Milwaukee County History
Milwaukee County was known as Millioke, or “pleasant land” by the local Algonquin tribe, and Ominowakiing by the Ojibwe tribe, and its name derives from one or both of these. The first Milwaukee County town established by Europeans, Juneautown, was founded by Solomon Juneau in 1818.
Juneautown competed fiercely with two neighboring settlements, excluding them from local maps and building exclusive roads and bridges that did not connect with the other towns. After a “Bridge War” in 1845, the three towns merged to form Milwaukee City, the county seat.
Milwaukee city and county are both known for their rich, diverse history, and boast of impressive German, Polish, Serbian, Italian, and African American institutions and monuments. In the late 1800’s, Milwaukee was a leader in the wheat, brick, and beer brewery industries. Today, the county hosts the headquarters of several Fortune 500 companies, three of America’s largest beer companies, and two cities included in CNN Money’s “Best Places to Live” (Granville and Franklin).
Milwaukee City is recognized as “The City of Festivals” and one of the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s “Dozen Distinctive Destinations.” The county is home to approximately 947,735 residents.
Image courtesy of xedos4 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Milwaukee County
Tagged: Milwaukee County WI , Wisconsin Counties , Wisconsin Tourism , Four Score
