George Short and George Hummel’s Tavern aka Taylor’s Hotel aka Olde Templeton
Fred Keller found that George Short and George Hummel built the first small tavern which was to become the Taylor Hotel and later on the Berger Olde Templeton Inn.
Closing Out Sale
Templeton, Wis., March 9, 1889.
On account of the death of my son, the late George A. Short, it is desirable to close up the mercantile business in which he was engaged. The entire stock will be closed out at a reduced rate. Susie E. Short, his partner in business, will pay all obligations and collect all accounts. As we wish to finish up all business as soon as possible, persons indebted will please settle at their earliest convenience.
M. H. Short
Source: Waukesha Freeman April 4, 1889, page 4 of 8
May 25, 1986 – Steve and Denice Berger celebrated their 10th wedding anniversary at Olde Templeton Inn.
June 8, 1986 – A passing truck snagged an overhead electrical line on Main Street shutting down Olde Templeton Inn and cancelling the Friday fish fry
Templeton Inn a cozy respite from winter
Milwaukee Sentinel – Friday, December 6, 1991
Author: Mary O’Hara Stacy Donald Stacy
“Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother’s house we go,” the song goes. And it’s an appropriate sentiment during the holiday season. But if a visit to Grandma’s isn’t in the plans, dinner at one of the Milwaukee area’s numerous family-run tavern -style restaurants can offer a comfortable facsimile on chilly winter days.
We stopped in for an early dinner at Berger’s Templeton Inn in Sussex after a Saturday afternoon of shopping. The inn offered a cozy respite from a sudden snowstorm with a nice selection of reasonably priced appetizers, sandwiches and entrees.
The Templeton Inn is named for the village that was incorporated just east of Sussex in 1924. Originally called Taylor’s Hotel when it was built in the late 19th century, the large two-story structure was a whistle- stop for the nearby railroad line in what is now Sussex . It has been frequently remodeled, most recently when the Berger family purchased it in 1976.
The inn retains the high ceilings and rustic charm of its earlier days, with several dining rooms (including a no-smoking room) and a separate bar. Decor is simple, with swag lamps, vinyl table coverings and linen napkins. Dried flower arrangements and grapevine wreaths decorate the pastel walls.
Although a separate menu listed several specials for the evening, including prime rib, we ordered from the regular menu, which offered a selection of traditional appetizers, salads, sandwiches and beef, seafood and poultry entrees. Donald chose Chardonnay (Sebastiano, $2) from the bar’s limited wine list, and I had a bottle of Chippewa mineral water ($1.25).
Donald: The Templeton Inn’s appetizers tend to be fairly standard offerings: onion rings, battered mushrooms and the like. We opted for the potato skins ($3.95), which tasted very fresh and were perfectly done. The appetizer was a generous serving of nine skins, each about the size of a quarter of a potato. Topped with melted American cheese and crumbled bacon, the skins were hot and crispy and quite good dipped in the sour cream that was served on the side.
Mary: Although main courses at the Templeton Inn include potato or rice, rolls and coleslaw, I ordered a dinner salad ($1.75) in addition to my entree. The salad was made with crisp iceberg lettuce, a cucumber slice, tomato wedge and sliced mushrooms. Unfortunately, the tomato wedge had taken on the winter pallor of an unripe hothouse variety and the mushrooms had not been thoroughly scrubbed. The pepper Parmesan dressing came close to making up for the lackluster salad. It was deliciously rich-tasting with a nice peppery bite.
Donald: A cup of navy bean soup ($1.35), the homemade soup of the day, was served steaming hot with a packet of crackers. Based on a commercially prepared beef broth, the hearty soup had bits of ham, celery and carrots and a generous helping of navy beans. It wasn’t the typical starchy offering. It tasted great. A bowl of fresh coleslaw and a basket of warm Vienna rolls were brought to the table with the soup. Service throughout dinner was well above average knowledgeable, friendly and prompt without seeming rushed.
Mary: The coleslaw was made with coarsely cut red and green cabbage and shredded carrots in a mild mayonnaise dressing with celery seeds. We appreciated the fact that the ingredients could be seen and tasted without being flooded with dressing like the chalky “soup” that some restaurants serve as coleslaw. The Vienna rolls looked like sandwich rolls, but they were light and hot and almost melted in our mouths. Baked on the premises, they tasted as if they had just come out of the oven.
Donald: The menu calls the Templeton Inn’s barbecued pork back ribs “the best in the house,” so I tried the “Big Porker” ($9.95). True to its name, this was a very large serving of pork ribs, and I could barely finish it. I can’t imagine finishing the next larger portion “The Boss Hog” but it’s something to aspire to.
The ribs were meaty and flavorful and had been slow-roasted in the Templeton’s roaster until the meat nearly fell off the bone. True, these ribs were not slowly baked over hardwood chips in a specially designed oven. That process, so popular now in the newer rib restaurants, produces a different tasting rib
drier and much chewier. Still, the ribs at the Templeton were quite satisfying when slathered with Chef Stanley Larson’s thick homemade barbecue sauce.
The menu had indulged in hyperbole by calling this sauce the best in Wisconsin. While it was good, I would have preferred a tangier flavor to complement the taste of the pork. A nicely baked potato, with a side cup of sour cream, was served with the ribs.
Mary: The Chicken Monterey ($7.95) was a large, boneless chicken breast that had been lightly grilled and then covered with Monterey Jack cheese mixed with chopped green chilies and baked until the cheese melted. The chilies gave the chicken breast a little zip and the combination of flavors made this a nice change of pace. I tried the inn’s hash-browned potatoes, which were crisp and tasted homemade.
Donald: Our server recited the evening’s dessert offerings (all homemade) and we couldn’t resist the Hershey Bar Pie ($1.75). The kitchen was nice enough to split the dessert for us, and we were each served a good-sized slice topped with a maraschino cherry. The pie was made with a dark chocolate cookie crust filled with a frozen mixture of whipped cream, Amaretto and chocolate, topped with Hershey chocolate shavings. It was a deceptively light-tasting dessert that went well with the Templeton’s good coffee.
Mary: For me, the pie was slightly disappointing. After our server’s description, I had expected a creamier and richer dessert. It was refreshing though, and the portion was generous.
Donald: I’ve dined here for lunch and each time I’ve been impressed with the consistent quality of the food and service. While it isn’t the place for cutting-edge cuisine, Berger’s Templeton Inn offers great value with its straightforward menu and downright good food. And it’s a place where $20 can still buy a good dinner for two.
BERGER’S TEMPLETON INN. N63-W23197 Main St., Sussex . Phone, 246-6123. ** 1/2
Atmosphere: Country tavern .
Service: Excellent.
Price range: Inexpensive to moderate. Appetizers, $1.35 to $5.50; entrees, $6.95 to $16.95 (for a 24-ounce prime rib or steak); sandwiches, $3.95 to $6.95.
Hours and miscellany: Lunch, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday; dinner, 4:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 4:30 to 10 p.m. Friday and 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday. No- smoking room. Wheelchair accessible. Parking available. MasterCard, VISA and American Express accepted. Reservations suggested although not accepted on Friday evenings.
The Milwaukee Sentinel’s restaurant rating system: No stars
not recommended; * satisfactory; ** good; *** excellent; **** superb.
Food, service, value make this inn a winner
The Milwaukee Journal – Thursday, February 18, 1993
SOMETIMES KNOWING what to order at a restaurant is as important as knowing about the restaurant in the first place.
It was Saturday night at Berger’s Templeton Inn in Sussex and the menu announced prime rib as the $9.95 Saturday night special. (The normal price for a 12-ounce cut is $10.95.) We decided to try it, along with a shrimp extravaganza plate ($9.95).
But as we sat at our table, we didn’t notice the waitresses delivering slices of prime rib. Instead, 6 of every 10 diners seemed to have ordered the 10-ounce tenderloin filet ($9.95)
On my second dinner visit to the Templeton Inn, which the Berger (pronounced Ber-jer) family has owned and operated since 1975, I tried that steak and found out why so many were ordering it. A thick steak this tender and this tasty, served with fresh, hot Vienna rolls, cole slaw and a choice of potato for under $10, makes the inn a top spot for value as well as food.
I’ve visited the restaurant once for lunch and twice for dinner in recent months. And while I’ve noticed a few minor problems, the inn and its chef, Stan Larson, deserve high marks for food and service.
The inn’s history is outlined on a sign outside the front door. It dates to 1886, when the Village of Bucktown sprang up as a railroad stop on the Wisconsin Central Railroad. The town was later called East Sussex and finally Templeton after one of its most prominent citizens, James Templeton, postmaster, politician and Civil War veteran. Templeton became part of Sussex in 1924.
The original building on the site dates to 1887. Later owners converted it to a two-story hotel with a bar and dining room in 1910. In 1975, William Berger bought the inn and remodeled it extensively. Berger ran it as a family operation until 1989, when his two sons, Steve and John, took over.
Because the inn has seen several additions over the years, its layout is a bit meandering. Getting to the restaurant ‘s rear dining rooms requires crossing through a large, busy bar area. The dining rooms themselves are pleasantly decorated in a restrained country motif, with light blue wainscoting, grapevine wreaths and floral print valences above the windows.
While the steak was excellent, the Templeton Inn’s barbecued ribs were exceptional. We ordered the boss hog ($12.95), the largest serving available, and were amazed to have a full slab of ribs almost 20 inches across delivered on a platter. The ribs themselves were chewy and had been thoroughly covered with Larson’s own sweet, slightly tangy barbecue sauce. (Smaller servings of ribs are available for $7.95 and $9.95.)
Another nightly special, lime- baked orange roughy ($8.95), thoroughly impressed me. The fish, its flavor accented by fresh lime juice and drizzled butter, had been cooked thoroughly, but remained moist and had a wonderfully fresh flavor. Rarely have I found roughy prepared this well.
The shrimp extravaganza featured 16 medium shellfish cooked in three different ways. The best were Cajun style rolled in spices and deep-fried. Beer-battered shrimp were lightly covered with a crispy golden crust. Only the shrimp scampi proved a bit disappointing; the garlic-parsley butter in which they’d been baked needed a more pronounced flavor.
We sampled the prime rib both as an entree and at lunch in a special stacked prime rib sandwich ($5.95). While both were good%0; entrees, $6.95 to $16.95 (for a 24-ounce prime rib or steak); sandwiches, $3.95 to $6.95.
Hours and miscellany: Lunch, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday; dinner, 4:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 4:30 to 10 p.m. Friday and 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday. No- smoking room. Wheelchair accessible. Parking available. MasterCard, VISA and American Express accepted. Reservations suggested although not accepted on Friday evenings.
The Milwaukee Sentinel’s restaurant rating system: No stars
not recommended; * satisfactory; ** good; *** excellent; **** superb.
Food, service, value make this inn a winner
The Milwaukee Journal – Thursday, February 18, 1993
SOMETIMES KNOWING what to order at a restaurant is as important as knowing about the restaurant in the first place.
It was Saturday night at Berger’s Templeton Inn in Sussex and the menu announced prime rib as the $9.95 Saturday night special. (The normal price for a 12-ounce cut is $10.95.) We decided to try it, along with a shrimp extravaganza plate ($9.95).
But as we sat at our table, we didn’t notice the waitresses delivering slices of prime rib. Instead, 6 of every 10 diners seemed to have ordered the 10-ounce tenderloin filet ($9.95)
On my second dinner visit to the Templeton Inn, which the Berger (pronounced Ber-jer) family has owned and operated since 1975, I tried that steak and found out why so many were ordering it. A thick steak this tender and this tasty, served with fresh, hot Vienna rolls, cole slaw and a choice of potato for under $10, makes the inn a top spot for value as well as food.
I’ve visited the restaurant once for lunch and twice for dinner in recent months. And while I’ve noticed a few minor problems, the inn and its chef, Stan Larson, deserve high marks for food and service.
The inn’s history is outlined on a sign outside the front door. It dates to 1886, when the Village of Bucktown sprang up as a railroad stop on the Wisconsin Central Railroad. The town was later called East Sussex and finally Templeton after one of its most prominent citizens, James Templeton, postmaster, politician and Civil War veteran. Templeton became part of Sussex in 1924.
The original building on the site dates to 1887. Later owners converted it to a two-story hotel with a bar and dining room in 1910. In 1975, William Berger bought the inn and remodeled it extensively. Berger ran it as a family operation until 1989, when his two sons, Steve and John, took over.
Because the inn has seen several additions over the years, its layout is a bit meandering. Getting to the restaurant ‘s rear dining rooms requires crossing through a large, busy bar area. The dining rooms themselves are pleasantly decorated in a restrained country motif, with light blue wainscoting, grapevine wreaths and floral print valences above the windows.
While the steak was excellent, the Templeton Inn’s barbecued ribs were exceptional. We ordered the boss hog ($12.95), the largest serving available, and were amazed to have a full slab of ribs almost 20 inches across delivered on a platter. The ribs themselves were chewy and had been thoroughly covered with Larson’s own sweet, slightly tangy barbecue sauce. (Smaller servings of ribs are available for $7.95 and $9.95.)
Another nightly special, lime- baked orange roughy ($8.95), thoroughly impressed me. The fish, its flavor accented by fresh lime juice and drizzled butter, had been cooked thoroughly, but remained moist and had a wonderfully fresh flavor. Rarely have I found roughy prepared this well.
The shrimp extravaganza featured 16 medium shellfish cooked in three different ways. The best were Cajun style rolled in spices and deep-fried. Beer-battered shrimp were lightly covered with a crispy golden crust. Only the shrimp scampi proved a bit disappointing; the garlic-parsley butter in which they’d been baked needed a more pronounced flavor.
We sampled the prime rib both as an entree and at lunch in a special stacked prime rib sandwich ($5.95). While both were good, the dipping sauce served with the sandwich was unpleasantly salty.
Far better at lunch was the house hamburger the Berger Burger ($4.25). Nicely browned and covered with freshly sauteed mushrooms and Swiss cheese, it ranked with the best burgers I’ve tasted.
And while a 6-ounce tenderloin steak sandwich ($6.50) featured a tender slice of meat, it had been done a bit past medium and had started to toughen. (We ordered it medium rare.)
Soups ($1.35 a cup, $1.75 a bowl) and dinner salads ($1.75) both proved worth their extra price. Chicken dumpling, which one of our waitresses mistakenly called chicken egg drop, was a rich, homemade broth with carrots, celery, onions and lots of homemade dumplings. Chili was mild with beans, tomatoes and lots of ground meat.
Iceberg salads were topped with tomato wedges, sliced mushrooms, green pepper strips, cucumber slices and thin curls of aged cheddar cheese. Baked and hash brown potatoes were good, but rice, which we ordered with the shrimp, was bland.
An appetizer of potato skins ($3.95) had been cooked to a delicious crunchy consistency, then loaded with melted cheddar and bacon. Mozzarella sticks ($3.95) were wrapped in egg roll skins, but otherwise ordinary.
Desserts, on the other hand, were first-rate. On one evening, Larson had baked an excellent tart cherry pie ($1.75 a slice). The Hershey Bar pie ($1.75) was two inches high, with a frozen, milk chocolate filling on a chocolate cookie crust. Cheesecake ($2.25) and chocolate fudge pie ($2.25) were flavorful.
Service at all three meals was prompt, and our waitresses knew the menu well.
The first dinner for two came to $32.81 for two entrees, a salad, a cup of soup, a dessert, two glasses of wine and two cups of coffee. The second dinner for three was $54.50 for three entrees, three desserts, two salads, a cup of soup, a beer and three soft drinks. Lunch for three cost $38.59 for three sandwiches, two appetizers, two desserts, a soup, a salad, four imported beers, two soft drinks and three coffees.
Dining With Dennis Getto
Berger’s Templeton Inn
N63-W23197 W. Main St., Sussex . 246-6123
***
Hours: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Thursday. 4:30 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday. 4:30 to 10 p.m. Friday. 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday.
Prices: Lunch from $2.95 for a grilled cheese sandwich to $9.95 for a tenderloin filet. Dinner from $3.95 for a chicken breast sandwich to $16.95 for a large cut of prime rib. MasterCard, Visa and American Express cards accepted.
Handicapped access: No
No-smoking section: Yes
Berger’s Templeton Inn, N63-W23197 W. Main St., Sussex , 246-6123.
The sprawling and historic Templeton Inn becomes a hub of activity at lunch and dinner on Friday when the weekly fish fry draws droves of admirers.
The best bet is basic cod, beer battered and served with potato pancakes, sweet slaw and rye bread.
Fish fry hours: 4:30 to 10 p.m. Prices: Cod, all you can eat, $6.95. 3 fish
source: excerpt – “GOT SOME FISH TO FRY Try these hot spots on Friday night”,
The Milwaukee Journal – Thursday, March 24, 1994
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February 23, 1995 The Milwaukee Journal
Lunch, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., deep- fried cod, $5.95. Dinner, 4:30 to 10:30 p.m., cod, deep-fried, $6.95, and baked, $7.95. Berger’s Templeton Inn: N63- W23197 W. Main St., Sussex . 246-6123. ***
There’s lots on the menu at this sprawling inn, which becomes especially busy on Friday when its fish fry draws droves of admirers. The best bet is basic beer-battered cod, served with potato pancakes, sweet slaw and rye bread.
4:30 to 10 p.m. Canadian cod, beer- battered (all you can eat) or baked, $6.95.
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East Shore Inn a cool weather comfort
Milwaukee Sentinel – Friday, November 18, 1994
Author: Mary O’Hara Stacy and Donald Stacy
Cold weather can bring the tendency to cocoon . . . as the comforts of home and a cozy couch by the fireplace begin to seem more appealing than venturing out to a new restaurant. We resisted that feeling on a recent Sunday afternoon and enjoyed a pretty drive to Waukesha County’s lake country for dinner at Berger’s East Shore Inn.
Because we were early and daylight-saving time had just ended, we were able to enjoy a picturesque sunset view of North Lake for the first course of our meal. But even without the view, the East Shore offers a snug setting for dining. The small lodge- like building with two dining rooms and a bar suggests the casual ambience of a North Woods tavern .
The restaurant is owned and managed by John Berger, who also owns the Templeton Inn in Sussex . Berger said he did some “sprucing up” before opening his North Lake restaurant in August. The old East Shore Inn had been closed for about nine months.
The cream and green color scheme of the inn is warmed up with several country-style touches, including wall decorations of stenciling and a selection of straw hats and raffia bows. Corn shocks standing by the entryway gave the spot a harvest mood. Tables were topped with ivy-patterned vinyl, but hurricane candles, linen napkins and taped instrumental music softened the effect.
Chef Fredrick Schroeder has created a fairly simple menu for the East Shore Inn with traditional supper club offerings such as steaks, chicken and seafood. According to Berger, the restaurant will emphasize “country fare” with pork or lamb specials.
Schroeder was the chef at the Western Racquet Club for 20 years. Prior to that he worked at the Alpine Village.
After a short wait at the bar, we were shown to a corner table in the front dining room where a small bowl of Chef Schroeder’s pate and crackers awaited. It was one of several nice extras that impressed us about the East Shore Inn.
Our server told us this was the first Sunday evening he had worked at the restaurant but his friendly attitude went a long way toward making up for a few lapses in service.
The East Shore Inn’s comfortable, casual ambience and traditional country-style food make it an appealing place for an easy dinner.
Mary: The chicken liver pate, with a slightly smoky undertone, was a tasty introduction to the East Shore Inn. With only four offerings, the appetizer selection on the menu seemed rather limited, so we decided to sample the inn’s soups for our first course.
I had baked French onion soup ($2.95) and it was better than most. The homemade broth had a rich, beefy flavor without the overly salty taste that commercially prepared stock sometimes imparts. Melted Parmesan cheese and plenty of onions gave the soup a good consistency and a hearty, warming quality.
Donald: The soup du jour, chicken rice ($2.25), was nicely done. It tasted homemade and had no shortage of shredded chicken, celery, carrots and fresh parsley. The soup’s broth tasted a bit salty to me, but not enough to overpower the rest of the flavors. Overall, it was quite good, but the oyster crackers in a small cellophane bag shouldn’t have been served with it they were stale.
Mixed green salads at the East Shore are served family-style in a large plastic bowl. The creamy cucumber dressing I sampled, one of three served with the salad, was made with sour cream, buttermilk and mayonnaise and loaded with chunks of cucumber. Although the salad was fresh, it was nothing out of the ordinary and I’d probably rate it “just OK.”
Mary: Just OK? I thought the salad was really good! It was a substantial bowlful, with three lettuces (leaf, romaine and iceberg), clover sprouts, sliced onions and tomato wedges. And I thought the carousel of three salad dressings was a nice touch. I liked the fact that all of the dressings are homemade the Thousand Island was especially tasty with a thick creamy consistency. The salad was served with a good loaf of warm, crusty Italian bread.
My entree, one of the evening’s specials, was pork loin with spaetzle ($12.95). It was excellent. Two succulent six-ounce pork loins, roasted with the bone in, were served with a superb brown sauce flavored with rosemary and garlic. Homemade spaetzle, tiny flour dumplings, were served Lyonnaise-style, with carmelized onions. Adding to the hearty dish was the unexpected bonus of fried cabbage, a piquant fantasy of flavors, including bacon, onion, caraway and vinegar. It was one of the best po rk dishes I’ve sampled, not only because it was well-prepared but because the side dishes served with it were perfectly matched.
Donald: I tried filet mignon and breaded shrimp ($19.95), one of four combination dinners on the East Shore Inn’s menu. It would be pretty difficult not to be pleased with the eight-ounce certified Angus beef filet there really isn’t anything that tastes quite like it. Cooked medium well as ordered, it was tender, juicy and still pink in the middle most likely because it was such a thick piece of meat. Surrounded by delicately sauteed whole mushrooms, the steak was perfect.
The three jumbo shrimp which accompanied the steak were not nearly as exciting. Although their simple preparation they had been breaded and deep fried was certainly acceptable, it couldn’t save them from being boring.
Entrees include a choice of potato or rice, and I chose the double-baked potato. The very large potato half was mounded with a delicious mixture of sour cream, chives, potato and butter.
Our server didn’t offer us dessert, but we wouldn’t have had room anyway. Berger told us later that the restaurant features several different desserts, including cheesecake and schaum torte. As we were leaving, we also noticed a sandwich menu posted on the door (we hadn’t been told of that option). Despite a few service omissions, our dinner at the East Shore Inn was worth leaving home for.
BERGER’S EAST SHORE INN. W315 N7587 Highway 83, North Lake. Phone 966-1826.
Food: *** Service: ** 1/2 Ambience: ** 1/2 OVERALL: ***
Price range: Appetizers and soups, $2.25 to $8.50; dinners, $9.95 to $28.95; desserts, $2.95 to $3.95; also, sandwiches, (Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday), $6.25 to $9.95.
Hours and miscellany: Dinner, 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday; 5 to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. No smoking permitted in dining rooms. Wheelchair accessible. Reservations suggested on weekends. MasterCard, VISA and Discover cards accepted.
The Milwaukee Sentinel’s restaurant rating system: No stars not recommended; * satisfactory; ** good; *** excellent; **** superb.
Ocotber 1998 – Friends for nearly 70 years, Madeline Halquist, 88, and Ruth Wileden, 97, had dinner together at Olde Templeton Inn.
August 2003 – Former Mammoth Spring Canning Co. executive and Olde Templeton Inn owner Carl Stolper, the driving force behind the push to acquire land for a Sussex Village Park in 1958, died at 83.
Highway 74 upgrade includes center turn lanes Village wants to ensure Sussex is pedestrian-friendly
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (WI) – Friday, October 21, 2005
Author: DAVE SHEELEY, Staff: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Sussex — The state plans to reconstruct Highway 74 to ease the flow of vehicles in anticipation of more traffic brought by a growing population.
New turning lanes, pavement, traffic signals, landscaped medians, sidewalks, decorative street lights and a roundabout are in store for nearly three miles of the highway beginning at Waukesha Ave. in Sussex , leading through Lisbon and Menomonee Falls, and ending near Good Hope Road in Lannon.
“The project is to upgrade pavement from truck traffic . . . and increase the capacity for traffic,” said Steve Schowalter, project engineer for Graef Anhalt Schloemer and Associates in Milwaukee, the engineering firm the state Department of Transportation hired for the project.
Steve Hoff, the DOT project manager, said the estimated $5 million project scheduled to begin in 2008 will not result in an expansion from two lanes to four. However, the DOT will acquire property to increase the roadway’s width and make room for the turning lanes.
Hoff said the DOT plans to extend a sidewalk on the north side of the highway from the Canadian Pacific railroad tracks to a point near the village’s east border.
Sussex Village Administrator Evan Teich said the village has a policy requiring the construction of sidewalks as part of road construction projects and the development of new subdivisions.
“We want to be a walkable community,” Teich said.
However, the sidewalk would stop short of reaching Hamilton High School in the Town of Lisbon.
Teich said village officials think it’s important to connect the sidewalk to the school — an estimated half mile stretch — to increase safety for walkers and bicyclists.
But Teich said Lisbon opposes constructing a sidewalk that would lead to the school. Lisbon officials could not be reached for comment.
Teich said the village will pay 20% of the sidewalk construction cost, which hasn’t yet been determined.
The village requested the state review extending a DOT-proposed raised median in place of a painted, two-way center turn lanes, Hoff said. The DOT hasn’t come to a decision on that issue.
“We’re going to check into that” Hoff said.
Teich said village officials oppose the center turn lanes, which the DOT call “twiddles.” Such turn lanes are found on Blue Mound Road in Brookfield.
The village prefers a raised median because it would improve traffic flow and reduce the potential for accidents, Teich said. He said the center turn lanes give motorists a false sense of safety from other vehicles.
The DOT has said that the village’s preliminary cost for the raised median could reach $250,000, an amount the village would borrow and include in its 2008 or 2009 capital budget, Teich said.
The project will help beautify what is considered the industrial section of the village, Teich said.
“We consider this project as a gateway to our community,” he said.
Traffic signals are proposed for the intersection of the highway at Waukesha Ave. and the highway at the south intersection of Town Line Road. A roundabout is planned for the highway’s north intersection with Town Line Road.
Hoff said the DOT is working to acquire rights of way in Sussex for the project.
Property to be acquired includes the Olde Templeton, a restaurant on the south side of the highway just east of Waukesha Ave. The DOT is also acquiring a house just west of the restaurant .
Plans for the project are preliminary and won’t be finalized until 2007.
Copyright 2005, Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved. (Note: This notice does not apply to those news items already copyrighted and received through wire services or other media.)
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Silver Skillet serves seniors lunch, monthly discussion; County supervisor hears desire for new restaurant
Where can locals go to get a good, American-style, family sit-down meal, now that Olde Templeton Inn and the Sussex Steakhouse have closed?
Posted: Feb. 5, 2008 Sussex Sun
Where can locals go to get a good, American-style, family sit-down meal, now that Olde Templeton Inn and the Sussex Steakhouse have closed?
Senior citizens talked about local issues like these with Waukesha County Supervisor Robert Hutton at a senior luncheon Jan. 29 at Sussex Community Center’s Silver Skillet.
Seniors told Hutton that there is a void in the community now that their favorite dining spots are gone.
Arlene Dillon, Lorraine Fackler and Lorraine Lowy of Sussex asked Hutton about future development, such as a new restaurant along the lines of a Perkins or Denny’s, coming to Sussex. Hutton agreed there is a need for that type of restaurant, but said fans can still enjoy the Seigo’s Templeton 2 Friday fish fry served by Olde Templeton Inn’s former chef.
Sussex Bowl serves a fish fry, too, and locals can eat at Culver’s, Quiznos and other local restaurants.
Andy Narr, president of the Sussex Area Chamber of Commerce and a member of the Sussex Community Development Authority, said in an interview later that week, “I am aware of the desire for a family restaurant for the lunch and dinner crowd, but this hasn’t been addressed at the (chamber) board level yet.
“Sussex seems to be on the radar of businesses as we continue to grow,” he added. “The chambers would certainly welcome this type of restaurant.”
Village President Tony Lapcinski agreed with the seniors who spoke with Hutton. “There clearly is a need for a sit-down, American-style restaurant,” he said. “There is talk of a restaurant at the Towne Center, at the former Marchese’s Danceland property.”
While talks with Taco Bell have brought no success, he added, village officials have been talking with other restaurants and franchise owners.
“We are trying to make some efforts to meet the plight of our dining public,” he said.
“We are looking for developers to develop the two Main Street development sites,” said Village Administrator Evan Teich, “and I’m always looking for restaurateurs interested in Sussex.”
Other developments, such as Shopko and the YMCA, “are a go,” said Hutton, but a proposed Bielinski Bros. development at the Mammoth Spring cannery site is “gridlocked.” A former Bielinski executive who was convicted of having defrauded the company had been in charge of the redevelopment project.
Hutton was one of the weekday senior lunch program’s monthly speakers, explained Megan Sackett, the center’s recreation coordinator.
Business owner, donor celebrates 90th birthday
Special celebration for Bill Berger on Dec. 10
Posted: Nov. 29, 2011, Living Sussex Sun
Not everyone comes to Sussex from a United States wandering past to retire but Sussex’s William “Bill” Berger came here in 1975 at age 54 and put down roots as he continued retirement in a place where he could be close to his five children who had come to live in the greater Sussex and Lake Country area.
Berger’s has a rich history in the Sussex community that will likely be the topic of conversation during a 90th birthday celebration open to all at Rumors Sports Bar & Grill at 6 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 10. His actual 90th birthday is Dec. 19 which happens to be just six days ahead of when his favorite NFL team, the Chicago Bears, take on the Packers. A former Chicago native, Berger became a big Bears fan and has fun hanging at local taverns joshing Packers fans.
Sussex start
Berger made a big splash when he bought the former Taylor Hotel also once called Paul’s Tap and Templeton Hotel that was once located in the old Templeton part of Sussex. He turned it over to his children to run. For Berger, he was getting his own bar to hang out in with his family and friends. He renamed the establishment Olde Templeton Inn. Berger held court, but never worked a day in his bar as his children took over operations.
Berger is also known for being a staunch supporter of the Sussex Lions Club. His pocketbook was always open to their causes. Berger donated so freely to the Lions that the club made him an honorary member. In the club’s history that spans more than 70 years, Berger is one of only two honorary members.
He was introduced to the Sussex Lions Club when he became friends with two members, Rober “Bob” Stier and Charles “Chuck” Jacobi. They told Berger about the good works of the club over golf and poker games.
There are other facets of Berger that make him a neat Sussex community treasure as he had an important part in World War II.
His story
“I was born Dec. 19, 1921 in LaCrosse, Wisconsin, I had an older sister, 10 years older than me and in a way I was an only child as there was such a difference in age,” he said.
Berger’s parents were Floyd and Hilda Berger having Bill just before the start of the Great Depression. Because it had just begun, Berger did not experience this great calamity as his father was a successful salesman.
Berger attended La Crosse Central High School and because he was born on Dec. 19, he was on the half-year schedule starting high school in the second semester. He almost completed his high school career here but in 1939 his parents moved to Minneapolis and Berger did his final semester of high school there graduating at age 18 in 1939.
After graduation he chanced to go to the Minneapolis Municipal Air Field and saw it cost $1 to go up in an airplane over the Twin Cities. This first flight was the beginning of a new life. He and the pilot became friends and somehow Berger scrounged up $50 to learn to fly.
After graduating from high school he split his time between Minneapolis and the St. Paul Air fields. He did a lot of volunteer work at these airports and got paid for little side jobs. He said, “I cranked a lot of airplanes to get them started. I had been hanging around the air fields for about 1 ½ years and the government started to get serious about getting into a war.”
Berger joined the Civilian Air Patrol which was a quasi-government way of teaching college kids how to fly airplanes. He later became a flight instructor before the start of the war.
“I was at the Minneapolis airport and someone came running out of the hangar announcing, ‘Hey, the Japs just struck Pearl Harbor.’ ”
Quickly, the CPA became the War Training Service and the government had Berger assigned to teach naval men to fly. He was stationed up and down the Mississippi River valley, Albert Lea, N.O., Oklahoma, Texas and then Great Lakes, Ill. where as the Navy Ensign he men to be fliers and once he got them soloing they were off to the Pacific for the war with Japan. Berger never left the states as he was an important instructor for the Naval pilots of WWII.
Berger later started a family that would eventually amount to six children: Mike (who would die at age 14, Sue, Steve “J”, Kathy and John. Bill and wife, Betty were married for 34 years with Betty dying in 1984.
Now that WWII was over, Bill was released he used the GI bill of rights to get an education increasing his knowledge of multi-motored planes. He and his original instructor would start a business together, the United Flying Service.
“In two years it went broke,” he said. However, he stayed involved in flying spraying crops, chartering planes and while still living in the Chicago-Great Lakes Naval Training area, he became a Chicago Bears fan.
Now from this point to the 1950s, he saw an ad for pilots for United Airlines and spent 32 years as a pilot of the 48 states flying first out of Midway and then O’Hare.
Move to Sussex
The in 1975, his kids had all seemed to have moved to Wisconsin and the Lake Country Sussex area. His daughter Sue was in real estate and she saw that the Sussex Taylor/Templeton Hotel bar and restaurant was up for sale. She told her father about it and he bought it on July 1, 1975, from Carl Trapp not to run it, but for his children to run. His son, Steve was in Australia as a teacher in 1976 acquiring and he came back to the United Sates and started working at the renamed Sussex Olde Templeton Inn. Eventually Steve and his wife, Denice, bought the business.
Olde Templeton Inn became very popular for both the locals and visitors especially for its Friday night fish frys. It underwent many renovations.
However, the state had plans to reconstruct Waukesha Avenue and Main Street and the government used imminent domain razing the business for the new roadway in 2007. The last day of business was Feb, 4, 2007 and the building was torn down in mid-September of that same year.
Berger has remained in the background and has found a new hangout at Rumors. It gives him a chance to see his Bears play.
Very few people reach 90 years of life and Berger’s family and friends want to commemorate the milestone. It is unknown if there will be 90 candles on his birthday cake but if it happens please notify the Sussex Fire Department prior to lighting the bonfire on top of the cake.
Berger now lives on Clover Drive in Sussex.
February 2012 – The last Saturday of February saw Olde Templeton Inn close.
Longtime Sussex resident Bill Berger dies
Posted: March 28, 2012, Living Lake Country Reporter
Sussex is grieving the loss of longtime resident and business owner, Bill Berger.
Berger came here in 1975 at age 54 and put down roots as he continued retirement in a place where he could be close to his five children who had come to live in the greater Sussex and Lake Country area.
He bought the former Taylor Hotel also once called Paul’s Tap and Templeton Hotel that was once located in the old Templeton part of Sussex. He turned it over to his children to run renaming the establishment Olde Templeton Inn. Berger is also known for being a staunch supporter of the Sussex Lions Club. His pocketbook was always open to their causes.
Olde Templeton Inn became very popular for both the locals and visitors especially for its Friday night fish frys. It underwent many renovations.
However, the state had plans to reconstruct Waukesha Avenue and Main Street and the government used imminent domain razing the business for the new roadway in 2007. The last day of business was Feb, 4, 2007 and the building was torn down in mid-September of that same year.
Berger remained in the background and frequented Rumors to visit with friends and watch the Bears play. He recently celebrated his 90th birthday there.
Below is the obituary his family submitted.
William A. Bill Berger of Sussex. Found peace on March 25, 2012. Age 90 years. He was preceded in death by his wife, Betty and son, Mike. Dear dad of Sue (fiance Bill Dolphin) Tingle, Steve (Denise) Berger, J Berger, Kathy (the late Dale) Koehler and John Berger. Proud grandpa of Ryan Tingle, Kari (Rick) Nelson, Michael (Kathy), Zach (Melissa), Jason (fiance Jamie), JJ (Katie), Chance and Barrie Berger and great-grandpa of Katie (Nate), Ricky, Rose, Cami, Ethan, Emmerson, Bradley, Brandon, Nathan, Kylie, Owen and Aodhan. Further survived by other relatives and friends.
A Time of Sharing will be held Sat. March 31 at the Funeral Home at 3 PM. The family will casually receive relatives and friends from 1-3 PM. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Stars and Stripes Honor Flight ar