Maritime Milwaukee

In 1778, the first sailing vessel with cargo holds, the Archange, a schooner built for prominent British trader John Askin, found “quiet waters” in Milwaukee Bay. These quiet waters and the Milwaukee, Menomonee, and Kinnickinnic Rivers made Milwaukee a favorable destination for early settlers. Maritime Milwaukee explores the growth of the city’s port and three riverfronts through a variety of photographs spanning the 1800s to the present thanks to the archival preservation of collections by the Port of Milwaukee, the Milwaukee Public Library, and the Wisconsin Marine Historical Society.