Ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit! And welcome to Oktoberfest season here in Wisconsin and WHAT! day. In a city with a multitude of breweries, a beer garden just seems right. And that is where we are headed today – the corner of Grand and Thomas to what is now known as Hammond Park. But it has had many names through the years. But it was always a recreational space.
This piece of land lies next to where the George Ruder Brewery was in the 1860s. George used it as a recreational space for the brewery employees. It was then known as, not surprisingly, Brewery Park. It was renamed to Columbia Park at some point. The building included a bowling alley even.
In the 1870s the space was purchased by Frank Schubert, and his band was known to play there for dances on a regular basis. He also renamed the park area to Schubert’s Park.
In 1890 the park and building was purchased by George Schmidt. He renamed it Grand Avenue Park.
The hall burned in 1892 and it was replaced by a log structure. By 1893 it was no longer owned by Schmidt.
By 1898 the building on the site was was called Columbia Theater ans included a beer garden This building burned in 1907.
And a final 2 story building was built. Thyis building had a cooper shop and pitch shop, bottling department, and offices. It had a capaxiyu of 100 barrels a day
In 1923 Sue Hammond Rea purchased the property. She worked with architect Charles H. Ramsdell to create the landscaping as well as adding the bandstand, , drinking fountain, and grotto in about 1928. All of these were created with local fieldstone. At one time there was also a fence along the road to keep citizens safe.
The park is named after Wausau lumbering pioneer, and Rea’s father, Benjamin Franklin Hammond.
It is said that Ingwal. S. Horgen, who would later become the Wausau and Marathon County Parks Superintendent, was a protege of Ramsdell at the time time the park was designed, and was given great freedom in assisting with the design work.
In 1925, Rea also donated the Boy with the Leaking Boot statue that was in the park for many years. After being vandalized it was boxed up for storage. But in 1977 it was reinstalled, only to be removed once again six years later to be placed in the entrance of Wausau Center Mall. Today the statue is once again in storage, awaiting placement near the new Foundry construction which sits where the mall once was.
