Nelson's Popcorn Wagon – Children's Destination
Built in 1916, Nelson's popcorn wagon was parked on the intersection of Belleview Place and Downer Avenue until 2007. As one of the oldest popcorn wagons in the United States, it was noted as a "contributing structure" in the district's local designation report (2001). However, the removal of the wagon was approved by the Milwaukee Preservation Commission to make way for the construction of a five-storied parking garage. The popcorn wagon remains in people's memory.
What people think of Nelson's Popcorn Wagon
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Architectural Change – Response to Health and Economic Issues
The Wagon
The wagon was portable and equipped with a steam-powered machine. At some point, it got permanently anchored to a concrete foundation and the popcorn machine was replaced by an electric-powered one. |
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The Context
The corner lot on Belleview Place and Downer Avenue had been a surface parking lot since 1915, even after being acquired by the City of Milwaukee in 1963. The popcorn wagon operated at the corner of the parking lot for more than nine decades. Christmas trees used to be sold in the parking lot, too.
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In 2007, a four-storied parking garage was built on the parking lot site. The garage was planned to serve the medical offices across N. Downer Ave. The lease of the wagon spot was bought out upon this construction. The wagon was donated to the Urban Playground Foundation (UPF) and stored in their storage in New Berlin in 2010, when Jenna Kashou featured “the lost wagon” in Milwaukee Magazine. The founder of UPF was willing to give it away because he thought that it would be difficult to use the wagon due to health and financial issues.
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- City of Milwaukee Historic Preservation Commission, "Final Historic Designation Study Report: North Downer Avenue Commercial District" (Milwaukee: Historic Preservation Commission, 2001), 3, 5–6, 11.
- Margaret Howland, interview by Daniel Cho and Yuko Nakamura, Milwaukee, June 19, 2013.
- Jenna Kashou, "The Lost Wagon," Milwaukee Magazine January 2010, 22.
- Nik Kovac, interview by John Annis and Chelsea Wait, Milwaukee, June 21, 2013.
- Rinka Chung Architecture, "Downer Avenue Mulkern's Building Addition and Renovation," (Milwaukee: Historic Preservation Commission, 2009), 43.
- Thelma "Queen Tillie" Kamuchey, Jim Hanley, Fractured Tales of Milwaukee's Eastside : A True Story about the Germans, the Poles, the Irish, the Jews, the Italians and the Greeks (Bloomington: Author House, 2010), 112.
- Tricia McCarter-Joseph, "1916 Popcorn Wagon," National Trust for Historic Preservation, published January 15, 2010.
More Place-Based Stories
Go back to the map of the places. Or choose one from the list below.
Sendik's | Downer Hardware | Mulkern's Garage | Coffee Trader | Downer Theatre | St. Mark's | Downer Garage