In April 1834, the Green-Bay Intelligencer newspaper reported that a sawmill was being erected in a new settlement on the Milwaukee River. Less than one year later, the paper reported that "Milwaukey [sic], which 10 months ago, had only a single trading house, has now some 20 or 30 houses, and two or three saw mills."

Yankee settlers and land speculators had moved in and were here to stay. The steady growth of Milwaukee was never wholly due to the influx of ambitious Easterners through. In ever-expanding numbers, Europeans also made their way here, not merely as settlers, but frequently as hard-working business owners, skilled laborers, and artists. They were determined to make Milwaukee their home, and in this new homeland they surrounded themselves (and influenced the entire community) with their old traditions and languages. Thirty years after its first newspaper write-up, Milwaukee was a well-established city brimming with potential. 

Through the years, Richard Prestor has amassed a fascinating collection of historic photographs of Milwaukee. This tribute to the author's home town is not meant to be a definitive history of the city, but rather a light-hearted look at the people who made Milwaukee's history. On many personal levels, you will see how people lived, worked, and entertained themselves. Join Mr. Prestor on a fascinating visual journey that brings new life to Milwaukee's history.

Written by Richard Prestor