My favorite 4th of July memories = Greendale, WI.

Greendale is the town/village I was born in. Suburb of Milwaukee. My father grew up here as well and his father helped to settle Greendale back in 1938. The 4th of July's I spent in Greendale were some of my most satisfying. Click on READ MORE! and join me as I relive a bit of my youth.
Above: Float building for the 4th, July 1944.

The "Greenbelt town" program originated as part of Franklin Roosevelt's New Deal, aiding the poor by hiring the unemployed to build the towns and then by providing housing for low-income families. It was an innovative and radical intervention in American city building. Three towns were constucted: Greenbelt, Maryland, outside of Washington, D.C.; Greendale, Wisconsin, outside of Milwaukee and Greenhills, Ohio, outside of Cincinnati.

For me, Greendale represents everything that is Norman Rockwell and Americana. It'a unique town and people visit from all over to experience the quaint, quiet life just outside of Milwaukee. When I move back to WI in late July, you'll more than likely find me spending a lot of time there.

Above: 4th of July band concert at the gazebo downtown (the Village) Greendale. My family has a brick laid in the floor of the gazebo to commemorate the Ircink's contributions to the town.

Above: Children gathering for the 4th of July parade in 1944. Our 4th of July celebrations centered around Uncle Jerry and Aunt Ruth's (Dad's sister) home - an "original" house from 1938. Barbecue, volleyball, playing near the woods and creek that runs along their backyard, lots of soda and beer drinking (when I was 18), and music. It wasn't unusual, at some point during the day, for Uncle Jerry and my mother to kick up their heels to some 50's tune playing on the record player. Uncle Jerry has since passed. I miss him - and my youth.

Above: Decorated children's floats for the 4th, 1944. Greendale has a wonderful parade and it everyone seemed to know everyone participating - either you knew a kid on a bike or you knew a veteran marching with the American Legion or you knew the Village President - for many years that was Bernie Schroedl, my dad's cousin's husband. Helluva guy, that Bernie. The town had a regular festival with rides, food and games...they'd dump a gigantic sand pile and hide change it for the kids to sift through. And for a few years, my Uncle Jerry owned an ice cream truck and my brother Jason, and Uncle Jerry's boys - Tom and Mike - would help sell cones. My cousin Mike just passed away unexpectedly a couple months ago. But if you asked him or Jas or Tom, they'd tell you the same thing. Good times.

Above: 1944's version of the Greendale 4th of July beer garden! There's a huge beer garden up near the high school. When I turned 18, I was finally able to imbibe (much to my mother's chagrin). Often it would get outta hand and it was difficult for my mother to get overly upset because on more than one occasion I was getting outta hand with friends of my Aunt Ruth's who were my mother's age.

Greendale today, with the village hall in the background - a replica of the town hall in Philadelphia. If I had to pick one place to live in Wisconsin, Greendale would be that place.