| YEAR |
HISTORICAL FACT |
| 1850 |
First public market opens. |
| 1851 |
February 25
Milwaukee and Waukesha Railroad begins operations |
| 1852 |
First sailing vessel arrives, British ship "Felicity". |
| 1853 |
Milwaukee Turnverin founded. |
| 1855 |
Police force organized with Chief William Beck in command of six policemen. |
| 1856 |
November 14
Solomon Juneau dies at Menominee Indian Reservation at Kenshena. |
| 1859 |
Legislature establishes first municipal court in City of Milwaukee.
September 30
Abraham Lincoln delivers an address at State Fair, Milwaukee County. |
| 1860 |
September 8
Milwaukee excursion steamer "Lady Elgin" sinks in Lake Michigan with tremendous loss of lives. |
| 1864 |
Registration of voters established. Marquette College granted a charter. |
| 1867 |
Board of Health established with Dr. James Johnson as first health officer. National Soldiers' Home opens for Civil War Veterans. Newell Daniels founds the "Knights of St. Crispin" a national labor organization. |
| 1868 |
Sholes and glidden invent and patent the first typewriter. |
| 1870 |
Board of Public Works created. |
| 1871 |
City's Board of Water Commissioners created with Alexander Mitchell as its head. |
| 1873 |
City of Milwaukee begins supplying water to the citizens of the city. |
| 1874 |
March
City of Milwaukee establishes full-time-pay fire department. |
| 1877 |
Telephone service begins with 15 subscribers. |
| 1878 |
Garbage collection and disposal service inaugurated in City of Milwaukee.
February 7
Public Library established. |
| 1880 |
Deep Snow. Eleven feet fell between February 12 and March 23
April 5
First electric lights. |
| 1881 |
First public school kindergarten opens. First Industrial Exposition. Marquette College opens its doors to enrollment for first time. Concordia College (Ev. Lutheran) opens. |
| 1882 |
Milwaukee establishes city's first public museum. |
| 1883 |
Newhall House burns down. |
| 1885 |
Milwaukee Normal School (Later Milwaukee State Teachers' College) opens.
December
City of Milwaukee inaugurates electric street lighting. |
| 1888 |
Frederick Layton presents citizens of Milwaukee with Layton Art Gallery. |
| 1889 |
Board of Park Commissioners established, with $100,000 to build public parks. |
1889 or
1890 |
Frank Toepfer, machinist and Gottfred Schloemer, barrel maker, build first automobile with motor shipped from Michigan. |
| 1890 |
April 3
First electric trolley run. |
| 1891 |
State Senate picks permanent site for State Fair in West Allis. Oak Creek changes name to South Milwaukee.
Patrick Cudahy builds a packing plant and founds "Cudahy". |
| 1892 |
Third Ward Fire. South Milwaukee granted a village charter, has first election of village officers with F. E. Mansfield village president. Whitefish Bay granted village charter. |
| 1893 |
First asphalt paving laid in City of Milwaukee. |
| 1894 |
February 24
Cornerstone of present Milwaukee City Hall is laid. |
| 1895 |
Milwaukee Female College and Downer College of Fox Lake merge to become Milwaukee-Downer College (later merged to form the University School of Milwaukee).
Cudahy granted a village charter with Barney Eaton as first village president. |
| 1897 |
South Milwaukee incorporated as a city.
Wauwatosa (formerly Hart's Mill) granted a city charter. |
| 1898 |
October 3
Present Public Library and Public Museum building opens. |
| 1900 |
Shorewood granted a village charter. State authorizes a juvenile court in Milwaukee. |
| 1902 |
West Allis granted a village charter, F. W. Henderson elected village president. |
| 1903 |
Milwaukee School of Engineering opens.
April 1
Garbage disposal plant starts operation. |
| 1906 |
Cudahy granted a city charter, with Dr. A. C. Sidler elected first mayor. West Allis granted a city charter with Frank E. Walsh elected first mayor. West Milwaukee granted a village charter. First motion picture shown, exhibited by Saxe Bros. |
| 1907 |
Marquette College becomes Marquette University.
Metropolitan Park Authority established under County Board of Supervisors. |
| 1910 |
Milwaukee's first Socialist Mayor, Emil Seidel, elected. |
| 1911 |
November
Board of Harbor Commissions founded. |
| 1912 |
Milwaukee Vocational School opens and becomes a model in the field of vocational education. |
| 1913 |
Metropolitan Sewage Commission authorized by State Legislature. |
| 1916 |
Daniel Webster Hoan wins first term as Mayor of Milwaukee and serves continuously until 1940. |
| 1919 |
County Park Commission opens first public airport at Currie Park.
July 1
Federal prohibition stops manufacture of beer. |
| 1920 |
First traffic lights installed. |
| 1921 |
Gimbel Brothers operates first radio broadcasting station, WAAK. |
| 1923 |
Debt Amortization fund set up by City of Milwaukee. |
| 1925 |
June 26
Jones Island Sewage Disposal Plant completed, is the largest of its kind in the world. |
| 1926 |
June 7
Airmail service inaugurated. County Park Commission purchases land for new and larger airport later named "General Mitchell Field". Fox Point granted village charter. Milwaukee wins first of many top national awards in fire prevention. |
| 1927 |
Maitland Airstrip opens. Lincoln Memorial Bridge opens. |
| 1928 |
New buildings of Milwaukee Vocational School and University of Wisconsin Extension completed. |
| 1929 |
September 16
Mount Mary College opens to enrollment.
October
Federal government completes breakwater at harbor mouth. |
| 1930 |
Safety building completed. |
| 1931 |
Present Courthouse completed. |
| 1933 |
April 6
City celebrated return of beer and reopening of breweries. |
| 1935 |
Milwaukee Road and Chicago and Northwestern Railroad inaugurate "streamliners".
Work on Parklawn and Greendale housing projects begun. |
| 1937 |
City of Milwaukee, suburban and county park systems consolidate under the Milwaukee County Park Commission. |
| 1938 |
August 24
Emil Blatz Bandshell at Washington Park dedicated. |
| 1939 |
July 2
Filtration plant for water purification starts operating. Greendale awarded village charter. |
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MILWAUKEE COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
Milwaukee County Courthouse
901 North 9th Street, RM 201
Milwaukee, WI 53233
Phone: 414-278-4222 Fax: 414-223-1380
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