Before The Rave, We Had George Devine’s Million Dollar Ballroom
The history of The Rave in Milwaukee is a long one – and it dates all the way back to the 1920s.
How Frozen Rivers Played a Critical Role in the Evolution of Milwaukee’s Economy
A winter harvest from the Milwaukee river.
The Rise and Fade of Milwaukee’s Corner Taverns
Schauss’s saloon was one of nearly 1,700 taverns crowding the city in the late 19th century.
The Feud Behind Milwaukee’s First Courthouse
Built 10 years before the city was officially incorporated, the courthouse was a win for the settlement of Juneautown.
John Gurda’s Historic Milwaukee: When the Green Bay Packers Faced the Milwaukee Badgers
In 1926, the future NFL powerhouse took on a scrappy team of leatherheads.
John Gurda’s Historic Milwaukee: A Look Back at Our Hometown Cruise Ship
In the mid-20th century, the Milwaukee Clipper sailed between Wisconsin and Michigan.
Reflections on the Death of a Forest
When the logger arrives in your idyllic woods Up North, the quiet hum of rapacious commerce becomes deafeningly loud.
The WPA Project That Changed a South Side Milwaukee Neighborhood
In the 1940s, a federal relief program turned a long-standing neighborhood dream into a reality: a vast public swimming pool that became the beating heart of Milwaukee’s South Side summers.
John Gurda’s Historic Milwaukee: Baseball and Boxcars in Mitchell Park
For much of the 20th century, Mitchell Park was a key venue for Milwaukee’s amateur baseball leagues.
Take a Walk With ‘John Gurda’s Milwaukee’ This Summer
Read an excerpt from his latest book – a self-guided historical tour of the city – here.