Milwaukee began to lose its wheat trade market to Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, during the 1870s. The grain passing through the Port of Milwaukee had greatly declined by 1880. Milwaukee’s economy is based on manufacturing steel and iron, which remains a major industry. The city has benefited from the growth of manufacturing in recent decades.
The city’s steel industry was largely fueled by iron-ore deposits discovered nearby Dodge County in the 1840s. The largest steel mill in Wisconsin was opened in 1868. The mill employed over 1,000 workers and produced railroad rails. There was a tremendous amount of construction of iron foundries and manufacturing facilities
#1 St. Stanislaus Polish Catholic Church. Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1875
#2 Built by Charles Durkee in 1843 and burned January 31, 1871.
#3 Wisconsin Avenue in Milwaukee, 1870
#4 Elevated view of Milwaukee River with large sailing ship – a two-masted schooner – entering the port, 1870
#5 Alex Mitchell, 1870
#6 Two men are standing on the platform outside of Kiel’s first Depot, 1870
#7 Myers House Hotel, 1875
#8 Myers House Hotel built in 1859 on the corner of Main and Milwaukee Streets by Peter Myers. U. S. Grant is said to have stayed overnight at the hotel on September 8, 1870.
#9 The Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company grain elevator at the Milwaukee harbor, with a sailing ship anchored nearby, 1870
#10 Milwaukee County Court House, 1870
#11 Water tower of the Milwaukee water works, North Point, 1870
#12 View of bluffs and buildings on the shore of Lake Michigan, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1877.
#13 High angle view of a ship moored at a wharf on the Milwaukee River in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 1875.
#14 Bardee Hospital, 1870
#15 Main Street – north end – Old Main Street bridge, 1875
This photograph was taken from a high point on the Bain Wagon Company property facing north up Main Street, showing the bend in the street to the left to meet Milwaukee Avenue. The lawn of the Pennoyer Water Cure can be seen on the left, just at the north end of Main Street bridge. The church spire is that of St. George's Catholic Church.
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#16 Alex McGregor, 1870s. Milwaukee and Prairie du Chien Railroad Company.
#17 View down road towards the Western Hotel on the left, 1870
#18 Milwaukee County Buildings, 1870
#19 Dousman Warehouse, East Water Street. Originally located on the wharf parallel with the river, 1870
#20 Chamber of Commerce at the corner of Broadway and Michigan Streets, 1870
#21 State Fair Grounds, 1870
#22 Elevated view from rooftops of what was known as Watertown Plank road, looking west from about North 35th Street, 1870
#23 Axtell House, located at Walker’s point on the corner of S. Water and Ferry Streets, 1870
#24 Metal bridge over river with three men standing near the railing, 1870
#25 Chapman’s Dry Goods Emporium, 1870
Interior view with dome visible. A long counter takes up the lower right of the image, and at the left is a white barrier wall, next to a decorated column. Various goods can be seen on the counter in the back of the image. A small chandelier hangs from the ceiling.
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#26 Childs-Paul House,Located at 321 Hanover Street, 1870
The house has an old fashioned hardwood frame, hewed and sawed hand. It was part of the old Childs homestead near the corner of Pierce and Hanover Streets. It was bought by Geo. H. Paul and removed to the west side of Hanover between Pierce and Nattan, and rebuilt.
