Milwaukee, Wisconsin
I was born in Toronto, Canada and moved to Vancouver, BC as a child. Part of my childhood I had grown in Vancouver and I had moved to Milwaukee, WI. Since Milwaukee is my most recent hometown, I will be analyzing that locale. Before European settlements, Milwaukee was home to many indigenous nations: Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk, and Menominee being the most prevalent. During this Pre-european era, the Chippewa consumed diet cranberries, gooseberries, juneberries, blueberries, black and red raspberries, grapes, cherries, and chokecherries (Clara, 1990). Once European colonization settled, the advent of many industries took off in Milwaukee, decimating the agricultural and polyculture techniques that Native Americans had developed. The significance of herbal medication and belief in Nature was stripped away from Native Americans as government treaties got introduced.
In the early 1900s, Milwaukee became the largest center for the tanning industry in the whole globe. The impacts of the industry had polluted the water supply with the toxic industrial chemical runoff, contamination had poisoned the supply for people and also inadvertently affected the agricultural yield. Another issue that raised through the tanning industry was cutting down trees for tannins. This led to severely altering the amount of Hemlock and Oak trees that are present within Wisconsin, which is still an issue that persists today. Another industry in the history of Milwaukee is the wheat industry. In the early 1860s, Milwaukee became the largest shipper of wheat on the planet (Milwaukee PBS). Milwaukee also became ahead in many processing industries—flour-milling, meat-packing, and brewing during this time period. To this day, these industries being built around the river has led to the heart of Milwaukee built around Lake Michigan and Milwaukee River. The architecture of the city is built on the foundations of the previous industries to transport grain, lumber, leather and beer.
Calta, M. (1990, August 1). In Wisconsin, Indian feasts the way they used to be. The New York Times. Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://www.nytimes.com/1990/08/01/garden/in-wisconsin-indian-feasts-the-way-they-used-to-be.html
Milwaukee's history. Milwaukee PBS. (n.d.). Retrieved May 29, 2022, from https://www.milwaukeepbs.org/the-making-of-milwaukee/history/#
Hi Hassan, your post about an industrial city and polluted river reminded me of a historical event that happened about an hour from my hometown in Cleveland, Ohio. In 1969, the Cuyahoga River caught on fire (twice!) because it was so polluted from all the industrial waste that was entering the river. Are there any water quality improvements or action plan currently being carried out?
ReplyDeleteHi Hassan, I am from Madison and I have many family members that live in Milwaukee, so I enjoyed reading your post! Something that struck me, and I also remember this from lecture, was that Milwaukee's architecture is based on it's historical transportation uses. I think it's very interesting that the historical carving of this landscape has had huge lasting effects on Milwaukee today. I also liked the images you included. As someone who travels to Milwaukee frequently, the images really help you visualize how much this city has changed!
ReplyDelete