Milwaukee, WI
Human remains found again during construction at east-side Maryland Avenue Montessori School
Last week, multiple human bones were again found during construction at Maryland Avenue Montessori School in Milwaukee’s east-side Murray Hill neighborhood.
The grade school stands at what was once the site of the East Side Potter’s Field, a known and recorded uncatalogued burial site, said Wisconsin Historical Society assistant director of strategic communications Colleen Lies. Lies explained that the field was Milwaukee’s first potter’s field ― a cemetery for poor, unclaimed and unknown people ― and was in use through the mid-1800s.
Milwaukee County Historical Society president Ben Barbera said Milwaukee police notified his organization after the remains were found on Oct. 2. Barbera referred the police to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s office. According to a report from the Medical Examiner’s office, an investigator climbed down a ladder into the 3-foot-deep excavation site and observed multiple bones sticking out of the dirt on one of the side walls. More dirt to the sides of the bones was removed; ultimately, a “large amount” of bones were found.
The Wisconsin Historical Society was notified of the burial site disturbance and took possession of the bones from the scene. WHS took on the matter because MCHS does not have any input on human remains, Barbera said, while WHS oversees cemeteries and other burials.
“(We) confirmed that all construction was stopped for further coordination with everyone involved,” Lies said. “UW-Milwaukee Cultural Resource Management has temporary care of the remains and will be completing archaeology and analysis work for the burials uncovered during construction.” Construction has since resumed.
This isn’t the first time human bones were found at the site at 2418 N. Maryland Ave.
Many East Side Potter’s Field remains were uncovered and removed during the initial construction of the Maryland Avenue school in 1887.
According to a 1951 Milwaukee Journal article, the potter’s field was the burial site of many victims of the city’s 1849-1850 cholera epidemic, which was estimated to have killed as many as 700 of the city’s then-20,000 residents. During an excavation for an addition to the school in 1951, cholera epidemic-era bones and bone fragments were found, some buried “haphazardly” just 18 inches below the surface, the Journal reported.
Then, in 2021, OnMilwaukee reported that four bones were discovered during a small excavation to fix some basement seepage at the school.
2025 store closures: Joann and JCPenney join Macy’s, Kohl’s
JCPenney and Joann will shutter stores this year. They are joining Macy’s and Kohl’s which have announced plans to close stores in recent months.
- Kohl’s will close 27 “underperforming” stores across 15 states by the end of March 2025.
- The closures come as the company struggles with declining sales and adapting to changing shopping trends.
- Kohl’s has also eliminated positions at its headquarters and other locations in recent years.
Menomonee Falls-based Kohl’s is set to close 27 “underperforming” stores by the end of the month.
In January, Kohl’s announced it was closing the stores, located across 15 states, along with its e-commerce distribution center in San Bernardino, California. According to USA TODAY, the 27 stores are closing on Saturday, March 29, per the stores’ webpages. The e-commerce center is slated to close in May.
Here’s what to know about the closures and if they’re affecting stores in Wisconsin:
Why is Kohl’s closing stores?
Recently, the company has struggled to maintain a customer base and adapt to changing shopping trends. Throughout 2024, Kohl’s reported decreasing sales each quarter.
The retailer’s sales declined 9.4% in the fourth quarter of 2024 and 7.2% for the year. For 2025, the company expects a net decrease in sales for the year between 5% to 7% compared to last year.
A few weeks after announcing it would close the 27 stores, Kohl’s said it was eliminating roughly 10% of the positions at its headquarters. Additional layoffs took place in 2024 and 2023.
Amid the challenges, Kohl’s has worked to build partnerships with other brands like Sephora and Babies ‘R’ Us. It has also been experimenting with store layouts to drive sales.
Is Kohl’s closing stores in Wisconsin?
No Wisconsin stores are included on the list of Kohl’s locations closing Saturday.
Which Kohl’s stores are closing in March 2025?
The following Kohl’s stores are closing by the end of the month, according to USA TODAY:
Alabama
- Spanish Fort: 21000 Town Center Ave.
Arkansas
- Little Rock West: 13909 Chenal Pkwy.
California
- Balboa (San Diego): 5505 Balboa Ave.
- Encinitas: 134 N. El Camino Real
- Fremont: 43782 Christy St.
- Mountain View: 350 Showers Drive
- Napa: 1116 1st St.
- Pleasanton: 4525 Rosewood Drive
- Point West (Sacramento): 1896 Arden Way
- San Rafael: 5010 Northgate Drive
- San Luis Obispo: 205 Madonna Road
- Westchester: 8739 S. Sepulveda Blvd.
Colorado
- Arapahoe Crossing (Aurora): 6584 S. Parker Road
Georgia
- Duluth: 2050 W. Liddell Road
Idaho
- Boise: 400 N. Milwaukee St.
Illinois
- Plainfield: 11860 S. Route 59
- Spring Hill (West Dundee): 3000 Spring Hill Ring Road
Massachusetts
- Stoughton: 501 Technology Center Drive
New Jersey
- East Windsor: 72 Princeton Hightstown Road
Ohio
- Blue Ash: 4150 Hunt Road
- Forest Park (Cincinnati): 100 Cincinnati Mills Drive
Oregon
- Portland Gateway: 10010 NE Halsey St.
Pennsylvania
- Pottstown: 351 W. Schuylkill Road
Texas
- North Dallas: 18224 Preston Road
Utah
- Riverton: 13319 S. 3600 W Ste 13LOT
Virginia
- Herndon: 2100 Centreville Road
- Williamsburg: 100 Gristmill Plz
Where are Kohl’s stores in Milwaukee?
Kohl’s operates more than 1,100 stores nationwide, including 42 stores in Wisconsin, according to the company’s online store locator.
Kohl’s has two stores in Milwaukee, at 3737 S. 27th St. and 331 W. Wisconsin Ave. Its other Milwaukee-area locations are in Brookfield, Delafield, Glendale, Grafton, Greenfield, Menomonee Falls, Muskego, Oak Creek, Sussex, West Allis, West Bend and two in Waukesha.
Journal Sentinel reporter Ricardo Torres contributed to this report.
Officials are investigating a death at the old Milwaukee Mall location at West Fond du Lac and North avenues.
The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner’s Office says it responded to the location for a death but was unable to release more information Tuesday night.
The site was once Milwaukee’s first Sears store in the 1920s and this intersection was part of a booming retail center on the north side. Sears would close the store in 1981 and soon the Fondy Mall opened there for less than a year. The location was then marketed as Milwaukee Mall, but it was more of a indoor flea market that eventually closed over a decade ago.
In recent years, developer Kalan Haywood Sr. has been pursing plans to create a mix of uses, including a craft brewery, events venue, art gallery, office space and housing on a 7-acre site. He borrowed $3.79 million from the City of Milwaukee for a stalled hotel project and received more time to repay the loan. The deadline was this month, according to prior media coverage.
The Milwaukee Police Department didn’t immediately respond to a request for information Tuesday night about the death investigation.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
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