Father McGee

Father McGee published his book in 1950. I was born in 1950. As a child I grew up on the bluffs overlooking downtown. I played downtown every chance I got. There were many buildings still standing that had been built in the 1830's, 1840's, 1850's until the tear-down 1960's arrived. It seemed to be a contest over who could tear down the most beautiful, magnificent, significant buildings the fastest without any regard to anyone. The public fought both the City Commission and the Board of Education as the City destroyed commercial buildings (my dad was forced to move his business twice until he gave up on downtown all together) while the Board of Education destroyed homes. As long as the City Commission implemented their ideas one ward at a time they got away with it. When the public learned that they lied when they told they public they would seriously consider saving City Hall if the public could present a plan only to have a secret vote the night before to tear down City Hall regardless of any plan, the City-wide public voted every incumbent out of office in the primary election for the Board of Ed resulting in the creation of Heritage Hill.

Now Butterworth Hospital is destroying what was left. How long before the last edifice, Immanuel Lutheran, now vacant, is torn down? The best I can do is record the information but not as well as Reynold Weidenaar. who etched  many churches., mostly Italian.