Milwaukee or “gathering place by the water*” was built on a Great Lake and the Milwaukee Harbor welcomes vessels and other boaters to our great city. Swanson, who, along with his wife, has home-schooled his own children, said trips like these are "fun ways to have those important conversations." ... All told, 403,000 people got sick from the Crypto outbreak, which was the largest waterborne illness outbreak in U.S. history. It was headquartered at 1518 E. North Ave., just two blocks from the battlefield of 1901. The Milwaukee River area was populated by Native Americans in the time before European settlement. A History of Port Milwaukee. As they enter our Harbor, boaters have the option of exploring the KK River (south), the Menomonee River (west) and the Milwaukee River which winds through Downtown Milwaukee. Beginning in the early 1600s, traders, trappers, missionaries, and French explorers used the Menomonee, Milwaukee, and Kinnickinnic Rivers as water routes for transportation. It takes a look at the lives of people who lived in Milwaukee in the late 1800s and early 1900s in an engaging way that allows you to easily imagine what was there before. Posts about Milwaukee River written by MilwaukeeNotebook. In that spirit, if a "Lost Milwaukee" day trip sparks a fascination with local history, there are plenty of additional fascinating stories in Swanson's book. "About 200 Poles," the Journal breathlessly reported, "whose livelihood depends on the harvesting of the ice, are becoming aroused over the work of the Goll. A book called "Lost Milwaukee" by Carl Swanson. RELATED: Your kids can pretend to be urban explorers on this Wisconsin hiking trail, RELATED: The Scuppernong Springs nature hike is delightfully haunting — your kids will love it. Tolan wrote the history 20 years ago, as part of the Milwaukee Humanities Program, a federally funded organization based at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and he’s updated it over the last several years. The war lasted six weeks, was witnessed by hundreds of spectators and was heavily reported in the city’s newspapers. 4 (Summer, 1965). We visited over July 4th weekend, 2020, and the Riverwalk was a great way to see a lot of downtown. It's interesting — and, frankly, a little haunting — to imagine the shadows of Milwaukeeans gone by. In 1982 the city was under a Federal court mandated order to eliminate overflows and improve seweage treatment, … In the winter between 1900 and 1901, a pitched battle erupted on the frozen Milwaukee River above the North Avenue dam between enraged ice harvesters and the equally violent crew of a steam-powered launch. He lives in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood with his wife, three children and two cats. There's the story of a shipwreck on the Milwaukee River — right in the middle of downtown. And there are the trees. MILWAUKEE COUNTY LANDMARKS City of Milwaukee Milwaukee County Courthouse 901 North 9th Street Milwaukee Landmark Designation: 1976 Milwaukee County’s first two courthouses were located east of the Milwaukee River in today’s Cathedral Square. At its height, Wisconsin Lakes owned 20 ice houses across southeastern Wisconsin, including four large operations on the Milwaukee River that employed hundreds of laborers at $1 a day, paid in cash each night. History to 1820. Brief history of the Milwaukee and Rock River Canal. Once the center of commerce and recreation, the Milwaukee River had become one of the City's most neglected amenities. Gage- height telemeter at station. History During the second half of the 20th century Milwaukee turned its back on a valuable economic resource, the three rivers that run through the heart of the City. Someone, probably acting under the direction of the Wisconsin Lakes Co., bought this land and refused to grant North Lakes permission to cross the property, which it had to do in order to ship out its ice. "At the same time," the Journal continued, "the owners of that redoubtable fighting ship, the steamer Goll, which last year established an excursion route above the dam and incidentally broke up a large quantity of ice which was usually stored by the Wisconsin Lakes Ice company, are expressing some concern at the possibility of the water remaining too low all winter for the excursion business. From the seemingly untouched areas within the Northern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest to the areas near cities challenged by pollution and habitat modification, one thing remains constant: our land and water resources are forever linked. They might take a subject and go with it.". It planned to use heavy advertising to tout the purity of its lakes and capitalize on public concerns over the increasingly dirty Milwaukee River. As European settlers moved into the area, local rivers became commercial and shipping … First, there's the river itself. REMARKS .--Prior to 2018, occasional regulation caused by recreation dam approximately 1,200 ft upstream. Milwaukee or “gathering place by the water*” was built on a Great Lake and the Milwaukee Harbor welcomes vessels and other boaters to our great city. It's a park. The swim was covered by the Milwaukee Sentinel and the Chicago Tribune—it was a big deal. This went on for six weeks whenever the river re-froze. Yes, an amusement park. It's really well-done, with wide sidewalks on both sides of the river, interesting variation in the pathway as you move between sections, and some cool art along the way. The first recorded inhabitants of the Milwaukee area are the Menominee, Fox, Mascouten, Sauk, Potawatomi, Ojibwe (all Algic/Algonquian peoples) and Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) (a Siouan people) Native American tribes. The newspapers called it "The Ice War." So much more effective than a dry history book. Now the plot thickens. The system’s sole function was to carry human, animal, and industrial waste, mixed with stormwater, to the nearest river; treatment was not the remotest option. Impressive! Vieau was a seasonal resident, and in 1818 transferred his Milwaukee … Those former quarries created lagoons that were deep enough to swim in — but also extremely dangerous due to the hidden tunnels and dropoffs that resulted from the mining. The Milwaukee River Today For a while, the health of the Milwaukee River was in serious decline. He has worked in the publishing industry for more than 25 years. "I was walking in Gordon Park, and I came across some concrete stairs, which seem to connect from nothing to nowhere. The company owned more than 500 delivery horses. Biggs told reporters he was trying to establish an off-season river excursion service between the North Avenue dam and the Blatz Park beer garden, two miles upstream. While Swanson is careful to point out that his book isn't an exhaustive history of Milwaukee, the anecdotes he shares and the stories he tells are a much better way to get kids — and adults — to really understand what Milwaukee was like in the past. Like a lot of local families. The newspapers called it "The Ice War." We will rejoin the war in progress in a moment. So, after a morning spent with the ghosts of Milwaukee past, I was in the perfect mood to come across a book in the gift shop of the museum. An 1881 visitor described the Milwaukee River as “a currentless and yellowish murky stream, with water like oil, and an odor combined of the effluvia of a hundred sewers.” Household sewage and horse manure were the worst of it, at least in the short term. Between 1900 and 1917, an amusement park was at this site. There's the river to marvel at and to throw sticks and stones into. In addition to its name, the City of Milwaukee may have an even bigger debt to pay to the river: that of being the catalyst for the creation of the first settlements here. Enjoy this sample chapter from the new book, Lost Milwaukee, by Milwaukee Notebook blogger Carl Swanson During the winter of 1900–01, a pitched battle erupted on the frozen Milwaukee River above the North Avenue dam between enraged ice harvesters and the equally violent crew of a steam-powered launch. By 1900, ice harvesting took place at several locations along the upper river, as well as on many area lakes. Sub-zero temperatures froze the ice channels as fast as workers could open them. And, when you're finished sharing each of the stories with your kids, take the time to associate those stories of lost Milwaukee with what Milwaukee is today. It's a transformation that began in the early 1990s when the Milwaukee RiverWalk District formed in partnership with the City of Milwaukee. Milwaukee was founded to utilize a natural harbor formed by the confluence of rivers immediately before flowing into Lake Michigan, similar to Manistee, Michigan and Benton Harbor, Michigan.The Kinnickinnic River is the southernmost of the three rivers, flowing in a generally northeastern direction towards the harbor.The Menomonee River enters from the west, and the Milwaukee River … The Milwaukee River is an approximately 100-mile long waterway that stretches from Fond du Lac County to the Port of Milwaukee. Milwaukee was a good-sized city by then, with a population of 285,000 and a major industry of brewing, storing and transporting lager beer. There's the story of a shipwreck on the Milwaukee River — right in the middle of downtown. O n August 19, 1922, Johnny Weissmueller, a former Olympian made famous for his role as Tarzan, tried and failed to break the record for the 150-yard backstroke during a swim in the Milwaukee River just upstream of North Avenue in the former impoundment formed by the North Avenue Dam. Rock River History – The Milwaukee and Rock River Canal Have you ever heard of the the Milwaukee and Rock River Canal? However, the boat had done so much damage that the paper said it was doubtful any further ice could be harvested that season. It was easy to keep food cool in winter, obviously, but summer required frequent visits from the iceman, who set huge blocks of ice into insulated tin-lined wooden iceboxes. The beach itself lasted for 15 years before it was closed due to increasing pollution. In the winter between 1900 and 1901, a pitched battle erupted on the frozen Milwaukee River … Swanson realized that all those lost places in Milwaukee that seem to go nowhere, but used to go somewhere, have stories behind them. By the winter of 1892-93, the city was home to 10 wholesale ice dealers with a total winter employment of at least 1,200 people and an annual harvest of 300,000 tons – and that figure didn’t include the ice cutting and storing operations conducted by the city’s breweries, generally another 50,000 tons. Workers moved in with saws, long chisels, and steel-tipped pikes and systematically broke off sections and floated them to a conveyor, which carried the ice blocks through a rotating planer. Milwaukee History In 1901, Riverwest residents battled on the frozen Milwaukee River In the winter between 1900 and 1901, a pitched battle erupted … Milwaukee Sewer History. In time, the company added coal and fuel oil deliveries and operated 24 gas stations under the "Hometown" name. I spoke with Swanson about it after reading his book, and he explained how he got the idea for his book. As if the riot-on-ice aspect wasn’t odd enough, the fighting was accompanied by jaunty music provided by a brass band aboard the launch. This level is the 50 percent flood meaning that there is a 50 percent chance of the river reaching this level in any given year. The river is also ribboned with parks as it winds through various neighborhoods. In its second year, the Milwaukee River History Tour offers a unique view of the city from the waterway that allowed a small fur trading post to become a metropolis. A hike through downtown Milwaukee's skywalks: More fun than Disney World? On a section of river that has witnessed many strange things over the years, the ice war was perhaps the strangest. Geologic History of the Milwaukee River Near Lincoln Park. So there's no beach anymore. The Milwaukee River is a river in the state of Wisconsin. There's the story of a tiny neighborhood that residents had to drive their cars across the frozen river to access. It's sectioned off from it as a result of the Milwaukee Cement Company digging horizontal mine shafts and creating quarries back in the early 1900s. There are also the double tunnels that were built before even the amusement park came along — tunnels that were cut by the Northwestern Union Railway as it was building from downtown, and which you can now walk through for some pretty great photo opportunities. And what used to be the parking lot for the beach is now a dog exercise area. One day in winter of 1900-01, Wisconsin Lakes Ice Co. had 300 men at work harvesting ice on the upper Milwaukee River when a steam-powered launch, the Julius Goll, appeared, covered with boiler plate and equipped with an ice-breaking prow. The planer milled off the surface, where most of the dirt and debris were to be found. As you tell your kids the stories of people swimming on the former beach, they'll be able to see it in their minds' eyes, even if the idea of diving into the lagoon that's there now doesn't seem too enticing. A typical Wisconsin Lake Ice Co. operation is shown in this photo. There are trees, benches and tables that are perfect for picnics. Once a locus of industry, the river is now the center of a housing boom. Enjoy this sample chapter from the new book, Lost Milwaukee, by Milwaukee Notebook blogger Carl Swanson During the winter of 1900–01, a pitched battle erupted on the frozen Milwaukee River above the North Avenue dam between enraged ice harvesters and the equally violent crew of a steam-powered launch. There was, however, a small strip of land between North Lake’s new icehouse and the railroad siding. It's maintained by the Milwaukee County Historical Society, and is open to the public on select days in the summer. Wisconsin Lakes’ last natural ice harvest was in 1923. As they enter our Harbor, boaters have the option of exploring the KK River (south), the Menomonee River (west) and the Milwaukee River which winds through Downtown Milwaukee. A park with dogs to look at in the dog exercise area. Riverwest is a neighborhood in the city of Milwaukee bounded by the Milwaukee River on the east and south, N. Holton Street on the west, and E. Capitol Drive on the north. By 1878, when Milwaukee’s population had surged past the 100,000 mark, the community had nearly 75 miles of sewer pipe under its streets. The city's modern history began in 1795 when fur trader Jacques Vieau (1757-1852) built a post along a bluff on the east side, overlooking the Milwaukee and Menomonee rivers. By the turn of the century, the company employed 225 teamsters, all neatly dressed in dark blue uniforms with bright brass buttons. It had substantial financial backing, experienced ice men in control and intended to be a major player in the Milwaukee market dominated by Wisconsin Lakes. So popular, in fact, that people were willing to swim dangerously in order to cool off. You'll notice a lagoon in the current-day Estabrook Park that may not seem like it but is actually a part of the Milwaukee River. An … Milwaukee History In 1901, Riverwest residents battled on the frozen Milwaukee River. And no places to dive in and swim. Turn it one way, and the sign read "25," flip it the other way and it read "50." When you realize how big and wide the river is, your kids will find it easy to imagine the boatloads of people who traveled down the river to come to the amusement park. Posts about Milwaukee River written by MilwaukeeNotebook. Many of these people had lived around Green Bay before migrating to the Milwaukee area around the time of European immigration. It flows generally southward through central Wisconsin past Rhinelander, Wausau, Stevens Point, Wisconsin Rapids, and Wisconsin Dells (site of a scenic gorge). Again, before the amusement park was built, an inventor named Otto Zwietusch owned the property, and he planted 500 trees, many of which still stand in the park. Tons of ice. But the six acres that are now Hubbard Park still hold on to a few reminders of its past life. Wisconsin River, river rising in Lac Vieux Desert (lake), Vilas county, northern Wisconsin, U.S., on the Wisconsin-Michigan border. From its obscure beginnings as an Indian settlement and its hopeful days as a booming Great Lakes port, Milwaukee has emerged as a stronghold of industries and immigrants, displaying bold experiments in municipal government, and a gradual immersion in national and global affairs. Some of the representatives of the ice company fear that they are liable to become vicious over the matter and then they will take the affair into their own hands.". My kids and I love the Milwaukee Public Museum. In 1836 the Milwaukee & Rock River Canal company envisioned creating a canal that would connect Lake Michigan to … Facebook | Twitter | Instagram. Kayaks and fishing boats share the river with party boats. MILWAUKEE COUNTY LANDMARKS City of Milwaukee Milwaukee County Courthouse 901 North 9th Street Milwaukee Landmark Designation: 1976 Milwaukee County’s first two courthouses were located east of the Milwaukee River in today’s Cathedral Square. The On a section of river that has witnessed many strange things over the years, the ice war was perhaps the strangest. Have your kids use their imaginations to think back in time, back to a time before water parks, splash pads and even just air conditioning. Want a great, easy way to explore the city on foot? In an October 30, 1901 article on the opening of the North Avenue dam to draw down the level of the river to facilitate sewer construction along the west bank, the Journal reported the owners of the Wisconsin Lake Ice Co. were using the occasion to reshape the shore edge to ease ice harvesting. The ice business was born in the earliest days of the city, when a man named Henry Kroeger, also known as "Ice Bear" Kroeger, started cutting 100-pound blocks of ice from the harbor in winter and storing it in a heavily insulated icehouse for resale in the summer months. A squad of police marched onto the ice to prevent an all-out brawl between the crew of the boat and ice company employees. He advised parents to try to avoid looking at things with adult eyes, but to "be sensitive to what might spark your kids' interest. The thing about the Streets is that it's so fascinating to see what the places we're all so familiar with looked like 100 years ago. Many workers, especially Polish immigrants settling in Riverwest, depended on ice cutting to get their families through the winters. The rivers, lakes, groundwater and lands in the Milwaukee River basin sustain a wide range of plant and animal life. ", The paper continued, "During the excitement on the river, a hole was punched in the 'battleship' Julius Goll, large quantities of ice cut by the Wisconsin Lake Ice Company were destroyed, 'Admiral' Biggs got a broken arm and the adherents of both sides had numerous cold baths and bruises distributed among them.".