I’m still working on several larger Clark House Historian projects, but I still have time to share a few Random Bits O’ History with you…

More Fun with Fraktur

You may remember our recent post, William Opitz – real estate agent (1855), in which we noted the start of a new business venture—a “Land Agency”—by one of Mequon’s earliest and most influential German settlers, Wilhelm Ferdinand “William F.” Opitz (1813 or 1816 – 1882). Well, I found a companion advertisement from W. F. Opitz, published on page 2 of the Milwaukee Banner und Volksfreund on May 18, 1855:

What’s it say? Read on, for all the details…

Transcription

This copy of the ad is hard to read; the microfilm image is fuzzy, and the original ad was printed the traditional Fraktur font. Here’s a transcription for easier reading:

Gasthaus zu verkaufen

Ich bin Willens, mein Gasthaus, Stattung, so wie einen Acker Land zu verkaufen. In dem Hause ist seit den letzten 12 Jahren eine gut rentirende Wirthschaft betrieben worden. Näheres in der Expedition d. Bl. oder bei mir selbst.

Mai 9, ’55 1Mtt     W. Opitz
in Mequon, 12 Meilen von Milwaukie,
an der Fond du Lac Plankroad

Note that this ad pre-dates Opitz’s “Land Agency” announcement by several weeks, and pre-dates his founding of the Mequon Brewery with partner (and brother-in-law) Adolph Zimmerman by almost two years.

Translation

And here’s the English translation.

Inn for Sale

I am willing to sell my inn, its furnishings, as well as a field of land. For the past 12 years, a highly profitable business has been operated in this building. Further details are available at the offices of this newspaper or from me personally.

May 9, ’55  W. Opitz
in Mequon, 12 miles from Milwaukee,
on the Fond du Lac Plank Road

What’s in a name?

One interesting note in Opitz’s ad is the reference to the road from Milwaukee to Mequon, Cedarburg, and beyond. Opitz’s Gasthaus was on the old Native American trail from Chicago to Milwaukee to Green Bay which, in the early days of white settlement, was known as the Green Bay Trail. In the late-1830s this trail was widened and grubbed out for wagon travel and was usually called the Green Bay Road. By the time Opitz’s ad appeared in 1855, the Green Bay Road, from Milwaukee northward, had been re-surfaced with oak planks and transformed into a (relatively) smooth toll road, and was known as “the Fond du Lac Plank Road.”

This little ad suggests that by early May, 1855, the under-construction Milwaukee to Fond du Lac Plank Road was making good progress, and was already planked at least as far as Opitz’s Gasthaus in Mequon, “12 miles from Milwaukee.” And as it does today, just a mile or so north of the Opitz place in Thiensville, the Plank Road divided from the Green Bay Road. The Plank Road—in modern times known as the Cedarburg Road—continued north, past the Jonathan Clark house, to Cedarburg and Fond du Lac. And the Green Bay Road, as it does today, made a slight jog to the east, before resuming its northward path to Hamilton, Grafton and, eventually, Green Bay.

For those of you keeping track of such things, the Opitz Gasthaus for sale in 1855 was also the Opitz family home. It was also identical with the “Opitz Tavern,” the site of the lively, all-night, German-led celebration of the appointment of Edward H. Janssen as Mequon’s first school teacher; see our post Back to School! 1839 for all the festive details.

And in the full disclosure department: my German skills these days are “rusty” at best, so I’ve also made use of Google Translate for assistance with my translations. For all you fluent German speakers, do let me know if I have erred, and I’ll make corrections.

CHH Index update

Another Random Bit O’ History for y’all: I spent some time updating the CCH blog INDEX yesterday. This is in addition to the updates I mentioned earlier this month. If you click the INDEX link you’ll find the following subjects have been added or updated, as of March 22, 2026:

• CABINS & SHANTIES is now LOG CABINS & SHANTIES
• CLARK HOUSE HISTORIAN BLOG
• CLARK, Caroline Mary (later Mrs. C. M. WOODWARD)
• CLARK HOUSE (history of)
• CLARK, Jonathan M. & Mary (Turck)
• DOYLE family
• ERRATA
• GERMANS & GERMANY
• GERMAN LANGUAGE
• IRISH & IRELAND
• LOG CABINS & SHANTIES
• MAXON, Densmore W.
• MILITARY ROAD
• OPITZ, William
• PLANK ROAD
• ROADS & ROAD BUILDING
• TEMPERANCE & W.C.T.U.
• TURCK, Elizabeth

I hope you find the still always-under-construction CHH Index useful. As I make these updates, I am reminded about many of the topics that we’ve already covered here on Clark House Historian, and some of the many maps, photos, and other illustrations that are available on the blog for the enjoyment and use of all you history lovers out there.

Happy browsing, and I’ll be back soon with more Clark House History.