About Us

Mission

The Bay View Historical Society encourages a sense of community by conserving, celebrating and sharing Bay View’s rich heritage.

Vision

The Bay View Historical Society will serve as a portal to, and archive for, celebrating Bay View’s history and promise for the future.

Bay View Historical Society Background

The Bay View Historical Society began when two neighbors, Paul Kohlbeck and Audrey Quinsey, had a chance meeting in an alley near their homes in Bay View. They discussed the idea of establishing a neighborhood historical society. Along with other neighbors, they distributed notices and conducted their first meeting early in 1979 at the former Llewellyn Library. Approximately forty people were in attendance at this meeting and the Bay View Historical Society was born.

A steering committee was established and meetings were held at the homes of interested Bay Viewites. The steering committee applied for affiliation with the Wisconsin State Historical Society, established membership procedures, elected a board of directors and began the process of incorporation.

The Society’s charter meeting was held at the Humboldt Park Pavilion in the fall of 1979. More than 200 people attended. The new board and its officers were introduced and the Society’s, objectives—To gather, preserve, disseminate artifacts and information relating to the Bay View area—was presented to it’s members.

The Bay View Historical Society is managed by an elected Board of Directors with officers and committees carrying out a variety of programs and projects.

The society focuses on activities that share Bay View’s history by providing historical information and educational programs to the community. Some examples include:

• The popular Historic Lecture Series
• An Outreach Program that takes the society on the road to various Community Events
• Video Production of Historic Events, Lectures and Oral Histories
• An informative Web Site that includes a Digital Library Link
• The development and publication of Historic Neighborhood Walking Tours and Brochures
• Road Trips to historical points of interest
• Publication of The Historian, our bi-monthly newsletter
• Designation of Historic Bay View Landmarks
• An Archives and Research Collection located at our headquarters that is available to history buffs, academics and members in the community seeking information about Bay View’s past

The original forty people who attended the first meeting at the former Llewellyn Library has grown to nearly 500 members and the Society currently enjoys the status as one of the few neighborhood Historical Societies in the state.

The Society conducts five historic programs annually. Our newsletter, The Bay View Historian, is published bimonthly.

Beulah Brinton Historic House

The Beulah Brinton House is located at 2590 S. Superior Street in the Bay View neighborhood. The Beulah Brinton House is significant for both its history as well as its architecture.

Who Was Beulah Brinton?

Beulah Brinton was an admired and important figure in Bay View’s early history. In the 1870’s new immigrant workers  flocked to Bay View in order to work at the Bay View Rolling Mill. Speaking no English they were sometimes  were homesick and in need of recreation and a community.  Beulah Brinton welcomed the workers and their families into her home, where she would teach them how to read, perform  valuable skills and celebrate their culture.   Her own book collection (over 300 in number) became the first library in Bay View.  Beulah’s efforts pre-date those of the Hull House in Chicago, however she has been compared to that of Jane Addams and her work with the Hull House.

Membership is open to anyone who is interested in supporting our programs and projects. Annual dues are:

• $20 Individual/$17 Senior Individual (Age 65+)
• $30 Household/$25 Senior Household (Age 65+)
• $30 Nonprofit/Small Business
• $55 Corporate

You are invited to become a member and enjoy our various projects, programs and events. For additional information go to the
Contact Us page, print off the form, fill it out and send your request and payment to the address listed on the form.

Bay View Historical Society Officers and Board of Directors