History

VIDEO: History of the Milwaukee VA.

VA Milwaukee Health Care System

The Civil War was the first experience in the history of the United States that was truly national in the involvement of its citizens and the impact on their daily life. One of the first groups to respond to the need for soldiers’ care during the Civil War were women who showed their patriotism by working as nurses or volunteering in soldiers’ aid societies.

One such group was Milwaukee's West Side Soldiers’ Aid Society. They began in a storefront, providing food and temporary shelter to soldiers returning from the war. Located on what is now Wisconsin and Plankinton streets in downtown Milwaukee, this single storefront grew to seven as the demand for soldiers’ care grew.

In 1865, this same group decided to hold a fair to raise enough money to establish a permanent soldiers’ home for Wisconsin Veterans. They were extremely successful and raised over $100,000.

At the same time, the United States Government was considering a system of National Homes to provide shelter and care for its disabled veterans. This was necessary due to the large number of wounded Union soldiers, the fact that most jobs of the era were physically demanding, and that there were few other alternatives for receiving care. Signed on March 3, 1865, the Act to create the “National Asylum for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers” was one of the last pieces of legislation President Lincoln signed before he was assassinated.

Unfortunately, the new institution experienced difficulties getting started, and it was not until legislation was passed in March 1866, creating a 12-member Board of Managers, that progress was made. The new board’s first task was to select locations for the first three homes.

There were guidelines as to what sites would be suitable for the location of a home. A site had to be located in a loyal state, include at least 200 acres of land, and be in a healthy location that was easily accessible by railroad or some other form of transportation. The board also sought to locate homes in states that had large populations of Veterans.

In September 1866, the Board of Managers voted to purchase a bankrupt resort in Togus, Maine, because it had existing buildings that could be immediately put to use. A second site in Dayton, Ohio, was also chosen due to the campaigning of powerful Ohio groups in Congress and a particular Ohio Union general, William Tecumseh Sherman.

By this time, the women of the West Side Soldiers’ Aid Society had already purchased land and hired an architect to design their Wisconsin Soldiers’ Home, but they were persuaded to turn over their money and property to the government in exchange for locating one of the proposed National Homes in the Milwaukee area.

In March 1867, the Board of Managers selected property three miles west of downtown Milwaukee, which had previously been the farms of several prominent Milwaukee families, including the Mitchell family. The land covered almost 425 acres and cost approximately $75,000.

The home’s only admission requirements were proof of an honorable discharge from the Union military and medical testimony confirming an injury that rendered the soldier unable to earn a living by the ordinary means. The first soldiers to be admitted to home were young or middle aged and had disabilities due to loss of limbs or other wounds.

In May 1867, 60 soldiers moved from the downtown storefronts into the existing farm buildings. In July, work began on the first permanent building on the grounds, a rectangular building veneered with Milwaukee brick. It was completed in six weeks and provided housing for the soldiers until the first domiciliary – the Main Building – could be finished. After Old Main was completed in 1869, this first building became the hospital for the home.

Fines and forfeitures of the Union deserters provided the money to run the National Homes. The result was that instead of paying for the home through an increase in federal taxes, “the bad soldiers are compelled to make a home for the good ones.” The image that the soldiers themselves had paid for the home helped to support the public idea that the home was not a public charity but rather something the soldiers had earned through their services.

The grounds saw a construction boom of new buildings in the late 1800s, which included a hospital, library, chapel, theater, firehouse and more. Construction continued in 1923 with Building 70, originally for tuberculosis patients; and building 43 in 1932 as a hospital annex. Many of these original buildings were designated a National Historic Landmark in 2011.

The current 10-story hospital building opened in 1966. At the time, with 1,000 beds, it was one of the largest VA hospitals, with numerous modern features such as built-in oxygen, air conditioning and paging systems. It was named after Milwaukee Congressman Clement J. Zablocki in 1984.  Almost the entire hospital has been modernized on every floor over the last few years. 

Since our humble beginnings taking care of 60, we now serve 64,000 Veterans annually. Our care continues on these grounds and in the community today with:

• Community-based outpatient clinics in Green Bay, Appleton, Cleveland and Union Grove that offer care closer to where are veterans live.
• Our Community Resource and Referral Center in downtown Milwaukee, which provides assistance to homeless Veterans.
• Community Living Center which delivers nursing home-level care in a tranquil, home-like setting.
• Spinal Cord Injury Center which provides care to our spinal-cord injured Veterans and gives them a new lease on life with adaptive sports.
• Domiciliary care which provides much-needed help for those with post-traumatic stress, substance abuse treatment and other mental health issues.

'A Hallowed Home for Heroes'

In November 2023, Milwaukee PBS released "A Hallowed Home for Heroes," a documentary about the Milwaukee VA's rich history.

"A Hallowed Home for Heroes" steps back in time to uncover a fascinating story about Milwaukee Soldiers Home, a National Historic Landmark on the Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center grounds. The origins of the home trace back to President Abraham Lincoln’s last legislative act.

The documentary features veterans living at the home, Civil War historians, preservationists, veterans and even some re-enactors. The story explains how these grounds affected the development of Milwaukee as a city and why it’s important to preserve all of it.

“The film explores why Milwaukee Soldiers Home is so much more than a bunch of beautiful old buildings,” said award-winning producer Maryann Lazarski. “The legacy of the entire Soldiers Home grounds lives on so that new generations can learn to be reverent about its past and devoted to its future.”

You can view the documentary here: Specials and Documentaries | Milwaukee PBS | A Hallowed Home for Heroes - YouTube