Perry Avenue (Racine, Wisconsin): Difference between revisions
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The first known reference to Perry Avenue in the Racine newspapers is a classified advertisement from 1927, offering two newly-constructed houses on the street "just west of the city limits, close to school, bus service, large lots."<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43962569/the_journal_times/ Classified advertisement], [[Racine Journal News]], June 21, 1927, page 15.</ref> The 1931 Racine city directory listed seven houses on the street, five of which were inhabited, all located just north of Washington Avenue.<ref>[http://racinecounty.net/1931-3/index.html#page=77 "Racine 1931 City Directory"], page 718.</ref> In 1940, Perry Avenue north of Washington was included in the West Terrace Sanitary District, at that time still outside the Racine city limits and considered part of [[Mygatt's Corners, Wisconsin|Mygatt's Corners]].<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43962860/the_journal_times/ "Mygatt's Corners"], [[Racine Journal Times]], May 15, 1940, section two, page 6.</ref> In 1959, the city of Racine planned to annex an area that included 700 through 1200 Perry Avenue. Twenty-eight residents of the street protested the area's planned annexation into the city of Racine, calling for the first annexation referendum in the city's history.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43963125/the_journal_times/ "28 Demand Vote to Annexation on West Side"], [[Racine Journal Times]], April 7, 1959, front page.</ref> In the referendum, held less than two weeks after the petition, the annexation was approved by a 25-to-16 vote among Perry Avenue residents.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43963222/the_journal_times/ "Referendum Clears Way for Annexation to Racine"], [[Racine Journal Times]], April 19, 1959, pages one and [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43963222/the_journal_times/ six].</ref>
By 1955, aerial imagery of the area shows that Perry Avenue extended both north and south from Washington Avenue, with none of what would become its other cross streets having been built that far west yet. In the north, Perry had several houses on either side and ended south of where Kinzie Avenue would later be built. In the south, it ran behind the back of the [[Westgate Drive-In Theater (Racine, Wisconsin)|Westgate Drive-In Theater]] and ended at the [[Perry Avenue Water Tower]]. Meanwhile, Graceland Boulevard extended east from [[Green Bay Road (Racine, Wisconsin)|Green Bay Road]], and a small branch that extended south from that street would also later become part of Perry Avenue.<ref>[https://www.historicaerials.com/location/42.718295157135984/-87.84240286750975/1955/16 Historic Aerials - Racine, Wisconsin, 1955].</ref> By 1971, Perry Avenue had taken roughly its current route and form.<ref>[https://www.historicaerials.com/location/42.718295157135984/-87.84240286750975/1971/16 Historic Aerials - Racine, Wisconsin, 1971].</ref>
In December 1975, the city of Racine considered barricading Perry Avenue, along with [[Echo Lane (Racine, Wisconsin)|Echo Lane]], at their southern end along [[Byrd Avenue (Racine, Wisconsin)|Byrd Avenue]], anticipating that traffic would be aggravated by the opening of [[Kmart 4477|Kmart store #4477]] near there in April 1976.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43963899/the_journal_times/ "Perry Avenue barricading on traffic unit's agenda"], [[Racine Journal Times]], December 5, 1975, page 4A.</ref> The city traffic commission discouraged the barricading, and criticized the city's failure to properly notify local residents of its plans.<ref>[https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43964053/the_journal_times/ "No Turn areas under study"], [[Racine Journal Times]], December 10, 1975, page 3A.</ref>
==Route==
The northern segment of Perry Avenue begins in a T-intersection at [[Ridgeway Avenue (Racine, Wisconsin)|Ridgeway Avenue]]. A brief stretch of the street just south of Ridgeway forms the municipal boundary between Racine and Mount Pleasant. Most of the northern segment is a single block between Ridgeway and [[Westway Avenue (Racine, Wisconsin)|Westway Avenue]]s, with addresses from 100 to 300 along Perry Avenue. The street curves slightly towards the west as it travels south toward Westway Avenue, which has its western terminus at Perry. The southern end of this stretch, just south of Westway, leads directly into the parking lot of the [[Lutheran Church of the Resurrection (Racine, Wisconsin)|Lutheran Church of the Resurrection]]. This segment is located entirely within the [[Regency East Second (Racine, Wisconsin)|Regency East Second]] subdivision.
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