The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1902-08-07
Part Of the Old BreakWater Built in
the Early Forties Found Intact
on Lake Street.
GUARDED SOME OLD ELEVATORS
Breakwater was Center of Great Wheat
Riots Which Were the Most Stirring In
cidents In the History of Kenosha.


we'll at the foot of Lake street Friday
the workmen of the Simmons Manu-
featuring company dug up the old
breakwater which had been built in
Kenosha more than ffty-fve years
ago, and which recalls one of the most
interesting decades in the history of
the city. For some time the managers
Of the factory have been at work i'm
proving the FIRE protection of the fac
tory, and in order to get proper in
take it was necessary to go out under
the harbor piers. In digging for this
subway the old oak logs which were
laid SO many years ago by the old Ke-
nosha pioneers were discovered. While
the old breakwater was buried twelve
feet under the sand near the harbor, it
is still well preserved, and one of the
oak logs dug out by the workmen still
had the bark on it.
The breakwater was built in the
early forties by the citizens of the city
to protect the wheat elevators which
were located along the beach. These
elevators, for which the old break
water was protection, form the basis
Of one of the most exciting incidents
in the early history of this part of the
State, and the famous wheat war,
which occurred here in the forties, and
which resulted in the militia being
called to the city for the only time in
its history, conferred in the old ele-
vators and the breakwater.
During the early history of Kenosha
county the county was well known as
a shipping center and especially as a
grain port. Shipments of wheat were
sent out almost daily and the main in
dustry of the farmers of Kenosha
county and the surrounding neighbor-
hood was raising wheat to fill tbs de-
mand. Many time in the early days
the streets of the city were blocked
with wagons loaded with wheat await
ing the chance to deposit their burdens
in the big elevator. When this indus
try was at its height the great wheat
war came and it came near para1yzing
the farming interests of this part of
the State.
At the time of the war the managers
Of the business were Hale, Aver &
Hutchinson. The three men did ter
rife business and the farmers were
| largely paid in warehouse receipts,
which we're to be redeemed when the
the wheat had been disposed of. These
receipts were issued by Hutchinson,
and after he had managed to sell out
his interests he left the city and could
not be located. The farmers came to
the city to secure the payment for
| their receipts and when they found
that it was impossible to get anything
out of the receipts there was riot.
Personal violence was threatened to
the men in charge Of the elevators and
they were finally forced to get out of
the city. Before the rioting could be
stopped it became necessary to send
soldiers to the city to restore order.
| The financial loss from the breaking
Of the wheat business to the farmers
Of the county was tremendous and it is
probable that the exact amount of the
losses will never be known. Nothing
in the history Of the city ever created
SO much of stir, and many of the old
settlers have gone down to take look
at the old oak timbers simply to recall
the memories of those stirring times.