page_title: Martin Drive, Milwaukee
section_title: Development
hierarchical_section_title: Martin Drive, Milwaukee / History / Development
caption_attribution_description: English: Advertisement for selecting a home in the Washington Park District (later called Martin Drive).
context_page_description: The Martin Drive neighborhood of Milwaukee is a residential district on the west side of the city. It is named for the local 19th-century politician Morgan Lewis Martin. Housing development started in the 1920s around two breweries. The area has benefited from local improvement programs and community activities since the 1990s.
context_section_description: The building era for Martin Drive began in about the late 1910s. Original plats of the area allowed commercial building on what is now State Street, with two breweries - the Gettleman brewery and Plank Road Brewery - located in the area adjacent to the Martin Drive Neighborhood. Much of the early development begins with platting of Highland Avenue.
  During the 1920s to 1950s, city boundaries at the time ended at 27th Street. The Town of Wauwatosa ran from what is now 27th Street to 124th Street. Ads began to run in the daily papers or on posted bills. An example of three ads from the period marketing property around Washington Park are pictured. The plotting of lots were completed and many houses were constructed during the period of 1920-1929. The Sanborn fire maps were created and fire insurance risks were calculated for this region. Most homes were of frame construction. The subdivision developments of the Martin Drive Neighborhood were the Park Front, Highland, Schmoldts, and Menomonee plats.
  Park Front: This development includes land north of Juneau on 46th Street in the 1200 to 1300 blocks, as well as on 45th Street from the 1100 block to Vliet Street. The homes in this development were primarily frame and were a mix of duplex and single family construction. Few brick homes were found in this development.
  Highland Heights: The homes and lots south of Juneau on 46th, 45th, 44th and 43rd Streets are in the Highland Heights subdivision plat, including 46th Street to State Street. Many of the homes on 46th and 45th Streets in this development were duplexes of frame construction.
  Schmoldt's: The 1200 and 1300 block of 43rd Street are in the Schmoldt's development plat. This includes some of the Vliet Street properties adjoining these streets.
  Menomonee: The 1300 block on 42nd Street, including the west side of Highland Boulevard are part of the Menomonee subdivision. Many of the units on Highland Ave are larger Victorian style brick faced homes. There are also multi-unit buildings of concrete and brick.
caption: Advertisement for homes in area, circa 1920
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