The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-12-21

The story of Kenosha' s big move
ment to provide homes and the right
kind of homes for the men who work
in it's great industrial plants, became
a part Of big national movement to-
day when the interesting plans OF
Kenosha people to meet a real necessity
were laid before the national conven
tion Of the Civic Association of the
United States. The report on the
Kenosha work was the last work of the
late Alfred Muller, who met death here
a week ago and his carefully prepared
report of the Kenosha experiment was
read by DR.. John Nolen of Cambridge
Mass. 1t was featured on the after
noon program of the convention in
session at Washington. The paper is
q comprehensive report of the opera
tions of the Kenosha Homes Company
It is given in full as a tribute to the
work which Architect Muller had plan
ped to do for Kenosha. 1T follows
BY Alfred T. Muller, Manager,
Kenosha Homes Company.
Kenosha, Wisconsin, booming in
dustrial community, has for the past
few years been facing house famine
just as have most of our factory cen
tiers. Situated half way between
Chicago and Milwaukee on the shore
Of Lake Michigan, it is ideally located
both from the point of view of trans
portation and the labor market. The
population today is $4,000, but measur.
ed by past growth Kenosha is bound tC
be within ten years a $4,000 city. It's
industries are diversified, including the
Simmons Company, the largest bed
manufacturers in the world; the
American Brass Company; the Nash
Motors Company; the N. R. Allen Is
Sons Tannery; the Chicago-Kenosha
Hosiery Company; the Cooper Under
wear Company, the Hannahs Manu-
featuring Company; the Macomber
Whyte Rope Company, and several
others, employing total of over
10000 workmen, sixty per cent of whom
are skilled workers earning at least
eighteen dollars weekly.
Five years ago the president of the
Kenosha Manufacturers Association
in delivering his annual address said:
ct cannot agree with some, that ou
need at the present time is more fac
tories. Our crying need is that we
have more houses for the wage earnerS
we have in the factories now here
The building of more houses and the
substitution of married for single me1
is the sure and better way to build .
greater Kenosha " While q house
famine has thus been present for sew
eral years past, with the wave of wal
prosperity the situation became sc
acute that it was found necessary to
house hundreds of workmen in tent
colonies and large lodging houses
During the year ending May /, 1916
the total increase in employees was
2,91S, while the number of new house,
built in the same period was only 245
Even the most optimistic realized
that the city was facing an undeniablt
housing problem.
'Kenosha is, however, blessed with +;
group of manpfacturers who not only
think in terms of personal prosperity
but in terms of civic prosperity a.
well. These men at their meeting
came to the realization that such hous
ing conditions as were prevalent il
Kenosha would not only result in in
efficient employees, but would result il
a city socially and physically unsound
They determined to take the initiative
Early in May of this year the Manu-
facturers Association of Kenosha re
tanned DR.. John Nolen of Cambridge
Mass, to make a study of the situation
and to suggest plan of action.
The Survey.
A QUESTIONABLE was prepared by DR.
Nolen and sent to all the local manu-
facturers enquiring as to the humble
of workmen in need of better housing
the classes to be provided for; tn,
number of skilled and unskilled work
ers; the average rate of wages; tn,
value of land available for buildin.
small houses; the prevailing methods
Of lending money for home building
the most desirable houses in demand il
Kenosha, etc. The answers to thes,
questions were summarized and gave
clear cut outline Of the housing situa
ton. The customary local methods O
providing houses for sale and TIL
financing Of building operations weri
investigated Definite information wa
obtained with regard to the open area
suitable for low cost housing, Will
notes as to their character, surround
ings, and value, the water, gas an,
sewer connections, and transporta
ton facilities. These results wer
shown on diagrammatic maps