A History of Chess in Milwaukee

by Pearle Mann

In Milwaukee, chess was first organized in 1857, only a few months after the First American Chess Congress in New York. The Milwaukee Chess Club held its first meetings in the newly erected Newhall House. Winfield Smith, the club’s first president and strongest player, was a prominent lawyer and business man, who served as Wisconsin Stae Attorney General from 1862 to 1866. Rufus King, editor of the Milwaukee Sentinel was another enthusiastic member and publicist for the club. When the Newhall House burned to the ground January 10, 1883 the chess club lost its meeting room. In 1896 the club was re-organized at the Republican House, North 3rd and West Kilbourn, as a private club. Actually several clubs were started before they got one to last.

In the spring of 1900, a trio consisting of Hugo Teweles, Guido Enderis and Ernest Reel called a meeting of “pawn pushers”, the known chessists, to organize a club. This notable meeting was held at the Republican House and the Milwaukee Chess Club was under way. The officers were: F. F. Johnson as President, Hugo Teweles as Vice President and Guido Enderis as Treasurer. The club was granted free occupancy of a room behind the Republican House bar, but so little liquor was consumed that they were obliged to vacate after a few months activity.

With dues only a dollar a year, the club could not afford to pay much rent. Fortunately the Milwaukee Whist Club, then in the Goldsmith building, permitted the use of its quarters. However, the club soon went out of existence and the chess people found a room in the basement of the Pabst building, where Mr. Swoboda granted them a small corner of his restaurant.

The then World Chess Champion, Dr. Emanuel Lasker, lectured in Milwaukee with chess men the size of a man. These chess figures were the invention of, and manufactured by, Peter Toepfer of Milwaukee, a chess devotee, who paid any deficit as a result of the chess club’s ventures. These chess figures were cone shaped, one fitting into another and made of aluminum, with a crown, cross or horse’s head at the top to distinguish them. These figures were bequeathed to the Wisconsin State University and can be seen in the museum there.

The Chess club had many ups and downs, disbanding and re-organizing, until in 1920, Mr. Reel, who was owner of the Wisconsin Seed Company, was instrumental in interesting the City Club to take all the chess players in as a unit. For many years chess was featured at the City Club.

In the early twenties, Mr. Reel contacted Miss Dorothy Enderis, the Director of the Municipal Recreation Department and offered to give exhibitions of chess skill at the Social Centers. This met with the hearty approval of Miss Enderis and the then Superintendent of Schools, Milton C. Potter. Mr. Potter stated that he favored chess and that he and his wife never retired without playing a game of chess every night.

Chess in Milwaukee, in the early twenties, depended almost solely on the support of Ernest Reel. The late Dorothy Enderis, a woman of great vision, saw an outlet for creative recreation and encouraged the activity. In 1922 the first city hampionship was held under the sponsorship of the Municipal Recreation Department. This tournament was won by Arpad Elo, internationally famous for his chess rating system and former President of the Milwaukee Chess Foundation.

Many people became interested in chess in the social centers. Among the star pupils of Mr. Reel were Fritz Rathman, Editor of the Milwaukee County News and Harold Knutsen, teacher at U.W.M., who became Wisconsin Chess Champion for a number of years. Do you remember the cafe on East Water Street called Martini’s? Chess was played there in the afternoons and many actors at the Pabst Theater and teachers at the German-American Academy congregated there. The expert pianist, Hans Bruening, was usually found at a table with his coffee, pondering over a chess game, while his fingers constantly tapped the table, as if it were a piano. He was the strongest player in Milwaukee and could play a game blindfolded.

1931 marked the year of full scale organization of Municipal Recreation Department chess activities by Donald B. Dyer, late Director of the ecreation Department. He organized chess classes in the social centers and as interest in chess increased there was a demand for competition. The famed Milwaukee composer, Carl Eppert, conducted some of the classes in league play, city tournaments, and social centers. In 1932, he organized chess leagues, with players grouped according to ability on teams. The headquarters were at the Lapham Park Social Center and the Milwaukee Municipal Chess Association was formed.

During the summer of 1938, Miss Enderis introduced chess on the playgrounds for boys and girls. Chess teachers were hired and classes were organized on the playgrounds. The late Ernest Olfe started teaching chess on the playgrounds in 1938. One summer, George Koltanowski, Belgian Master, taught on the playgrounds. Soon, the appearance of chess instructors broke up baseball contests as the youngsters thirsted for knowledge of this fascinating art - once considered only for nobility and old men. Color, creed and religion were forgotten barriers as young minds thrilled to victory, others tasted defeat, but all were developing qualities of leadership and initiative to be applied to late life. Mr. Olfe saw that chess would be a natural carry-over for interest in Milwaukee high schools and chess clubs were formed in the schools.

In 1939, the Municipal Recreation Division and the Milwaukee Journal planned a city-wide playground chess tournament at the Marquette University stadium. This spectacle included a human chess game and competition for championships in ten age divisions for boys and girls, set up on the football field turf. This tournament has been continued annually.

The headquarters of the Municipal Association was transferred to Hawthorn Glen in 1948, with Ernest Olfe in charge. Pearle Mann was appointed Chess Director after the death of Mr. Olfe in 1966.