Wisconsin State Road (Highway) 74
Compiled, transcribed, with notes added by Michael R. Reilly
Updated 05/01/2005
Looking for history of Highway 74; pleasesend information to website Editor, see below.
State trunk 74, between Merton and NorthLake, a distance of five miles, under contract by the Morris Martin company.
A stretch of six miles (74?) from MenomoneeFalls to Sussex is being laid by Froeming Brothers. Waukesha Freeman,Monday, March 23, 1923
St. James church did not have its annualFourth of July picnic because of construction of Highway 74. Waukesha Freeman,July 17, 1923
Celebrate Opening of Highway No. 74
A celebration of, the opening of Highway No. 74 will be heldin Menomonee Falls on Saturday, Oct, 27, when a fall festival will be staged.Features of the program include a band concert and a pavement dance on the newlylaid concrete.
Highway No. 74 runs west from the Milwaukee county linethrough Menomonee Falls, Templeton, Sussex, and joins Highway No. 19 atHartland. Waukesha Freeman, October 25, 1923
Note: a 1966 Milwaukee andSoutheastern Wisconsin map shows SR 74 continuing on through Sussex to Mertonand then terminating at SR 83 in North Lake (as does present day CTH VV (SilverSpring Road) from SR 164 in west Sussex and end in North Lake.
So how was SR 74 routed from Sussex to SR 19 in Hartland?
A 1930 town of Lisbon plat map shows that SR164 jogged northwest and continued along Silver Spring Drive in Sussex before it terminated downtown Sussex.
Residents of this village (Sussex) experienced the shock of a slight earthquake when the extreme heat of last week caused the concrete road opposite the cemetery (St. Alban’s ?) on Highway 74 to expand and blow up the whole width of the road. Waukesha Freeman,Thursday, June 15, 1933
1940’s – Mary Hill Rd, was old Highway 74, now Silver Spring Drive.