Lost Buildings | Historic Stevens Point

This timeline is a work in progress. It is the initial first step in the process to create an article on what is known on the notorious Amelia Berg over the course of her time in Stevens Point, expounding on Wendell Nelson's previous work. We found Amelia's story so sensational that we could not help but share our progress with you. Mrs. Berg has already proven to be an interesting character of Stevens Point's past, but honestly, the story is just getting started. Please enjoy this next selection of our timeline on the life and literal trials of Madame Extraordinaire, Amelia Berg.

The Grand Central Hotel, Ole Berg’s Saloon can be seen on the left. Amelia’s brothel was just behind it, hidden by the hotel in this photo.

1901 Arrested AGAIN!

1901-02 Directory, Ole Berg, Saloon 126 Clark, Res 115 S First, also listed under saloons

May 17, 1901 Amelia Berg arrested again for keeping a disorderly house on First Street, complaint made by M Cassidy, owner of the hotel across the street, specific dates April 23 and 25. Berg said she’d needed to call to Chicago for a lawyer, bond set at $200. Case will be “prosecuted under the city ordinances and the penalty for the offense is a fine not less than $50 nor more than $100, or imprisonment not less than thirty nor more than ninety days.”

May 1901 Guilty! CD McFarland for the defense. Fined, but she appealed and was bonded in the sum of $250 to appear at her next court date, Andrew Geodal and Ole Berg were her sureties

June 7 1901, Arson at Mrs Hannah Booth’s property, saloon, house, barn, bowling alley, multiple out buildings, “both sides of Church street burn at McDill. Miss Daisy Clark mentioned as occupant of house.

June 18 1901 M Cassidy, owner of hotel across the street, protests Ole Berg’s license

June 19, 1901, write up mentions concealed passage to brothel from saloon and previous conviction, “The place kept by Mrs. Berg has long been a stench…ought not to be permitted longer to brazenly defy the moral sentiment of the community.”

July 1901 official protest published in Stevens Point Daily Journal by Cassidy

July 2 1901 License denied! Map used in court to show connection of establishments, in a twist JH Brennan represented M Cassidy. Brennan identifies Mrs Berg as sole owner and proprietor and that she and Ole Berg occupy the property. McFarland argued that no one could prove that any other females were in the Berg house and that Cassidy wanted the Berg property so he could build a new stable for his hotel.

Nov 13 1901 SPJ City of Stevens Point vs Amelia Berg, appeal from May

Nov 21 1901 Asphyxiation reported at notorious resort of Berg, apparently one of the girls tried to kill herself and her lover with gas poisoning. On Nov 27 when she was brought to court, she denied the attempted murder instead saying that it was an accident that the gas jet was left open. She was allowed to go home to return the next day, but instead skipped town.

Nov 22 1901 previous Amelia Berg case continued, bond of $500 set, this was the appeal from May, “she was not able to secure the attendance of important witnesses”

Dec 9, 1901 Police raid on South First Street again, Ameila Berg, Cora Edwards, Gladys Russell and Daisy Clark arrested. $100 each bail

1902 On the Move!

Jan 20 1902 reported that Amelia Berg raided on Bliss avenue, “last Saturday night,” two other inmates, pleaded not guilty

Jan 21 1902 Berg found guilty, 237 Bliss ave, Anne Christianson and Gladys (Lillian?) Russell, $50 bond

Fall 1902 Amelia moved to Church Street on the south side

Shekell’s Addition where Amelia moved in1902,
Sanborn Map circa 1904

1903 State Charges! The gig is up!

1903-1904 Directory Lists “Ole Berg, saloon 126 Clark, res same; Mrs Ole Berg, res w.s. Church in. limits.” This is the only time she was mentioned in the directories.

July 9 1903 Amelia Berg arrested, disorderly house, Daisy Clark, Lillian Russell and Dolly Miller, Church Street, house of ill fame, $100 bond, Charges dropped for Berg then she was arrested again before leaving the room, charged with State offense, neighbors annoyed with her since she “became a resident of that part of the city sometime last fall (fall 1902)” A patron of Berg’s knocked on Alderman Dwinell’s door, he kicked the stranger off his porch, four other men were with him, got physical with them and they ran away.

July 29/30 1903 Change of venue for hearings, Wood County, bail set at $1000 initially, sixth time A Berg has been prosecuted for the same charge, first time for a state violation, objections to the form of the bond and the sureties, defendant in custody of the sheriff.

Oct 1903 A Berg accused of drugging and kidnapping 16 year St Pt girl, Bessie Eggleston, Dolly Miller mentioned, house in woods mentioned, back roads chase. This is mentioned in the Grand Rapids, Appleton, and Oshkosh newspapers, but NOT the Stevens Point papers. Have found no other documentation on this yet. Portage County legal records mention an underage girl who worked for Amelia and was sent to an institution for girls in Milwaukee. It is unknown if this was the same girl or another at this time.

Watch for the final part of our abridged timeline on the ever sensational life of the industrious notorious Mrs. Amelia Berg

A favorite historic focal point for many small idyllic Wisconsin towns is their Carnegie Library. During the early years of the 20^th century 63 free public libraries were built throughout Wisconsin using funding from Andrew Carnegie. Few remain in use a libraries today, but many have been preserved and are often museums or historical society headquarters. Sadly at least 14 been razed. Locals may not realize that Stevens Point once had its own Carnegie library downtown since the land is now a blacktopped commercial driveway and nothing remains to signify it ever existed. As with several other of Stevens Point’s prominent historic buildings, the public library met the fate of the wrecking ball through poor planning and decision making over 50 years ago.

The history of the public library in Stevens Point reaches as far back as 1853 when the editor of the only newspaper in town at the time, The Wisconsin Pineries, made a call out for a lending library on the front page of the paper. By the late 1860s a Library Association, founded from early reading circles, began to hold dances, dinners, and bake sales to fund the city’s growing need for reading materials. One of the earliest public lending libraries was kept inside the White School which was located on the corner of Arlington Place and Water Street, where the Lincoln Center stands today.

Old White School circa 1908, UWSP Archives

In 1874 the association had raised enough money to rent a room above HD McCulloch’s Drug Store on the corner of Main and 3^rd Streets. This was the first set of rooms devoted solely to the purpose of a public lending library furnished with proper shelving and space for patrons to sit and enjoy the books they could borrow.

However, book borrowing came at a cost. Only those that could afford the $3 yearly fee, could enjoy borrowing privileges. With an average yearly income of around $400 for laborers in the lumber and paper industries in Wisconsin, library membership might not have been a priority, but the need was certainly still there. Later, in 1885, after a free library reading room was set up in a local ice cream shop, the Library Association dropped the fee to more reasonable $1 a year which would be $30.64 today.

As the library collection grew and reading popularity continued, space became limited, and the books were moved to the high school building on corner of Clark and Church Street in 1887. Tragically half of the collection was destroyed when the building caught fire on a cold night in February of 1892. The remainder were salvaged and stored for a bit, before finding new shelves again.

Fannie Carlin appointed as librarian. Feb 23, 1897, Stevens Point Daily Journal

After the fire the collection found its way to new shelving above the popular Taylor’s Drugstore on Strongs Avenue. Well known by locals, the space was eventually acknowledged as the public library and listed in the 1901 city directory as the Public Library with Librarian Catlin at their service. Officially known as the city’s first paid librarian, Miss Frances Catlin, called Fanny, was paid $16 monthly to manage the library. When Fanny left the position in 1898, her sister Molly took her place, and Mrs. Mary Dunegan joined as Assistant Librarian.

Courtesy of the Stevens Point Daily Journal

Miss Catlin and Mrs. Dunegan not only ran the small city library above Taylor’s, but also traveled across Portage County to rural communities setting up “Traveling Libraries” which consisted of small book collections. The pair placed the small collections of books in homes or businesses for a period allowing locals to browse and borrow easily without having to come to Stevens Point to use the main library. Even with the traveling libraries and the new home above the drugstore, Stevens Point still had a great need for a dedicated free public library building.