The Making of Milwaukee

There isn't much to say that hasn't already been said by the previous reviews. I was born in Milwaukee and will be returning to the city after completing my education, and I wanted to get a strong historical background on the city that I will once again be calling home. This book definitely does the trick! Reading it is like going into a time machine and experiencing the city that used to be, and observing how the city became what it is today over time. So many aspects of our town that you've never thought twice about are explained, and it really brings a renewed appreciation for the city and all of the people who are responsible for what it has become. After reading this book, you'll see the city in an entirely different way, almost like going from two dimensions to three. It is definitely a must-read for any proud Milwaukeean, and it's probably a worthwhile book for urbanists and folks interested in rust belt cities as well. Particularly for the Milwaukee native, there are countless "wow" and "no kidding" moments that are worth the price. Also, the pictures throughout the book provide an excellent visual foundation that you can build upon by your imagination while reading the stories of our local forefathers. I can't recommend this book enough.

This is an enjoyable and highly educational contribution to the field of urban history. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, "the Cream City" (the name is derived from the cream color of the bricks used in many of its early buildings -- clay from local quarries was yellow rather than orange or red) tends to be belittled or overlooked with Chicago to its South and Minneapolis and St. Paul to its Northwest. That's a shame because Milwaukee has a unique and colorful history of its own apart from its more prominent regional neighbors. To the extent that Milwaukee's history has been obscured or neglected, John Gurda's book redresses that oversight. The author does a thorough job of charting the city's growth from its first settlement by various Indian tribes (Pottawanomi, Chippewa and Menomee) retreating from the hostile Iroquois, visits by explorers such as Father Marquette and Louis Joliet, and its satellite status as a secondary trading post for fur trappers based in the larger city of Green Bay, Wisconsin employed by their parent company in Montreal, Quebec. Following the War of 1812, in which both the Americans and the British claimed victory, an exclusion act was passed and many French Canadians had to leave the territory or apply for American citizenship. With the fur trade in decline, early inhabitants turned their attention to real estate development and exploiting the excellent harbor that made the Port of Milwaukee a major destination for ships on the Great Lakes. Large scale emigration from Europe coincided with the admission of Wisconsin to the union as a state. Germans fleeing from the Revolution of 1848 made Milwaukee their adopted home and made an indelible impression upon the city. Gurda also relates how the loss of the steamship, "The Lady Elgin," which sank after a collision with a lumber boat near Winnetka, Illinois, devastated Milwaukee's Irish community. Many prominent Irish civic leaders were aboard the ill fated excursion ship. The railroad and real estate speculators, the industrialists, the brewers and the socialists are all included in the story as well as Milwaukee's working relationship and economic and social rivalry with Chicago. As a flatlander with numerous relatives in the Badger State and in the Beer City, I know some of the details by heart and have the bruises to prove it, but John Gurda taught me some new angles. Profiles of important local nineteenth century leaders such as Juneau, Kilbourn, Mitchell and others are included. The book is lavishly illustrated with drawings, photographs and detailed maps. Milwaukee's geography played a large role in the city's development and the sectional politics that divided various ethnic groups to the present day.

For anyone who has lived in Milwaukee or has ancestors who have lived there, this book is definitely a "must read". What makes it so interesting and informative, apart from the author's lucid and refreshing style, is the liberal use of photographs of persons, places, things and events representing the era being described, as well as, numerous maps and charts clarifying the subject matter. We found it helpful to have a street map of Milwaukee, which we frequently referred to. By the effective use of illustrations on almost every page to illuminate the text material, author Gurda has succeeded in producing as close to a "living history" as a book can become. Beginning with the area's first native inhabitants encountered by French fur traders Jacques Vieau and Solomon Juneau near the confluence of the Milwaukee, Menomonee and Kinnickinnic rivers where they empty into Lake Michigan, the author fashions a detailed and colorful mosaic of Milwaukee's history down to the close of the twentieth century. In the second half of the nineteenth century the population of the city grew rapidly as immigrants from Europe sought escape from political persecution and successive crop failures. Most of the new arrivals were from Germany and they were very successful in transferring their customs and culture to their adopted city. Milwaukee reigned as the nation's "Deutsch Athen" until the beginning of World War I. "Gemutlichkeit", a cozy atmosphere for making one's self at home, became Milwaukee's trademark. The city's Teutonic influence was apparent in its beer gardens, choral and gymnastic societies, stage productions and German language newspapers, as well as in the thrift and industry characteristic of its workers. Political and social scientists are sure to delight in author Gurda's account of Milwaukee's Socialist government and the manner in which successive municipal governments dealt with the social problems of an era. With but few interruptions, Milwaukee's Socialist Mayors ruled from 1910 to 1940. The first was Emil Seidel whose private secretary was Carl Sandburg who went on to win Pulitzer prizes in poetry and history, but the most noteworthy of them was Daniel Hoan who ruled Milwaukee for 19 years. A former city attorney who had parlayed his role as protector of the public weal against The Milwaukee Electric Power Company, he brought honesty and efficiency to the city's government. Time magazine, in its cover article of 1936, wrote: "Daniel Webster Hoan remains one of the nation's ablest public servants, and under him Milwaukee has become perhaps the best governed city in the U.S." It must be noted, however, that Milwaukee's Socialists were pragmatic rather than extremist in practice. Without abandoning their principles, they were able to accomplish many significant things by compromise and example despite the fact that they most often lacked a majority on the city council. The book clearly points out that Milwaukee bcame famous for many things o

I picked up this book on a whim at a local bookstore, and found it to be a wonderful read. I've always been curious about the history of the area I grew up in, and this book gives a solid introduction to the area. I cannot speak for history buffs of the region, who might quibble with a fact or two, but I'm glad to find such an engaging book on the subject.

John Gurda's book is a must-buy if you are a Milwaukeean or former Milwaukeean! Interesting reading and conversational in tone ~ like listing to a learned storyteller sharing tales of times long-past. I found it difficult to put down.