Mondo Milwaukee Tour

Posted by :Yance On : May 31, 2013
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Category: Milwaukee Talk

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Learn all about Milwaukee’s scandalous and hidden past with the Milwaukee Boat Line! Join historian and author Matthew J. Prigge for the Mondo Milwaukee Boat Tour from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Thursday, June 27 at 101 W. Michigan St.

The tour will include all-true stories about such topics as the old downtown vice and brothel districts, the deadliest disasters of the lake and rivers, the years when the Milwaukee mafia ruled the Third Ward, and a long-forgotten mass grave on the city’s waterfront.

“Mondo Milwaukee will give a history of the city that often goes untold. We’ll see infamous sites and hear bawdy tales of Milwaukee’s past,” said Prigge. “This is something that has never been attempted before and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

Prigge is a PhD student in the history program at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) and has spent the last three summers leading tours of the city for the Milwaukee Boat Line. He has published extensively on off-beat topics of local history, including pornographic theatres, UFO sightings, Depression-Era terrorism, and early-1900s transvestitism.

The tour is for adults only. Tickets cost $15 each. They can be purchased online at www.mkeboat.com or dockside the night of the tour. Visit www.facebook.com/mondomke for updates.

For more information, contact Matthew J. Prigge at 920-901-4866 or at mjprigge@uwm.edu.

Do You Remember Frederic Heath?

Posted by :Yance On : May 10, 2013
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Category: Good Old Days

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Milwaukee Socialists were multitalented and interesting people. They were very well-read, knowledgeable, and studied history because if you understood the mistakes of the past you could better avoid them in the future.

Frederic Heath was one of these people in Milwaukee who was a leader and teacher and generally talented man. He was very involved in the Socialist movement of the turn of the century. The Wikipedia article explains many of his accomplishments. He wrote tremendously for the Milwaukee Leader newspaper, including this series from 1920 about short topics of Milwaukee history, called “Do You Remember?” He researched and wrote these daily. As I looked through a month’s worth of microfilmed newspaper, it was amazing to find all these little detailed nuggets of Milwaukee history that he uncovered.

The following article about the Prairie Street school which still exists as the Best Place in the Pabst City complex was published in the Milwaukee Leader of April 9, 1920.

Upcoming Library Presentations

Posted by :Yance On : May 1, 2013
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Category: Milwaukee Talk

The Central Library has a few upcoming programs of interest:

House History – An overview of resources the library has to research your house history. Space is limited so call now if you are interested – 414-286-3011
Saturday, May 4 – 9:30 to 11:30am, Richard E. and Lucile Krug Rare Books Room

1890s Library Design Competition – John Chojnacki will talk about the design competition held by the City of Milwaukee in the early 1890s for the Central Library. He will show the different designs submitted by various architects.
Saturday May 11 – 10:30 to 11:30am, Meeting Room 1 This program has unfortunately been canceled. Sorry!

The Voice of Germania – Historian John Eastberg will offer a look in the world of Milwaukee publsiher Geroge Brumder, a 19th century immigrant to Wisconsin who, by 1910, became the nation’s leading publisher of German-language literature. Call 414-286-3071 to register
Saturday, May 18 – 2:00 to 4:00pm, Richard E. and Lucile Krug Rare Books Room