The Cecil Whig., 1851-08-09
lfttcr from tbc far lllrst.
Milwaukee fnIS5I.

The city of Milwaukee, the "Quccn city of
the Lakes as it is called. is adyantnocouslv To-
Gated upon the Milwaukee and Menomonie riv-
ers at their confluence and entrance into the Mil
wauklc Bay, on the eastern shore of lake Mich
lsan, ninety miles north OF Chicago, Ill. The
city Is OF very recent origin, having been incor-
porated in 1876, and consequently only five years
old. The settlement only commenced here in
1884, and previous to 1918 no white man lived
on the site or within hundred miles of this
now large and rapidly thriving city.
On the l1th of September, 1918, Mr.. Solomon
Juneau and his fatherin.law Jacques Vcau,
two French traders, entered the Milwaukee river
in Mackinac ba''eaux, and established n Ira
fling Post at this point. 1t had previously been
visited by river traders, but this was the first
actual settlement made here and Mr.. Juneau
was not only the first white settler in Milwaukee,
hut the first white resident in Wisconsin, with
'hc exception of the French settlers at Green
Bay and Prairie du chion.
Mr.. juneau built several ,ar o,b;,e ,r ,,o
accommodation of his family, and tn, convcni-
sncc Of his business, and in May 1884, put up
the first frame building erected in Milwaukee
Previous to this, however. he built his first store
In 1922, of round cedar logs, some of which he
still keeps in the rear of his present splendid
mansion, as objects of curiosity for his fourteen
children. all of whom (incluling l3 who were
born in Miwaukic) are natives OF Wisconsin.
The second frame building was put mp by Mr..
Amlblc Ncan, in 1896, and not long since was
visible in the rear cfthc store III +. Water St,
dcScclafed to the confinement Of pigs and poul-
try. 1t served as a dwelling house for many
families in succession, although its dimensions
did not exceed twelve feet square. In it was
born the first "Ango Saxon'' native of Mil
waukie, 'G,eM Britain Siryer,n son of Mr..
WIN. Sivycr.
The only trade of Milwaukee ut that time.
was that carried on by Mr. juneau with the In
dians, some two hundred of whom had village
OF wi9wanS extending from where the United
States Hotel now stands, 10 where the German
Catholic Church re"rs it, nlairsic f-tnt There
was then no other track into the country than
that made by the moccasin OF the Indian. or the
hoof OF his pony--no vessel floating on the
the native of the forest. Now there is a rail
road penetrating thirty miles into the interior,
which will in the ecu Sc of few months reach
the banks oflhc Mississippi, its intended dcsli-
nation. There are, besides this, four plank
roads that centre here, allording every facility
of communication with the interior of the State
The first vessel launched at Milwaukee, was
the Solomon Juneau in 1896. The first news
paper was the Milwaukee Advertiser in the same
year. The second wa. the Milwaukee Sentinel,
by j. O'Rourk, in 1887. Now, the total num-
Der of steamboats,, propellers, barks and schoon
ers, belonging TO and touching at this port,
amount to 1876; and there are six daily news
papers, six tri-wcekly, and eight weekly, pub
liskcd in the city--in all twenty. Two daily
papers, two tri-weekly, and two weekly are
published in the German language, and one in
Norwegian. One ofthe newspaper establish
mcnts is Whg, 0hc Sentinel and Gazette, start
ed by O'Rourk,) one is Liberty, one Temper
ancc, and the rest Democratic.
The city is divided into five wards, each of
which elects three Aldermen, three Assessors
and one Street Commissioners, annually, and one
JuStIc of the Peace every two years; from among
the five Justices thus chosen the Common Coun-
Gil selects the Police Justice The city like
wise elects Mayor Marshal, Treasurer and
Attorney AT the same time and place OF chosing
Aldermen, viz: on the first Tuesday of April in
each year.
The following table of census returns will
shew the rapid rate of increase of population
siucc 1884, when Mr.. Juneau was the only
white settler within the limits of what is now
the city of Mllwauke.
iSnn FOL,