In 1951 a young barbershop quartet brought fame to the city of Two Rivers.
The Schmitt Brothers: Fran, Joe, Paul and Jim won the international championship as a barbershop quartet in Toledo, Ohio and returned to a heroes welcome at Central Park.
Fast forward 72 years later, the new Schmitt Brothers Stage is dedicated as part of a nearly-completed $1.75 million “Central Park West 365” project.
During the dedication ceremony Saturday, former Green Bay Mayor Jim Schmitt, the son of the quartet member by the same name, explained a group of family members met with City Manager Greg Buckley in an attempt to honor the quartet’s legacy.
He recalled Buckley saying “Your timing is great. We are going to be redoing Central Park in Two Rivers and if I remember right, the Community House, your dad and uncles sang a lot there.”
Mary Ann Schmitt, the widow of quartet member Jim, spoke to the crowd, saying “This has happened because of so many of you donating and being part of the fundraising that we needed to have this space. We had to raise $100,000 to have the naming rights.”
In fact, the extended family raised over $122,000 to name the stage in honor of the Schmitt Brothers, who, no matter where they traveled for more than 3,000 shows never forgot their hometown of Two Rivers, Wisconsin.
During his comments, City Manager Greg Buckley praised the family for stepping up on this project, but also praised the cross-section of support for the new downtown park.
He noted that the project was “Funded with less than a third, approximately $540,000, from the city, a challenge grant for $300,000 from the West Foundation, most recently a $50,000 Vibrant Spaces grant from the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation. In addition to that, over $840,000 in community donations.”
Included in the project are a new Park Pavilion and Patio, The Rotary Skating Loop with synthetic ice, a Splash Pad, and Picnic Island.
The weekend festivities in the Cool City’s new gathering space downtown included a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the newly dedicated stage and a song by over 300 members of the Schmitt family.
