Edward Estberg
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
Eric’s Porter Haus on 229 Wisconsin Avenue was not always known as such. The house was once home to the Estberg family including Mr. Edward Robert Estberg and Mrs. Sara (Brown) Estberg and their children Lola, John, Margret, and Charles. The Estberg family played a predominant role in the Waukesha community as Edward Estberg served as the Mayor of Waukesha and the president of The Waukesha National Bank. Edward was well known in the community and his son John was also a well-known figure. John attended Waukesha High School and went on to enlist in World War I and later World War II. John’s childhood home exchanged many hands from the time it was built until today and was designated a national historical site in 1974. Today, the house is accessible to the public in the form of Eric’s Porter Haus.
Images
This is a photo of Edward and Sara Estberg. The caption underneath describes Edward’s life and the home in which they resided in.
This was a photo taken of the 229 Wisconsin Avenue house when Edward and Sara Estberg lived there. While this was the home in 1930, it gives a good representation of what the house would have looked like when John Estberg was growing up.
This is a photo of the house when it still belonged to the American Legion. There were some updates done to the house, but it is similar to when the Estbergs lived there.
Today, the Estberg residence is home to Eric’s Porter Haus. While there were some updates made, the majority of the home is still intact and will continue to stay as such for years to come.
Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
Edward Estberg was born on November 25, 1862 in Waukesha, Wisconsin. On November 8, 1893 he married Sara (Ibarra Flores) Brown, a young woman from Ures, Sonora, Mexico who was adopted by John H. Brown. The two had four children and moved into the house at 229 Wisconsin Avenue. Their second eldest, John Estberg, grew up there and graduated from Waukesha High School. He went on to attend Beloit College and studied for two years before enlisting to fight in World War I. John’s military and veteran life is just as interesting as his childhood home and the symbolic stance it takes in the community.
John Estberg was born on February 6, 1898 and enlisted in the army in 1917 at age 19. Interestingly, John enlisted in the army in Tucson, Arizona. His mother, Sara, did live in Arizona before coming to Waukesha, so that is a possible explanation for John being in Arizona. John did his training at Camp Fremont in California and was shipped out on September 1, 1917. He arrived in Vladivostok, Siberia in October of 1917 where he served as an engineer and later transferred to infantry. During his time, John was promoted from Corporal to Sargent to First Sargent. Being shipped out to Siberia from Camp Fremont meant that John was most likely involved with the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF) in Siberia. The AEF helped diffuse German pressures on the Eastern Front and helped the allies with their intervention in Russia. The AEF was not fully planned out by President Wilson or the military which caused confusion with exact orders that the soldiers had. John likely experienced fighting in Siberia and had to deal with many interesting aspects of the soon-to-be frozen over country. His experiences abroad were just as interesting as his time after World War I.
After the war, John went back to California and met his future wife, Mildred Wilbur. The two were married on October 22, 1923, moved back to Waukesha to live on Windsor Drive, and had a son, John Estberg, Junior. John Senior re-enlisted in the army for World War II and moved back to California. Both John Senior and Junior enlisted in the army and even met on the battlefield when their regiments met up in the Panama Canal zone. John Senior’s father Edward passed away during the war and his mother Sara sold his childhood home. John Senior returned from World War II and decided to stay in Santa Monica, California. Mildred filed for divorce in 1946 and the next year on December 25, 1947, John passed away in Santa Monica. He is buried in Forest Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.
John’s childhood home was an important place in the Waukesha community. His father Edward dedicated his life to the community and was mayor before John left for World War I. Edward became the President of the Waukesha National Bank after the war. Everyone in Waukesha likely knew the Estbergs and associated them with the white house on 229 Wisconsin Avenue. However, many people have ties to that house before and after the Estbergs lived there.
The house was built and owned by Issac Lain prior to the Estbergs moving in. Issac was a prominent member of the Waukesha community as well, serving as the village president and the county board chairman. Issac continued his political career at the state level and became a Wisconsin assemblyman. Issac was known throughout the community and that white house was likely associated with him.
In 1982, a few decades after the Estbergs lived there, the house became the Daniel J. Martin American Legion Post No. 8 Hall. The house hosted meetings and other Legion member gatherings. Legion halls are still predominant sites in communities and the Legion hall on Wisconsin Avenue was no different. Now, the white house is still standing and is home to Eric’s Porter Haus. The restaurant bought the house in 1997 and has been the occupant of it ever since.
John Estberg’s military and veteran life was interesting as he served in both World Wars and was a part of the Siberian Intervention in World War I. His childhood home and surrounding figures are just as interesting. 229 Wisconsin Avenue still stands today as a Wisconsin historical property. It was home to Issac Lain, an important governmental figure in Wisconsin, Edward Estberg, a Waukesha mayor and president of The Waukesha National Bank, the Daniel J. Martin American Legion Post No. 8, and now Eric’s Porter Haus. For many people, that white house might be their favorite steak house, but for others, it is the home of predominant Waukesha figures and the childhood home of John Estberg. No matter the connection to the house, it is a historical site enjoyed by all.
Sources
“Edward Estberg.” MyHeritage. https://www.myheritage.com/names/edward_estberg
“Edward R. Estberg and Sara Brown Estberg Photo.” Waukesha County Historical Society and Museum. Waukesha, Wisconsin.
“Eric’s Porter Haus.” https://ericsporterhaus.com/
“Estberg Family.” Waukesha County Wisconsin Genealogy. https://www.linkstothepast.com/waukesha/estberg.php
"John Estberg’s Draft Card." Military Records Collection Waukesha County Historical Society and Museum. Waukesha, Wisconsin.
Grieco, Michael. "Making Sense of the Unknown: The AEF in Siberia." School of Advanced Military Studies US Army Command and General Staff College. Fort Leavenworth, KS. 2018.
House, John and Daniel Curzon. “The Russian Expeditions, 1917-1920.” Center of Military History United States Army. Washington, D.C. 2019.
“Property Record 229 Wisconsin Ave.” Wisconsin Historical Society. https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Property/HI27383
Waukesha Daily Freeman. Waukesha, Wisconsin. June 6, 1946, Dec. 27, 1947, Sept 13, 1968, Nov 19, 1971.
Waukesha County Historical Society
Waukesha Freeman newspaper on November 19, 1971.
Wisconsin Historical Society and their Architecture and History Inventory.
Eric’s Porter Haus’ website.