This article is outdated. Please update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information. Please see the talk page for more information. (February 2012)

The Milwaukee Mile is a 1.015 miles (1.633 km)-long oval race track located on the grounds of the Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wisconsin with grandstand and bleacher seating for approximately 45,000 spectators. It operated as a dirt track until 1953. The track was paved in 1954. In addition to the asphalt-paved oval, there is a 1.8 miles (2.9 km) asphalt-paved road circuit located on the infield.

The Milwaukee Mile’s premier distinction is as the oldest operating motor speedway in the world, hosting at least one auto race every year since 1903 (except during U.S. involvement in World War II).^{[citation needed]} The track is located at the grounds for the Wisconsin State Fair. The track has held events sanctioned by major sanctioning bodies, such as the American Automobile Association, USAC, NASCAR, CART/Champ Car World Series, and the IndyCar Series. There have also been many races in regional series such as ARTGO.

Racers who have competed at the track are a Who's-Who of racing history: Barney Oldfield, Ralph DePalma, Walt Faulkner, Parnelli Jones, A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, Bobby Unser, Mario Andretti, Bobby Rahal, Jim Clark, Darrell Waltrip, Alan Kulwicki, Emerson Fittipaldi, Bobby Allison, Davey Allison, Nigel Mansell, Michael Andretti, Alex Zanardi, Harry Gant, Rusty Wallace, and Walker Evans, as well as current racing stars Danica Patrick, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Dario Franchitti, Jeff Gordon, Tony Kanaan, Scott Dixon, Hélio Castroneves and many others.

On December 16, 2009, Wisconsin State Fair Park officials confirmed that the Milwaukee Mile would not host any NASCAR or IndyCar races in 2010.^[1] NASCAR confirmed that their June Nationwide Series date would remain in Wisconsin for 2010, as they announced they would hold a race at Road America for the first time since the Grand National Series raced there in 1956.^[2] NASCAR announced on January 20, 2010 that the Milwaukee date for the Truck Series would be moved to August.^[3] The track hosted two ASA Late Model Series races in 2010.^[4]

IndyCar returned to the track in 2011, but The Mile was left off of the preliminary 2012 schedule after a poorly attended 2011 event that resulted in part from an inexperienced promoter. In February 2012 though, it was announced that IndyCar would return to the Mile on the weekend of June 15-16.^[5] The event is being promoted by Andretti Sports Marketing, owned by former Indy driver Michael Andretti, and is being billed as Milwaukee IndyFest. ^[6] The event will include open-wheel racing featuring the IZOD IndyCar Series and the Firestone Indy Lights, as well as driver Q&A and autograph sessions, music (acts TBA) and other attractions.

History[link]

Dirt track history[link]

The track started out as a 1 mile (1.6 km) private horse racing track on or before 1876. In 1891, the site was purchased by the Agricultural Society of the State of Wisconsin to create a permanent site for the Wisconsin State Fair (which it still is).

The first motorsports event was held on September 11, 1903. William Jones of Chicago won a five lap speed contest, and set the first track record with a 72 second, 50 mph (80 km/h) lap. There were 24-hour endurance races in 1907 and 1908. Louis Disbrow won the first 100-mile (160 km) event in 1915, averaging 62.5 mph (100.6 km/h).

Barney Oldfield's success at The Mile helped make him a legend. He set the track record in 1905 and raised his speed in 1910 to 70.159 mph (112.910 km/h) in his "Blitzen Benz". In 1911, Ralph DePalma won the first Milwaukee Mile Championship Car race, four years before his Indianapolis 500 win. Oldfield drove a gold car built by Harry Miller that completely enclosed the driver (called the "Golden Submarine"), and in June 1917 he beat DePalma in a series of 10 to 25-mile (40 km) match races.

The race usually credited as being the first Champ Car^{[dubious – discuss]} event at the track was held on July 17, 1933. The show was rained out. Wilbur Shaw and the other drivers convinced the track promoters to run the race the following day and the term "Rain Date" was born.

Huge new grandstands were installed in the 1930s, with seating for 14900 people. They replaced the original grandstands that were built in 1914. A roof was placed over the grandstands in 1938. These grandstands stood until new aluminum grandstands were installed in September 2002.

The 1937 Champ Car event was best known for running 96 laps (instead of 100) due to a scoring error. It was won by Rex Mays, who continued his domination throughout the 1940s by winning in 1941 and the next race (after World War II) in 1946.

The tradition of hosting the "race after the Indianapolis 500" began in 1947. In the 1969 film, "Winning", starring the late actor and race driver Paul Newman, the character he plays (Frank Capua) remarks, “Everybody goes to Milwaukee after Indy.”

The Milwaukee Mile held more national Championship midget, stock and Indy car races than any other track in the country between 1947 and 1980.

2008 panorama with aluminum grandstands

Open Wheel[link]

In 1954 the 1-mile (1.6 km) track was paved, and an infield road course was created. The 1/4 mile dirt infield track was kept for weekly programs during the 1950s and 1960s.

In 1963 Jim Clark won the first victory for a rear-engined Indy Car in his Lotus-Ford.

In 1964 A.J. Foyt dominated in what was to be his final race in a roadster. The rear-engine began dominating races in the 1960s, replacing the front-engine roadster, but not before one unexpected race. In 1965 A.J. Foyt had to tow his front-engine backup dirt car from Springfield because his primary car and crew wouldn't make it to Milwaukee in time for qualifying. He prepared the car himself for pavement, and put the car on the pole with a speed of 107.881 mph (173.618 km/h). He led for 16 of 200 laps, and finished second.

The track was repaved before the 1967 season. By 1967 both the 1/4 dirt track and 1/2 mile road course were closed to accommodate the pit area. Lloyd Ruby swept both USAC races held at Milwaukee in 1968, giving him three wins at the Mile including his first win there in 1961.

In the 1983 CART race, Tom Sneva finished first by 10 seconds. Post race inspection found an improper ground clearance on the side mount skirts, so second place finisher Al Unser was given the win. On appeal, the decision was overturned, and Sneva was awarded the win two weeks later. Sneva would repeat the win one year later in a new 200 kilometer race.

The last sports car race was held on the infield road course on June 16, 1984. The track had deteriorated. It was repaved before October 2004.^[7]

In the 1985 CART event, Mario Andretti won the pole on his way to his fourth career track win. His son Michael won the next two races in 1986 and 1987.

Al Unser Jr. won the 1990 CART race after Michael Andretti ran out of fuel with two laps to go. The victory was the ninth for the Unser family (father Al Unser, Sr. and uncle Bobby Unser each have four).

The 1991 CART event, however, was dominated by their archrival Andretti family. For the first time in the worldwide history of auto racing, three member of the same family finished 1–2–3. Michael Andretti won the race, second went to his cousin John, and third to his father Mario. Michael's brother Jeff finished 11th.

Milwaukee was in danger of losing its CART date in 1992. To save the date, the Fair Board hired Carl Haas to organize all track activities.

The 1992 CART event was again won by Michael Andretti. In 1993, reigning Formula One champion Nigel Mansell got his first oval track win on his way to winning the CART championship. In 2000, Juan Pablo Montoya gave Toyota its first CART win. History was made again when Ryan Hunter-Reay led all of 250 laps to the victory. The final Champ Car race was held in 2006, with eventual champion Sébastien Bourdais winning.

The Indy Racing League IndyCar Series came to the mile in 2004. Dario Franchitti won the inaugural event. His team, Andretti Autosport has won three races at The Mile with Tony Kanaan winning in 2006 & 2007. The other races have been won by Penske Racing drivers Sam Hornish Jr. in 2005 and Ryan Briscoe in 2008 and Chip Ganassi Racing driver Scott Dixon in 2009. After a one-year absence from Milwaukee, Franchitti won in the Series return to the track in 2011 for Ganassi.

NASCAR Nationwide Series/Craftsman Truck Series[link]

NASCAR held two Nationwide Series (formerly Busch Series) stock car races at Milwaukee in 1984 and 1985. The 1984 field was full of NASCAR legends: Alan Kulwicki (2nd), Dick Trickle (3rd), Bobby Allison (4th), Davey Allison (5th), Dale Jarrett (6th), and Darrell Waltrip (25th). The 1984 race was won by Sam Ard.

On July 3, 1993, the NASCAR Nationwide Series returned to Milwaukee. The event was won by Steve Grissom. In 1996 Wisconsin native Dick Trickle was passed with four laps to go by Buckshot Jones, who nosed out Mike McLaughlin and won the race from the furthest starting spot (32nd) and by the closest margin of victory in race and NASCAR Nationwide Series history (.002 seconds). The Nationwide Series has run every year since 1993. Five drivers that won the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Milwaukee went on to win the Busch Series championship in the same year (Steve Grissom-1993, Randy LaJoie-1997, Dale Earnhardt, Jr.-1998, Jeff Green-2000, Greg Biffle-2002). Biffle became the first repeat winner when he scored back-to-back victories in 2001 and 2002. Despite Trickle having come the closest previously, the last two NASCAR Nationwide Series races have been won by Wisconsin natives (Johnny Sauter/Necedah-2005 and Paul Menard/Eau Claire-2006). Menard also became the third driver to make the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Milwaukee his first career NASCAR Busch Series win, joining Buckshot Jones in 1996 and Casey Atwood in 1999.

The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (formerly Craftsman Truck Series) (CTS) began racing at Milwaukee in its inaugural season in 1995. Mike Skinner won the event. The 1996 event featured 17 lead changes. The CTS has returned every season since 1995. Ted Musgrave became the only repeat winner as he followed up victory in 2001 with a second triumph in 2004, both behind the wheel of the #1 Mopar Performance Parts Dodge for Jim Smith and Ultra Motorsports. Musgrave is also the only Wisconsin native to have won the race. Two drivers have the distinction of having won both a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race and a NASCAR Busch Series race at Milwaukee. Ron Hornaday won in Truck race in 1996 and the Busch race in 2004, while Greg Biffle won the Truck race in 1999 and the Busch race in 2001 and 2002.

The track was resurfaced after the 1995 season.

In 2003 temporary Musco lights were brought in for the Champ Car World Series event. The temporary lights were also used for the CTS and Busch Series events in 2005 and 2006. The following is a map of Milwaukee Mile:

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2008 Events & Results[link]

• All times are Central Time Zone

Date	Series	Race	Time	Results
June 1 08	Firestone Indy Lights	Milwaukee 100	2:00 p.m.	Winner: Bobby Wilson
June 1 08	IndyCar Series	ABC Supply Company A.J. Foyt 225	4:00 p.m.	Winner: Justin Paul
June 20 08	NASCAR Camping World Truck Series	Camping World RV Sales 200	7:30 p.m.	Winner: Johnny Benson
June 21 08	NASCAR Nationwide Series	Camping World RV Rental 250	7:00 p.m.	Winner: Carl Edwards
August 24 08	ASA Late Model Series	Governor's Cup 150	3:30 p.m.	Winner: Brian Campbell

2009 Events and Results[link]

• All times are Central Time Zone

Date	Series	Race	Time	Results
May 31 09	Firestone Indy Lights	Milwaukee 100	2:00 p.m.	Winner: Mario Romancini
May 31 09	IndyCar Series	ABC Supply Company A.J. Foyt 225	4:00 p.m.	Winner: Scott Dixon
June 19 09	NASCAR Camping World Truck Series	Copart 200	7:30 p.m.	Winner: Ron Hornaday
June 20 09	NASCAR Nationwide Series	NorthernTool.com 250	7:00 p.m.	Winner: Carl Edwards

2010 Events and Results[link]

• All times are Central Time Zone

Date	Series	Race	Time	Results
Jul 17 10	US Super Trucks National Championship	USST Race 2 of 5		Winner: Larry Fitzsimmons
Sep 11 10	US Super Trucks National Championship	USST Race 4 of 5		Winner: Larry Fitzsimmons
Sep 13 10	ASA Late Model Series Sunoco National Tour	2010 Wisconsin 150		Winner: Jeff Choquette

2011 Events and Results[link]

• All times are Central Time Zone

Date	Series	Race	Time	Results
Jun 19 11	Firestone Indy Lights	2011 David Hobbs 100		Winner: Esteban Guerrieri
Jun 19 11	IndyCar Series	2011 Milwaukee 225	3:00 p.m.	Winner: Dario Franchitti
Jun 19 11	Star Mazda Championship	2011 Star Mazda Championship Presented by Goodyear		Winner: Sage Karam
Jun 19 11	U.S. F2000 National Championship	2011 Cooper Tires USF2000 National Championship		Winner: Wayne Boyd

2012 Schedule[link]

• All times are Central Time Zone

Records[link]

ARCA RE/MAX Series

Type	Distance (miles / km)	Date	Driver	Time	Average Speed (mph / km/h)
Qualifying (1 lap)	1.006 / 1.619	2005	David Ragan	0:00:30.016	119.936 / 193.018

IndyCar Series/Champ Car World Series

Type	Distance (miles / km)	Date	Driver	Time	Average Speed (mph / km/h)
Qualifying (IndyCar) (2 lap average)	1.015 / 1.633	2011	Dario Franchitti	0:00:21.3826	170.841 / 274.499
Qualifying (Champ Car) (1 lap)	1.015 /	1998	Patrick Carpentier	0:00:20.028	185.500 / 298.533
Race (225 laps)	226.350 / 364.275	2000	Juan Pablo Montoya	1:37:38.526	142.684 / 229.628

Firestone IndyLights Series

Type	Distance (miles / km)	Date	Driver	Time	Average Speed (mph / km/h)
Qualifying (1 lap)	1.015 / 1.633	2011	Esteban Guerrieri		149.005 /

NASCAR Nationwide Series

Type	Distance (miles / km)	Date	Driver	Time	Average Speed (mph / km/h)
Qualifying (1 lap)	1.006 / 1.619	June 25, 2005	Johnny Sauter	0:00:29.365	122.595 / 197.298
Race (200 laps)	201.200 / 323.800	June 26, 2004	Ron Hornaday	2:26:59.???	105.052 / 169.065

Images[link]

• 

  Start/Finish line in 2008

• 

  View of grandstands during the Wisconsin State Fair

• 

  View of grandstands during the 2007 A.J. Foyt 225 IRL race

• 

  Old Offices (Now Wisconsin State Fair Park Box Office and Administration Building)

References[link]

• Milwaukee Mile Page on NASCAR.com
• List of NASCAR winners at racing-reference.info
• Trackpedia guide to driving this track

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Milwaukee Mile

• Milwaukee Mile Official Site

Coordinates: 43°01′07″N 88°00′37″W / 43.01849°N 88.010265°W / 43.01849; -88.010265

• Milwaukee Mile – Interactive Map with area Search and Weather
• Milwaukee IndyFest Official Site

Milwaukee
—  City  —
Top: Milwaukee Skyline, Center Left Miller Park, Center Right Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Lower Left Milwaukee River, Lower Right Milwaukee City Hall
Flag Official seal of Milwaukee Seal Official logo of Milwaukee City Logo
Nickname(s): Cream City, Brew City, Beer City, Brew Town, Beertown, The Mil, MKE, The City of Festivals, Deutsch-Athen (German Athens)
Location of Milwaukee in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin
Milwaukee Location in the United States
Coordinates: 43°03′8″N 87°57′21″W / 43.05222°N 87.95583°W / 43.05222; -87.95583
Country	United States
State	Wisconsin
Counties	Milwaukee, Washington, Waukesha
Incorporated	January 31, 1846
Government
• Type	Strong mayor-council
• Mayor	Tom Barrett (D)
Area
• City	96.9 sq mi (251.7 km2)
• Land	96.1 sq mi (248.8 km2)
• Water	0.9 sq mi (2.2 km2)
Elevation	617 ft (188 m)
Population (2010)
• City	594,833
• Rank	28th in US
• Density	6,296.3/sq mi (2,399.5/km2)
• Urban	1,308,913
• Metro	1,555,908
• CSA	1,751,316
Demonym	Milwaukeean
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Area code(s)	414
FIPS code	55-53000[1]
GNIS feature ID	1577901[2]
Major airport	General Mitchell International Airport (MKE)
Website	www.city.milwaukee.gov

Milwaukee /mɪlˈwɔːkiː/ is the largest city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, the 28th most populous city in the United States, and 39th most populous region in the United States. It is the county seat of Milwaukee County and is located on the southwestern shore of Lake Michigan. According to 2010 census data, the City of Milwaukee has a population of 594,833.^[3] Milwaukee is the main cultural and economic center of the Milwaukee–Racine–Waukesha Metropolitan Area with a population of 1,751,316 as of 2010.^[4] Milwaukee is also the regional center of the seven county Greater Milwaukee Area, with an estimated population of 2,014,032 as of 2008.^[5]

The first Europeans to pass through the area were French missionaries and fur traders. In 1818, the French-Canadian explorer Solomon Juneau settled in the area, and in 1846 Juneau's town combined with two neighboring towns to incorporate as the City of Milwaukee.^[6] Large numbers of German and other immigrants helped increase the city's population during the 1840s and the following decades.

Once known almost exclusively as a brewing and manufacturing powerhouse, Milwaukee's image has changed with the decline of industry in most of the US. In the past decade, major new additions to the city include the Milwaukee Riverwalk, the Frontier Airlines Center, Miller Park, an internationally renowned addition to the Milwaukee Art Museum, and Pier Wisconsin, as well as major renovations to the U.S. Cellular Arena. In addition, many new skyscrapers, condos, lofts and apartments have been constructed in neighborhoods on and near the lakefront and riverbanks.

There have been five ships of the United States Navy named after the city, including USS Milwaukee (LCS-5).

History[link]

Statue of Solomon Juneau, who helped establish the city of Milwaukee

The Milwaukee area was originally inhabited by the Menominee, Fox, Mascouten, Sauk, Potawatomi, Ojibwe (all Algic/Algonquian peoples) and Ho-Chunk (Winnebago) (a Siouan people) Native American tribes. French missionaries and traders first passed through the area in the late 17th and 18th centuries. Alexis Laframboise, in 1785, coming from Michilimackinac (now in Michigan) settled a trading post; therefore, he is the first European descent resident of the Milwaukee region.^[7] The word "Milwaukee" may come from Potawatomi language minwaking, or Ojibwe language ominowakiing, "Gathering place [by the water]".^[8][9] Early explorers called the Milwaukee River and surrounding lands various names: Melleorki, Milwacky, Mahn-a-waukie, Milwarck, and Milwaucki. For many years, printed records gave the name as "Milwaukie". One story of Milwaukee's name says,

[O]ne day during the thirties of the last century [1800s] a newspaper calmly changed the name to Milwaukee, and Milwaukee it has remained until this day.^[8]

The spelling "Milwaukie" lives on in Milwaukie, Oregon, named after the Wisconsin city in 1847, before the current spelling was universally accepted.

Milwaukee was first settled by a French Canadian called Alexis Laframboise in 1785; it was only a trading post.^[7] Therefore, Solomon Juneau was not the first to arrive in the area, in 1818. However, Juneau founded the town called Juneau's Side, or Juneautown, that began attracting more settlers. Byron Kilbourn was Juneau's equivalent on the west side of the Milwaukee River. In competition with Juneau, he established Kilbourntown west of the Milwaukee River, and made sure the streets running toward the river did not join with those on the east side. This accounts for the large number of angled bridges that still exist in Milwaukee today. Further, Kilbourn distributed maps of the area which only showed Kilbourntown, implying Juneautown did not exist or that the east side of the river was uninhabited and thus undesirable. The third prominent builder was George H. Walker. He claimed land to the south of the Milwaukee River, along with Juneautown, where he built a log house in 1834. This area grew and became known as Walker's Point.

By the 1840s, the three towns had grown quite a bit, along with their rivalries. There were some intense battles between the towns, mainly Juneautown and Kilbourntown, which culminated with the Milwaukee Bridge War of 1845. Following the Bridge War, it was decided the best course of action was to officially unite the towns. So, on January 31, 1846, they combined to incorporate as the City of Milwaukee and elected Solomon Juneau as Milwaukee's first mayor.

German immigration[link]

Illustrated map of Milwaukee in 1872

A great number of German immigrants increased the city's population during the 1840s and continued to migrate to the area during the following decades. The majority of these immigrants were from Mecklenburg, Pomerania, and Brandenburg. The German heritage and influence in the Milwaukee area is widespread.

During the middle and late 19th century, Wisconsin and the Milwaukee area became the final destination of many German immigrants fleeing the Revolution of 1848 in the various German states and in Austria. In Wisconsin they found the inexpensive land and the freedoms they sought. Over the next ten years over a million people left Germany and settled in the United States. Some were the intellectual leaders of this rebellion, but many were impoverished Germans. Others left because they feared constant political turmoil in Germany. One journalist commented in the Houston Post that "Germany seems to have lost all of her foreign possessions with the exception of Milwaukee, St. Louis and Cincinnati."

Today, Milwaukee's German heritage carries on in many of its restaurants, neighborhoods, schools and churches. German language is taught at the German Immersion School starting with 4-year old kindergarten students. The school was founded by Milwaukee Public Schools in 1977 and serves as a city-wide school to attract children from all parts of Milwaukee with a German language immersion program. ^[10]

Polish immigrants[link]

St. Stanislaus Catholic Church, the mother church of all of Milwaukee's Polish parishes

Although the German presence in Milwaukee after the Civil War remained strong, other groups made their way to the city. Foremost among these were Polish immigrants. The Poles had many reasons for leaving their homeland, mainly poverty and political oppression. Because Milwaukee offered the Polish immigrants an abundance of low-paying entry level jobs, it became one of the largest Polish settlements in the USA.

For many residents, Milwaukee's South Side is synonymous with the Polish community which settled here. The group's proud ethnicity maintained a high profile here for decades and it was not until the 1950s and 60s that the families began to disperse to the southern suburbs.

By 1850, there were seventy-five Poles in Milwaukee County and the US Census indicates that they had a variety of occupations: grocers, blacksmiths, tavernkeepers, coopers, butchers, broommakers, shoemakers, draymen, laborers, and farmers. Three distinct Polish communities evolved in Milwaukee, with the majority settling in the area south of Greenfield Avenue. Milwaukee County's Polish population of 30,000 in 1890 rose to 100,000 by 1915. Poles historically have had a strong national cultural and social identity, maintained through the Catholic Church. A view of Milwaukee's South Side skyline is replete with the steeples of the many churches these immigrants built, churches that are still vital centers of the community.

St. Stanislaus Catholic Church and the surrounding neighborhood was the center of Polish life in Milwaukee. As the Polish community surrounding St. Stanislaus continued to grow, Mitchell Street became known as the "Polish Grand Avenue". As Mitchell Street grew denser, the Polish population started moving south to the Lincoln Village neighborhood, home to the Basilica of St. Josaphat and Kosciuszko Park. Other Polish communities started on the east side of Milwaukee and Jones Island, a major commercial fishing center settled mostly by Poles from the Baltic Coast.

Milwaukee has the fourth-largest Polish population in the U.S. at 57,485 (9.6% of the city's population), ranking behind New York City 213,447 (2.7%), Chicago 210,421 (7.3%), and Philadelphia 65,508 (4.3%). The city holds Polish Fest, an annual celebration of Polish culture and cuisine.

Other immigrant groups from Europe[link]

In addition to the Germans and Poles, Milwaukee received large influxes of other European immigrants from Lithuania, Italy, Ireland, France, Russia, Bohemia and Sweden, which included Jews, Lutherans, and Catholics. Italians number in the city at around 40,000 but, in Milwaukee County they number at 110,000. The largest Italian American festival Festa Italiana is held in the city.^[11] By 1910, Milwaukee shared the distinction with New York City of having the largest percentage of foreign-born residents in the United States.^[12] In 1910, whites represented 99.7% of the city's total population of 373 857.^[13] Milwaukee has a strong Greek Orthodox Community, many of whom attend the Greek Orthodox Church on Milwaukee's northwest side, designed by Wisconsin born architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. Milwaukee has a sizable Croatian population with Croatian churches and their own historic and successful soccer club The Croatian Eagles located at the 30 acre Croatian Park in Franklin, WI. Milwaukee also has a large Serbian population with Serbian restaurants and Serbian churches along with an American Serb Hall. The American Serb Hall in Milwaukee is known for its Friday fish fries and popular events. Many U.S. presidents have visited Milwaukee's Serb Hall in the past. The Bosnian population is growing in Milwaukee as well due to the recent migration after the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina.

African-American migration[link]

During this time, a small community of African Americans who emigrated from the South formed a community that would come to be known as Bronzeville. As industry boomed, the African-American influence grew in Milwaukee.

Mexican-American Immigration[link]

By 1925, there were around 9,000 Mexican Americans that lived in Milwaukee, but the Great Depression forced many of them to move back home. In the 1950s, the Hispanic community was beginning to emerge. They arrived for jobs, filling positions in the manufacturing and agricultural sectors. During this time there were labor shortages due to the immigration laws that restricted Europeans from immigrating to the United States. Additionally, strikes contributed to the labor shortages.^[14]

Socialism[link]

During the first half of the twentieth century, Milwaukee was the major city in which the U.S. Socialist Party earned the highest votes. Milwaukee elected three mayors who ran on the ticket of the Socialist Party: Emil Seidel (1910–1912), Daniel Hoan (1916–1940), and Frank Zeidler (1948–1960). Often referred to as "Sewer Socialists", the Milwaukee Socialists were characterized by their practical approach to government and labor.

Historic neighborhoods[link]

The historic Third Ward

In 1892, Whitefish Bay, South Milwaukee, and Wauwatosa were incorporated. They were followed by Cudahy (1895), North Milwaukee (1897) and East Milwaukee, later known as Shorewood, in 1900. In the early 20th century West Allis (1902) and West Milwaukee (1906) were added, which completed the first generation of "inner-ring" suburbs.

In the 1920s Chicago gangster activity came north to Milwaukee during the Prohibition era. Al Capone, noted Chicago mobster, owned a home in the Milwaukee suburb Brookfield, where moonshine was made. The house still stands on a street named after Capone.^[15]

By 1960, Milwaukee had grown to become one of the largest cities in the United States of America. Its population peaked at 741,324.

By the late 1960s, Milwaukee's population had started to decline due to white flight. Milwaukee had a population of 636,212 by 1980, while the population of the metropolitan area increased. Milwaukee avoided the severe declines of its fellow "rust belt" cities due to its large immigrant population and historic neighborhoods.

Since the 1980s, the city has begun to make strides in improving its economy, neighborhoods, and image, resulting in the revitalization of neighborhoods such as the Historic Third Ward, Lincoln Village, the East Side, and more recently Walker's Point and Bay View, along with attracting new businesses to its downtown area. These efforts have substantially slowed the population decline and has stabilized many parts of Milwaukee.

Milwaukee's rich European history is evident today. Largely through its efforts to preserve its history, in 2006 Milwaukee was named one of the "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.^[16]

In 2010, the Census Bureau released revised population numbers for Milwaukee that showed the city gained population, growing by 1.3%, between 2000 and 2009. This was the first population increase the city of Milwaukee has seen since the 1960 census.

Historic Milwaukee walking tours provide a guided tour of Milwaukee's historic districts, including topics on Milwaukee's architectural heritage, its glass skywalk system, and the Milwaukee Riverwalk.

Panorama map of Milwaukee, with a view of the City Hall tower, ca. 1898

Geography[link]

Milwaukee Skyline from Lake Michigan

Milwaukee lies along the shores and bluffs of Lake Michigan at the confluence of three rivers: the Menomonee, the Kinnickinnic, and the Milwaukee. Smaller rivers, such as the Root River and Lincoln Creek, also flow through the city.

Milwaukee's terrain is sculpted by the glacier path and includes steep bluffs along Lake Michigan that begin about a mile (1.6 km) north of downtown. In addition, 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Milwaukee is the Kettle Moraine and lake country that provides an industrial landscape combined with inland lakes.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 251.7 km² (97.2 sq mi), most of it land.

Cityscape[link]

North-south streets are numbered, and east-west streets are named. However, north-south streets east of 1st Street are named, like east-west streets. The north-south numbering line is along the Menomonee River (east of Hawley Road) and Fairview Avenue/Golfview Parkway (west of Hawley Road), with the east-west numbering line defined along 1st Street (north of Oklahoma Avenue) and Chase/Howell Avenue (south of Oklahoma Avenue). This numbering system is also used to the north by Mequon in Ozaukee County, and by some Waukesha County communities.

Milwaukee is crossed by Interstate 43 and Interstate 94, which come together downtown at the Marquette Interchange. Interstate 894 bypass runs through portions of the city's southwest side, and Interstate 794 comes out of the Marquette interchange eastbound, bends south along the lakefront and crosses the harbor over the Hoan Bridge, then ends near the Bay View neighborhood and becomes the "Lake Parkway" (WIS-794).

Panoramic view of Downtown Milwaukee at night, grid system visible

One of the distinctive traits of Milwaukee's residential areas are the neighborhoods full of so-called Polish flats. These are two-family homes with separate entrances, but with the units stacked one on top of another instead of side-by-side. This arrangement enables a family of limited means to purchase both a home and a modestly priced rental apartment unit. Since Polish-American immigrants to the area prized land ownership, this solution, which was prominent in their areas of settlement within the city, came to be associated with them.

Climate[link]

Milwaukee's location in the Great Lakes Region often has rapidly changing weather, producing a humid continental climate (Koppen Dfa), with cold, windy, snowy winters, and very warm, humid summers. The warmest month of the year is July, when the 24-hour average is 71.8 °F (22.1 °C), while January is the coldest month, with a 24-hour average of 22.3 °F (−5.4 °C). Of the 50 largest cities in the United States,^[17] Milwaukee has the second-coldest average annual temperature, next to that of Minneapolis-St. Paul.^[18]

Milwaukee's proximity to Lake Michigan causes a convection current to form around mid-afternoon in light wind regimes, resulting in the so-called "lake breeze" - a smaller scale version of the more common sea breeze. The lake breeze is most common between the months of March and July. This onshore flow causes cooler temperatures to move inland usually 5 to 15 miles, with much warmer conditions persisting further inland. Residents of the area refer to this phenomenon through the phrase "cooler near the lake". Because Milwaukee's official climate site, General Mitchell International Airport, is only 3 miles from the lake, seasonal variations in temperature are less extreme than in many other locations of the Milwaukee metropolitan area.

As the sun sets, the convection current reverses and an offshore flow ensues causing a land breeze. After a land breeze develops, warmer temperatures flow east toward the lakeshore, sometimes causing high temperatures to be reached during the late evening. The lake breeze is not a daily occurrence and will not usually form if a southwest, west, or northwest wind generally exceeds 15 mph (24 km/h). The lake acts to moderate cold air outbreaks along the lakeshore during winter months.

Aside from the lake influence, overnight lows in downtown Milwaukee year-round are often much warmer than suburban locations because of the urban heat island effect. Onshore winds elevate daytime relative humidity levels in Milwaukee as compared to inland locations nearby.

Thunderstorms in the region can be dangerous and damaging, bringing hail and high winds. In rare instances, they can bring a tornado. However, almost all summer rainfall in the city is brought by these storms. In spring and fall, longer events of prolonged, lighter rain bring most of the precipitation. A moderate snow cover can be seen on or linger for many winter days, but there are many days with less than 1 inch (2.5 cm) on the ground.^[19]

Milwaukee tends to experience highs that are 90 °F (32 °C) on or above 9 days per year, and subzero lows (< −18 °C) on 12 nights.^[19] Extremes range from 105 °F (41 °C) set on July 24, 1934 down to −26 °F (−32 °C) on both January 17, 1982 and February 4, 1996.^[20] The 1982 event, also known as Cold Sunday, featured temperatures as low as −40 °F (−40 °C) in some of the suburbs as little as 10 miles (16 km) to the north of Milwaukee.

Demographics[link]

Population[link]

At the 2010 Census there were 594,832 people residing in Milwaukee, a decrease of -0.4%, since 2000.

As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 596,974.^[1] As of 2000, there were 232,188 households, and 135,133 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,399.5/km² (6,214.3 per square mile). There are 249,225 housing units at an average density of 1,001.7/km² (2,594.4 per square mile).

There are 232,188 households, of which 30.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 32.2% are married couples living together, 21.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 41.8% are non-families. 33.5% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.5% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.50 and the average family size is 3.25.

According to the 2000 Census, there were at least 1,408 same-sex households in Milwaukee which accounts for 0.6% of all households in the city.^[23] Gay-friendly communities have developed in primarily in Walker's Point, but also in Bay View, Historic Third Ward, Riverwest, and the East Side. In 2001, Milwaukee was named the #1 city for lesbians by Girlfriends magazine.^[24]

In the city the population is spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 12.2% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 91.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $32,216, and the median income for a family is $37,879. Males have a median income of $32,244 versus $26,013 for females. The per capita income for the city is $16,181. 21.3% of the population and 17.4% of families are below the poverty line. Despite the high poverty rates, in 2010, home renters of Milwaukee faced an increasing rate for rent, up 3%.^[25] Out of the total population, 31.6% of those under the age of 18 and 11.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.

Race and ethnicity[link]

According to the 2010 Census, 44.8% of the population was White (37.0% non-Hispanic white), 40.0% was Black or African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.5% Asian, 3.4% from two or more races. 17.3% of Milwaukee's population was of Hispanic, Latino, or Spanish origin (they may be of any race).^[26]

According to the 2006-2008 American Community Survey, 38.3% of Milwaukee's residents reported having African American ancestry and 20.8% reported German ancestry. Other significant population groups include Polish (8.8%), Irish (6.5%), Italian (3.6%), English (2.8%), and French (1.7%). Hispanics makeup 15.7% of the population.^[27]

The metropolitan area was cited as being the most segregated in the U.S. in a Jet Magazine article in 2002.^[28] The source of this information was a segregation index developed in the mid 1950s and used since 1964. In 2003, a non-peer reviewed study was conducted by hired researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee which claimed that Milwaukee is not "hypersegregated" and instead ranks as the 43rd most integrated city in America.^[29] In 2011, according to an article by Daniel Denvir at www.salon.org, John Paul Dewitt of censusscope.org and the University of Michigan's Social Science Data Analysis Network looks at census data and finds Milwaukee to be the most segregated urban area in the US.^[30] Through continued dialogue between Milwaukee's citizens, the city is making an effort to reduce racial tensions and reduce the rate of segregation.^[31] With demographic changes in the wake of white flight, segregation in metropolitan Milwaukee is primarily in the suburbs rather than the city as in the era of Father Groppi.^[32][33]

Religion[link]

St. Josaphat Basilica, in Milwaukee's historic Lincoln Village.

The Association of Religion Data Archives reported on the religious composition of the Milwaukee-Racine area as of 2000.^[34] Approximately 55% of residents were adherents to one of the 188 groups included in the data.

Of them, 58% were Catholic, 23% Lutheran, 3% Methodist, and 2.5% Jewish. Others included adherents to other Protestant denominations, Orthodox churches, and Eastern religions. Historically African-American denominations were not included in the data.

Milwaukee is home to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee, and the Episcopal Diocese of Milwaukee. The School Sisters of the Third Order of St Francis have their mother house in Milwaukee, and several other religious orders have a significant presence in the area, including the Jesuits and Franciscans. Milwaukee, where Father Josef Kentenich was exiled for 14 years from 1952–1965, is also the center for the Schoenstatt Movement in the United States. St. Joan of Arc Chapel, the oldest church in Milwaukee, is located on the Marquette University campus. St. Josaphat Basilica was the first church to be given the Basilica honor in Wisconsin and the third in the United States. Holy Hill National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians, located northwest of Milwaukee, in Hartford, Wisconsin, was also made a Basilica in 2006.

Milwaukee is home for several Lutheran Church Synods, including The Greater Milwaukee Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America; the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS), which operates Concordia University in Mequon and Milwaukee Lutheran High School, the oldest Lutheran high school in the nation; and the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), which was founded in 1850 in Milwaukee and maintains its national headquarters there.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a small, but growing, presence in the Milwaukee area. The Milwaukee area has two stakes, with fourteen wards and four branches among them. The closest temple is the Chicago Illinois Temple. The area is part of the Wisconsin Milwaukee Mission.^[35]

In addition, numerous mosques, synagogues, and temples serve Milwaukee's Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Unitarian Universalist, and Buddhist communities.

Masons have various meeting locations in Milwaukee. The Tripoli Shrine Temple and Mosque, located on Wisconsin Avenue, is architecturally inspired by India's Taj Mahal and is home to the headquarters of all Shriner activities in Milwaukee. Completed in 1928, it is on the National Register of Historic Places and one of Milwaukee's most unique landmarks. Shriners, or Shrine Masons, belong to the Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine for North America.

Education[link]

Merrill Hall at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee

The John P. Raynor, S.J. Library at Marquette University

Higher education[link]

Milwaukee has one of the highest per capita student populations in North America, ranking 6th among U.S. and Canadian cities in number of college students per 100 residents, according to a January 2000 study from McGill University^[36]

Milwaukee area universities and colleges:

• Alverno College
• The Art Institute of Wisconsin
• Bryant and Stratton
• Cardinal Stritch University
• Carroll University (Waukesha)
• Concordia University Wisconsin (Mequon)
• Herzing University
• Marquette University
• Medical College of Wisconsin (Wauwatosa)
• Milwaukee Area Technical College
• Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design
• Milwaukee School of Engineering
• Mount Mary College
• National-Louis University
• Sacred Heart School of Theology (Hales Corners, Wisconsin)
• University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee
• University of Wisconsin–Waukesha (Waukesha)
• Wisconsin Lutheran College

Primary and secondary education[link]

Milwaukee maintains Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS), the largest school district in Wisconsin and thirty third in the nation. As of 2007, it had an enrollment of 89,912 students^[37] and as of 2006 employed 11,100 full-time and substitute teachers in 323 schools. Milwaukee Public Schools operate as magnet schools, with individualized specialty areas for interests in academics or the arts. Washington High School, Riverside University High School, Rufus King High School, Ronald Wilson Reagan College Preparatory High School, Samuel Morse Middle School for the Gifted and Talented, Golda Meir School, Milwaukee High School of the Arts, and Lynde & Harry Bradley Technology and Trade School are some of the magnet schools in Milwaukee. In 2007, 17 MPS high schools appeared on a national list of "dropout factories" - schools where fewer than 60% of freshmen graduate on time.^[38] Milwaukee is also home to over two dozen private or parochial high schools (e.g., St. Anthony High School, Divine Savior Holy Angels High School, Thomas More High School, Dominican High School, Messmer High School, Marquette University High School, Milwaukee Lutheran High School, Pius XI High School, St. Joan Antida High School, and University School of Milwaukee among others) and many private and parochial middle and elementary schools.

Of persons in Milwaukee aged 25 and above, 84.5% have a high school diploma, and 27% have a bachelor's degree or higher. (2000)^[39]

Government and politics[link]

Milwaukee has a mayor-council form of government with a strong-mayor plan. The mayor oversees a Common Council of elected members, each representing one of 15 districts in the city. Milwaukee has a history of giving long tenures to its mayors; from Frank Zeidler to Tom Barrett, the city has had only four mayors in the last 60 years. When 28-year incumbent Henry Maier retired in 1988, he held the record for longest term of service for a city of Milwaukee's size.

Milwaukee has been a Democratic stronghold for more than a century, with Democrats dominating every level of government, except for its Socialist mayors and (for briefer periods) other city and county offices. The city is split among three state Senate districts, each of which is composed of three Assembly districts. All 12 of the officials representing the city in the State Legislature are Democrats. In 2008, Barack Obama won Milwaukee with 77% of the vote.^[40]

Milwaukee makes up the overwhelming majority of Wisconsin's 4th congressional district. The district is heavily Democratic. The Democratic primary for the seat is considered more important than the general election.^[41] The district is currently represented by Democrat Gwen Moore.

Milwaukee residents elect representatives to the Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors. The current County executive is Chris Abele.

Economy[link]

Rockwell Automation Headquarters and Allen-Bradley Clock Tower

Milwaukee and its suburbs are the home to the international headquarters of 14 Fortune 1000 companies, including Johnson Controls, Northwestern Mutual, Manpower Inc., Jefferson Wells, Kohl's, Harley-Davidson, Rockwell Automation, Fiserv, Inc., Marshall & Ilsley Corp., Hal Leonard, Wisconsin Energy, Briggs & Stratton, Joy Global, Bucyrus International, A.O. Smith,^[42] GE Healthcare Diagnostic Imaging and Clinical Systems and MGIC Investments. The Milwaukee metropolitan area ranks fifth in the United States in terms of the number of Fortune 500 company headquarters as a share of the population. Milwaukee also has a large number of financial service firms, particularly those specializing in mutual funds and transaction processing systems, and a number of publishing and printing companies. The Milwaukee area is also the headquarters of American Signal Corporation, the American Society for Quality, Bucyrus International, the Koss Corporation, Harken, Lesaffre Yeast Corporation, Evinrude Outboard Motors (Sturtevant, Wisconsin) and Master Lock.

Service and managerial jobs are the fastest-growing segments of the Milwaukee economy, and health care alone makes up 27% the jobs in the city.^[43]

In 2009, five Milwaukee-area companies were selected as leaders in their industries as Fortune magazine recognized “The World’s Most-Admired Companies.” Two Milwaukee companies ranked second in their field: Manpower Inc. in the temporary help industry and Northwestern Mutual in life and health insurance. Johnson Controls Inc., Glendale, placed fourth among motor-vehicle parts firms. Ranked fifth were Fiserv Inc., Brookfield, in financial data services and Kohl’s Corp., Menomonee Falls, among general merchandisers.^[44]

Brewing[link]

Milwaukee became synonymous with Germans and beer beginning in the 1850s. The Germans had long enjoyed beer and set up breweries when they arrived in Milwaukee. By 1856, there were more than two dozen breweries in Milwaukee, most of them German-owned and -operated. Besides making beer for the rest of the nation, Milwaukeeans enjoyed consuming the various beers produced in the city's breweries. As early as 1843, pioneer historian James Buck recorded 138 taverns in Milwaukee, an average of one per forty residents. Beer halls and taverns are abundant in the city to this day although only one of the major breweries—Miller—remains in Milwaukee.^[45]

Milwaukee's founding fathers had a vision for the city. They knew it was perfectly situated as a port city, a center for collecting and distributing produce. Many of the new immigrants who were pouring into the new state of Wisconsin during the middle of the 19th century were wheat farmers. By 1860, Wisconsin was the second ranked wheat-growing state in the country and Milwaukee shipped more wheat than any place in the world. Railroads were needed to transport all this grain from the wheat fields of Wisconsin to Milwaukee's harbor. Improvements in railways at the time made this possible.

Entrance to Miller Brewery in Milwaukee

The Pabst Brewery Complex, closed in 1997

There was intense competition for markets with Chicago, and to a lesser degree, with Racine and Kenosha. Eventually Chicago won out. Due to its superior position on major railroad lines connecting east and west, Chicago had a distinct advantage over Milwaukee. The wheat market though, guaranteed Milwaukee's place as the commercial capital of Wisconsin.^[45]

Milwaukee was once the home to four of the world's largest breweries (Schlitz, Blatz, Pabst, and Miller), and was the number one beer producing city in the world for many years. Despite the decline in its position as the world's leading beer producer after the loss of two of those breweries, its one remaining major brewery, Miller Brewing Company remains a key employer by employing over 2,200 of the city's workers.^[46] Because of Miller's solid position as the second-largest beer-maker in the U.S., the city remains known as a beer town despite now only representing a fraction of its economy.

The historic Milwaukee Brewery, located in "Miller Valley" at 4000 West State Street, is the oldest still-functioning major brewery in the United States. In July 2008, it was announced that Coors beer would be added to the list of beers brewed in Miller Valley. This created additional brewery jobs in Milwaukee, as its world headquarters moved 100 miles (160 km) south from Milwaukee to Chicago.

Besides Miller and the heavily-automated Leinenkugel's brewery in the old Blatz 10th Street plant, the only other currently operating stand-alone breweries in Milwaukee are Milwaukee Brewing Company, a microbrewery in Walker's Point neighborhood, and Lakefront Brewery, a microbrewery located in Brewers Hill. The suburb of Glendale is home to Sprecher Brewery, another locally popular microbrew. Various brewpubs can be found throughout the Milwaukee area, including Milwaukee Ale House and Water Street Brewery.

Three beer brewers with Wisconsin operations made the 2009 list of the 50 largest beermakers in the United States, based on beer sales volume. Making the latest big-breweries list from Wisconsin is MillerCoors at No. 2. MillerCoors is a joint venture formed last year by Milwaukee-based Miller Brewing Co. and Golden, Colorado-based Molson Coors Brewing Company. The Minhas Craft Brewery in Monroe, Wisconsin which brews Huber, Rhinelander and Mountain Crest brands, ranked No. 14 and New Glarus Brewing Company., New Glarus, Wisconsin whose brands include Spotted Cow, Fat Squirrel and Uff-da, ranked No. 32.^[47]

Happy Days and Laverne and Shirley, two sitcoms that aired on ABC in the 1970s and 1980s, were set in Milwaukee, and often used the Milwaukee breweries as a backdrop for the storyline.

Manufacturing[link]

Rail tracks along the industrial Menomonee Valley, ancestral home of the Menominee Indians

Because of its easy access to Lake Michigan and other waterways, Milwaukee's Menomonee Valley has historically been home to manufacturing, stockyards, rendering plants, shipping, and other heavy industry.

Reshaping of the valley began with the railroads built by city co-founder Byron Kilbourn to bring product from Wisconsin's farm interior to the port. By 1862 Milwaukee was the largest shipper of wheat on the planet, and related industry developed. Grain elevators were built and, due to Milwaukee's dominant German immigrant population, breweries sprang up around the processing of barley and hops. A number of tanneries were constructed, of which the Pfister & Vogel tannery grew to become the largest in America.

In 1843 George Burnham and his brother Jonathan opened a brickyard near 16th Street. When a durable and distinct cream-colored brick came out of the clay beds, other brickyards sprang up to take advantage of this resource. Because many of the city's buildings were built using this material it earned the nickname "Cream City", and consequently the brick was called Cream City brick. By 1881 the Burnham brickyard, which employed 200 men and peaked at 15 million bricks a year, was the largest in the world.

Flour mills, packing plants, breweries, railways and tanneries further industrialized the valley. With the marshlands drained and the Kinnickinnic and Milwaukee Rivers dredged, attention turned to the valley.

Along with the processing industries, bulk commodity storage and machining and manufacturing entered the scene. The valley was home to the Milwaukee Road, Falk Corporation, Cutler-Hammer, Harnischfeger, Chain Belt Company, Nordberg and other industry giants.

Early in the 20th century, Milwaukee was home to several pioneer brass era automobile makers, including Ogren (from 1919 to 1922).^[48]