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History
Home » Wisconsin » Milwaukee History and Overview » HistoryMilwaukee has a rich and interesting history.
• American Indian History of Milwaukee: In days past, this area was inhabited by the Algonkian Indians who referred to the land as Millioki. This name, with one meaning “gathering place by the waters” may have referred to the area where 3 rivers meet before going into Lake Michigan.
• Incorporation of the City: In 1813 a gentleman named Solomon Juneau came to Milwaukee developing the American Fur Company downtown. Then in 1834 George Walker and Byron Kilbourn arrived. George settled in the South and Byron in the West. These men are known as Milwaukee’s founding fathers. However, things did not begin smoothly between them as they did not agree on many things. This clashing of ideas is seen in the layout of the streets downtown. It is here that each man built their streets purposefully different than their rivals across the rivers. When bridges were finally built it was necessary to construct them at slants in order to connect the roads. Finally in 1846, the men set aside differences and came together incorporating the City of Milwaukee.
• Today’s Milwaukee: Currently, Milwaukee is the 22nd largest city in the U.S., holding a population of around 600,000 inside the city. The metropolitan area has a population of around 1.5 million.
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