History about the Washington Park Zoo, in Milwaukee, WI
Washington Park Zoo has left nary a trace - On Milwaukee
Monday, July 30, 2012
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A Blog designed for discussion of topics related to, but not limited to, Circus, Zoos, Animal Training, and Animal Welfare/Husbandry. Sometimes opening up the dialog is the best starting point of all. And if for nothing else when people who agree and don't agree, get together and start discussing it, it will open up a lot of peoples minds. Debate and discussion even amongst themselves opens a window where there wasn't one before.
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4 comments:
I was raised on this zoo. Thanks for the nice history. Dennis
Dennis,
How so? Meaning you grew up near it and went often, or you grew up on the grounds? I'd be interested in hearing what you recall.
Wade
Every time my parents went from Northern Wi. to Milwaukee to see my grandmother, I would pester them until I wore them down and they took me to the Washington Park Zoo.
I was there also during the last days before it closed for good. I remember I roamed the place, unchallenged. In the lion house, now devoid of cats,a cassawary in one of the cat cages let out a bloodcurtling scream. The now, otherwise empty building echoed the sound. In one building, I forget which, I dared to go in the basement. For someone always interested in wild animals it was a candy store for me. Lots of crates littered the place with exotic name tags and addresses on them. Transport boxes no doubt for all kinds of animals. Mounted heads of a polar bear and buffalo were still hanging on the walls.
I contemplated taking one, not wanting them destroyed by a wrecking ball, but decided not to.
Around 1960 I took the civil servant exam for zoo keeper. Over two hundred took the test. I came out 55. I watched the new Milw.Co. zoo take shape. As they hired more keepers I was hopeful.
And then the exam list
expired and I gave up on zoo keeping. The test was heavy with bird questions that I knew little about. Thus, the low score.
I did meet with George Speigel a few times, the director in the early 60's. If I had gotten a job I would have missed all the fun with Carson & Barnes.
Dennis,
Great stuff, thank you for sharing. Although the Dakota and Minot Zoo's were not as grand, I am familiar with "working" parent's to get a trip to the zoo. :)
Wade
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