[2] Kenosha, Wisconsin was first settled in 1835, and by 1836, Charles Durkee had amassed a large land holding near Lake Michigan.

By 1882, the entire area of the Third Avenue district was settled, although few buildings from this era remain.

Starting with the George A. Yule House in 1899, Third Avenue became a desirable dwelling place for Kenosha's most prominent families.

When he moved to the Utah Territory to become its sixth governor, Durkee's house was acquired by the Episcopal church in 1865.

Allen inherited his father's tannery and turned it into a nationally recognized produced of hosiery.