The Wauwatosa Historical Society is presenting an exhibit of artifacts dating back to 1875, the year Charles Hawks, Sr. founded his business. Today on WTMJ Conversations, Joe Kresl, the current president of The Hawks Nursery Company, sits down with WTMJ’s Libby Collins. He talks about the history of the company, the importance of nature in urban spaces, his favorite gardens in Milwaukee, and so much more. It’s all ahead on this informative edition of WTMJ Conversations!
A partial transcript is provided below, courtesy of eCourt Reporters.
LIBBY COLLINS: I’m going to throw you a curve ball here, what do you think about the domes?
JOE KRESL: They’re going through an interesting stage, and I’m wishing them all the luck in the world that they are able to raise the money necessary to do their plan. They’ve got a good plan in place to change the work that they’re doing and expand. I think they have an education element that they’re trying to add, and I think it’s an important historic part of Milwaukee. And they’re kind of a unique building, I’ve never seen buildings like that before, and I think it’s very important that we save those.
LIBBY COLLINS: What were some of the things that you found when you were researching the area and researching the history of your company that stood out to you as being very indicative of what life was like then?
JOE KRESL: What surprises me the most is how little has changed in 150 years. I had one salesperson that worked for the company in 1894, and he would write back to the home office every Monday, and he would then talk about what it was like being a salesperson and walking from farm to farm. And he would talk, you know, you younger guys like to get on your horse and go from farm to farm, and it’s much better if you walk because at the end of the evening they always give you a nice warm place to stay in the barn, like, being on some soft hay, and in the morning at the breakfast table is a place to sign a contract.
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