This tour was curated by: Waukesha County Historical Society & Museum
Discover the Past. Embrace the Present. Shape the Future
Developed by the WCHSM, whose mission is to foster an exploration of the American experience through the stories of Waukesha County.
"For many Hispanic immigrants, the alley behind The Strand leading to the door of Joseph and Antonia Melendes was a path to a new life."[1]This alley served as a starting point for many, and also the main artery into the surrounding Strand neighborhood. Shielded from traffic cutting from Main St. to Perkins Ave (formerly Wisconsin Central Ave.) it was a space for gatherings and picnics. It was renamed in 2006 in honor of Joseph and Antonia (Toni) Melendes.
This house was home to the first Mexican migrant family to settle in the city of Waukesha, between 1919-1920. Although day laborers had begun commuting into the city on train, the Melendes family were the first to reside in the city permanently. The neighborhood surrounding their home was already a magnet area for new immigrants throughout the 20th century as Waukesha's industries created a demand for a new labor force. The family home was a starting point for countless new immigrants who rented a room in the Melendes home.
While the city of Waukesha had several food markets to choose from by the 1920's new immigrant communities from Italy and Mexico could not find the ingredients they needed to keep their food cultures alive. George DeQuardo, an Italian migrant himself, began selling groceries from his front porch, before constructing the building here in 1929 as The Strand Market. Three generations of the family including son Dominic DeQuardo, daughter Rose DeQuardo LaMere and his grandson Bill LaMere, operated the market through the early 1990's.
Joseph and Antonio Caracci immigrated to the United States from Frizzone Italy, eventually making their home here at 1220 the Strand. With increasing labor demand from area foundries, this neighborhood developed quickly from 1920-1940, the home here part of the Glasgow subdivision development.Each of the six Caracci sons served in WWII, with daughter Marie Louise dubbed the family secretary at home keeping track of her brothers movements overseas. After the war the home took on a new identity as the Caracci Tavern, operating under the family name until the late 1960's. It remains in operation as a local tavern today, with the interior space largely unchanged from the improvement made by the Caracci's when they first opened the business.
For nearly a century this corner has been an anchor point for new immigrant communities to the City of Waukesha. This property and building have been home to a number of taverns and restaurants through the generations and is well rembered as The Strand Tavern.Taking it's name from the street along one side of the corner, The Strand Tavern was first run by Italian Immigrants to the city of Waukesha, from the 1920's - 19##'s. By the ####'s the Hispanic population in the surrounding neighborhood had shifted the menu towards more Mexican and Puerto Rician inspired menu selections. The business is directly across the street from the former General Malleable (later International Harvester) one of the major industrial plants that attracted new immigrant laborers into the city during the 20th Century.
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Situated with two industrial sites on to the north and west, this neighborhood became a starting point for hundreds of new immigrants to the city of Waukesha in the early 20th century. Many of the homes and businesses within the street were developed and built for the new immigrant families. It is particularly well remembered as the centers for both the Italian and Hispanic immigrant communities.
