Wednesday, November 30th -0001
Port of Milwaukee
By Lindsey Killips
Back in the far-flung days of canoes and the desire to “find the most western frontier,” it wasn’t just Lake Michigan that made Milwaukee a port city. It was the convergence of the Kinnickinnic, Milwaukee and Menomonee rivers that made the city a viable port. Instead of leaving port development to nature,
steps were taken to acquire land along the port and create an outer harbor. This foresight into the economics of shipping made it all the easier for Milwaukee’s port to become the world’s largest shipper
of wheat by 1860. While Chicago’s
rail lines became the Windy City’s claim to fame, the Port of Milwaukee continues to be Milwaukee’s
gateway to the world at large. While ships and their cargo are arguably the focus of any port, it’s the transformation of Jones Island
that makes ours interesting. Not totally an island, rather more of a peninsula of marsh connecting
what is now the Third Ward and Bay View, Jones Island was once home to a vibrant Polish community
that operated like a mid-size village. Painted clapboard houses, taverns and fishing boats then dotted
the landscape, but this idyllic
marsh life on the edge of the big city didn’t last long. By 1880, Jones Island had its own pumping
station for the city’s waste, and a garbage incinerator was added later to burn off city trash. Brightly painted houses and small fishing shacks were replaced with smoke puffing industry and more of Milwaukee’s
waste. While the island is now home to Kaszube’s Park (currently billed as Milwaukee’s smallest), very few traces of Jones Island’s community. With rising fuel costs and an economy that has yet to rebound, the Port of Milwaukee has seen better days. Even with a 10-year lease renewal on the Summerfest
grounds, only 46 vessels came into the port as of May last year- a major drop from previous years. Milwaukee and the Harbor Commission arehoping that large leases with alternative fuel companies
are the Port’s future. Hopefully this commission has the same insight
as their forefathers.
