Photograph
Repaving & Widening Preparations for Washington Street
| View down sidewalk along Washington Street facing east. Excavation is going on between S. 8th and S. 9th Streets. A crew is mixing concrete and doing work beneath the sidewalk. On the left, a man is standing in front of Jensen's, a women's apparel store, at 820 Washington Street. The Belle Shoppe, another women's store, is further down the block. Rahr Malting Co. and the Colonial Inn are in the background. Before repaving could begin, underground work included lowering and enlarging sewer and water mains, putting in laterals, gas pipes, conduits for new street and traffic lights and rebuilding the sidewalk basements where they would project into the widened street. Old streetcar rails, extending east from the 13th Street intersection, had been covered up for many years. They were torn up and sawed into lengths to be taken to junk yards. The old paving bricks that weren't broken by the power shovel were carted off to be saved for the city's future building needs. The Washington Street improvement project ran from S. 8th to S. 15th Street, replacing the old brick and asphalt surface with a concrete street slab. The previous 50 foot width was increased to 56 feet by removing 3 feet of sidewalk width from both sides of the street. Widening allowed for four lanes of traffic plus room for parallel parking on each side. The City of Manitowoc paid for the preparations and finishing work; new walks and entrances to properties. The $150,000 paving job was paid for out of state and federal funds because Washington Street was part of a connecting link between state and federal highways through the city. The original plan included S. 7th to S. 8th, as well. However, Hwy. 10 was rerouted south on S. 8th from the Washington Street intersection. The block was not eligible for funding and was not repaved. |
| Image ID: | 135105 |
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| Creation Date: | 1948 |
| Creator Name: | Glander Art Studio, 1908-1954 |
| City: | Manitowoc |
| County: | Manitowoc |
| State: | Wisconsin |
| Collection Name: | Glander Art Studio photographs and miscellaneous records, 1890-1972 |
| Genre: | Photograph |
| Original Format Type: | photographic print, b&w |
| Original Format Number: | M2003-001.18 |
| Original Dimensions: | 9.5 x 7 inches |
| See also Image ID: 135281 "Manitowoc Herald-Times," 1948-'49 |
| This image is issued by the Wisconsin Historical Society. Use of the image requires written permission from the staff of the Collections Division. It may not be sold or redistributed, copied or distributed as a photograph, electronic file, or any other media. The image should not be significantly altered through conventional or electronic means. Images altered beyond standard cropping and resizing require further negotiation with a staff member. The user is responsible for all issues of copyright. Please Credit: Wisconsin Historical Society. |
| Location: | Wisconsin Historical Society Archives, 4th Floor, Madison, Wisconsin |
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