While Milwaukee and the state of Wisconsin went through exponential growth throughout the late nineteenth and twentieth century, the Walkers Point neighborhood went through the opposite.
Once the home of most of the industrial and manufacturing companies in Milwaukee in the late nineteenth century, the area saw a reduction in jobs and density throughout the past century. While most vacated buildings were torn down, some were reposed to find a better way to serve the community. One building is the Tewelse Seed Co. building. Initially constructed as the headquarters of a seed company, the building served it's purpose until 1972 when the company was bought out by a competitor. Rather than begin torn down, the building was converted into an apartment complex. Similarly, the neighborhood of Walker's Point has had to adapt, not only to for a changing economy but also a changing culture. |
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Walker's Point was founded as one of the three original towns that came together to form the city of Milwaukee in 1846. It quickly became a center for industry and business. However as time progressed, the business in Walker's Point did not. As major businesses left or scaled back, the local residents found it necessary to adapt.
While major businesses may have left, the area has now become a popular destination for it's various restaurants, bars and stores. Some of the businesses include; Milwaukee Brewing Company, Purple Door Ice Cream and the Global Water Center. |
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Project 1
Walker’s Point was founded by George H. Walker in
1835 as a fur trading post. He served as the 5th and the
7th mayor of Milwaukee and also helped build the first
street car line here in 1859.
Walker’s Point was an industrial neighborhood.
Ludwig Tewles started a seed company here
in 1865, selling chicken feathers, seed, and
feed products. It was run in the Tewles family
for 4 generations. All five of Ludwig’s sons,
Oscar, Hugo, Edwin, Max, and Arthur, joined
the business in various positions throughout
the company. It grew to become the 2nd
largest seed company in America. They made
smaller bags of feed available, helped provide
feed to foreign war torn countries during World
War II, and also pioneered the research of
hybrid seed versions - creating the first hybrid
alfalfa seed. However, the company was
bought out by Kent Feeds Inc. of Muscatine,
Iowa in 1972. The building is now an apartment complex that
still has it’s old industrial style on the exterior.
Recently, the area has seen a build up of condos, retail, and
offices; such as Fifth Ward Lofts, Milwaukee Water Council.
The Alan Bradly Clock tower is a product of Rockwell
Automation and is a landmark in Milwaukee. Guiness World
Record named it the largest 4 faced clock in the world. The
original plans date back to 1959 and was created by architect
Fitzhugh Scott.
In 1903 Lynde Bradley and Dr. Stanton form the Compression
Rehostat Company. Later, in 1909, it was renamed as the Alan
Bradley Company.
Esperanza Unida is a non-profit organization first founded by
Ted Uribe in 1971 to represent Latino workers in worker’s
and unemployment compensation hearings. It was under the
leadership of Richard Oulahan, who joined the
organization in 1973, becoming Executive Director in
1978. The building is easily recogonizable by its colorful mural
on the side of a baldheaded egale facing a white dove that has
multiple nation’s flags coming from the dove’s wings.
1835 as a fur trading post. He served as the 5th and the
7th mayor of Milwaukee and also helped build the first
street car line here in 1859.
Walker’s Point was an industrial neighborhood.
Ludwig Tewles started a seed company here
in 1865, selling chicken feathers, seed, and
feed products. It was run in the Tewles family
for 4 generations. All five of Ludwig’s sons,
Oscar, Hugo, Edwin, Max, and Arthur, joined
the business in various positions throughout
the company. It grew to become the 2nd
largest seed company in America. They made
smaller bags of feed available, helped provide
feed to foreign war torn countries during World
War II, and also pioneered the research of
hybrid seed versions - creating the first hybrid
alfalfa seed. However, the company was
bought out by Kent Feeds Inc. of Muscatine,
Iowa in 1972. The building is now an apartment complex that
still has it’s old industrial style on the exterior.
Recently, the area has seen a build up of condos, retail, and
offices; such as Fifth Ward Lofts, Milwaukee Water Council.
The Alan Bradly Clock tower is a product of Rockwell
Automation and is a landmark in Milwaukee. Guiness World
Record named it the largest 4 faced clock in the world. The
original plans date back to 1959 and was created by architect
Fitzhugh Scott.
In 1903 Lynde Bradley and Dr. Stanton form the Compression
Rehostat Company. Later, in 1909, it was renamed as the Alan
Bradley Company.
Esperanza Unida is a non-profit organization first founded by
Ted Uribe in 1971 to represent Latino workers in worker’s
and unemployment compensation hearings. It was under the
leadership of Richard Oulahan, who joined the
organization in 1973, becoming Executive Director in
1978. The building is easily recogonizable by its colorful mural
on the side of a baldheaded egale facing a white dove that has
multiple nation’s flags coming from the dove’s wings.
Project 2
NA because the only text explains each map/image no general summary.
Project 3
George H. Walker – March 20, 1834
Today we arrived in our new home, we are near a lake and I saw a few rivers as we travelled as well. The landscape is not much different from that of the Illinois Territory. The weather was cold today, I could feel the temperature drop slowly as we travelled farther north. The family all made the journey safely for which I am thankful. I am excited about this new place and what will come of our time here.
George H. Walker – June 1835
Today was an exciting day. I put in a full day’s work on the southern side of the river. Making my own fur trading post has been so much work and I am quite exhausted. However, Walker’s Point is nearly finished and ready for trading. The weather is starting to get warmer and warmer with every passing day and the warmer weather will bring more people who are ready to travel. The family is well and they are also excited about the new trading post.
George H. Walker – 1846
We’ve founded a city! Solomon Juneau, founder of Juneautown, and Byron Kilborn, founder of Kilbourntown, and myself agreed to combine our settlements to form what we are calling Milwaukee. Having had a rivalry with them for a few years now, this was a big step! Everyone is excited to see what will come of this new joint city.
Fast forwarding though history, we pass by the industrial revolution. This era of production is what formed the backbone of Milwaukee, from breweries to tanneries and nearly everything in between. Walker’s Point became a center for production and distribution during this time, containing many different warehouses and factories with its convenient access to the river. Many buildings were needed in this time period to house and produce everything that Milwaukee had to offer, and over time the use of these buildings has drastically changed. We now come to present day Milwaukee and zoom in on Walker’s Point to see what has become of this once very industrial area.
Bo Hahnfeld – April 12, 2016
Walker’s Point has come a long way – as long as I can remember it was mostly a Polish and Eastern European neighborhood and recently became more Hispanic and diverse. As a child I remember driving all over Milwaukee on Sundays with my dad. Now the community reminds me of that and gives off a small neighborhood feel. Which I feel is a big part of Milwaukee as a whole. As far as the industrial nature of the area, I am definitely on board with keeping around as many past industrial buildings as possible. I look for reuse and recycling anywhere I go, in buildings or in furniture or decoration. We really can’t forget our history. I feel that Milwaukee should continue the reuse of these buildings and not build as many big glass boxes. The modern feel has its place, but not in Milwaukee. The only things I would fix about the Walker’s Point area would be to repurpose the run down areas without changing the culture of the area.
Ellen Petria – April 12, 2016
I’ve seen Walker’s Point change from a mainly Polish neighborhood to being quite a diverse area. It is very community friendly here, and I feel that everyone around here watched out for each other. I love the industrial buildings in the area. I absolutely do not agree with tearing them down, Milwaukee is famous for Cream City brick and that shows up all over this area. I love everything that is reused or repurposed. As far as downsides to the area, there are rundown spots throughout. I also think natural food stores, bookstores, yoga studios, and a farmers market would be fantastic additions to the area. I know I would use them!
Colin Joehnne – April 12, 2016
This area is such an up and coming area, there are lots of different things to do, lots of vintage stuff around too. All of the industrial buildings should be reused and definitely not torn down. The only downside is crime is still a bit of an issue because the area is still just up and coming. There are some sketchy areas around. I think a great addition to the area would be to add some parks and greenspace or some dog parks, that’s the one thing there isn’t much of around here.
We interviewed a few people that live and play in the area as well as someone who works there. All of them had the same opinion on the industrial buildings of the area. They stated that the buildings should be kept and reused as much as possible to maintain the character of the area, which is what we felt as well. They said that all the industrial buildings should be kept as long as they are structurally sound. This speaks back to the industrial history of Milwaukee, which is an important characteristic to keep around and educate people about. Keeping the historic architectural style, such as Cream City brick and exposed beam structure, links the Walker’s Point area back to the rest of Milwaukee. We found that there were run down areas around Walker’s Point, and all of our interviewee’s stated that as a negative side and needed improvement for the area, they suggested turning these empty lots into much needed green space and parks. Everyone that we talked to said that the whole area has an obvious community feeling and that it is very welcoming. As this is an up and coming area, the run down lots and crime are sometimes an issue, but the residents and visitors hope that the community feeling continues to grow and that soon Walker’s Point will be a popular and safe place to live and play.
Today we arrived in our new home, we are near a lake and I saw a few rivers as we travelled as well. The landscape is not much different from that of the Illinois Territory. The weather was cold today, I could feel the temperature drop slowly as we travelled farther north. The family all made the journey safely for which I am thankful. I am excited about this new place and what will come of our time here.
George H. Walker – June 1835
Today was an exciting day. I put in a full day’s work on the southern side of the river. Making my own fur trading post has been so much work and I am quite exhausted. However, Walker’s Point is nearly finished and ready for trading. The weather is starting to get warmer and warmer with every passing day and the warmer weather will bring more people who are ready to travel. The family is well and they are also excited about the new trading post.
George H. Walker – 1846
We’ve founded a city! Solomon Juneau, founder of Juneautown, and Byron Kilborn, founder of Kilbourntown, and myself agreed to combine our settlements to form what we are calling Milwaukee. Having had a rivalry with them for a few years now, this was a big step! Everyone is excited to see what will come of this new joint city.
Fast forwarding though history, we pass by the industrial revolution. This era of production is what formed the backbone of Milwaukee, from breweries to tanneries and nearly everything in between. Walker’s Point became a center for production and distribution during this time, containing many different warehouses and factories with its convenient access to the river. Many buildings were needed in this time period to house and produce everything that Milwaukee had to offer, and over time the use of these buildings has drastically changed. We now come to present day Milwaukee and zoom in on Walker’s Point to see what has become of this once very industrial area.
Bo Hahnfeld – April 12, 2016
Walker’s Point has come a long way – as long as I can remember it was mostly a Polish and Eastern European neighborhood and recently became more Hispanic and diverse. As a child I remember driving all over Milwaukee on Sundays with my dad. Now the community reminds me of that and gives off a small neighborhood feel. Which I feel is a big part of Milwaukee as a whole. As far as the industrial nature of the area, I am definitely on board with keeping around as many past industrial buildings as possible. I look for reuse and recycling anywhere I go, in buildings or in furniture or decoration. We really can’t forget our history. I feel that Milwaukee should continue the reuse of these buildings and not build as many big glass boxes. The modern feel has its place, but not in Milwaukee. The only things I would fix about the Walker’s Point area would be to repurpose the run down areas without changing the culture of the area.
Ellen Petria – April 12, 2016
I’ve seen Walker’s Point change from a mainly Polish neighborhood to being quite a diverse area. It is very community friendly here, and I feel that everyone around here watched out for each other. I love the industrial buildings in the area. I absolutely do not agree with tearing them down, Milwaukee is famous for Cream City brick and that shows up all over this area. I love everything that is reused or repurposed. As far as downsides to the area, there are rundown spots throughout. I also think natural food stores, bookstores, yoga studios, and a farmers market would be fantastic additions to the area. I know I would use them!
Colin Joehnne – April 12, 2016
This area is such an up and coming area, there are lots of different things to do, lots of vintage stuff around too. All of the industrial buildings should be reused and definitely not torn down. The only downside is crime is still a bit of an issue because the area is still just up and coming. There are some sketchy areas around. I think a great addition to the area would be to add some parks and greenspace or some dog parks, that’s the one thing there isn’t much of around here.
We interviewed a few people that live and play in the area as well as someone who works there. All of them had the same opinion on the industrial buildings of the area. They stated that the buildings should be kept and reused as much as possible to maintain the character of the area, which is what we felt as well. They said that all the industrial buildings should be kept as long as they are structurally sound. This speaks back to the industrial history of Milwaukee, which is an important characteristic to keep around and educate people about. Keeping the historic architectural style, such as Cream City brick and exposed beam structure, links the Walker’s Point area back to the rest of Milwaukee. We found that there were run down areas around Walker’s Point, and all of our interviewee’s stated that as a negative side and needed improvement for the area, they suggested turning these empty lots into much needed green space and parks. Everyone that we talked to said that the whole area has an obvious community feeling and that it is very welcoming. As this is an up and coming area, the run down lots and crime are sometimes an issue, but the residents and visitors hope that the community feeling continues to grow and that soon Walker’s Point will be a popular and safe place to live and play.
Project 4
Not found on T-drive or Google drive