Goerke's Corners (also spelled Goerkes Corner, Goerkes Corners or Goerke's Corner) is a former

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either have ...

in the Town of Brookfield, in Waukesha County,

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, United States. It is now the location of a major

highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-access ...

intersection, and the site of a park-and-ride lot.

History

This crossroads was originally called Storyville, after one Augustus Story who settled in the area about 1837. It was later known as Blodgett or Blodgett's Corners, probably for one Chester Blodgett who arrived in 1843. The Watertown Plank Road between

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

and

Watertown Watertown may refer to: Places in China In China, a water town is a type of ancient scenic town known for its waterways. Places in the United States *Watertown, Connecticut, a New England town **Watertown (CDP), Connecticut, the central village ...

was built through this area during 1848-54, and a spur to Waukesha in 1850. The current name comes from Frederick Goerke, blacksmith, wagonmaker, and innkeeper in this area in the 1870s. A post office was located there (under the name Blodgett) from 1885 to 1895, with Frederick Goerke as postmaster. The first segment of

Interstate 94 Interstate 94 (I-94) is an east–west Interstate Highway connecting the Great Lakes and northern Great Plains regions of the United States. Its western terminus is just east of Billings, Montana, at a junction with I-90; its eastern ter ...

through this area was opened in 1958. By the late 20th century, this intersection, now involving

Wisconsin Highway 164 State Trunk Highway 164 (often called Highway 164, STH-164 or WIS 164) is a Wisconsin state highway running from Slinger, around the city of Waukesha, to Waterford. Route description The southern terminus of Highway 164 is at the intersection ...

U.S. Route 18 U.S. Route 18 (US 18) is an east–west U.S. highway in the Midwestern United States. The western terminus is in Orin, Wyoming at an interchange with Interstate 25. Its eastern terminus is in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. However, US 18 run ...

and Interstate 94, had become one of the busiest in southeastern Wisconsin, and is the westernmost major waypoint in local radio and television

traffic reports Traffic reporting is the near real-time distribution of information about road conditions such as traffic congestion, detours, and traffic collisions. The reports help drivers anticipate and avoid traffic problems. Traffic reports, especially in c ...

. It is the site of a park-and-ride lot used by

Badger Bus The Badger Bus is an interurban bus line operated between Madison, Wisconsin and Milwaukee, Wisconsin by Badger Coaches, Inc. It also offers charters and tours, and operates school buses under contract. History Founded in 1920 by Herman E. Meier ...

, the

Milwaukee County Transit System The Milwaukee County Transit System (MCTS) is the largest transit agency in Wisconsin, and is the primary transit provider for Milwaukee County. It ranks among the top 50 transit agencies in the United States for total passenger trips. Milwaukee ...

, and others. The former site of the settlement is now taken up by

shopping center A shopping center (American English) or shopping centre (Commonwealth English), also called a shopping complex, shopping arcade, shopping plaza or galleria, is a group of shops built together, sometimes under one roof. The first known collec ...

s, office buildings, hotels, apartments, and their associated parking lots. The "Goerke's Corners" name continues to be used to reference the area, although it looks much different than it did earlier. Although obscure outside metro Milwaukee, Goerke's Corners had its moment of pop culture fame. In the 1949 movie ''

It's a Great Feeling ''It's a Great Feeling'' is a 1949 American Technicolor musical comedy film starring Doris Day, Jack Carson, and Dennis Morgan in a parody of what goes on behind the scenes in Hollywood movie making. The screenplay by Jack Rose and Mel Shavels ...

'', Hollywood hopeful Judy Adams (

Doris Day Doris Day (born Doris Mary Kappelhoff; April 3, 1922 – May 13, 2019) was an American actress, singer, and activist. She began her career as a big band singer in 1939, achieving commercial success in 1945 with two No. 1 recordings, " Sent ...

) proudly states that she grew up there. The place is mentioned several times in the movie, and Judy eventually returns there, disillusioned, and the film closes in Goerke's Corners with Judy marrying her old sweetheart.A closer look at Goerke's Corners: Behind the name, community
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References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Waukesha County, Wisconsin Unincorporated communities in Wisconsin