Property Record
101 W COOK ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | JOHNSON BLOCK; RHYME BUILDING; FIRST NATIONAL BANK; |
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| Other Name: | THE IMAGE |
| Contributing: | Yes |
| Reference Number: | 3624 |
| Location (Address): | 101 W COOK ST |
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| County: | Columbia |
| City: | Portage |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
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| Year Built: | 1893 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1992 |
| Historic Use: | small retail building |
| Architectural Style: | Italianate |
| Structural System: | Brick |
| Wall Material: | Cream Brick |
| Architect: | |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Portage Retail Historic District |
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| National Register Listing Date: | 4/27/1995 |
| State Register Listing Date: | 10/24/1994 |
| National Register Multiple Property Name: |
| Additional Information: | A 'site file' titled "Johnson Block" 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 Wisconsin Historical Society, Division of Historic Preservation-Public History. Heavily damaged by fire on 6/10/2012. Canted entrance with steel and glass door and oriel window with conical roof, rosettes, and other details; metal cornice; wall divided by pilasters; corbeling; metal window hoods with semi-circular lintel above; first floor windows covered with concrete or replaced with glass and steel. Heavy bracketed cornice. Dave Eulberg (1993) identifies this building as the old National Bank at the turn of the century and Frank Rhyme's drugstore for 40 or 50 years. Established with a capital of 75,000 dollars, the First National Bank received its charter from the United States Treasury in 1890. It served as a depository of Columbia County and the City of Portage. When first formed, the bank occupied the building replaced by the west portion of 108 W. Cook (57/34). Thomas Armstrong, Jr. served as its first president until 1892 when J. E. Wells replaced him and remained in that office until 1906. In 1893, the bank moved to 101 W. Cook (25/23) which was erected in that year. The First National Bank relocated to its current address at 102 W. Cook in the west third of the Phoenix Block (25/21) in 1907 (Columbia Co. Treasurer 1863- [1907]). In that year, the bank added the savings deposit to its services. In 1914, it joined the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. The First National Bank received a permanent charter in 1922 when the federal government extended national bank charters from every several years to 99 years. To survive the depression of the early 1930s, the bank sold a majority of its stock to the Wisconsin Banking Shares Corporation in 1930. Like other national banks, the First National Bank of Portage became a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in 1935. Major remodeling of the interior of the bank building at 102 W. Cook occurred in 1933, 1945, and 1954. Brick and concrete replaced the wood coping in 1934 (Portage Daily Register 9/26/1936). In 1963, the bank expanded west into 104 W. Cook, purchasing the former hardware store from the Wright estate. Remodeling of the building continued into 1965 (Portage Public Schools 1948-51 [1950]; Portage Daily Register 1966 [5/9: 10-11); First National Bank of Portage 1966; Jones 1914 [1]: 202). In April, 1861, A. J. Turner purchased the Portage City Record and the paper's quarters from Robert Wentworth and merged the paper with the Wisconsin State Journal established by S. S. Brannan in March, 1861. Published by Brannan and Turner and edited locally by Turner and Isreal Holmes, the Register presented its editorials from a Republican perspective. Holmes sold his interest in the paper in 1864. From about 1861 until 1880, the Wisconsin State Register was published on the second floor of the Pettibone Block at the northwest corner of DeWitt and Cook (Wisconsin State Register 1861 [1 1/2:1]). In 1878, Brannan and Turner sold as editor. In 1880, the Wisconsin State Register was published in the City Bank Block, the building 202 W. Cook replaced in 1929-1930 (57/8). S. S. Rockwood purchased Clark's interest in the paper in 1885. S. S. Rockwood and B. F. Goodell as the editor became owners of the Register in 1885. In addition to the weekly Register, they began printing the Portage Daily Register on the second floor and basement of 210 W. Cook (56/7) in 1886. The newspaper remained there through 1889 (Sanborn-Perris Map Co. 1889). In 1887, Rockwood incorporated the Register Printing Company and considerably enlarged the operation. To print the two newspapers and operate the new bank book and binding factory, the company added presses and type, equipment for folding, printing, stamping, and other equipment. The company then employed 22 operators. In 1891, Maurice Goodman purchased an interest in the Register Printing Company. J. H. Waggoner purchased the two newspapers in 1892 and edited them until 1894 when he sold it to Maurice Goodman. By 1894, the paper's offices occupied the second floor of 101 W. Cook. The Wisconsin State Register and Portage Daily Register remained under Goodman's management until Arthur A. Porter purchased them in 1908 and served as their editor. In February, 1908, he moved the offices of the paper to 309 DeWitt and completed a new, two story brick building in August, 1908 (25/8) (Portage Daily Register 1908 [2/20: 3/5]; 8/4: 3/1]). Offices then occupied the second floor and other businesses leased one side of the ground floor. The paper later expanded to occupy about three-quarters of the ground floor. The date of the founding of the Johnson Shoe Company is unknown. Purchasing the business of Olie Johnson known as the Johnson Shoe Store by 1908, James Dalton engaged in shoe business at Johnson Block after 1910. In 1911, he sold his business to Gustav Salem who operated in the rear of the same location for a year and then moved to 108 E. Cook, the site of the Taylor Clinic (57/32) (Jones 1914 [2]: 631; Register Democrat 4/23/1952; Portage Public Schools 1948-51 [1950]). Frank A. Rhyme purchased the drug company and store of Clifford Arnold in 1886. Arnold remained in Portage with Rhyme for a brief period following the purchase. Perhaps as early as 1890 (Wright 1890) and by 1908, the business had located at 114-116 W. Cook (57/33) in the Voertman Block. Frank A. Rhyme purchased the building constructed in 1893 at 101 W. Cook in 1914 from the John A. Johnson Estate and established his drug company at that location. Rhyme soon added the stucco and glass block exterior and included a fountain. William Rhyme, took over the Rhyme Drug Company at the death of Frank Rhyme in 1919. By the mid-1920's, the drugstore also included a lunch counter. Frank Rhyme took over the drug company from his father in 1950 and maintained the Rhyme Supply Company at the 101 Cook Street address. Rhyme Drugstore occupied 117 E. Cook (56/5) after 1955 (Portage Public Schools 1948-51 [1950]; Mohr 1952; Portage Daily Register 7/2/1952; 2/24/73; Register-Democrat 7/21/1951; 1/19/1919; 1/21/1919). Sanborn-Perris Map Co: 1929, 1918: drugs 1910: boots and shoes and pianos 1901: wallpaper and musical instruments (west), bank (east) 1894: grocer (west) and bank (east), printing (second) 1889, 1885: different building, grocer. Columbia Co. Treasurer 1863-: 1915-1930: Frank A. Rhyme 1900-1910: J. A. Johnson Estate 1890-1895: J. A. Johnson 1880, 1885: Morrison Bros. 1870, 1876: Mrs. A. Johnson Between 1891 and 1892, the value changes from 12,000 to 16,000. Additional sources indicate its construction in 1893. Directories: 1955: (101) Rhyme's Rexall Drug Store (Johnson Printing Co.) 1948: (101) same (Commonwealth Telephone Co.) 1937: Rhyme's Rexall Drug Store, cor. of W. Cook and DeWitt (same) 1929: (101-103) Rhyme building, Rhyme's Rexall, Ryco Photo service, dentists' offices on second floor (Smith-Baumann Directory Co.) 1917-18: (101-103) Columbia Co. Fair Association; Rhyme Building: Frank Rhyme, drugs and ice cream (Farrell). 1917-18, 1915-16, 1913-14, 1911-12: Rhyme, Frank A. drugs (R. L. Pol & Co.) 1911-12: Johnson Shoe Co. (R. L. Pol & Co.) but not 1913-14 1910: (101) Johnson (Ole) Shoe Co. (Voshardt) 1908-09: (101) Johnson, Ole Shoe Co. (S. H. Moore) 1905-06: no Johnson Shoe Co.; First National Bank, E. A. Gowran, cashier (R. L. Polk & Co.) between 1901 and 1905 in their current location. 1903-04, 1901-02, 1897-98, 1895-96, 1893-94: First National Bank with J. E. Wells, pres., E. A. Gowran, cashier, and T. P. Durkee, asst. cash. (R. L. Polk & Co.) |
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| Bibliographic References: | (A) Portage 1989 Landmarks Calendar. (B) Portage Daily Register 2/20/1908; 8/4/1908; 9/26/1936; 7/2/1952; 5/9/1966; 2/24/1973. (C) Wisconsin State Register 11/2/1861. (D) Register Democrat 1/19/1919; 1/21/1919; 7/21/1951; 4/23/1952. (E) Sanborn-Perris Map Co., 1889. (F) Jones 1914 (1: 202; 2:631). (G) First National Bank of Portage 1966. (H) Portage Public Schools 1948-51 (1950). (I) Wright 1890. (J) Mohr 1952. (K) Columbia County Treasurer 1863- (1907). Wisconsin State Journal 6/12/2012. Historic Portage, WI: Downtown & Waterfront Walking Tour, 1995. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |