Nicholas Breen Blacksmith Shop. Franklin, WI . 1851 - 1866

Nicholas Breen was orphaned in Dublin at age 12 and raised by an uncle in County Wexford on the Southeast coast of Ireland, where he was trained as a blacksmith.

At the age of 19 Nicholas emigrated from Ireland to Milwaukee, WI in 1849.

Two years later he opened his own blacksmith shop in what is now Franklin, WI. Franklin at the mid point of the 18th century was on the edge of the expansion of Milwaukee. The McAnany family may have sold him the property. Likely also where he met his wife, Grandmother Rose Anna McAneny.

Photo said to show the blacksmith shop Nicholas Breen started in the back left of this photo. People waited in front of the blacksmith shop for the train. Photo undated, but surely well after Nicholas sold the business in 1866.

From correspondence with Franklin WI Historical group

"I am familiar with the blacksmith shop that your great great grandfather operated. It was located in the area of Franklin that was called Harrisburg. There is an article about Harriesburg on the Franklin Historical website under the "Stories" tab - the article is titled Remembering the Area Called Harrisburg. The blacksmith shop mentioned briefly in the article is the one owned by Nicholas Breen.

I remember reading the abstract for the property where the blacksmith shop was located. The shop was on a property of 3 acres. Either the 3 acres were sold to Nicholas by the McAneny family, or the McAneny family owned the adjacent property, that is the where and how Nicholas met his future wife. Interestingly, the home for that property is still standing. I could send a picture if you are interested, I also have an old picture that vaguely shows the blacksmith shop. The picture is of a group of people waiting to meet the stagecoach that stopped in Harrisburg.

Nicholas sold the property to another blacksmith (I think the name was Kruemenhauer) who sold to another blacksmith named John Bensene. I have a little more information and picturess of the property when it was owned by the Bensene family."

Bob S

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Rick,

There is a map of Milwaukee County done in 1858 that shows the location of the blacksmith shop in Harrisburg. If you do a search for 1858 map of Franklin, Wi you will find a map of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin - Library of Congress. The blacksmilth shop was located in section 7, a store was located next to it. Across the street was a hotel - the Harrisburg House. Above section 7 is section 6, and there you will see property owned by T. McAneny (in addition to what he owned in section 7).

If you like, I could scan a page from the 1858 map that shows all the things I described above and email it to you. Just let me know.

I am curious to learn why Nicholas settled in that area of Franklin. It was risky to start a business in the 1850's and would have taken a pioneering spirit. When I did a search on Ancestry.com, another blacksmith was listed as living with them, but Nicholas Breen was listed as a Master Blacksmith. Did your family research go back that far? If so, I would love to read it.

Bob S.