Diamond Jubilee: German roots, Milwaukee

In the rush to bring freeways into cities (while disconnecting and destroying neighborhoods) across the US, one such highway was approved and planned for in Milwaukee. Although cleared of property, the land was never used (thank God). The area, however, remained empty (and an eyesore) - it was literally in the center of the city.

The Milwaukee Bucks (and the Marquette University Golden Eagles) were in desperate need of a new stadium. Hence, the Fiserv Forum was constructed. It had literally opened a year before I visited Milwaukee and was expected to bring revenue to the city and revitalize a part of the city that previously sat empty and unused.

In stark contrast to Fiserv, across the way stands Turner Hall Ballroom with an oddly quirky history.

The Turner movement was founded in Germany in 1811 by Friedrich Ludwig Jahn as a gymnastic association called Turnverein, encouraging harmonious development of mind and body - to some extent a reaction to French domination during the Napoleonic Wars. After the failed revolutions of 1848, German political and economic refugees came to America, and some brought Turner ideas with them. A society was organized in Milwaukee in 1853, called the Sozializer Turnveirein Milwaukee, then renamed Turnverein Milwaukee. Their creed was "Free speech, free press, free assembly for discussion of all questions so that men and women may think unfettered and order their lives by the dictates of conscience." Gymnastics room in the National Gymnastics Hall at Milwaukee, ca. 1900 The Turner Society in Milwaukee grew and by the 1880s they needed a new meeting hall. The building was designed by architect Henry C. Koch, and was completed in 1882, with an addition in 1899. In keeping with the Turner movement's philosophy, the interior is decorated with artwork, including rare murals by German immigrant artists. Stained glass windows are adorned with political slogans relating to the Turner's progressive political stances. Turner Hall stands in Milwaukee's Westown downtown area, on the east side of North 4th Street between West Highland Avenue and West State Street. It is a four-story masonry building, built out of brick in a High Victorian style. Its front facade is elaborate, with projecting gabled sections near the outer corners, and a central entrance set deeply recessed under another projection. The central section rises to a five-story pyramid-capped tower. The interior includes a ballroom with balcony level, restaurant and beer hall and meeting rooms. A gymnasium with modernized facilities is located in the building basement.

(Wikipedia)

These days Turner Hall is a well-loved live music venue and a part of the old German neighborhood of Milwaukee. One hopes its "socialist" past remains buried in history lest it be misconstrued in the modern world.

MLK Boulevard (ex. Third Street) is filled with "Old World Charm". There isn't too much to to the place, other than an obvious nod to German heritage. It felt odd that in a city founded largely by Germans, there existed a need to create a "Little Germany". Wasn't most everyone German already?

Farther along the street, next to the riverside Père Marquette Park, lies the Milwaukee County Historical Society.

The Milwaukee County Historical Society building was originally a bank and was designed by the Kirchhoff and Rose architectural firm in the Beaux Arts style of the French Renaissance. There are over 600 pilings, one foot in diameter, needed to carry the immense weight of the structure. There are seven vaults total and the door frame of the vault on the north end of the building weighs 27 ½ tons. Visitors enter into an elegant atrium surrounded by pillars, a balcony-level and marble accents. This Milwaukee landmark, also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was meticulously restored and completed in 2011.

https://milwaukeehistory.net/museum/

The building is a gem and the park is well-maintained with some very whimsical art installations.

Dancing through Life. July 2021

I had completed a loop through West Town that took in many different aspects of the city. On the whole, I was impressed even if the bartender's comments about Milwaukee's improvements only being for "a certain kind of people" still rang in my ears.

One place remained for me to explore - the lake front. Although the weather was uncooperative (and cool), I still wanted to spend more time along Lake Michigan.