Matthew J. Prigge

Many cities have their legendary disasters, remembered both for tragic losses and heroic deeds. Chicago has it 1871 Fire, St. Louis has the Southern Hotel Fire of 1877 that ennobled firefighter Phelim O’Toole as “The Bravest of the Brave”, San Francisco has its 1906 Earthquake and Fire and New York has 9/11. Milwaukee has its 1883 Newhall House Hotel Fire. “Damn Old Tinderbox!” is its story. Although the actual death toll will never be known, it may be America’s greatest in a hotel fire.

The story begins in the Milwaukee, then dubbed “Queen of the West”, a growing metropolis rivalling Chicago for dominance in the Midwest. As the city grew in size, commerce and importance, it required a hotel with splendor to match its aspirations. That was the role of the Newhall House hotel, “The Palace of the West”.

Author Matthew J. Prigge commences with a narrative of the development of the city. Its economy driven by the grain trade, early hotels provided basic accommodations, but the need for a Crown Jewel went unmet until the construction of the Newhall House in 1857. During its tenure, it attracted leading travelers. Abraham Lincoln gave a speech there in 1859, General Rufus King first organized the Iron Brigade early in the Civil War, Grand Duke Alexis were hosted in the grand ballroom in 1872 and Charles and Lavinia Stratton, better known as “General Tom Thumb”, were carried out as the Newhall burned.

Although still aspiring to lofty standards, by 1883 the Newhall had passed through several owners, was past its prime and eclipsed by other hostels but still attracted a large and distinguished clientele.

The fateful night was January 10, 1883. Sometime around 3:45 a.m., fire was detected by workers and the fire department. Identified as having started in the elevator shaft, flames and smoke spread throughout the wooden structure. Efforts were hampered by the primitive nature of firefighting science, instructions to notify the manager before anyone else leading to a seventeen-minute delay in notifying guests, and frigid temperatures.

At this point the text evolves into a sequence of anecdotal accounts of ladders that provided means of escape, and others that were just a bit short, guests who jumped to safety and those who crashed to the pavement, those who could not decide whether to risk a jump until flames and smoke made the decision for them and, ultimately rescues and deaths. The magic of the written word transports the reader’s mind’s eye to scenes of horror. Waitress Mary McCauley was awakened to the sound of heavy and fast footsteps. Making her way to the hallway, “It was full of girls rushing madly up and down, crying and screaming.” Firefighter Herman Strauss tore off his helmet and jacket before climbing a ladder to rescue a stranded woman. No one panicked, but all were surrounded by panic.

When the injured were treated, flames were extinguished, bodies recovered and the debris removed the proverbial question arose, “Who done it?” Was it an accident, negligence or arson? Was it the unidentified man whose body was found near the elevator shaft or someone seeking insurance money? At this point the historical narrative morphs into a real-life mystery. No spoilers here. Let us just leave it that there was an arrest and a trial.

Why would anyone want to read “Damn The Old Tinerbox!”? My reasons are several. It is a moving, good story. From an historical perspective, it presents insights into the life of 19th Century Milwaukee and a play-by-play of a major tragedy. While the event is unique to Milwaukee, the themes are universal. Whatever your city, its residents have lived through something like the Newhall fire. Read and appreciate the tale.

I did receive a free copy of this book with9ut an obligation to post a review.… (mais)

I am not familiar with the history of Milwaukee but a lot of nefarious events seem to have happened in its first century. The chapters in “Milwaukee Mayhem” were divided into: murder, accidents, vice and secrets which gave an idea of the subjects covered. It was interesting but the stories about each particular event were brief; so brief that I could only read the book slowly or else everything tended to blend together. There were many times that I wished the author had explored an event more thoroughly.

If you are looking for a good overview of Milwaukee's notorious past this is the book for you. It will give you an idea of what happened and when so that you can explore further if you wish.… (mais)

Milwaukee Mayhem: Murder and Mystery in the Cream City's First Century
By Matthew J. Prigge
Wisconsin Historical Society Press
Reviewed by Karl Wolff

Beer, Lake Michigan, and the Brewers have made Milwaukee a great Midwestern town. Located on the confluence of Lake Michigan and the Milwaukee River, the Cream City is home to innovation, industry, and sensible zoning controls. At least that's what the boosters will tell visiting conventioneers and investors. But every city has its dark side. Milwaukee has had its share of crimes, accidents, and disasters. Milwaukee Mayhem: Murder and Mystery in the Cream City's First Century by Matthew J. Prigge chronicles the lurid underbelly of this American city.

Matthew J. Prigge hosts "What Made Milwaukee Famous," a radio show produced by WMSE, the radio station of the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE). He also hosted MONDO Milwaukee boat tours in 2014. His previous books include a history of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, and a history of Milwaukee film censorship.

Milwaukee Mayhem divides its brief stories into four categories: Murder, Accidents, Vice, and Secrets. He begins with the famous "Bridge War" of 1845. The last stories come at the tail end of the Second World War. Prigge crafts each tale from newspaper reports from the Milwaukee Journal and the Milwaukee Sentinel, back when the city had two competing newspapers. Most stories are brief and thin on the details, but this is because of the original source material - newspaper clippings - didn't reveal much in the first place. But the point of Milwaukee Mayhem isn't depth, so much as variety. These are random snapshots of the past, stretching from the early nineteenth century to V-E Day. While a more progressive perspective might say this book shows how Milwaukee developed from hardscrabble frontier town to bustling civilized metropolis, more jaded minds might offer a different opinion. Crime, like war, corruption, and hysteria, are eternal. Are we better than our ancestors? Our technology has at least improved. These days America has become barbaric, short-sighted, and vulgar.

Reading Milwaukee Mayhem reminded me of watching City Confidential on A&E. Airing from 1998 to 2005 and narrated by Paul Winfield, it offered lurid stories of murder and corruption in otherwise ordinary cities and towns. Prigge's book offers a good substitute for those seeking a pulpy tabloid read.

Out of 10/9.0

http://www.cclapcenter.com/2017/02/book_review_milwaukee_mayhem_b.html… (mais)

This is the history of a city's one-hundred-year struggle to leave its past behind, to understand, itself, and to make sense of the everyday mayhem of life in a metropolis being born.

Jeffrey Dahmer was called "The Milwaukee Cannibal", but he wasn't the only bad boy in the city. Although most of the criminals written about in this book are most likely unknown or forgotten. Sorted into categories such as "Murder", "Accidents", "Vice", and "Secrets" this is a compilation of true accounts from Milwaukee during it 'growing pains'.

These are very brief accounts. Not extremely detailed but factual. Mr. Prigge records what is know and leaves the speculating to our imaginations. Well written and concise, I would recommend this book.… (mais)