Not so long ago people said Milwaukee was an Ojibwe word for “meeting of the waters.” In his latest book, Milwaukee’s most prolific and prominent historian, John Gurda, writes that it means “good land” or maybe “wet land.” Whatever the origins of the word Milwaukee, the city was built at the confluence of three rivers and a great lake and—yes—much of what is now Downtown was marsh land when Euro-American settlers arrived.
Rivers and wetlands are the topic of Gurda’s brightly illustrated and written Milwaukee: A City Built on Water. The author describes how the city was shaped by its unique geography and how the waterways and lakefront have become crucial to its self-image and self-interest. Incredible from the perspective of today, the rivers were allowed to become fetid cesspools during the last century and little thought was given to how they could enhance the urban environment.
Gurda will speak about his book on July 12 at 88Nine Radio Milwaukee’s Community Room, 220 E. Pittsburgh Ave. The ticketed event, benefitting the Bay View Community Center, will include food, a raffle and music by the Danny Kerns Experience. To purchase tickets, visit www.bvcc.brownpapertickets.com or call (414) 482-1000. They can also be purchased at the Bay View Community Center, 1320 E. Oklahoma Ave.
