W. H. H. Douglas Homestead

Set on 1,500 acres along Rock River’s south shore, this two story homestead was constructed by W. H. H. Douglas. He built it with Milwaukee brick and limestone from the nearby Miltimore Limestone Quarry.

Having arrived by covered wagon on a six week journey with three children in 1854, W. H. H. Douglas and his wife established a home at this location. With Fannie’s dowry, they purchased 1,500 acres south of Rock River and east of what is now Center Avenue. By trading a load of farm produce for Milwaukee brick on round trips that took a week, they built this home at 1222 Marquette Street. Stone came from nearby Miltimore Limestone Quarry. Douglas briefly pastored a Baptist church in a historic building that once housed the Tallman perfume factory that still stands at 102 Cherry Street. Douglas’ great-grandson Frank Douglas (a teacher at Craig High School), wrote that his grandfather encountered Native Americans while camping along the river. He also shared how his grandfather and other farmers built a wooden bridge where the Monterey Bridge now spans the Rock River.

Frank Douglas diary and personal interview.

State of Wisconsin Collection: http://digicoll.library.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/WI/WI-idx?type=turn&entity=WI.JvilleFour.p0021&id=WI.JvilleFour&isize=text