Named for James Law (1885-1952). Law founded a local architectural firm,
Law, Law & Potter and in
1932 became
Madison's 42nd Mayor, a position he held for five more terms.
Located on the strip of land that includes the Monona Terrace Convention Center. In 1864 the site was known as Angleworm Station, the launch site for steamboats on the lake. A huge ice harvest business also grew at this location. It began in 1875 and continued for more than thirty years, serving the Milwaukee and Chicago brewing and packing industries. Wisconsin’s ice was considered superior because of its superb hardness and thickness (12 to 15 inches). In 1876, an ice harvester had six runways leading directly to railroad boxcars running along the edge of Lake Monona at Pinckney St. By 1880 the Madison area shipped 2,621 railroad boxcars loaded with ice during the winter season. By the early 1900s mechanical refrigeration, water pollution and prohibition killed the ice trade. The original shoreline of Lake Monona rested against the bluff on the other side of the railroad tracks. In 1934, Madison Mayor James Law ordered the lakeshore filled to help achieve architect John Nolen’s vision of a grand esplanade connecting the lake to the capitol building. Today, the Monona Terrace Convention Center juts out over Law Park and provides great views of Lake Monona and downtown Madison.
