Milwaukee, WI
Hidden ‘Treasure Island:’ Wisconsin demolition exposes shuttered store
BROWN DEER, Wis. – Take a look in any direction around the FOX6 TV station, and it is clear Brown Deer is growing. The village is amidst multiple major developments that will soon bring new apartments, shopping, and restaurants to Milwaukee’s North Shore. No project is bigger than what’s being called Riverside Landing.
A hidden treasure
What we know:
“All told, it’s going to be probably a four-year build-out,” said Brown Deer’s development director Nate Piotrowski. “It’s such a huge piece of land at really the gateway to Brown Deer.”
As crews demolish what was once here, something unexpected happened.
Demolition of Treasure Island store, Brown Deer
“I said to my husband, ‘Oh my God, I have to stop and get a picture of that,’” said Lynn Hunsicker.
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“And I thought, I haven’t thought of that place in years,” added Cynthia Taylor-Gray.
As an old facade is revealed by the construction of the development, memories have come flooding out.
Demolition of Treasure Island store, Brown Deer
“It never occurred to me the old Treasure Island roof would still be intact under there,” said Karen Spinti.
Treasure Island revealed
Dig deeper:
Discount store Treasure Island opened in the early 1960s. First in Appleton, and then in the exploding suburbs around Milwaukee.
“They had everything from hardware to underwear,” explained Cynthia Taylor-Gray.
Treasure Island won awards for its design. This picture was included in the August 1963 edition of Wisconsin Architect Magazine. Photos provided by Wollin Studios
Taylor-Gray said despite not being in one in decades, her memory has been jogged.
“It felt like acres, just acres of retail merchandise,” added Karen Spinti.
Sprinti recalled getting dither when she dove into the clothes as a child.
Treasure Island in 1963 as seen in Wisconsin Architect
“I remember having to go to the bathroom urgently and not being able to find my mom,” said Spinti.
The Madison Location of Treasure Island as seen in 1963 Wisconsin Architect Magazine
For Lynn Hunsicker, her senses have returned.
“I really remember the smell when you first walked in because it had popcorn and hot dogs,” recalled Hunsicker.
Treasure Island locations included full snack bars located at the front of the store. Picture appeared in 1963 Wisconsin Architect
It’s all coming back, as the store’s old look is revealed again.
But for all the clothes and tools and food for sale, there was nothing more recognizable than what was on top.
“Shop under the squiggly roof,” said Hunsicker with a smile.
Designing The Squiggly Roof
Designing the Squiggly Roof:
The squiggly roof isn’t just bringing back memories for shoppers.
“Frustrating for an 8-year-old, let me tell you. I spent a lot of time in the book section,” said architect Jim Shields.
Shields’ memory is different than most. His parents didn’t just drag him to the retailer, his dad’s employer designed it.
The Milwaukee architecture firm led by Jordan Miller and George Waltz, where Shields’ dad worked as a structural engineer, had a number of high profile projects.
Key players
From Milwaukee’s airport terminal to the downtown post office, it was the firm’s decision to go with an untraditional wavy roof for a retailer that may go down as their biggest hit.
“It’s called folded plate concrete. Normally, concrete is envisioned as a flat slab, or a plate. But in this circumstance, they could fold it up and down. And that gave it long-span capability,” explained Shields.
Courtesy: Dekalb Historyv Center
Branded as the squiggly roof, the design allowed Treasure Island’s massive stores to have fewer beams leading to a wide open floor space. The shape is so unmistakable, the roof was seen in nearly every ad.
“All under the squiggly roof. That was their trademark,” said Merissa Howard with the Dakalb History Center near Atlanta, Georgia.
Courtesy: Dekalb History Center
Howard said that Milwaukee design was soon being exported to her neck of the woods.
“They were absolutely massive. They were over 200,000 square feet, which to put into perspective, is bigger than a Costco,” said Howard.
Courtesy: Dekalb History Center
Known as the Treasury in some states, by the late 1970s, the retailer started to struggle through a recession.
“They were too big. There’s too much competition,” said Howard.
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By the 1980s, Treasure Island’s run was over. The stores closed, and new retailers moved in. Those famous squiggly roofs went away.
They’ve been there all along
Dig deeper:
But if you look close enough you’ll realize those roofs never actually disappeared. Have you ever been behind a former Treasure Island location? It’s worth a peek.
“They had a roof put over the top of it to keep it from leaking. So it was really hidden away,” said Jim Shields.
Shields said most of the locations weren’t destroyed, they were simply retrofitted. The squiggly roofs were hidden under new flat roofs placed on top.
From Appleton to West Allis and Brookfield, a peek behind the buildings revealed the squiggly roofs have been there all along.
New future for Brown Deer
Local perspective:
In Brown Deer, the old Treasure Island’s squiggly roof days are finally numbered.
“It’s full circle. It definitely is,” said Piotrowski.
A new retailer is set to break ground on the site; one that also got it’s start in the 1960s.
“I think the new Target will be successful,” said Piotrowski.
Out with the old, and in with the new. But those memories aren’t as easy to get rid of.
The Source: Information for this post was produced by the FOX6 news team, Barb Weber, The Dekalb History Center, and David Miller.
When will wildfire smoke leave Wisconsin?
Let’s clear the haze on exactly how smoke from Canadian wildfires is affecting air quality in Wisconsin. Here are answers to common questions.
A 12-year-old was shot and injured during the afternoon of July 17, and Milwaukee police are asking the public for information.
The shooting happened around 6:35 p.m. on the 5600 block of North 60th Street, according to the Milwaukee Police Department. The child was injured and transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-fatal injuries.
Police said the circumstances leading up to the shooting remain under investigation.
Milwaukee police continue to seek unknown suspects. Anyone with information is asked to call 414-935-7360 or, to remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 414-224-Tips or the P3 Tips App.
Adrienne Davis is a general assignment and breaking news reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Got any tips or stories to share? Contact Adrienne at amdavis@gannett.com. Follow her on X at @AdriReportss.
Milwaukee, WI
‘You can see God’s hand in it’: How Milwaukee women are building a double Dutch community through sisterhood and fitness
On Milwaukee’s North Side, women 40 and up are coming together to jump double Dutch. Members say that beyond the ropes they are building a sisterhood, strengthening their health and becoming confident in aging.
40+ Double Dutch Club is a nonprofit founded in Chicago by Pamela Robinson in 2016 that uses double Dutch and other fitness activities to encourage wellness, sisterhood, mental health and more for women over 40.
“It amazes me how God can use something as simple as a plastic clothesline to connect women all over the world,” said Robinson, who is also the group’s CEO and board president.
Robinson, 55, launched the organization after discussing the idea with her friend Catrina Dyer-Taylor. At the time she was battling depression.
“My husband and I were about to get divorced, my oldest kids were grown and I just had my youngest one in the house,” Robinson said. “I needed to find a happy place.”
She promoted the meetup on social media, and many of her friends and community members came out to support her.
“I remember telling (Dyer-Taylor) that if no one came then we’d tie the ropes to a fence and jump together,” Robinson said. “However, we never had to do that because our friends came out.”
Since being founded, the organization has expanded into hundreds of subclubs nationwide, including Milwaukee’s.
“I knew that God wanted me to do something and it’s given me purpose and he has put me on a path where 40+ Double Dutch is a part of that,” said Angela Scott, captain and founder of Milwaukee’s double Dutch subclub.
Launching the Milwaukee subclub
Scott, 54, established the 40+ Double Dutch subclub in Milwaukee in 2024 after discovering the organization on Facebook. She took weekend trips to Chicago and sometimes Texas to participate with women of the club.
“The feeling I got from the ladies when I entered the gym was like I’ve known them all my life,” Scott said.
As a breast cancer survivor, Scott said she was glad to have found something that brought her comfort that wasn’t a traditional gym space.
“Double Dutching is a full body workout, and I don’t like the gym, but I knew I needed something to keep my body moving and to keep cancer out of my body,” Scott said.
Once officially joining 40+ Double Dutch, Scott talked to Robinson about bringing a subclub to Milwaukee.
“She said that they had been wanting one in Milwaukee, they just had no one that was interested and committed,” Scott said.
Milwaukee’s subclub now consists of 37 members. Among them is Scott’s mother, Shirley Tomlinson, 76, who is the first and oldest member.
“I feel like my family has grown here and that’s a very positive thing for a person my age,” Tomlinson said. “It helps keep me feeling young, and there’s a lot of support in it.”
Tomlinson said she joined the club after hearing about her daughter’s Chicago experience and watching the film “Beyond the Ropes: The 40+ Double Dutch Club Documentary.”
Though Tomlinson doesn’t jump double Dutch, she does other things for the subclub like record keeping, videography, planning birthday celebrations and more.
“I do everything I can because I’m my daughter’s ride or die,” she said.
Reliving childhood memories
Scott said double Dutch gives her a joyous nostalgia from growing up, especially as she learned how to double Dutch from her aunt who was like a big sister.
“If you were a girl that jump-roped, then you know it takes you back to that space,” Scott said.
When the Milwaukee subclub appears at local events like the Juneteenth parade, residents typically will jump in the ropes with smiles and recall memories as they walk down the streets.
“As you watch us grow, you can see God’s hand in it,” Tomlinson said.
The women of Milwaukee’s subclub meet from 6:30 to 8 p.m. every Wednesday at Abundant Faith Church of Integrity, 7830 W. Good Hope Road.
The meet typically begins with a stretch, then leads to open play that includes dances and songs to let them double Dutch, hula hoop or play a rhythmic game.
One fitness activity recreated by 40+ Double Dutch is African Hopscotch, which includes members jumping to a song called “Double Dutch Bus” by Frankie Smith and sometimes holding pompoms.
To end the session, members close with a double Dutch hymn followed by a circle of prayer.
“We hold hands and then we sing the song,” Scott said. “Regardless of what meet you go to each one will have the same format.”
Building a strong sisterhood
Scott said the relationships being built at the club remind her of the organization’s mission.
“Part of the mission is friendship, fitness, fun and fellowship,” she said. “All of those things resonate with me and in my spirit because it’s a sisterhood that’s based on God’s direction.”
When away from the ropes, members try to support each other in different ways.
“There are several of the ladies in our club that have businesses, and we’ll do anything to support them,” Scott said.
For Tomlinson, who experienced a few health crises this year, it brought relief knowing that there was a sisterhood standing behind her.
“They reached out to me and let me know they were praying for me,” she said. “It’s like having a big family of daughters.”
Achieving long-term goals
Within the next few years, Scott hopes to see the subclub grow in membership and the women begin to intentionally take more time for themselves.
“I truly believe that a healthy and strong woman makes a healthy and strong world because we are the mothers of this world,” she said. “If the woman is not healthy mentally, physically or spiritually, then the world is not healthy.”
Another goal of hers is to visit with incarcerated women.
“For whatever reason that they’re there, I just want to take them out of that space for just 30 to 40 minutes,” she said.
Tomlinson said it amazes her to see her daughter lead, receive support from the community and promote health to other women.
“It’s been wonderful watching her grow and watching how dedicated she is because that’s a big responsibility,” she said.
How to join 40+ Double Dutch Club
If you are a woman over 40 and interested in joining, click here to find a subclub near you and find details about weekly meetups.
Membership is $120 and includes a digital ID card, access to all nationwide subclubs, subclub support and more.
Scott said the summer has been the busiest time for the organization and wants to remind women that you don’t have to jump to be a part of it.
“People are starting to realize we’re in the city and we like it that way because the more women that know then the more that can be impacted by what we have to offer,” she said.
Jonathan Aguilar is a visual journalist at Milwaukee Neighborhood News Service who is supported through a partnership between CatchLight Local and Report for America.
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MILWAUKEE — It’s well known that Milwaukee is famous for beer, brats, the Bucks, and the Brewers. But let’s put some respect on the comedy scene here.
The Laughing Tap features weekly stand-up performances with nationally touring acts. They opened up their new venue at 761 N. Jefferson St. in Milwaukee back in March.
Since then, they’ve had dozens of acts perform. Now, they are putting on a new type of comedy show, The Milwaukee Comedy Challenge.
According to the website, the challenge is: “A friendly battle of wits with over $2000 in Cash Prizes, more than 2.5 hours of Paid Gigs awarded, and the chance to challenge yourself to be the best comic you can be. This isn’t about competing with your fellow comics, it’s about challenging yourself to write great material, get bigger laughs, and become a better comic.”
The first round has finished. The challenge continues on July 22 with the start of the second round. The remaining 20 comics will perform a four-minute set. Only 10 will make it to the next round. There will be four more rounds afterwards. In the finals, comics will have to perform 20-minute sets with completely new jokes. The winner will be receive a paid headliner gig at The Laughing Tap, a spot in the 2026 Milwaukee Comedy Festival, and $1,000.
If you think you’re pretty funny, you can get on stage for The Laughing Tap’s weekly stand-up open mic on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Every aspiring comic gets about three to four minutes.
Milwaukee comedy club The Laughing Tap hosting comedy challenge
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