Bohemian Baking Company

Address

1263 Main St View on Google Maps
Green Bay, WI 54302

District

Olde Main Street District

About the Artist

Artist: Joshua Marquardt

Artist Statement:
Provided by the Brown County Library:

The large brick building at 1263 Main Street in Green Bay was the former home of the Bohemian Baking Company. The company was established by bohemian immigrant James V. Micksch. In 1897, Mr. Micksch opened a grocery and baking business in a two-story wood building on Main Street.

The bakery became so successful that it soon outgrew the small wooden building. In 1912, a new two-story brick building was constructed next door, west of his wooden building. As the business continued to grow, so did the need for a larger building.

On June 30, 1927, a newly enlarged Bohemian Baking Company opened. The center front portion of the building housed the retail bakery, with a men’s clothing store in the west wing, and a produce market in one of the two east wing storefronts. At the back of the building were the bakery and loading docks.

Besides baking their own brand, known as Bohemian Rye Bread, the company also baked trademark brands such as Bamby, Betsy Ross, Butter-krust, and Holsom. In December of 1956, Dick Brothers Bakery of Manitowoc purchased the bread routes and delivery trucks from Bohemian Baking Company. Two years after the buyout, Bohemian Baking Company closed its retail business.

In 1964, Fabry Glove and Mitten Company converted the old bakery into their glove factory. Fabry continued making gloves at the Main Street location until 2000 when the factory moved to Lombardi Avenue. The building was again remodeled in 2001, to become a mixed-use building of office space and retail, known as Main Street Commons.

Information for this article came from the Green Bay Press-Gazette. Microfilm copies of the newspaper are available for viewing at the Central Library.