425 LAKE AVE | Property Record | Wisconsin Historical Society

Property Record

425 LAKE AVE

Architecture and History Inventory
425 LAKE AVE | Property Record | Wisconsin Historical Society
NAMES
Historic Name:M.M. Secor Trunk Co./Northwestern Trunk & Traveling B
Other Name:George Morris Co.
Contributing:
Reference Number:11014
PROPERTY LOCATION
Location (Address):425 LAKE AVE
County:Racine
City:Racine
Township/Village:
Unincorporated Community:
Town:
Range:
Direction:
Section:
Quarter Section:
Quarter/Quarter Section:
PROPERTY FEATURES
Year Built:1887
Additions:
Survey Date:1980
Historic Use:industrial building
Architectural Style:Astylistic Utilitarian Building
Structural System:
Wall Material:Brick
Architect:
Other Buildings On Site:
Demolished?:Yes
Demolished Date:1987
NATIONAL AND STATE REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
National/State Register Listing Name:Not listed
National Register Listing Date:
State Register Listing Date:
NOTES
Additional Information:A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the State Historical Society, Division of Historic Preservation. UNUSUAL BRACKETS AT EAVESBRICK SILLS AND SEGMENTAL ARCH LINTELS. DOE 9/20/79. EIS 005-79. Demolished summer 1987. The M.M. Secor Trunk Co., later renamed the Northwestern Trunk and Traveling Bag Manufacturing Co., was one of the largest trunk and traveling bag manufacturers in the Midwest during the late 19th and early 20th century. Martin Mathias (1841-1911), a Bohemian immigrant, founded the company in 1861, and made a point of hiring Bohemian immigrants, many of whom came specifically to work for Secor. Secor pioneered high wages, unionized his workers, and gave paid vacations. He was elected mayor of Racine in 1884 and 1888, ran for mayor unsuccessfully three times and served as school commissioner from 1870-1874. Secor was very colorful and eccentric, as well as being a major industrialist and political figure.
Bibliographic References:1887 insurance map. Portrait and Biographical Album of Racine County, Wisconsin. Chicago: Lake City Publishing Company, 1892, pp. 273-274.
RECORD LOCATION
Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin

Have Questions?

If you didn't find the record you were looking for, or have other questions about historic preservation, please email us and we can help:

If you have an update, correction, or addition to a record, please include this in your message:

  • AHI number
  • Information to be added or changed
  • Source information

Note: When providing a historical fact, such as the story of a historic event or the name of an architect, be sure to list your sources. We will only create or update a property record if we can verify a submission is factual and accurate.

How to Cite

For the purposes of a bibliography entry or footnote, follow this model:

Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory Citation
Wisconsin Historical Society, Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, "Historic Name", "Town", "County", "State", "Reference Number".