Who is Goerke's Corners named for?

Like many other uniquely named places, Goerke's Corners is one of those locations that we've all driven by hundreds of times but never stopped to think about its origins.

According to information from the Wisconsin Historical Society, the busy crossroads is named for Frederick Goerke, who was a blacksmith, wagonmaker and innkeeper in that area in the 1870s. Goerke also served as postmaster for the post office that operated at that location from 1885-95.

The area wasn't always known as Goerke's Corners, however. The area was first called Storyville, named forAugustus Story, who settled in the area in 1837. After that, the location was called Blodgett, probably for Chester Blodgett, who arrived in 1843, according to information from the Sussex-Lisbon Area Historical Society.

The intersection is probably now best known for its busy traffic. A number of roads meet up there, including Bluemound Road (Highway JJ), Barker Road (Highway Y), I-94, East Moreland Boulevard, Highway 18 and Highway 164. The spot is also know for its park-and-ride lot, which offers free parking for 315 vehicles as well as parking for bikes, and is served by four bus lines.

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