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Introduction
Milwaukee, largest city
in Wisconsin, located in the
southeastern corner of the state
on the shore of Lake Michigan.
Although one of the nation’s
leading industrial cities and
the commercial hub of the state,
it was beer that made Milwaukee
famous. For decades some of the
nation’s leading brewers called
Milwaukee home. The smell of
brewing beer was a familiar
aroma in the city, and
institutions from the city’s
most historic theater to its
baseball team have names
connected with the brewing
industry. But by the mid-1990s
the city’s association with beer
was receding as all but one of
the major breweries closed.
The Milwaukee River, which
flows from north to south
through the city, is joined
just south of the city’s
downtown by its tributaries,
the Menomonee and the
Kinnickinnic. From that
confluence it flows eastward
through a short channel to
empty into Milwaukee Bay on
Lake Michigan. The lake
itself is Milwaukee’s most
important natural resource:
the source of its drinking
water, a recreational
magnet, and a major
influence on local weather.
January temperatures, which
the lake keeps warmer than
those inland, average a high
of -3°C (26°F) and a low of
-11°C (12°F). Temperatures
in July, cooled by the lake,
average a high of 27°C
(80°F) and a low of 17°C
(62°F). Milwaukee’s average
annual precipitation is 840
mm (33 in).
Numerous Native American
peoples made their homes
in the Milwaukee area
before the arrival of
whites. That diversity
was continued after the
community was founded in
the 1830s. In the
following years waves of
immigrants were drawn to
Milwaukee, and each
ethnic group lent the
city unique attributes.
The city’s name is
believed to be derived
from the Native American
Mahn-ah-wauk,
most often translated as
“good land.”
Milwaukee and
Its Metropolitan
Area
The city of
Milwaukee covers
a land area of
248.9 sq km
(96.1 sq mi).
Nearly one-half
of the area was
added through
annexations
between 1945 and
1960. As a
result, there is
still farmland
within the city
limits.
Milwaukee is
also the seat of
Milwaukee County
and the heart of
a metropolitan
area that
includes
Waukesha,
Washington, and
Ozaukee
counties. The
entire
metropolitan
area covers
3,781 sq km
(1,460 sq mi).
Suburban and
outlying
population
centers include
the cities of
West Allis,
Waukesha,
Wauwatosa,
Brookfield, New
Berlin,
Greenfield, and
Menomonee Falls.
Milwaukee
lies on a
series of
bluffs
overlooking
Lake
Michigan,
and the city
retains the
charm of
broad
tree-lined
streets,
parks,
woods, and
lakes. The
older
industrial
section of
the city
extends
inland from
Lake
Michigan,
mainly along
the
Menomonee
River. The
central
business
district
lies just
north, along
both banks
of the
Milwaukee
River.
Numerous
bridges
connect the
two sides of
the
downtown.
Farther
north are
many of the
city’s most
fashionable
residential
areas.
Milwaukee’s
rivers
divide
the city
into
large
geographic
districts,
each
with its
own
personality.
The East
Side is
a center
for
nightlife
and
specialty
shopping.
The
North
Side is
a
stronghold
of
African
American
culture.
The West
Side is
a
multiethnic,
mixed-income
section
of town,
and the
South
Side is
the home
of
Milwaukee’s
largest
Polish
and
Hispanic
communities.
Several
neighborhoods,
including
Walker’s
Point,
Brewer’s
Hill,
and the
Third
Ward,
are
showcases
for
restoration
efforts,
while
others—such
as Bay
View,
Pigsville,
and
Layton
Park—have
maintained
their
traditional
characters
for
generations.
Individual
suburbs
range
from
industrial
Cudahy,
built
around a
packing
plant,
to
affluent
River
Hills,
built
around a
country
club.
Population
Milwaukee’s population decreased in the later half of the 20th century. The number of its inhabitants peaked in 1960 at 741,324; the city experienced its sharpest decline in the 1970s. The population in 2000 was 596,974. Meanwhile, the surrounding four-county metropolitan area has continued to grow in population, rising from 1,397,143 in 1980 to 1,500,741 in 2000.
Historic patterns of ethnic diversity have persisted. According to the 2000 census, whites make up 50 percent of the population, blacks 37.3 percent, Asians 2.9 percent, Native Americans 0.9 percent, and Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders 0.1 percent. People of mixed heritage or not reporting race are 8.8 percent of inhabitants. Hispanics, who may be of any race, are 12 percent of the populace. People from Southeast Asia, particularly Hmongs and Lao, were Milwaukee’s fastest-growing ethnic group in the 1980s. The number of Hispanics in the city doubled during the 1990s.
In 2000, 37.6 percent of the metropolitan area’s residents identified their backgrounds as German, the highest proportion among the nation’s largest urban areas. German ancestry was followed by Polish (12.3 percent), Irish (10 percent), English (5.2 percent), and Italian (4.5 percent).
Education and Culture
The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (founded in 1885 as a teachers college and joined with the state university system in 1956) is the region’s largest institution of higher learning, with nearly 23,000 students. Marquette University (1881), with more than 10,600 students, is the largest private school. Other four-year institutions in the Milwaukee area include Alverno College (1887), Cardinal Stritch University (1937), Concordia University Wisconsin (1881), Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design (1974), Milwaukee School of Engineering (1903), Mount Mary College (1913), and Wisconsin Lutheran College (1973). Milwaukee Area Technical College (1912) serves nearly 65,000 students with a full range of vocational programs on four campuses.
As Wisconsin’s principal metropolis, Milwaukee has cultural resources of national standing, among them the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra, Milwaukee Ballet Company, and Milwaukee Repertory Theater. Other major institutions include the Milwaukee Public Museum, a pioneer in interpreting natural and cultural history, and the Central Library, housed in a neoclassical-style landmark on the western edge of downtown. The Milwaukee County War Memorial Complex, dedicated to the county residents who died in the nation’s wars, consists of a performing arts center and three museums located around the city. It includes the Milwaukee Art Museum, home of a celebrated modern art collection; the Charles Allis Art Museum, housed in a mansion built by an early-20th-century industrialist; and Villa Terrace, noted for its beautiful grounds.
Milwaukee has preserved an unusually large number of its historic buildings. The better-known examples include City Hall (1895), a civic shrine rooted in Germanic architectural styles; the Pabst Mansion (1893), built for pioneer brewer Frederick Pabst; and Saint Josaphat’s Basilica (1901), the city’s largest church and a monument to the Polish immigrants who built it. The restored Pabst Theater is home to concerts and theatrical presentations.
In recent years, Milwaukee has developed a reputation as a city of festivals. Summerfest, an 11-day music festival held on its own lakefront grounds, is a showcase for acts ranging from alternative rock to country music. During the rest of the summer months, the park is the site of weekend festivals staged by Milwaukee’s major ethnic groups: Italian, Irish, German, African American, Polish, Mexican, Native American, and Asian. The Great Circus Parade, featuring the world’s largest collection of ornate circus wagons, is another staple of Milwaukee’s festival season. The Wisconsin State Fair is held annually in nearby West Allis.
Recreation
The largest single unit of Milwaukee County’s extensive park system is Whitnall Park, a vast green space that includes a botanical garden, a golf course, and a nature center. The Mitchell Park Domes are three beehive-shaped glass structures that house collections of plants from tropical and arid regions, as well as changing seasonal displays. The Milwaukee County Zoo exhibits animals from every continent in settings that resemble their native habitats. Preservation of the Lake Michigan shoreline for public use has been a priority for decades. One of the park system’s most popular features is Lincoln Memorial Drive, a generous strip of lakefront land that stretches north from Milwaukee’s downtown.
The city supports two major league sports teams: the Milwaukee Brewers in baseball and the Milwaukee Bucks in basketball. The Brewers play in Miller Park, a new baseball stadium with a retractable roof that opened in April 2001. The Milwaukee Bucks’ home court is Bradley Center, a state-of-the-art facility that seats 18,700 spectators.
Economy
As recently as 1960, manufacturing accounted for more than 40 percent of the four-county metropolitan area’s employment. Recessions, mergers and acquisitions, and global competition reduced that proportion to 24 percent by 1990. Membership in labor unions has suffered a corresponding decline. Despite these massive shifts, manufacturing is still the foundation of the local economy.
In keeping with its popular image, Milwaukee remains a leading producer of beer. Miller Brewing, one of the nation’s largest brewers, has its headquarters in the city. But makers of iron and steel products employ far more residents. Milwaukee is the home of Briggs & Stratton (small engines), Allen-Bradley (industrial controls), A. O. Smith (electric motors and water heaters), Harley-Davidson (motorcycles), Harnischfeger Industries (mining and material handling equipment), Johnson Controls (automotive systems and building control systems), and Master Lock (security products).
The service sector of the economy has shown particular growth since the 1970s. Milwaukee’s largest nonmanufacturing employers include Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance (one of the nation’s largest life insurers), a variety of health-care providers, and major banks. The city also serves as a wholesale trade center for Wisconsin and for a wide region that includes parts of Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Michigan.
The commercial importance of the city stems in part from its function as a major port on the Great Lakes. The port serves vessels engaged in cross-lake shipping as well as larger vessels that enter the lakes through the St. Lawrence Seaway. Breakwaters that jut into Lake Michigan protect Milwaukee’s harbor area. The three rivers flowing through the city join and pass through a short deepwater canal that empties into the harbor. Docking facilities line the canal and several of its branches. There is a large mooring basin within the breakwater.
The principal highway to Milwaukee is Interstate 94, which connects the city with Chicago to the south and Madison to the west. Interstate 43 ties Milwaukee to other lakeshore communities to the north. Commercial air transportation is provided through General Mitchell International Airport.
Government
Milwaukee has two levels of local government—city and county—that overlap but generally complement each other. The city of Milwaukee is headed by an elected mayor and a 17-member Common Council. City jurisdiction extends over fire and police protection, waste removal, public housing, library services, street maintenance, and the Port of Milwaukee. Milwaukee County, guided by an elected county executive and 25 supervisors, administers welfare programs, court and correctional systems, expressways, public parks, and Mitchell International Airport. Officials on both levels serve four-year terms.
The mayor of Milwaukee provides executive direction for the city by appointing department heads and preparing the annual budget. The mayor also has the power to veto Common Council actions. The Common Council reviews the mayor’s budget and may make changes to it, as well as confirm or reject mayoral appointments. Each council member represents a district of the city and acts as its administrator, with responsibility to the citizens for the services they receive.
History
Dozens of Native American peoples lived in the Milwaukee region over the centuries, among them the Winnebago, Sac (Sauk), Fox, Ojibwa, Ottawa, and, by 1700, Potawatomi. They were joined in the 1600s by fur traders who made Milwaukee a minor outpost in the commercial empire of New France.
Native settlement and the fur trade both came to an end in the 1830s. Endowed with a sheltering bay and a deep river, Milwaukee attracted the attention of speculators who hoped to make the site a metropolis. The first public land sale was held in 1835, and the city of Milwaukee incorporated in 1846—two years before Wisconsin became a state. The city’s first mayor was Solomon Juneau, a French-Canadian fur trader who had come to Milwaukee in 1818.
Yankees from the eastern United States dominated pioneer Milwaukee, but 64 percent of the city’s residents were foreign-born by 1850. Although Irish and English families were numerous, the greatest number of immigrants came from Germany. They established singing societies and dramatic groups that made Milwaukee the “Deutsch-Athen” (German Athens) of America, a reference to its cultural sophistication. They also laid the foundations of a prosperous brewing industry. By 1856 there were more than two dozen breweries in Milwaukee, all owned and operated by German-speaking residents.
Milwaukee flourished as a commercial center at first, exporting the products of Wisconsin’s farms and importing finished goods from the East and from Europe. In the early 1860s Milwaukee was the largest shipper of wheat on earth. After the American Civil War (1861-1865), the city turned increasingly to manufacturing as its economic base. Industrialists like Edward Allis, Henry Harnischfeger, and Frederick Layton joined the great brewing families—the Pabsts, Blatzes, Millers, and Uihleins (Schlitz)—at the top of the social order.
The lure of industrial jobs brought thousands of new immigrants to Milwaukee, among them Poles and Italians. By the late 1800s the city had developed a rich collection of ethnic neighborhoods, each centered around its own places of worship and homegrown businesses. During the same years, the city struggled to adjust to its new economic and social circumstances. Labor unrest, political strife, and charges of corruption dominated public discourse.
A reform movement gathered momentum at the turn of the century, and socialists were prominent in its leadership. Rooted in ideals carried over from Europe and drawing on the strength of Milwaukee’s working-class wards, the socialists captured the mayor’s office for the first time in 1910. They would govern the city for most of the next 50 years; Emil Seidel from 1910 to 1912, Daniel Hoan from 1916 to 1940, and Frank Zeidler from 1948 to 1960. It was during the socialist heyday that Milwaukee gained its reputation for efficient municipal services, scandal-free government, and clean streets.
Milwaukee’s role as a manufacturing center expanded during World War I (1914-1918) and the boom that followed in the 1920s. Severe labor shortages brought hundreds of blacks and Hispanics to the city, many of them recruited by labor agents working for local industries. The Great Depression of the 1930s practically flattened the region’s economy, but industries recovered completely with the approach of the nation’s involvement in World War II (1939-1945).
The region’s growth rate accelerated after the war, building to a historic peak in 1960. Milwaukee’s experience since that time has been decidedly mixed. Mayor Henry Maier, a Democrat who served from 1960 to 1988, provided exceptionally stable leadership. During the same period, however, Milwaukee developed the familiar symptoms of urban decline: an eroding industrial base, middle-class suburban flight, concerns about racial equality, and an increasing concentration of poverty in the inner city. A symptom of the decline was the contraction of the brewing industry, culminating in the closure of the huge Pabst brewery in 1996.
While most of the city’s problems remain, there have been positive developments. A downtown renaissance began in 1982 with the opening of the Grand Avenue Mall, an enclosed shopping center anchored by an elegant 1916 commercial arcade. The mall has been the catalyst for more than $1 billion in public and private redevelopment. Projects constructed in the mid-1990s included a new convention center and a new baseball stadium. Comparable energy has transformed some of Milwaukee’s oldest neighborhoods, and the growth of the city’s ethnic festivals indicates that Milwaukeeans are taking new pride in one of their community’s oldest assets: ethnic diversity.
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