87-490: In Milwaukee , freeways were constructed in response to an 8.5% increase in population during the 1940s. Road plans were drawn up in the 1950s through the 1970s and several freeways were built. A lack of foresight resulted in several communities experiencing sharp increases in property taxes such as in West Milwaukee , or the complete destruction of vibrant, African-American neighborhoods such as Bronzeville. After
174-534: A Republican . Before the war, Milwaukee had a tradition of pay-as-you-go financing , where projects are funded by current funds rather than incurring debt. An organization of business and civic leaders called the 1948 Corporation sought to modernize the city with capital projects, such as the North–South Freeway, Milwaukee County Stadium , and the Milwaukee Arena . In order to realize these goals,
261-503: A loop , indicating the direction of travel of each line. Variations of the labels include "inner loop" or "outer loop", "inner beltline" or "outer beltline", "inner ring" or "outer ring", "inner rail" or "outer rail", and "inner circle" or "outer circle". In 2009, Interstate 277 in Charlotte, North Carolina , became the first non-contiguous loop route to utilize inner–outer directional signage. In nations where automobiles drive on
348-502: A city as high numbers of immigrants, mainly German , made their way to Wisconsin during the 1840s and 1850s. Scholars classify German immigration to the United States in three major waves, and Wisconsin received a significant number of immigrants from all three. The first wave from 1845 to 1855 consisted mainly of people from Southwestern Germany , the second wave from 1865 to 1873 concerned primarily Northwestern Germany , while
435-521: A decade of aggressive highway building in the 1960s, support for freeway construction began to wane as neighborhoods started to oppose construction. With the election of John Norquist as mayor in 1988, Milwaukee began to undo some of the damage of its highway construction. The dismantling of the Park East Freeway north of downtown led to a housing and entertainment construction boom and is the location of Fiserv Forum . After World War II ,
522-464: A large Serbian population, who have developed Serbian restaurants, a Serbian K–8 School , 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 late-20th-century immigration after
609-623: A large music festival. Milwaukee is home to the Fortune 500 companies of Northwestern Mutual , Fiserv , WEC Energy Group , Rockwell Automation , and Harley-Davidson . It is also home to several colleges, including Marquette University , the Medical College of Wisconsin , Milwaukee School of Engineering , and University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee . The city is represented in two of the four major professional sports leagues —the Bucks of
696-588: A lasting influence on the American school system. Kindergarten was created as a pre-school for children, and sports programs of all levels, as well as music and art, were incorporated as elements of the regular school curriculum. These ideas were first introduced by radical-democratic German groups, such as the Turner Societies, known today as the American Turners . Specifically in Milwaukee,
783-695: A line by Alice Cooper in the 1992 comedy film Wayne's World . The name of the future city was spelled in many ways prior to 1844. People living west of the Milwaukee River preferred the modern-day spelling, while those east of the river often called it Milwaukie . Other spellings included Melleokii (1679), Millioki (1679), Meleki (1684), Milwarik (1699), Milwacky (1761), Milwakie (1779), Millewackie (1817), Milwahkie (1820), and Milwalky (1821). The Milwaukee Sentinel used Milwaukie in its headline until it switched to Milwaukee on November 30, 1844. Indigenous cultures lived along
870-551: A study to determine the feasibility of new superhighways through the city. By the time the proposals were handed to voters in the form of a referendum in 1948, thirteen routes were planned for the area including the East–West and North–South freeways. Construction began in earnest in 1952. Also on the ballot in 1948 was a hotly contested mayoral race between Frank Zeidler , the Socialist candidate, and Henry S. Reuss , then
957-442: 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, often maintained through
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#17327979758491044-616: Is a connector freeway in Milwaukee, Wisconsin . The 1.89-mile (3.04 km) freeway connects Interstate Highway 94 to the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport . It is signed as Wisconsin Highway 119 (STH 119). The current route starts at Interstate 41 / Interstate 94 and has just one more exit at Wisconsin Highway 38 (Howell Avenue) before ending at the airport. Until 2007, STH 119
1131-525: Is a six-lane divided highway traveling south to north in the city of Milwaukee , Wisconsin . This freeway was the first road of its kind built in Milwaukee County . It is designated as Wisconsin Highway 175 (WI 175) along its northern stretch from WIS 59 , past Interstate 94 (I-94) to Lisbon Avenue. The southern portion from I-94 to National Avenue was designated as unsigned WIS 341 from August 1999 to August 2015, and
1218-597: 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
1305-483: Is an Interstate Highway spur route in Milwaukee County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin . I-794 is one of two auxiliary Interstates in the Milwaukee metropolitan area and serves the lakefront, the Port of Milwaukee and connects downtown with the southeastern suburbs of St. Francis , Cudahy and South Milwaukee . The North–South Freeway is the main north–south highway through Milwaukee. It runs roughly parallel to
1392-652: Is located in western Milwaukee near the Milwaukee Zoo . It connects the East–West Freeway and the Zoo Freeway . The interchange was originally constructed with ramps exiting and entering the highways from the desired directions of travel, i.e. take the left exit to go left. A total reconstruction project began in 2014 to move all entrances and exits to the outside lanes of the highways in order to reduce dangerous weaving in and out of traffic. Construction
1479-637: Is offered for children in grades K–5 . Although the German presence in Milwaukee after the Civil War remained strong and their largest wave of immigrants had yet to land, other groups also 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
1566-504: Is the 31st-most populous city in the United States and the fifth-most populous city in the Midwest . It is the central city of the Milwaukee metropolitan area , the 40th-most populous metro area in the U.S. with 1.57 million residents. Milwaukee is an ethnically and culturally diverse city. However, it continues to be one of the most racially segregated cities, largely as a result of early-20th-century redlining . Its history
1653-685: Is the name of I-94 as it enters the Milwaukee metro from the west until it reaches the Marquette Interchange and the portion of I-794 between the Marquette Interchange and the Lake Freeway in downtown Milwaukee. The Fond du Lac Freeway is a reconstruction of Milwaukee's Fond du Lac Avenue. It begins near the intersection of Fond du Lac Avenue, N. 68th Street, and W. Hampton Avenue and heads northwest toward Fond du Lac . The Lake Freeway , also known as I-794
1740-609: Is the name of a portion of US 45, which is concurrent with I-41 and US 41 , as well as the north–south portion of I-894 , which ends at I-94 . It begins at the Hale Interchange and ends at the Fond du Lac Freeway in northern Milwaukee. The Hale Interchange is located southwest of Milwaukee in Greenfield , though it takes its name from nearby Hales Corners . It is a directional T interchange that connects
1827-701: The Battle of Fort Dearborn on August 15, 1812, the only known armed conflict in Chicago. This battle convinced the American government to remove these groups of Native Americans from their indigenous land. After being attacked in the Black Hawk War in 1832, the Native Americans in Milwaukee signed the 1833 Treaty of Chicago with the United States. In exchange for ceding their lands in the area, they were to receive monetary payments and lands west of
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#17327979758491914-467: The Catholic Church . A view of Milwaukee's South Side skyline is replete with the steeples of the many churches these immigrants built 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
2001-754: The Cold War with the Soviet Union , the MCEC touted the planned freeways as a fire break in case the city was bombed. The creation of the Interstate Highway System in 1956 gave the MCRC some additional funds for highway construction. The Interstate 94 name was applied to the North–South Freeway from the south to downtown and to the East–West Freeway entirely. Through the late 1950s,
2088-457: 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 have stabilized many parts of Milwaukee. Milwaukee's European history is evident today. Largely through its efforts to preserve its history, Milwaukee was named one of the "Dozen Distinctive Destinations" by
2175-580: The Marquette Interchange . The Interstate 894 bypass (which as of May 2015 also contains Interstate 41 ) 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 ). One of
2262-561: 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
2349-752: The Milwaukee Art Museum , Milwaukee Repertory Theater , the Bradley Symphony Center , and Discovery World , as well as major renovations to the UW–Milwaukee Panther Arena . Fiserv Forum opened in late 2018, and hosts sporting events and concerts. Milwaukee is categorized as a "Gamma minus" city by the Globalization and World Cities Research Network , with a regional GDP of over $ 102 billion in 2020. Since 1968, Milwaukee has been home to Summerfest ,
2436-598: The NBA and the Brewers of MLB . The etymological origin of the name Milwaukee is disputed. Wisconsin academic Virgil J. Vogel has said, "the name [...] Milwaukee is not difficult to explain, yet there are a number of conflicting claims made concerning it. One theory says it comes from the Anishinaabemowin/Ojibwe word mino-akking , meaning "good land", or words in closely related languages that mean
2523-652: The National Trust for Historic Preservation in 2006. 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 . Milwaukee lies along the shores and bluffs of Lake Michigan at the confluence of three rivers: the Menomonee , the Kinnickinnic , and
2610-541: The Park West Freeway was to continue northwesterly to just north of North Avenue. From there, it would continue westward to its intersection with the Stadium Freeway . The right of way for the entire Park Freeway was purchased and cleared. However, only a small portion was ever built - between North 12th Street and North Jefferson Street. Because of opposition of the freeway by community leaders,
2697-624: The United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 96.80 square miles (250.71 km ), of which, 96.12 square miles (248.95 km ) is land and 0.68 square miles (1.76 km ) is water. The city is overwhelmingly (99.89% of its area) in Milwaukee County , but there are two tiny unpopulated portions that extend into neighboring counties. 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
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2784-699: The Zoo Freeway from the north, the Airport Freeway from the east, and the Rock Freeway from the southwest. The Marquette Interchange is located near downtown Milwaukee near Marquette University , from which the stack interchange gets its name. It connects the East–West Freeway to the North–South Freeway , as well as the Lake Freeway . Planning began in 1957, but construction did not begin until 1964. City and state officials opened
2871-537: The " Forty-Eighters ", immigrated to the U.S. to avoid imprisonment and persecution by German authorities. One of the most famous "liberal revolutionaries" of 1848 was Carl Schurz . He later explained in 1854 why he came to Milwaukee, "It is true, similar things [cultural events and societies] were done in other cities where the Forty-eighters [ sic ] had congregated. But so far as I know, nowhere did their influence so quickly impress itself upon
2958-655: The "Polish Grand Avenue". As Mitchell Street grew more dense, 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 . Jones Island was a major commercial fishing center settled mostly by Kashubians and other Poles from around the Baltic Sea . Milwaukee has
3045-400: The 1930s the city was severely segregated via "redlining". In 1960, African-American residents made up 15 percent of the Milwaukee's population, yet the city was still among the most segregated of that time. As of 2019, at least three out of four black residents in Milwaukee would have to move in order to create "racially integrated" neighborhoods. By 1960, Milwaukee had grown to become one of
3132-481: The 1948 Corporation wanted the city to break free of its "socialist traditions" and borrow money for these projects. Both candidates publicly supported public financing the highway project, though Ruess attacked Zeidler's socialist ideology in the media. Zeidler, having support of the working-class whites in southern Milwaukee, won the election easily. Initially, the Common Council was in charge of planning
3219-463: 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 had reduced immigration from Eastern and Southern Europe. Additionally, strikes contributed to the labor shortages. In the mid-20th century, African-Americans from Chicago moved to
3306-681: The American Turners established its own Normal College for teachers of physical education and the German-English Academy . Milwaukee's German element is still strongly present today. The city celebrates its German culture by annually hosting a German Fest in July and an Oktoberfest in October. Milwaukee boasts a number of German restaurants, as well as a traditional German beer hall. A German language immersion school
3393-524: The City of Milwaukee began in 1835, following removal of the tribes in the Council of Three Fires. Early that year it became known that Juneau and Kilbourn intended to lay out competing town-sites. By the year's end both had purchased their lands from the government and made their first sales. There were perhaps 100 new settlers in this year, mostly from New England and other Eastern states. On September 17, 1835,
3480-561: The German lands between 1835 and 1910, 90 percent went to the United States, most of them traveling to the Mid-Atlantic states and the Midwest. By 1900, 34 percent of Milwaukee's population was of German background. The largest number of German immigrants to Milwaukee came from Prussia , followed by Bavaria , Saxony , Hanover , and Hesse-Darmstadt . Milwaukee gained its reputation as the most German of American cities not just from
3567-594: The Mississippi in Indian Territory . Europeans arrived in the Milwaukee area before the 1833 Treaty of Chicago. French missionaries and traders first passed through the area in the late 17th and 18th centuries. Alexis Laframboise, coming from Michilimackinac (now in Michigan), settled a trading post in 1785 and is considered the first resident of European descent in the Milwaukee region. One story on
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3654-752: The Native Americans around Milwaukee were some of the few groups to ally with the rebel Continentals. After the American Revolutionary War , the Native Americans fought the United States in the Northwest Indian War as part of the Council of Three Fires . During the War of 1812 , they held a council in Milwaukee in June 1812, which resulted in their decision to attack Chicago in retaliation against American expansion. This resulted in
3741-531: The North side of Milwaukee. Milwaukee's East Side has attracted a population of Russians and other Eastern Europeans who began migrating in the 1990s, after the end of the Cold War . Many Hispanics of mostly Puerto Rican and Mexican heritage live on the south side of Milwaukee. During the first sixty years of the 20th century, Milwaukee was the major city in which the Socialist Party of America earned
3828-491: The United States do not use inner–outer directions, since compass directions are the predominant way to designate direction on numbered routes. Beltways with a single number for the entire route, such as Interstate 285 in the Atlanta area, are generally given compass directions that change as one travels along the route (what would be the inner loop is instead posted as north, then east, then south, then west, and vice versa for
3915-567: The area prized land ownership, this solution, which was prominent in their areas of settlement within the city, came to be associated with them. Inner%E2%80%93outer directions Inner–outer directions are labels that identify the direction of travel on opposing lanes of traffic on certain ring roads or beltways. They can be used to sign individual routes that encircle a city or metropolitan area , where east–west and north–south orientations cannot be applied uniformly. The labels are also used in select double track rail systems that form
4002-513: The area which only showed Kilbourntown, implying Juneautown did not exist or the river's east side was uninhabited and thus undesirable. The third prominent developer 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. The first large wave of settlement to the areas that would later become Milwaukee County and
4089-605: The city's total population of 373,857. Milwaukee has a strong Greek Orthodox Community, many of whom attend the Annunciation 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 at the 30-acre Croatian Park in Franklin, Wisconsin. Milwaukee also has
4176-437: The city, but in Milwaukee County, they number at 38,286. The largest Italian-American festival in the area, Festa Italiana , is held in the city, while Irishfest is the largest Irish-American festival in southeast Wisconsin. By 1910, Milwaukee shared the distinction with New York City of having the largest percentage of foreign-born residents in the United States. In 1910, European descendants ("Whites") represented 99.7% of
4263-477: The coast of Lake Michigan . As it enters the Milwaukee metropolitan area, it carries I-41 and I-94. At the interchange with I-894, the Mitchell Interchange , I-41 leaves away and I-43 enters the roadway. At the Marquette Interchange , I-94 exits to the west and I-794 begins to the east. The freeway continues north as I-43 toward Green Bay . The Park Freeway was a planned and partially constructed freeway in Milwaukee . The freeway removal policy resulted in
4350-440: The construction of six freeways: the Lake , Belt , Stadium , Bay , Park and Fond du Lac freeways. The Park and Lake freeways would complete an inner loop around downtown Milwaukee. The Airport Freeway is the name of the east–west portion of I-894, which is concurrent with I-41 , I-43 , and US 41 . It begins at the Hale Interchange and ends at the Mitchell Interchange , where it meets I-94 . The Airport Spur
4437-403: The demolition of the Park East Freeway , the only section to have been completed. The planned eastern terminus of the Park Freeway in downtown Milwaukee was near Prospect Avenue and Ogden Avenue. At that point, the freeway was to turn southward as the Lake Freeway . The Park East Freeway, as built, extended from Jefferson Street westward to Interstate 43 , carrying Highway 145 . From I-43 ,
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#17327979758494524-403: 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
4611-420: 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. In
4698-447: The economic recession that started in 2008. Milwaukee School of Engineering constructed an athletic facility. Commercial developments include a hotel and offices. A new arena and related structures for the NBA Milwaukee Bucks are also using some of the former right-of-way. Development has occurred on land adjacent to the former right-of-way, which is no longer overshadowed by the elevated freeway. The Beloit-to-Milwaukee portion of I-43
4785-537: The fifth-largest Polish population in the U.S. at 45,467, ranking behind New York City (211,203), Chicago (165,784), Los Angeles (60,316) and Philadelphia (52,648). The city holds Polish Fest , an annual celebration of Polish culture and cuisine . In addition to the Germans and Poles, Milwaukee received a large influx of other European immigrants from Lithuania , Italy , Ireland , France , Russia , Bohemia , and Sweden , who included Jews , Lutherans , and Catholics . Italian Americans total 16,992 in
4872-478: The first election was held in Milwaukee; the number of votes cast was 39. By 1840, the three towns had grown, along with their rivalries. There were intense battles between the towns, mainly Juneautown and Kilbourntown, which culminated with the Milwaukee Bridge War of 1845. Following the Bridge War, on January 31, 1846, the towns were combined to incorporate as the City of Milwaukee, and elected Solomon Juneau as Milwaukee's first mayor. Milwaukee began to grow as
4959-410: The freeway system. As the project grew in size and scope, chiefly outside the city limits of Milwaukee, the Milwaukee County Expressway Commission (MCEC) was created in 1953. That organization released their first report two years later. In it, they called for $ 221 million worth of highways (equivalent to $ 1.96 billion in 2023) to be completed by 1972. As the United States was in the midst of
5046-529: 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. 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
5133-498: The highway building project grew outside of Milwaukee County. The State of Wisconsin created the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SEWRPC) as a result. The SEWRPC took over the planning functions from the MCEC, which kept the engineering and construction functions. The SEWRPC published a report stating their vision for the Milwaukee area's highway network in 1966. They proposed 16 routes in all; some of which were already built or were under construction. They proposed
5220-409: The interchange with a ribbon cutting on December 23, 1968. At the time, it was noted that rush-hour drive times were cut to one-third of what they were previously. The interchange was entirely rebuilt between 2004 and 2008. The Mitchell Interchange is located in southern Milwaukee near the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport . It connects the North–South Freeway and the Airport Freeway . It
5307-447: The large number of German immigrants it received, but for the sense of community which the immigrants established here. Most German immigrants came to Wisconsin in search of inexpensive farmland. However, immigration began to change in character and size in the late 1840s and early 1850s, due to the 1848 revolutionary movements in Europe . After 1848, hopes for a united Germany had failed, and revolutionary and radical Germans, known as
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#17327979758495394-406: The largest Polish settlements in the USA . For many residents, Milwaukee's South Side is synonymous with the Polish community that developed here. The group maintained a high profile here for decades, and it was not until the 1950s and 1960s that families began to disperse to the southern suburbs. By 1850, there were seventy-five Poles in Milwaukee County and the US Census shows they had
5481-411: The largest cities in the United States. Its population peaked at 741,324. In 1960, the Census Bureau reported city's population as 91.1% white and 8.4% black. By the late 1960s, Milwaukee's population had started to decline as people moved to suburbs, aided by ease of highways and offering the advantages of less crime, new housing, and lower taxation. Milwaukee had a population of 594,833 by 2010, while
5568-415: The logical benefits and uniformity of inner/outer labeling, many find the concept confusing, especially those in nations where compass directions (e.g., east and west ) are by far more commonly used to sign routes (e.g. the United States ). More confusion can occur in places where more than one route encircles an area (such as Houston , which is encircled by Interstate 610 and the Sam Houston Tollway );
5655-427: The milemarkers for those Interstates treat them as a single highway, beginning at the Minnesota River bridge on I-494, increasing going clockwise and including I-694, returning to the Minnesota River bridge on I-494. The Meijō Line in Nagoya , Japan uses the terms clockwise and counterclockwise . Hong Kong 's Transport Department employs yet another method of orbital road signing: clockwise traffic on Route 9
5742-519: The north side of the city. It was to begin at Interstate 43 (I-43) in Glendale , near Hampton Avenue. From there it would run westerly to the proposed interchange with the Stadium Freeway and the Fond du Lac Freeway . The Bay Freeway would have overlapped the Fond du Lac Freeway for approximately two miles (3.2 km) before splitting off and continuing westward, intersecting the Zoo Freeway and continuing through Menomonee Falls and Pewaukee before joining Wisconsin Highway 16 . The Belt Freeway
5829-468: The origin 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. The spelling "Milwaukie" lives on in Milwaukie , Oregon , named after the Wisconsin city in 1847, before the current spelling was universally accepted. Milwaukee has three " founding fathers ": Solomon Juneau , Byron Kilbourn , and George H. Walker . Solomon Juneau
5916-445: The outer loop). A special case is the beltway for Twin Cities which was numbered before it was common to use a single number for an entire beltway. That road is split into northern and southern halves for numbering purposes, with Interstate 694 assigned to the northern and eastern half and Interstate 494 assigned to the southern and western half. Both halves are posted with east and west directions on their entire lengths. However,
6003-418: The outermost route may be called an Outer Loop and the innermost route may be called an Inner Loop (like in Rochester, New York ), causing confusion with the labels. The labeling system is also rarely used, so travelers are largely unfamiliar with the terms. As a result, most applications of inner and outer are secondary to compass directions, which change as one travels along the loop. Most beltways in
6090-401: The population of Milwaukee grew dramatically. While the overall population of Milwaukee grew 8.5% during the 1940s, the population of African-Americans grew 146.8%, an increase of nearly 13,000 residents. With the influx of new residents, it became clear that the city's aging road network was not sufficient to handle the new levels of traffic. In 1946, the Milwaukee Common Council carried out
6177-414: The population of the overall metropolitan area increased. Given its large immigrant population and historic neighborhoods, Milwaukee avoided the severe declines of some of its fellow " Rust Belt " cities. 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 ,
6264-407: The remainder of the freeway was never built, and the right of way lay vacant for years. Much of the land has been redeveloped. The only built portion was demolished beginning in 2002, most of which was replaced by an improved at-grade West McKinley Avenue and East Knapp Street and a new vertical-lift bridge over the Milwaukee River . Redevelopment of the cleared freeway right-of-way was slowed by
6351-432: The right side of a road, traffic traveling in a clockwise direction around a loop will always be in the "inner" lane(s) (assuming that there is no lane crossing). Likewise, traffic traveling in a counterclockwise direction will always be in the "outer" lane(s). "Inner" and "outer" labels stem from this reasoning, applying the concept of concentric loops to the geographic characteristics of circular road or rail. Despite
6438-481: The same. These included Menominee and Potawatomi. Another theory is that it stems from the Meskwaki or Algonquian languages, whose term for "gathering place" is mahn-a-waukee . The city of Milwaukee itself claims that the name is derived from mahn-ah-wauk , a Potawatomi word for "council grounds". Some sources have claimed that Milwaukee stems from an Algonquian word meaning "the good land", popularized by
6525-627: The second half of the 18th century, the Native Americans living near Milwaukee played a role in all the major European wars on the American continent. During the French and Indian War , a group of "Ojibwas and Pottawattamies from the far [Lake] Michigan" (i.e., the area from Milwaukee to Green Bay) joined the French-Canadian Daniel Liénard de Beaujeu at the Battle of the Monongahela . In the American Revolutionary War ,
6612-404: The third wave from 1880 to 1893 came from Northeastern Germany . In the 1840s, the number of people who left German-speaking lands was 385,434, in the 1850s it reached 976,072, and an all-time high of 1.4 million immigrated in the 1880s. In 1890, the 2.78 million first-generation German Americans represented the second-largest foreign-born group in the United States. Of all those who left
6699-701: The war in Bosnia-Herzegovina . During this time, a small community of African Americans migrated from the South in the Great Migration . They settled near each other, forming a community that came to be known as Bronzeville . As industry boomed, more migrants came, and African-American influence grew in Milwaukee. By 1925, around 9,000 Mexicans lived in Milwaukee, but the Great Depression forced many of them to move back south. In
6786-524: The waterways for thousands of years. The first recorded inhabitants of the Milwaukee area were various Native American tribes: the Menominee , Fox , Mascouten , Sauk , Potawatomi , and Ojibwe (all Algic/Algonquian peoples), and the Ho-Chunk (Winnebago, a Siouan people). Many of these people had lived around Green Bay before migrating to the Milwaukee area about the time of European contact. In
6873-520: The whole social atmosphere as in 'German Athens of America' as Milwaukee was called at the time." Schurz was referring to the various clubs and societies Germans developed in Milwaukee. The pattern of German immigrants settling near each other encouraged the continuation of the German lifestyle and customs. This resulted in German language organizations that encompassed all aspects of life; for example, singing societies and gymnastics clubs. Germans also had
6960-567: Was a proposed beltway through the western and southern suburbs of Milwaukee . It was planned to begin at the Lake Freeway southeast of the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport and end at the Fond du Lac Freeway in the northwest suburbs. It was to run parallel to the Airport and Zoo Freeways, both of which were constructed. The East–West Freeway , also called the East–West Corridor ,
7047-430: Was called Miller Park Way; it is now named Brewers Boulevard. The road travels adjacent to the east side of American Family Field , home of Major League Baseball 's Milwaukee Brewers . The West Bend Freeway or West Bend Bypass is a portion of US 45 that connects the Fond du Lac freeway with West Bend . Originally built in 1986 as a super two , the freeway was expanded to four lanes in 1990. The Zoo Freeway
7134-401: Was entirely reconstructed between 2009 and 2012. The new configuration features three cut-and-cover tunnels and safer freeway entrances and exits. The Stadium Interchange is located in central Milwaukee near Miller Park and before that Milwaukee County Stadium . It connects the East–West Freeway to the Stadium Freeway the north and Brewers Boulevard to the south. The Zoo Interchange
7221-547: Was given the name "Rock Freeway," named because the freeway traverses Rock County and heads towards the cities in the Rock River valley, including Rockford, Illinois . However, the moniker generally only applies to the portion of the route in Waukesha and Milwaukee counties; freeway names in southeastern Wisconsin media are used interchangeably with Interstate numbers. The Stadium Freeway (also known as Miller Park Way )
7308-491: Was heavily influenced by German immigrants in the 19th century, and it continues to be a center for German-American culture, specifically becoming well known for its brewing industry . In recent years, Milwaukee has undergone several development projects. Major additions to the city since the turn of the 21st century include the Wisconsin Center , American Family Field , The Hop streetcar system , an expansion to
7395-422: Was not signed but was commissioned and appeared on highway maps as an unsigned highway . After travelers in the area became confused because the route was not signed, officials decided to change the exit signs from I-94 in order to include the highway. The Bay Freeway was the name of a proposed freeway in Milwaukee. No portion of the freeway was constructed. It was intended to be an east–west freeway running on
7482-401: Was scheduled to be completed in 2018, but budget restructuring delayed the project and it is now scheduled to wrap up in 2022. Milwaukee Milwaukee ( / m ɪ l ˈ w ɔː k i / mil- WAW -kee ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County . With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census , Milwaukee
7569-464: Was the first of the three to come to the area, in 1818. He founded a town called Juneau's Side, or Juneautown, that began attracting more settlers. In competition with Juneau, Byron Kilbourn established Kilbourntown west of the Milwaukee River . He ensured the roads 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
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