When Allis-Chalmers Was One of the World’s Largest Manufacturers
The West Allis company made everything from steam engines to nuclear reactors.
How the Past of Southeastern Wisconsin Freeways Affects the I-794 Debate
History echoes in study of rebuilding or removing the east-west stretch of Downtown Milwaukee freeway
When Milwaukee Had a Busy Victorian Downtown
When this photograph was taken in about 1888, Milwaukee had nearly 200,000 residents, making it the 16th-largest city in America.
John Gurda Revisits Summerfest’s Early Days
Take a look back at the Big Gig in 1976.
The History of Milwaukee’s ‘Little Pink Church’
The church, which was demolished in 1967, was the social and spiritual anchor of the city’s Italian community.
When Milwaukee’s Railroad Depots Were Palaces
For most of the 20th century, train stations were the grand entrances to America’s cities, and Milwaukee had two beauties.
Milwaukee’s Downtown Was Bustling at the Turn of the Century
The Water Street and Wisconsin Avenue intersection was even busier than it is today back in 1900.
The Unlikely Story Behind Pull-Tabs in Wisconsin
Every night across Wisconsin, stacks of these staples of tavern culture are satisfyingly peeled. How is this unofficial lottery legal?
John Gurda Explains the Planting of Milwaukee’s Urban Forest
This photo of Estabrook Park is just one example of the parks system’s Depression-era expansion.
Milwaukee County Used to Be Covered in Farmland
The farm in this 1880s photograph is an example of the hundreds that filled the area surrounding the city.