Paddle through the watery history of the Midwestโs Cream City.
The success and survival of Milwaukee lies in the rivers that meander through its streets and the great lake at its shore. The areaโs earliest inhabitants recognized the value of an abundant, clean water supply for food and transportation. Settlers, shipbuilders, and city leaders used the same waters to travel greater distances, power million-dollar industries, and even have a bit of fun.
In Milwaukee: A City Built on Water, celebrated historian John Gurda expands on his popular Milwaukee Public Television documentary, relating the mucky history of the waters that gave Milwaukee lifeโand occasionally threatened the city through erosion, invasive species, and water-borne diseases.
Telling tales of brewers, brickmakers, ecologists, and engineers, Gurda explores the cityโs complicated connection with its most precious resource and greatest challenge. Youโll meet the generations of people, from a Potawatomi chief to fur traders and fishermen, who settled on the small spit of land known as Jones Island; learn how Milwaukeeโs unique water composition creates its distinct cream-colored bricks; visit Wisconsinโs first waterparks; and see how city leaders transformed the Milwaukee Riverโonce described as a โvast sewerโ with an โodorous tideโโinto todayโs lively and lovely Riverwalk.