill (1958–1970), and homeless families took up residence in the abandoned buildings (1969–1971).
In 1974, the Army decided it no longer needed the land or buildings and declared them surplus. For the first time in 130 years, this 237 acre (0.95910582 km²) parcel of land on the northwest side of Milwaukee lay abandoned. The prison buildings, underground tunnels, Nike missile site, and wild grasslands became an inviting, but very dangerous, unsupervised playground for people of all ages. Meanwhile, city planners, federal agencies, educational institutions, and businesses had their eyes on the potential for development of what they viewed as prime real estate.
During this time, a small group of citizens and politicians began to talk about green space and nature and a place to learn about the environment. They were a persistent group, who ultimately carried the day. Many of the people in this group went on to form the Friends of Havenwoods.
Today, Havenwoods is a place where people can hike, see migrating birds, attend nature programs, and volunteer their time and energy to ensure that Havenwoods remains a haven for people and wild things.
Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is an agency of the state of Wisconsin. Its purpose is to preserve, protect, manage and maintain the natural resources of the state. The WDNR has the authority to set policy for itself and to recommend regulations for approval by the State Legislature...
within the city limits of Milwaukee
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Milwaukee is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the...
. The forest was created to provide an urban green space and environmental education
Environmental education
Environmental education refers to organized efforts to teach about how natural environments function and, particularly, how human beings can manage their behavior and ecosystems in order to live sustainably. The term is often used to imply education within the school system, from primary to...
center.
The land includes grasslands, woods, wetlands, Lincoln Creek, an urban arboretum, and education gardens. The Environmental Awareness Center includes an auditorium, classrooms, displays, and a resource center. There are trails for nature study, hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing. Schoenecker Park abuts the property on the northeast.
Havenwoods is open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily. A state park vehicle admission sticker is not required to use the park.
History
Havenwoods is a triangle of land that has almost come full circle. In the early 19th century, the land was a swampy forest. Wild animals trekked though the tall trees, followed occasionally by Native Americans in search of food.In 1836, surveyors walked the land, measuring out a grid that opened this area to settlement. Early settlers included the Zautkes, Pipkorns, Douglases, Bourkes and Schalocks. Being farmers, they cut down the trees, drained the land, and planted crops.
In the early 20th century, Milwaukee County began buying up farmland, needing a new location for its House of Correction
House of Correction
The house of correction was a type of establishment built after the passing of the Elizabethan Poor Law , places where those who were "unwilling to work", including vagrants and beggars, were set to work. The building of houses of correction came after the passing of an amendment to the Elizabethan...
, which opened in 1917. The prisoners tended crops, milked cows, and constructed furniture in the Granville Chair Factory. The inspector’s report from 1939 indicates the prison kitchen canned 5534 gallons of tomatoes, 1100 gallons of catsup, 1350 gallons of corn, 172 gallons of rhubarb, and much more that year.
In 1945, the US Army seized the House of Correction for use as an Army Disciplinary Barrack
United States Disciplinary Barracks
The United States Disciplinary Barracks is a military prison located on Fort Leavenworth, a United States Army post in Kansas....
s (USDB). The USDB housed soldiers, prisoners of war, and German-American internees. The prison buildings went out of use in the 1950s and were demolished in the 1970s.
In 1956, the Army constructed a Project Nike
Project Nike
Project Nike was a U.S. Army project, proposed in May 1945 by Bell Laboratories, to develop a line-of-sight anti-aircraft missile system. The project delivered the United States' first operational anti-aircraft missile system, the Nike Ajax, in 1953...
Ajax missile base at Havenwoods. Altogether, the Army built eight Nike sites, encircling Milwaukee, to protect the city from long-range bombers. By 1958, the Ajax missile was obsolete. The site at Havenwoods was abandoned in 1963.
From about 1950 to 1967, the U.S. Army Reserve
United States Army Reserve
The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Together, the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard constitute the reserve components of the United States Army....
used Havenwoods as a training facility. The 84th Division is still located south of Havenwoods on Silver Spring Drive. The city also used parts of the land as a landfill (1958–1970), and homeless families took up residence in the abandoned buildings (1969–1971).
During this time, a small group of citizens and politicians began to talk about green space and nature and a place to learn about the environment. They were a persistent group, who ultimately carried the day. Many of the people in this group went on to form the Friends of Havenwoods.
Today, Havenwoods is a place where people can hike, see migrating birds, attend nature programs, and volunteer their time and energy to ensure that Havenwoods remains a haven for people and wild things.
External links
- Havenwoods State Forest official site
- Friends of Havenwoods